"The Hackett Connection" - TWR takes a look at some of the album releases from the former Hackett band members.

The feature on Nick Magnus’s albums that appeared in our last edition reminded me that several other members of Steve's various bands have released albums in their own right.
The most obvious example of these being John Hackett. But before we get to John’s not insignificant output, let's look at some of the rest shall we ..?

First out of the traps was Steve's former bass player, Dik Cadbury. Dik’s illustrious pre and post Hackett career has been examined in previous editions of TWR and these days he can be found playing in various bands including the excellent Julie July band (also reviewed in previous editions of TWR) but he also has a brace of albums of his own and was (so far as I am aware) the first ex Hackett band member other than Nick Magnus to release an album under his own name.

Dik gets his chance to shine as a solo writer on the appropriately titled About Time which is a superb set of songs showcasing Dik’s talents as a writer and performer on a number of instruments. Bittersweet Mystery for example, is a delightful, wistful love song for a relationship which has ended. Whilst More Than This once again is a deeply melodic song which reminds me of some of the classic songs from Welsh singer songwriter, Martyn Joseph. It's all about the melody and you have melodies to die for throughout this album. Accompanied as he is by members of his own family - Dik's daughters provide exquisite backing vocals on several tracks - as well as his old compatriots from his time with Mr Hackett; John Acock and Pete Hicks who shares compositional credits with Dik on several tracks. One thing that a listen to this album will tell you if you didn't know it, is that Dik Cadbury is a musician with a rare gift for both words and music - about time indeed!

Dik Cadbury: About Time. Choice of Music 200 102 2. 2000.

Dik's next album, Winds Of Change continues in very much the same vein as it's predecessor with the emphasis on fine songwriting and contains several upbeat songs not least the title track which opens the album with a very Beatle-esque melody. Let It Go is a more dramatic effort. The album manages to combine the best elements of folk, rock with a healthy dose of blues thrown in. Not surprising given Dik's background. Good songs, well played …nuff said!

Dik Cadbury: Winds Of Change. Self Released No Catalogue Number. 2016.

The other Hackett connection of course is John Hackett, a stalwart of Steve's band for many years. John took his time before deciding to become a full on recording artist but he has gone from strength to strength ever since and his latest album, Red Institution will be featured in our next edition. The debut album by John was the appropriately titled Velvet Afternoon an album of music for flute and piano in which he is accompanied by Sally Goodworth. A pure delight from start to finish. Here you have John in his element with scintillating melodies from the hands of a master flautist if rare skill with homages to the Baroque period which saw the rise of the flute as an essential part of the orchestral forces, to humourous depictions of members of Johns family such as his own son James in Sausage Boy and Sophie's Lullaby about his own daughter. If you ever saw Steve and John in concert and loved their acoustic interludes, or more recently the acoustic trio augmented by the phenomenal Roger King, then this is an album you will love.

John Hackett: Velvet Afternoon. Hacktrax HTRX001. 2004.

I think John was trying to lull us into a false sense of security with his first album, as its follow up, 2005’s Checking Out Of London was a full on band effort. Semi autobiographical in nature exploring the twists and turns of his life since departing the fleshpots of London for the more restrained setting of Sheffield. The biggest surprise is perhaps John’s rather excellent vocals - the man can sing as well as play a mean flute! Brilliantly evocative lyrics from John’s long time friend, Nick Clabburn flesh out the excellent music and where the twain really merge as they do on the brilliant evocation of today’s world of social media: Fantasy and the acerbic observations of a relationship gone wrong in Winter, the result is an album that will make a deep and lasting impression on you as it did with me all those years ago. John is ably joined in this one by his brother on guitar and harmonica along with another former Hackett band mate; Nick Magnus on keyboards. With the added bonus of the excellent vocals of Tony Patterson. The album was very well received at the time and remains a favourite of mine.

John Hackett: Checking Out Of London. Hacktrax HTRX002. 2005.

John’s next album was something of a shock to the system. A collaboration with fellow Sheffield musician, Moodi Drury. Red Planet Rhythm is a collection of what can best be described as “urban soundscapes”. Sampled effects, scat flute and various other effects make this one a million miles away from anything he has done before - or since. Not my favourite by a long chalk, too left field for me, but for those who like their music edgy and dissonant, you may enjoy this one.

