GiGinJapan Artwork of Japanese CDs (mostly) Steve Hackett / Wolflight In Cleveland 2015 / 1DVDR / Non Label
Live at Club Citta, Kawasaki, Japan 21st May 2016
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A tour that summarizes Steve Hackett’s long career, entitled “From Voyage of the” ACOLYTE “to” WOLFLIGHT “plus Genesis Classics”. However, even in a variety of solo careers, he is particular about “progressive rock”, and it is a pure progressive live with GENESIS classics added to it. First, let’s take a look at the outline of the 2016 Japan Tour.
・ May 21: Kawasaki Club Citta [this work]
・ May 22: Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall, Tokyo
・ May 23: Namba Hatch, Osaka
In this way, there were 3 performances in Kanto + Osaka. Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall was “PROGRESSIVE ROCK FES 2016” that appeared with CAMEL etc., but this work contains the solo performance “May 21 Club Citta Kawasaki” on the first day. It is a master that has already become a hot topic on the net, but its quality is a wonderful audience sound. The musical sound is beautiful but thick, and you can clearly see the fantastic performance in every corner in combination with the quiet Japanese venue. On top of that, it also breathes in a warm atmosphere, and Hackett Prog-Rock’s “fantasy” is endlessly rich, and “dramaticism” is endlessly dynamically produced.
The general tour drawn with such a sound consists of the same two parts as the overseas performance. For collectors, there are masterpieces such as “WOLFLIGHT IN NORTHAMPTON 2015 (Amity 335)”, “WOLFLIGHT IN KOLN (Amity 336)”, “WOLFLIGHT IN NEW YORK (Amity 339)” and “WOLFLIGHT IN CLEVELAND 2015 (free DVDR)”. I’m familiar with it, but I would like to introduce it again …
First, the first part is “Solo”. As I mentioned earlier, Hackett’s career covers a wide range of fields such as pop and classical guitar, but this time it’s “progressive rock”. There are two main albums, featuring the solo debut work “VOYAGE OF THE ACOLYTE” and the latest work “WOLFLIGHT” from the GENESIS era (these two albums are “ACOLYTE” to “WOLFLIGHT”). “VOYAGE OF THE ACOLYTE” is an album that has been described as “more like GENESIS than Broadway” from that time, and even “WOLFLIGHT” is an album produced based on the experience of GENESIS reprint tour. For that reason, even though it is a solo, it is two pieces with a rich GENESIS color. The show composition goes back in time with the latest “WOLFLIGHT” → origin “VOYAGE OF THE ACOLYTE” by sandwiching such two pieces with the representative songs “Spectral Mornings” “Every Day” “Icarus Ascending” of the early solo. In this work, this “Solo Hen” was recorded using the entire disc 1.
And it is the long-awaited second part “GENESIS” that fills up all the disc 2. The memory of “GENESIS REVISITED TOUR”, which came to Japan three years ago, is also vivid, but at that time, five songs that could not be seen are folded at once. “FOXTROT” A-side last “Get’Em Out by Friday” “Can-Utility and the Coastliners”, “SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND” B-side last “The Cinema Show” “Aisle of Plenty” and a part of the album Five songs that are reproduced and connected to “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” in chronological order. It is transparent that the concert concept is constructed by valuing the “flow” in every detail.
After that, three deadly songs that were performed three years ago will be shown, but this is also a point. The encore features “Dance On A Volcano” from “A TRICK OF THE TAIL”, which was done in overseas performances. The solo “Clocks –The Angel of Mons” was played overseas, but due to this change, the entire disc 2 is filled with “GENESIS Zanmai”. Although it is no longer “GENESIS songs only in the Peter Gabriel era” like overseas performances, it is a show with a richer sense of generalization of the career.
The world of “Hackett Prog” that was unfolded in Japan. Not only fans who are also holding Hackett’s solo works, those who visited the site on the day, but also those who “know only GENESIS” are gems to touch. A career summary live through a beautiful fantasy world, the first report in Japan. Please enjoy yourself.
