100 Great Songs to Publish a Book to, #74: Steve Hackett, Ace of Wands

A vast “What if?” surrounds the career of Steve Hackett: what would have happened had he cooled his jets and remained with Genesis beyond mixing the Seconds Out live album in 1977?  Ultimately, such conjecture is of course futile.  Genesis’s 1978 album obviously would not have been called …And Then There Were Three…, and in any case, there is little to suppose that he would have stayed long enough to be involved with 1980’s Duke.  With the benefit of hindsight, it’s equally possible to appreciate the fact that he stayed as long as he did.  In 1975 he was the first band member to release a solo album, which kicked off with this track, Ace of Wands, with his prodigious talent on full display.  If proof were needed that he is the greatest guitarist of his generation, then here it is – in spades.

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