Search - Steve Hackett :: Hungarian Horizon: Acoustic Live in Budapest

Beautifully Lush Minimalism- Live

IRate | 04/18/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"
This was a unique live album and definitly has songs that will make fans happy. However, I caution everyone but the most open minded fans, as these classical acoustic reinturpretations will probally sit better with the smooth jazz listener then your typical Steve Hackett buff..As good as some of the songs are-perfectly formed and fitted for their stripped down acoustic presentations, right along with his brother on flute, many tracks feel a little too subdued and sublime for their own good. Selections range from various solo work, to classical re-inturpretations to Genesis themes..There are sheer moments of unbounded bliss to be found for sure, sometimes though, even when Hackett is at his technical best displaying his virtuoso classical style, some of the melodramatics of the mostly duo's plotting and pacing interfere. This was probally one heck of a show to have been at, especially with a loved one. Many of those moments come across on disc, but the overall impact is more of an homage to the master player, rather then a truly unified live show..Recommended highly though as profound background music, or if you just want to feel transported to a beautiful minimilist concert in a far away land, there really aren't that many albums which produce such an honest mellowy-sweet-but-not-that-sappy sound."