One of those double-LP masterpieces of the ’70s, The Lamb was Peter Gabriel’s final achievement with Genesis, quitting immediately after the 1975 tour. The music (remastered here and also available in ATMOS and HD formats) remains brilliant – a rock opera featuring Tony Banks’ keyboards, Steve Hackett’s haunting guitar, and both bass and electric 12-string from Mike Rutherford. A live tape from Los Angeles appears again, now with the encore of “The Musical Box” and “Watcher of the Skies” – both Hackett sizzlers. Listen for backing vocals from a largely unknown drummer named Phil Collins.
Hackett is also celebrating the 50th anniversary of his solo career, starting with this acoustic live album. Trading Boundaries is a small venue in Sussex where he regularly plays with smaller, more-intimate ensembles. This album showcases his classical-guitar side, along with keys, flute, sax, and another acoustic guitarist. Cue up “Jacuzzi” to hear his deep fingerstyle and compositional gifts – the man could certainly write film-soundtrack music. He further tackles his classical-guitar repertoire with Genesis, including the bittersweet “Blood on the Rooftops,” “Horizons,” and “Supper’s Ready.” It’s hard not to be impressed by Steve Hackett’s almost-infinite range of guitar wizardry. – PP
This article originally appeared in VG’s March 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