John Hackett/Moodi Drury: Red Planet Rhythm. Hacktrax HTRX003. 2005.

John returned to more familiar territory with his next album: Prelude To Summer which was (and still is!) a delight to hear from start to finish. Beginning with the title track which is a vibrant aural description of the last vestiges of spring as it fades into summer. Tracks such as Duende evoke scenes from the 18th century court of Spain much the same way that Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez did. Lonely Man meanwhile has the influence of the Frenchcomposer Erik Satie all over it. Heavily influenced by Spanish and French music, this album closes with June, a delightful portrait of the mother of the Hackett brothers. Evocative and eloquent, beautiful yet austere by turns, this is an album to lose yourself in and one which you're will return to again and again.

John Hackett: Prelude To Summer. Hacktrax HTRX 004. 2006.

John returned with Moonspinner in 2011. A further selection of fourteen guitar and flute tracks which gets under way with the Ian Anderson inspired, Witchfinder, a jaunty guitar/flute romp which sets the tone nicely for the rest of the album. John is very good at musical pen portraits and Red Hair is another, this time of his good lady wife, Katrina whilst Overnight Snow once again displays the influence of Satie on his music. Windhover meanwhile reminds me of some of Johns earlier work with his brother and there are echoes of Shadow Of The Hierophant and Hands Of The Priestess all over this one. The album does indeed live up to the press release and serves as a delightful bridge between the worlds of classical and progressive music.

John Hackett: Moonspinner. Hacktrax HTRX 005. 2011.

Modern or Classical? To many purists the twain shall never meet and I am no expert but what happens when two proponents of “Classical” instruments such as John and Nick meet?
The results are always an aural delight. John's brother coined the phrase “the small orchestra” to describe the acoustic guitar and how prophetic that phrase has proven to be! In the right hands there is nothing the acoustic guitar cannot achieve especially when those hands belong to Nick Fletcher. Add into the mix the scintillating talents of John Hackett on flute, and the result is a thing of rare beauty and magic. Once again Nick and John take a selection of established works by modern American and French composers and throw in a couple from the established classical repertoire such as Faure’s Sicilliene and Satie’s Gnossienne #1 but there is more to this album than the established classics.

Opening with the delightful Sonatina Mexicana by Carlo Domeniconi which is as sprightly a pen picture of Mexico and its people as the Concierto de Aranjuez is of 18th Century Spain. The Faurr piece is next and it is instantly recognisable from numerous TV and films. I could listen to it all day! The original compositions such as Las Aves De Seville is superbly descriptive and John and Nick weave their instruments back and forth like the flock of birds they so vividly describe. The rest of the album is an equally exhilarating mix of music which will take you on your own flights of fancy.

John Hackett: Hills Of Andalucia. Hacktrax HTRX010. 2016.

The next album’s title suggests that Mr Hackett might believe in extraterrestrial life: We Are Not Alone, but no need to worry, John and the newly formed John Hackett Band haven't taken leave of their senses. The album gets under way with Take Control, a flute/guitardriven track with shades of Camel running through it. A brisk paced opener with some fantastic rhythm guitar from Nick Fletcher. Never Gonna Make A Dime is a wet look back at the experiences of both the Hackett brothers when they were aspiring musicians and the dreams which have since come true. Blue Skies Of Marazaion is a beautiful instrumental homage to a particularly scenic part of the Devon coast whilst Summer Lightning is another quietly reflective piece. Queenie And Elmo’s Perfect Day is an instrumental workout for the whole band in which both Duncan Parsons (drums) and Jeremy Richardson (bass) excel. You can hear how well this one goes down live on the accompanying CD: Another Live but more of that shortly. The rest of the album is comprised of equally impressive music and the band stretch their musical muscles in a wide variety of styles too, making this one a delight …and a challenge at times…for the listener. As mentioned, this one is accompanied by a live disc: Another Live recorded at a gig at the Classic Rock Society in 2016 and captures the band in a vital document showing just how impressive a unit the band are.