「From Voyage of the “ACOLYTE” to “WOLFLIGHT” plus Genesis Classics」と題され、長いスティーヴ・ハケットのキャリアを総括するツアー。とは言え、多彩なソロキャリアでも“プログレッシヴ・ロック”にこだわっており、そこにGENESISクラシックスを加えた純プログレ・ライヴなのです。まずは、2016年ジャパンツアーの概要を見てみましょう。
・５月21日：川崎・クラブチッタ 【本作】
・５月22日：東京・日比谷野外大音楽堂
・５月23日：大阪・なんばHatch
このように、関東＋大阪の全３公演でした。日比谷野外大音楽堂は、CAMEL等と共に出演する“PROGRESSIVE ROCK FES 2016”でしたが、本作に収められているのは初日の単独公演「５月21日クラブチッタ川崎」公演です。早くもネット上で話題となっているマスターなのですが、そのクオリティは見事なオーディエンス・サウンド。その楽音は見目麗しくも図太く、静かな日本会場と相まって幻想的な演奏が隅々までハッキリと分かる。その上で暖かみのある空気感もしっかりと吸い込んでおり、ハケット・プログレの“幻想感”はどこまでも豊かに、“ドラマティシズム”はどこまでもダイナミックに演出しているのです。
そんなサウンドで描かれる総括ツアーは海外公演と同じ２部構成。コレクターの方々には、『WOLFLIGHT IN NORTHAMPTON 2015（Amity 335）』『WOLFLIGHT IN KOLN（Amity 336）』『WOLFLIGHT IN NEW YORK（Amity 339）』『WOLFLIGHT IN CLEVELAND 2015（無料DVDR）』といった傑作群でお馴染みですが、改めてご紹介させていただきますと……
まず、第１部は「ソロ篇」。先ほども述べましたが、ハケットのキャリアはポップやクラシックギターなど多岐に及びますが、今回は“あくまでもプログレ”。軸になっているアルバムは２枚で、GENESIS時代のソロデビュー作『VOYAGE OF THE ACOLYTE』と最新作『WOLFLIGHT』をフィーチュア（この２枚なので”ACOLYTE” to “WOLFLIGHT”なのです）。『VOYAGE OF THE ACOLYTE』は当時から「ブロードウェイよりもGENESISらしい」と評されたアルバムですし、『WOLFLIGHT』にしてもGENESIS復刻ツアーの経験を元に制作されたアルバム。それだけに、ソロとは言ってもGENESIS色が濃厚に漂う２枚なのです。そんな２枚を初期ソロの代表曲「Spectral Mornings」「Every Day」「Icarus Ascending」で挟み込み、最新『WOLFLIGHT』→原点『VOYAGE OF THE ACOLYTE』と、時代を遡るショウ構成。本作では、この「ソロ遍」をディスク１全部を使って収録いたしました。
そして、ディスク２全部を埋め尽くすのが、お待ちかねの第２部「GENESIS篇」。３年前の来日“GENESIS REVISITED TOUR”の記憶も鮮烈ですが、その際には観られなかった５曲が一気に畳みかけられる。『FOXTROT』Ａ面ラストの「Get ‘Em Out by Friday」「Can-Utility and the Coastliners」、『SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND』Ｂ面ラストの「The Cinema Show」「Aisle of Plenty」とアルバムの一部分を再現しつつ、時系列で「The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway」へと繋げていく５曲。細部至るまで“流れ”を大切に、コンサート・コンセプトを組み上げているのが透けるのです。
その後は、３年前にも演奏された必殺の３曲が披露されるわけですが、ここもポイント。アンコールに海外公演ではやらかった『A TRICK OF THE TAIL』の「Dance On A Volcano」を取り上げているのです。海外ではソロの「Clocks – The Angel of Mons」が演奏されていたわけですが、この変更により、ディスク２全部が“GENESIS三昧”で埋め尽くされている。海外公演のように「GENESIS曲はピーター・ガブリエル時代だけ」ではなくなったものの、より一層キャリアの総括感が濃厚なショウになっているのです。
日本でも繰り広げられた“ハケット・プログレ”の世界。ハケットのソロ作も押さえているファンの方、当日の現場へ足を運ばれた方はもちろんのこと、「GENESISしか知らない」という方にもぜひ触れていただきたい逸品です。美しき幻想世界が貫くキャリア総括ライヴ、その日本第一報。どうぞ、たっぷりとお楽しみください。
Disc 1 (75:37)
1. Intro 2. Spectral Mornings 3. Out of the Body 4. Wolflight 5. Every Day
6. Love Song to a Vampire 7. The Wheel’s Turning 8. Loving Sea 9. Icarus Ascending
10. Star of Sirius 11. Ace of Wands 12. A Tower Struck Down 13. Shadow of the Hierophant
Disc 2 (65:53)
1. Intro 2. Get ‘Em Out by Friday 3. Can-Utility and the Coastliners 4. The Cinema Show
5. Aisle of Plenty 6. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway 7. The Musical Box
8. Dance on a Volcano 9. Firth of Fifth
Steve Hackett – guitar, backing vocals Roger King – keyboards Gary O’Toole – drums, vocals
Rob Townsend – saxophone, flute Nick Beggs – bass Nad Sylvan – vocals
