'The guitar is a small orchestra housing other instruments. Pianos, cellos and harps are hidden away within it.' The remastered edition includes a 12-page booklet with Hackett's own commentary plus 3 bonus tracks - 'Time Lapse at Milton Keynes' (new version), 'Tales of the Riverbank' (new version) and 'Skye Boat Song'.
I count myself lucky that I was self taught - as I was never graded I was always allowed to love it. The nylon string guitar ranges from mellow to bright, from legato to percussive. In facts, it does a very good impersonation of many other instruments: cello, harpsichord, brass, harp, koto, violin, mandolin, drums, glockenspiel and, most of all, piano. When I first heard Segovia playing Bach I found it unbelievable that so much could be played in one pass. The independence of top lines and bass sounded like a miracle to me.
I really didn't think that you could do any more the Flamenco players had done, rattling off some fast notes with perhaps a trill on the top string for an encore. This was way beyond my comprehension at the age of fifteen. I was never able to approach pop music in the same way after that.
I hoped secretly that I would be good enough one day to do a whole acoustic album. You can never possess too much technique because the medium is much more demanding that the single lines of rock players. But, don't get me wrong, the bottom line is always the strength of melody no matter whether you play blues or Bach.'
Bay Of Kings I had in mind a kind of slow motion dance; a galleon supported by water, rising and falling, the different speed immediately felt when you set forth on any sailboat.
The Journey The pace is more stationary on this one. The rhythm is only suggested - the anchor remains fast.
Kim This first appeared in 1978 on 'Please Don't Touch'. John, my brother, came up with the harmony flute line on this re-recorded version. As the title suggests, it's dedicated to a very special person.
Marigold A steel strung guitar here for a brighter tone in keeping with the title. A six string with a harmonizer - don't attempt this sort of stuff on a 12-string, you'll wind up in traction!
St. Elmo's Fire The sea at its most restless. Both E Strings tuned down to D to get unusual chord inversions - the most dissonant of all the progressions.
Petropolis Written during a rainstorm in the place of the same name in Brazil. A homage to an emerald city in an Elizabethan style.
Second Chance Originally written as a film theme at the request of my late friend, Ralph Bates, the actor. Beautiful elegiac playing from John on flute.
Cast Adrift An atmospheric piece. Deliberately formless for the most part but always reminiscent of places by the sea such as St. Ives- Salt Kettle- smugglers' coves. Again, with an 'early music' influence during the final fanfare.
Horizons Originally written with a nod to John Renborn. His 'Sir John A Lot Of' was a great record: the contemporary and the classical side by side - well done John! This was the first complete piece I wrote for unaccompanied guitar and it became the flagship for all the rest of my fleet of doodles.
Black Light The shimmering sound of this was a return to an earlier style that was once described as 'note clusters'. Arpeggios and chords that seem to become top lines; liquids appearing like solids, me hearties!
The Barren Land Travelling through the Basque territory many years ago en route to San Sebastian it seemed as if nothing could grow on the ashen landscape, yet the people were warm and friendly. Things seemed stopped in time. No buildings, just castles in the air.
Calmaria A Portuguese word meaning the calm after the storm.
Time Lapse At Milton Keynes This was written at about the same time we had a group reunion to help Peter Gabriel. It felt great to be part of a very good team. It felt like time had stood still when we were all on that same stage again - a very emotion-charged experience. There were no stiff upper lips backstage that night.
Tales Of The Riverbank 'Tales' was a childhood favorite TV show characterised by the wonderful voice of Johnny Morris with this lovely piece used as theme music. It's based on 'Andante In C' by Giuliani and this is my own re-recorded and re-arranged version.
Skye Boat Song This wistful melody does the same thing to me now as when I was a little lad playing it on the harmonica. A song that speaks of all the things that should have been - a lament, but also a rite-of-passage. Mother's favorite.