Search - Steve Hackett :: Time Lapse

Delivering the Goods

Jerry G. | shaker hts, oh United States | 11/01/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A major question about any band is weather they can deliver the goods in concert. Listening to Hackett's albums, one is overwhelmed by his creative use of recording technology. But can the power of these recordings, made with all the advantages of a studio, be translated into a live environment? Time Lapse answers this question with an emphatic yes. A document of two concerts seperated by ten years, Time Lapse presents a picture of Steve Hackett that is saturated with the energy and immediacy of a good performance. The live versions of these songs acutally succeed at improving on the studio material. All of Hackett's albums from 1975 to 1982 are represented here. Voyage of the Acolyte, Spectral Mornings and Defector are the ones most heavily drawn from. Anyone looking for materiel from Till We Have Faces, GTR or either of the acoustic albums (Bay of Kings and Momentum) will be dissapointed, as will fans of his '90s era albums. That being said, the songs that are included are some of his best. Camino Royale is the first number, an odd one to use as an opener, but then again no one ever accused Steve Hackett of being predictable. In That Quiet Earth is also included. This is part of three connected songs on the Genesis album Wind and Wuthering. I tend to think that these three songs should be listened to together. One of the many high points is Depth Charge, a short jam that does not exist on any other album. It sounds like something Hackett and his band came up with during sound checks. Hope I Don't Wake is wonderfully executed, while I happen to prefer the studio verson of Spectral Mornings. The feel of a concert hall is evident throughout these recordings. You can almost hear the sound expanding to fill the arena; and none of the subtlety of Hackett's music is lost. If there was some overdubbing added, you can hardly be dissapointed. After all, this isn't a bootleg recording and it all blends together seamlessly. The musicianship on this one is first rate, with the drums comming across better than they ever did on any studio release. The one disadvantage is that the continuity of his studio albums is missing. The songs on Hackett's albums tend to blend together and form a continuous whole. Oftentimes a kind of story is being told. This sort of feeling cannot be replicated when various songs from various albums are jumbled together. I would recommend this album both to those looking for an introduction to Steve Hackett as well as fans who would like to check out his live sound. However I would advise against listening to it from beggining to end. All the heavyosity might get to be a little too much to handle. Time Lapse is like a large serving of very rich food. Small bites will do just fine."

A Live Gem

WAJWAJ | United States | 09/20/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Great live versions of some of Steve Hackett's best work, the best of which are "Camino Royale" and the instrumental "Jacuzzi." This album also introduces another classic Hackett instrumental, "Depth Charge." Longtime fans already have this album. New fans should join them soon."

SUPERIOR AUDIO TO THE JAPAN '07 MINI-SLEEVE RELEASE

BOB | LOS ANGELES, CA | 06/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just received the twelve-disc Japan mini-sleeve Steve Hackett set, released on May 30th.



As I intended to replace all of my jewel-cased SH CD's, I sat down with new set and painstakingly A/B'd the audio on each disc against the most recent jewel box version of each title.



I'm glad I did. Although all of the other eleven discs in the '07 'sleeve set sonically match to the most up-to-date remasters, the '07 Japan version of "Time Lapse" does not.



This '01 Camino jewel-case remastered release has a superior-sounding master compared to the 'sleeve edition.



I'm glad I checked, before I divested the better disc. Just goes to show; never assume anything.



WHAT IS A JAPAN "MINI-LP-SLEEVE" CD?



Have you ever lamented the loss of one of the 20th Century's great art forms, the 12" vinyl LP jacket? Then "mini-LP-sleeve" CD's may be for you.



Mini-sleeve CDs are manufactured in Japan under license. The disc is packaged inside a 135MM X 135MM cardboard precision-miniature replica of the original classic vinyl-LP album. Also, anything contained in the original LP, such as gatefolds, booklets, lyric sheets, posters, printed LP sleeves, stickers, embosses, special LP cover paper/inks/textures and/or die cuts, are precisely replicated and included. An English-language lyric sheet is always included, even if the original LP did not have printed lyrics.



Then, there's the sonic quality: Often (but not always), mini-sleeves have dedicated remastering (20-Bit, 24-Bit, DSD, K2/K2HD, and/or HDCD), and can often (but not always) be superior to the audio on the same title anywhere else in the world. There also may be bonus tracks unavailable elsewhere.



Each Japan mini-sleeve has an "obi" ("oh-bee"), a removable Japan-language promotional strip. The obi lists the Japan street date of that particular release, the catalog number, the mastering info, and often the original album's release date. Bonus tracks are only listed on the obi, maintaining the integrity of the original LP artwork. The obi's are collectable, and should not be discarded.



All mini-sleeve releases are limited edition, but re-pressings/re-issues are becoming more common (again, not always). The enthusiasm of mini-sleeve collecting must be tempered, however, with avoiding fake mini-sleeves manufactured in Russia and distributed throughout the world, primarily on eBay. They are inferior in quality, worthless in collectable value, a total waste of money, and should be avoided at all costs."