time Steve’s compositions and
playing have reflected influenc-
es from many genres, including
blues, classical, jazz, prog, rock
and world. Hackett’s The Night
Siren echoes these interests. As
implied in the title, The Night Si-
ren is a wake-up call... the warn-
ing of a siren sounding in this
era of strife and division. But it
is also a celebration of cultures
and unity as musicians from dif-
ferent countries were invited
to play on this 11-track CD. The
opener “Behind the Smoke” is
daring and dynamic focusing on
the plight of refugees through-
out the ages. This track set the
serious yet stellar tone for the
rest of the record. Later “West
End” exposes the damages of
war paired with the hope for
a better planet. Other high-
lights are the agile “Anything
But Love” which runs through
a range of complex changes as
another signature of this com-
pelling record. Talk ing about his
current work, Steve says, “This
latest waxing represents a bird’s
Watch the video for “Behind the Smoke” by Steve Hackett
NJ STAGE 2017 - Vol. 4 No. 4
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