****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Very few people reach "master" status at their chosen profession, particularly guitarists. But Steve Hackett, the former GENESIS guitarist proves his mastery over the guitar in two DVDs. These two extraordinary concert videos are entitled "Somewhere in South America...Live at Teatro Coliseo, Buenes Aires" and "Once Above a Time" which is live from Budapest, Hungary. Both DVDs feature the same band- Hackett, Rob Townsend on sax & flute, Terry Gregory on bass, Roger King on keys and Gary O'Toole on drums. "Somewhere.." was recorded during their 2001 tour and "Once Above.." was recorded on their 2004 tour. There is some overlap of songs on the two DVDs. However, if you are a Hackett fan as I am, the overlaps are few and the performances are equally great on both DVDs. Technically, "Once Above..." is the better of the two. There are better camera angles, better post processing, and clearer images. The sound tracks are very good on both and are in Surround 5.0. As far as the performances go, "Somewhere.." has a kind of raw feel to it as the band was fairly new. But the performance was stellar. You can see the admiration these musicians have for Steve Hackett and how playing in this band has made them really notch up their own playing to a higher level . Some highlights, in my humble opinion, were the "GENESIS" pieces including an abbreviated "Watcher of the Skies" the solo from "First if Firth", "Hairless Heart" and "Los Endos". There is not much singing on either of these DVDs but what there is, is very well executed. "Serpentine Song" is an example. Also, kudos to Rob Townsend for the excellent soprano sax on "Gnossienne". One of my personal favorite on this DVD is "Sierra Quemada" which features some wonderful melodic playing by Hackett in what is a very emotional piece. There's some very nice wooden flute from Rob Townsend and a great bass solo from Terry Gregory in a song one would not think of as a song for bass solo. All in all, this DVD has a rawness and freshness to it that makes it a very appealing concert video. "Once Above a Time" highlights a more polished and confident ensemble that has rose to Hackett's musical level. Every song is crisp and well executed. The biggest surprise for me on this DVD was a complete version of the old "GENESIS" tune "Blood on the Rooftops" with drummer Gary O'Toole very ably singing the lead vocal originally done by Phil Collins. Hackett's band drew out all the emotion and subtle melodies of one of "GENESIS" most finely crafted songs. I do not think that "GENESIS" ever performed that song in concert so hearing and seeing it here is a real treat for all of us Hackett-era "Genesis" fans. Another highlight for me is the version of "Clocks" performed on this DVD. This version is much better than the original studio version. It comes on heavier and is performed with more emotion than the original. Again, the singing songs are excellent on this DVD also. I think the band became more confident in their vocals as there are 3 heavy harmony-laden songs on this DVD. There is "Serpentine Song" (again), "Brand New" and "Every Day". All performed very well. I did not find any "duds" on either of these DVDs. But there are a few tips I will give you regarding both of them. "Somewhere.." is coded REGION 0 and is supposed to be for everyone everywhere. But, be aware that it will not play on some of the more inexpensive DVD players. Also, the CD of "Somewhere.." is currently out of print so if you want it you may have to pay upwards of $40 or more for an import. The CD to "Once Above a Time " is actually called "Live Archive 04". It can be ordered only from Camino Records and runs about $25.00. These DVDs are a real treat and a great value if you are a Hackett/"GENESIS"/prog rock fan. It's great to be able to watch a real master at work up close.
