Hackett, Steve & The Underworld Orchestra - Metamorpheus


Year of Release: 2005
Label: Camino Records
Catalog Number: CAMCD35
Format: CD
Total Time: 57:02:00

With the release of To Watch The Storms in 2003, I had my first real introduction to the music of Steve Hackett. Before that time I only knew him from his work with Genesis. A glance at his more than impressive discography shows he is a very versatile musician. His solo work can mainly be divided in two categories of music: rock and acoustic. With the release of the aforementioned album, I had the opportunity to talk to him on the phone and he turned out to be a very nice person and is truly an artist. With this album still in mind, I was eager to listen to his newest album, Metamorpheus.

However, I was in for a surprise when listening to the album! Was the right CD in the sleeve? This is by no means rock, but almost pure classical music. Yet this is nothing new for Mr. Hackett. On the contrary, it is already his fifth album with a chamber orchestra. The first one was released in 1983, called Bay Of Kings and this brought him a lot of praise and sold out venues.

Metamorpheus was written with as a basis the classical guitar. But when you listen to the album, you have to listen really good, because at times the orchestra dominates the sound. It is best to listen to the album as one piece to really enjoy the music. It is a very delicate piece of work, bringing a romantic story with passion and enthusiasm. However, this passion and enthusiasm are restrained to certain boundaries.

With this album, I now respect Steve Hackett as a composer even more, as he clearly created a masterpiece with this album. To describe Metamorpheus in one word: beautiful.

Yet, in the capacity of reviewer for Progressiveworld.net, I do have mixed feelings. The catch phrase of our website is "Your Ultimate Guide To Progressive Music" and so I now face the question: is Metamorpheus progressive music? Well, it is different from the previous Hackett album. But musically I think it would fit better on a classical music website.

Still, fans of Hackett, it is a beautiful work of art, so don't hold back and dive into the classical side of Steve Hackett.

Also released by InsideOut Music America (SPV 085-5088A CD/IOMA CD 2103)


Tracklisting:
The Pool Of Memory And The Pool Of Forgetfulness / To Earth Like Rain / Song To Nature / One Real Flower / The Dancing Ground / That Vast Life / Eurydice Taken / Charon's Call / Cerberus At Peace / Under The World - Orpheus Looks Back / The Broken Lyre / Severance / Elegy / Return To The Realm Of Eternal Renewal / Lyra

Musicians:
Steve Hackett - guitar

Featured orchestral players:

Christine Townsend - principle violin, viola
Lucy Wilkins - violin
Richard Stewart - cello
Sarah Wilson - cello
Dick Driver - double bass
John Hackett - flute, piccolo
Colin Clague - trumpet
Richard Kennedy - French horn

Discography:
Genesis - Nursery Crime (1971)
Genesis - Foxtrot (1972)
Genesis - Live (1973)
Genesis - Selling England By The Pound (1973)
Genesis - Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (1974)
Voyage Of The Acolyte (1975)
Genesis - Wind And Wuthering (1976)
Genesis - Trick Of The Tail (1976)
Genesis - Seconds Out (1977)
Please Don't Touch (1978)
Spectral Mornings (1979)
Defector (1980)
Cured (1981)
Highly Strung (1983)
Bay Of Kings (1983)
Til We Have Faces (1983)
GTR - GTR (1986)
Momentum (1988)
Genesis - Three Sides Live (1982)
Genesis - Genesis Archive 1967-75 (1988)
Time Lapse (1992)
The Unauthorised Biography (1992)
Guitar Noir (1994)
Blues With A Feeling (1994)
There Are Many Sides To The Night (1994)
A Midsummer's Night Dream (1997)
Watcher Of The Skies: Genesis Revisited (1997)
The Tokyo Tapes (1997)
Darktown (1999)
Genesis - Genesis - Turn It On Again (1999)
Sketches Of Satie (2000) (w/John Hackett)
Feedback '86 (2000)
Genesis - Genesis Archive #2 (2000)
Live Archive 70s 80s 90s (2001)
Live Archive - Newcastle (2001)
To Watch The Storms (2003)
Live Archive NEARfest (2003)
Live Archive 03 (2004)
Live Archive 04 (2004)
Genesis - The Platinum Collection (2004)
Metamorpheus (2005) (w/The Underworld Orchestra)
Live Archive 05 (2005)
Live Archive 83 (2006)
Wild Orchids (2006)
Tribute (2008)
Out Of The Tunnel's Mouth (2010)
Beyond The Shrouded Horizon (2011)
Genesis Revisited II (2012)
Wolflight (2015)
THe Night Siren (2017)
At The Edge Of Light (2019)

Steve Hackett Live (VHS) (1981)
The Tokyo Tapes (DVD) (1998)
Hungarian Horizons - Live In Budapest (DVD) (2003)
Somewhere In South America - Live In Buenos Aires (DVD) (2003)
Once Upon A Time (DVD) (2004)
Spectral Mornings (DVD) (rec 1978; rel 2005)
Fire & Ice (DVD) (2011)
Genesis Revisited: Live At Hammersmith (2013)
Genesis Revisited: Live At The Royal Albert Hall (2013)
The Total Experience Live In Liverpool - Acolyte To Wolflight with Genesis Classics (2016)
Wuthering Heights - Live In Birmingham (2018)

Genre: Other

Origin UK

Added: April 5th 2005
Reviewer: Marcel Haster
Score:
Artist website: www.hackettsongs.com
Hits: 3212
Language: english

  

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