Till We Have Faces
If Steve Hackett's "Bay of Kings" was the first "unplugged" album then "Till We Have Faces" was almost certainly the first album by a rock musician to fuse the electrifying qualities of rock music with the emotion and rhythmic inventiveness of an ethnic culture, anticipating Paul Simon's efforts by several years.

Although the tracks were returned to the UK for final mixing and editing the sessions took place mainly in Brazil and the incredible rhythms of that country play a major role in the recording. There is now a greater sensibility towards "World Music" but at the time of recording Steve felt somewhat apprehensive about using Latin percussionists.

Ironically, as we approach the beginning of a new century, this album could now be considered mainstream!

Billy Budis
CD Cover What's My Name 7.05
The Rio Connection 3.20
Matilda Smith-Williams Home For The Aged 8.06
Let Me Count The Ways 6.05
A Doll That's Made In Japan 3.56
Duel 4.48 		Myopia 2.55
Taking The Easy Way Out 3.49
The Gulf 6.33
Stadiums Of The Damned 4.37
When You Wish Upon A Star 0.48

What's My Name
I'd lust finished reading a book called Six Records of a Floating Life by Fu Shen so again I was getting help from a book with fantastic imagery - lyrics such as "The Great Cave of Burning Clouds". Musically, it's ancient China meets Amazonian Brazil. I liked this mixture of oriental and South American Indian styles - Junior, who played just about all the percussion at the beginning, was later nominated for an Oscar for his soundtrack to Emerald Forest. I'm pleased to say this is the album at its most radical; we weren't using sequencers - this was all played by hand!

The Rio Connection
A fun track with two drummers, Serginho and Rui, playing spontaneously in sync. Most of this was all played live in the studio - a great "vibe", just like you'd imagine it in the movies, party time on record.

Matilda Smith Williams Home For The Aged
When a samba rhythm meets an Englishman's lyric based on a Caribbean old folks' home it sounds like this. And, yes, we have made some alterations to the original mix.

Let Me Count The Ways
If you listen very closely you can hear the drummer, Rui Mota, counting in the number in Portuguese. A slow blues, long overdue at the time as I'd grown up listening and playing so many twelve-bars - long live the blues!

A Doll That's Made In Japan
Rhythmically called a Baião, this was actually recorded in England after everything else, but spot the influence. Again, I liked this idea of oriental and South American styles coming together - still do! I've got my Koto working!

Duel
A straight shuffle with an E-bow driven guitar - the Gizmo makes a guest appearance doubling as a starting motor at the top, followed by Nick's impression of a truck starting up.

Myopia
A Mr Magoo lyric with driving bass line courtesy of Mr Magnus. The song blunders into a brief snatch of one of the Brandenburg concertos - it's not my fault if I'm short sighted and got the two mixed up!

Taking The Easy Way Out
A drifting off to sleep song, very laid back and eventually out for the count.

The Gulf
This was recorded back in 86/87. We reworked some of the drum tracks originally intended for "Faces". I was thinking of the hostage crisis when two men (Jimmy Carter and the Ayatollah Khomeini) were both talking to "God" and coming up with completely separate answers! The title was symbolic of the chasm or distance between man and his maker and is no way intended to refer to the recent war of that name, so help me!

Stadiums Of The Damned
Again, recorded in 87 and influenced by Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment where the killer is forgiven by the victim's niece who eventually becomes his "redemption". "Stadiums" finds a football hooligan with a changing set of values due to a similarly positive female figure - I'm sorry I can't explain it any simpler, folks! Ah, the love of a good woman!

When You Wish Upon A Star
This is my little homage to a favourite Disney cartoon played - or rather parodied - on Nick's old analogue synths. That's all folks!

Steve Hackett Guitars, Guitar Synth, Koto, Rainstick, Etruscan Guitar, Marimba, Percussion, Harmonica, Vocals.
Nick Magnus Keyboards, Percussion and Drum Programming
Rui Mota Drums
Sérgio Lima Drums
Ian Mosley Drums, Percussion
Waldemar Falcão Flute, Percussion
Fernando Moura Rhodes
Ronaldo Diamante Bass
Clive Stevens Wind Synthesiser
Kim Poor Japanese voice on "Doll"
The Brazilian Percussionists Sidinho Moreira, Junior Homrich, Jaburu, Peninha, Zizinho, Baca.

Recorded in Rio de Janeiro and London
Recording Engineers: Rio: Carlos E. Cesar, Andy P. Mills, Felipe Nervy, Waldemar Falcão 

London: John Acock, Gwyn Mathias
Additional recording by Gerry O'Riordan ("Stadiums") & Jerry Peal ("The Gulf").
Assistant Engineers: Rio: Jackson Paulino

London: Nick Ryan-James
Mixed by John Acock


Steve Hackett - Live Archive