Say it ain’t so, Sammy.

Many baseball fans were dumbstruck to hear that homerun hero Sammy Sosa corked his bat to get more ‘pop’ out of his practice swings pre-game. This became evident when one of those practice bats went with him into the game and split wide open on a power drive. It was later decided that Sosa’s other bats, left for regular game play, were all fine and not tampered with, but by then everyone had to wonder; what about those previous hits? Were we duped?

I preface my review of Steve Hackett’s “To Watch The Storms” with this baseball incident for a reason, and I’ll get to the point of that a little later on. But first, let me assure you that this disc is 80% fantastic. Hackett, the guitar guru that left Genesis shortly after Peter Gabriel’s departure and one of the two GTRs behind the 80s hit “When The Heart Rules The Mind”, can play a mean guitar. From intricate bolero-styled Spanish guitar to a ripping electric solo, he earns every one of his previous accolades.

What I didn’t know about Hackett was his voice. If the rather vague instrumental attributions on the latest disc can be deciphered correctly, he’s singing the lead vocals. Honestly, I’d never heard his singing before now and was surprised to find his voice very similar to King Crimson / Asia / UK vocalist John Wetton. Not a bad way to go, and I’m actually surprised Geoffrey Downes didn’t pick Hackett up when Wetton and Steve Howe left Asia.

The whole band is top-notch and the overall flavor of the disc is of 80s prog and classic rock. After having lately listened to a lot of modern prog and prog metal (must be a kick I’m on lately or something) it was refreshing to hear such an open approach, free of that extra bit of crunch that seems to be becoming the norm. High points are the mostly guitar and voice oriented “Strutton Ground”, the mood shifting “Circus of Becoming” with its eventual master-class of guitar shredding in the chorus and the pop infused “Brand New” with former Crimson and Foreigner alum Ian McDonald on saxophone. In a tie for best cut are the power ballad “This World” and the elegant “Rebecca”, a take on the Daphne DuMaurier novel cum Alfred Hitchcock US debut film. Like I said before, there is a lot to like about “To Watch The Storms”.

The minor misstep here is a cover of Thomas Dolby’s “The Devil Is An Englishman”, which sounds out of place, a little dated and a bit hokey in the mix. If it were a bonus track, it would have been interesting. As included in the body of the recording proper, it sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb.

But what about that lopsided percentage I mentioned? If I liked the disc this much, why only three stars? The answer is, in short, “Mechanical Bride”. Oh, it sounds fantastic. The musicianship is really at peak form here and I was enjoying it plenty until I inadvertently sang along, “Twenty-first century / Schizoid man!”

What?

I am not inferring plagiarism here. Perhaps an uncalculated tribute? Perhaps a calculated but uncredited one? There has to be a logical reason, but it’s not my imagination. Structurally, instrumentally, even thematically, Hackett’s “Mechanical Bride” is just a gender and a riff or two separated from the legendary Crimson debut track. None of the other tracks rang such warning bells with me, but by now it was too late. Like Sammy Sosa’s single tainted bat, I found myself doubting the rest of the compositions. As a listener, I found myself suddenly, deeply disappointed.

For fans of amazing musicianship, classic prog and interesting songs, I can’t hold anything against 80% of “To Watch The Storms”, and I can overlook a measly 5% that doesn’t suit me… But that 15%. That lousy 15% that keeps staring me down…

Say it ain’t so, Steve.

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Steve Hackett

To Watch The Storms

Released: June 12, 2003
Origination Year: 2003
Time: N/A
Tracks:13
Produced by: Steve Hackett
Engineered by: Roger King
Mastered by: Roger King
Style: Studio
Format: CD
Enhancement: None
Label: Inside Out Music
Website:
www.stevehackett.com

Strutton Grounds
Circus of Becoming
The Devil is an Englishman
Frozen Statues
Mechanical Bride
Wind, Sea and Stars
Brand New
This World
Rebecca
The Silk Road
Come Away
The Moon Under The Water
Serpentine Song