Comprising material from most of John’s albums including tracks from Another Life and John’s debuted; Checking Out Of London. It also showcases a variety of styles from the funkiness of Burnt Down Trees and the more tuneful Headlights and I love the acoustic interlude from Nick Fletcher titled Continental Quilt! Even after all this time I still scratch my head and wonder why it took John so long to get a band together himself as the results on display here are never less than excellent.

John Hackett: We Are Not Alone. Esoteric Records EANTCD 21067. 2017.

The next album is another collaboration between John and Nick. Beyond The Stars gets under way with the title track a suitably rocky adventurous exploration of time and space with some truly remarkable guitar from Nick and some equally ferocious keyboards from young Mr Hackett augmented by a solid rhythm section of Simon Hall and my old chum Wayne Proctor. A Horse Named Cadillac is a modern day setting for a wild west story and a brilliant evocation of today’s materialistic society. If time signatures are your thing, then A Time In Place is definitely for you. Time flies here but the real message is to rise above the negatives and keep faith with what you are doing. What we have here is another album of superbly crafted music, one which doesn't flinch from exploring different styles and ideas. Nick and John have definitely broadened their own musical palettes here and that is to be commended. They have not kept to tried and tested formulas but are constantly challenging themselves… and us, and that makes the end result even more satisfying.

John Hackett /Nick Fletcher: Beyond The Stars. Cherry Red Records. EANTCD 1072. 2018.

This was John’s Lockdown album, produced during those days of COVID which most of us prefer to forget! Opening with the somewhat confessional Masters Of My Past, which has
echoes of John’s solo debut but what is the most impressive here is the skill with which John performs on instruments he is not usually associated with. OK, you can get away with a lot due to technology these days but the rest is still down to skill and it bears John's unmistakable stamp. Broken features a familiar theme in music : don't let the sun go down on an argument, with a brilliant duet between John and his daughter Laura. In Love has an almost Calypso styled swagger to it whereas Crying Shame features some of John's soaring flute work and equally impressive performances on other instruments. Broken Glass is another superb evocation of our current times and how we tend to draw in on ourselves and become self obsessed. The album is not as polished as its predecessors and that is to be expected given the circumstances under which it was written, but it is refreshing and a solidly enjoyable result.

John Hackett: The Piper Plays His Tune. Hacktrax HTRX 012. 2020.

For the next album we take a little trip back…no, not with Father Tiresias, but to a time when musical giants roamed the earth. Giants such as Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and Scarlatti populating the planet with unforgettable melodies. The reason for their enduring popularity can be heard here in the latest album by John and Nick Fletcher - The Goldfinch. An innocuous title for such a gem. Once again the two musicians have selected a delightful assortment of music from the Golden Age of the Baroque and have added their own magic over what are already magical melodies. It really is pointless to try and dissect music of this quality, each track shimmers like burnished gold and it is evident that the two musicians are having as much fun playing as we the audience are, listening. A delight from beginning to end. Rock ‘n’ Roll it ain’t but I absolutely love it!

John Hackett/Nick Fletcher: The Goldfinch. Hacktrax HTRX 013 2021.

The final member we shall be looking at here is Chas Cronk. Chas was bass player with Steve between 1981-83 and featured on the Cured and Highly Strung albums. Chas has also made his mark with both The Strawbs and Rick Wakeman. Liberty is his first solo album.

The title track gets things under way with a wholehearted rock and roll celebration of regaining OUR liberty after Lockdown and this makes it an enjoyable start to the album.
Chas also shows off his skills as a multi instrumentalist here playing just about every instrument himself. Vocally this is a strong effort too. Take My Hand meanwhile expresses the thoughts many of us have had when we reach a crossroads in our lives; do we take the road less travelled? Some suitably ethereal keyboards here. A Splash Of Blue features Chas’s Strawbs cohort, Dave Lambert on guitar, an incredible combination of talents on display here with a wistful song and some truly vivid imagery - a film soundtrack beckons for this one methinks!The rest of the album is equally impressive with songs and music that is both taut and fluid. It has been a long time coming but with this for a debut, what next? I for one can't wait to find out!

And that brings this round up to a close. I hope you have found it interesting. Of course, Steve's newer band mates have not been ignored and their work can be found reviewed in previous editions of TWR and with new albums by both Nad Sylvan and Amanda Lehmann in prospect, their work will soon be put under the TWR microscope. We promise to be gentle!