Darktown [Audio CD] Hackett, Steve

Steve Hackett, the former Genesis axemeister, is unquestionably a superb player, a capable songwriter and arranger and no bad shakes as a vocalist, but Darktown is unlikely to find its way into the hands of any but his devoted followers. The press blurb describes it as "a theme-park ride through one man's consciousness", which is PR-speak for (whisper it) a concept album based on Hackett's childhood memories. It opens with a churning metal-funk instrumental which, played louder, faster and dirtier wouldn't disgrace a Metallica album, but the mood changes for the title track which could well be an out-take from the soundtrack for Tim Burton's film A Nightmare Before Christmas. In subject matter, the song bears much resemblance to Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In the Wall", and that's where the album begins to slip into pastiche, frequently sounding like attempts to outdo Roger Waters in its exploration of the dark side of the British nostalgia. There are lovely touches--the orchestra/choir interplay on "Man Overboard"; the folksy pennywhistles giving way to sombre rhythmic strings and a Cossack choir in "The Golden Age Of Steam"; and of course, Hackett's superlatively nimble playing in "Dreaming With Open Eyes". It's just that, well, the feeling of listening to outtakes from Pink Floyd albums never quite goes away. --Johnny Black