Photo credit: Tina Korhonen
Steve Hackett, legendary Genesis guitarist
On Oct. 4, the legendary Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett returns to Milwaukee to perform two of his most acclaimed albums in their entirety: Genesis’ seminal Selling England by the Pound and his first solo album, Spectral Mornings. Hackett’s latest album, At the Edge of Light, features extensive collaborations with musicians from all corners of the world. In advance of his Pabst Theater concert, I spoke with the affable guitarist about Genesis, prog rock as a boy’s club and his strategies for silencing the inner critic.
How does it feel to return to this music after so many years?
Well, I’m very proud to return to this material. I had great feedback about those albums from two people that I respect tremendously, who unfortunately are no longer with us: David Bowie liked Spectral Mornings, and John Lennon really liked Selling England by the Pound, and they’re both favorite albums of mine as well. And it just so happens this year is the 40th anniversary of Spectral Mornings, which I know is a favorite of many fans. I was always proud of that album, because it touched on a bit of world music, and the latest one features 20 or so musicians from all over the world, so that’s been a calling for me for quite some time.
Why do you think Selling England by the Pound endures?
Selling England by the Pound is considered a prototype for heavy metal, and I’m not the only person to have said that. On that first song, “Dancing with the Moonlight Knight,” the guitar solo features tapping and altered jumps and sweep picking. I didn’t realize it was groundbreaking at the time, but people have picked up on that, and I know tapping has since become a mainstay of heavy metal playing. [Queen’s] Brian May told me that early Genesis was an influence on him: things like “The Musical Box” and that three-part harmony guitar solo at the end. I told him I thought that he was the guy who invented the three-part harmony guitar! I think everyone was thinking along the same lines, you know: the guitar orchestra.
A recent article on the website Louder explores the role of women in the prog-rock scene. Do you think prog’s reputation as a boy’s club is finally beginning to change?
I like to work with women, and I’ve always felt uplifted by women. And I love the idea of a mixture of voices; it just carries the music to another level. Anyone can make an album in their bedroom on their own and all that, but music is about communication. I think we can’t afford for it to be boy’s club.
In your early solo years, you used a variety of guest vocalists but more recently you have begun singing more and more. Are you more comfortable as a vocalist now?
I had a dream one night that I could sing very high, and then I tried it out and I found that I could. If I hadn't had the dream, I wouldn’t have attempted it. Many people told me I could sing. I was the last person to believe it, but now I do. I’m never gonna be Aretha Franklin! But you just need to find the voice that you have and work on it. If you can’t get a vibrato and you want it, waggle your head, shake your arms, jump up and down, do whatever it takes.
You joined Genesis during a kind of golden age for rock ’n’ roll. With the industry in a state of freefall, do you have any advice for young musicians who hope to follow in your footsteps?
I would say you’ve gotta stick to your guns, psychologically. I think if you’re driven to do something, there are plenty of people who are gonna try to put you off along the way. I call these people “external invalidators.” They’ll tell you that you can’t play guitar, you can’t sing, you’re too short, you can’t dance, you got the wrong trousers, all the rest. That can all be dealt with. But the one thing you can’t beat is the internal invalidator; if you’re telling yourself you can’t do it, you’re never going to get off the starting blocks. So, you’ve gotta shut that demon in a room and bolt the door shut, and say “I’m gonna try to do this, because Steve Hackett said that I could!”
