Steve Hackett says 'joke' Genesis song is 'like Benny Hill put to music'
Don't expect him to perform it live
Ahead of his UK tour this October celebrating the 50th anniversary of ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’, Steve Hackett has admitted he doesn’t love every track the record.
Following the surreal story of Rael, a Puerto Rican youth living in New York City, ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’ features lyrics entirely written by Peter Gabriel amid fraught tensions within the band.
The concept album’s title track and seminal second single ‘The Carpet Crawlers’ remained live staples for Genesis over the decades, with the latter track being the final song performed at Genesis’ final gig at London’s The O2 in March 2022.
However, almost 50 years after the seminal record’s release, Steve Hackett says he’s still baffled by the decision to put out ‘Counting Out Time’ as the lead single.
Speaking to The Vulture, Hackett said: “‘Counting Out Time’ was about a first sexual encounter and all that comes with that — doing it by the book as if there was a manual for that sort of thing.
“I think the song was very much a one-trick horse, whereas ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’ as the opening song, might’ve made the better single because there’s more depth to it. The narrative is there. It’s more grown-up. I think the portrait of New York, albeit in a very surrealist kind of way, was far more complete.
“‘Counting Out Time’ was very much a joke or a novelty single. It’s almost like Benny Hill put to music. It didn’t quite make it as a single, and nobody was surprised, least of all me. I couldn’t see it becoming a hit.
“It didn’t have the depth of ‘Stairway to Heaven’ or even any of the Tommy songs from the Who. It was an adolescent song or a song about an adolescent, and that’s very difficult to find an audience for, because the adolescent isn’t going to understand it and those who are grown-up are either going to get the joke or not.”
Hackett continued: “I understand the record-buying public’s complete rejection of that (song). The band was kind of a runaway train at this point. It was pulling in at least two different directions: You had Peter’s direction, and then you had the direction of the rest of us, who were instrumentalists. Phil Collins was very much number two in the vocal department, although he had a great voice. I think the word ‘aberration’ comes to mind.”
Steve Hackett released his first conceptual studio album in almost five decades, ‘The Circus and the Nightwhale’, earlier this month.
Hackett will also embark on a fresh 15-date UK tour in October 2024.
The Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights & Solo tour celebrates the 50th anniversary of Genesis’ epic sixth studio album ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’ and the setlist will boast a selection of highlights from the album (presumably without ‘Counting Out Time’).
Alongside classic ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’ cuts, Steve Hackett will be performing other Genesis favourites and songs from his solo repertoire.
Tickets are on sale from Planet Rock Tickets now.
Steve Hackett’s Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights & Solo UK tour dates:
OCTOBER 2024
Aylesbury Friars Waterside – Wed 2nd
Portsmouth Guildhall – Thu 3rd
Bristol Beacon – Sat 5th
Cambridge Corn Exchange – Sun 6th
Birmingham Symphony Hall – Mon 7th
Liverpool Philharmonic – Wed 9th
Cardiff St David's Hall – Thu 10th
Guildford G Live – Sat 12th
Stoke Victoria Hall – Sun 13th
York Barbican – Tue 15th
Nottingham Royal Concert Hall – Wed 16th
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall – Fri 18th
Gateshead Glasshouse – Sat 19th
Manchester Bridgewater Hall – Sun 20th
Reading Hexagon – Tue 22nd
London Royal Albert Hall – Wed 23rd
Buy Steve Hackett UK tour tickets
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