Genesis

Steve Hackett has left Genesis as far behind as he can. To pursue a career as a songwriter,
he's abandoned all of his old band's epic devices, but his wonderful orchestral guitar
playing, which once governed his subtle use of effects, has unfortunately evaporated in
the baldness of his new material. Hackett's guitar is still engaging at times: the reverberant
acoustic picking that opens "Narnia" is sprightly and eager to please, and it carri... More >

The departure of Peter Gabriel having long since left them a quartet, what might this title indicate? Ask ex-fan Jon Pareles: "Without lead guitarist Steve Hackett, the band loses its last remaining focal point; the rest is double-tracking. Hence a sound as mushy as the dread Moody Blues, with fewer excuses." (Grade: D+)