The 1974 Genesis album Steve Hackett refused to revisit: “I would probably leave it”
Guitarist Steve Hackett has said he has no wish to perform Genesis's 1974 double album "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" live again, preferring to leave that task to others. The record, a dystopian concept album built around Peter Gabriel's narrative, was the band's first major double album and is regarded as one of prog rock's most demanding works, both to listen to and to play. Hackett's comments highlight how the album's creative direction sidelined his guitar contributions, shaping his lasting ambivalence towards it.
Hackett toured the album worldwide with Genesis at the time, but said its predecessor and successors gave him far more room to showcase his guitar playing. The tour also proved pivotal for the band, as it was during this period that Gabriel announced he was leaving Genesis to spend more time with his family rather than commit to further lengthy touring. Hackett contrasted the record with albums such as "Selling England by the Pound", which he felt suited his playing style better, and noted that although the band gained more musical space post-Gabriel on records like "A Trick of the Tail", he himself would later leave Genesis a few albums afterwards.
- Steve Hackett won't play "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" live again
- He felt the album gave him little room for guitar expression
- Peter Gabriel quit Genesis during the album's original tour
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Genesis are an English rock band whose early music combined rock with long, intricate compositions, a style often called progressive rock. In 1974, the group released The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, a double album that tells a surreal story centred on a character named Rael, with singer Peter Gabriel providing the narrative.
The album was made by a band whose members had different musical roles, including guitarist Steve Hackett. Gabriel’s departure, announced during the tour for the record, marked a major change for Genesis; Hackett also left the band a few years later. The album matters as both an ambitious work in the group’s history and a turning point in its line-up.