STEVE HACKETT – PLEASE DON’T TOUCH! LP – Nr MINT A3/B1 UK 1978 PROG GENESIS

Steve Hackett – Please Don’t Touch
(Charisma Records  1978  CDS4012)
Matrix No’s: A5/B1 – UK Pressing

Sleeve & Inner Sleeve in Nr MINT condition
– some slight wear to edges

Vinyl Nr MINT condition
(there are some light surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality)

Stephen Richard “Steve” Hackett (born 12 February 1950) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and producer who gained prominence as the guitarist of the English progressive rock band Genesis from 1971 to 1977. Hackett contributed to six Genesis studio albums, three live albums and seven singles before leaving to pursue a solo career. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010.

Hackett released his first solo album, Voyage of the Acolyte, while still a member of Genesis in 1975. After a series of further solo albums beginning in 1978, Hackett co-founded the supergroup GTR with another progressive guitarist, Steve Howe of Yes and Asia, in 1986. The group released the self-titled album GTR, which peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 in the United States and spawned the Top 20 single “When the Heart Rules the Mind”. When Hackett left GTR in 1987, the group disbanded. Hackett then resumed his solo career. He has released albums and toured worldwide on a regular basis since.

Hackett’s body of work encompasses many styles; in addition to his work in progressive rock, he has explored pop, blues, world music and classical music on his solo recordings. According to Guitar World: “Hackett’s early explorations of two-handed tapping and sweep picking were far ahead of their time, and influenced Eddie Van Halen and Brian May.” Other guitarists influenced by Hackett include Alex Lifeson and Steve Rothery.

Please Don’t Touch! is the second solo album by English guitarist Steve Hackett, and his first after leaving Genesis in 1977.

The album featured several guests including R&B singer Randy Crawford on “Hoping Love Will Last”, American folk icon Richie Havens on two songs, the drummer and vocalist for the progressive rock band Kansas (Phil Ehart and Steve Walsh respectively), Frank Zappa alumnus Tom Fowler, Genesis concert drummer Chester Thompson (also a Zappa alumnus), and Van der Graaf violinist Graham Smith.

This was also Hackett’s first album to feature his pioneering use of the Roland GR-500 Guitar Synthesizer.

Track listing

All tracks written by Steve Hackett.

1. “Narnia” – 4:05
2. “Carry On Up the Vicarage” – 3:11
3. “Racing in A” – 5:07
4. “Kim” – 2:13
5. “How Can I?” – 4:38
6. “Hoping Love Will Last” – 4:23
7. “Land of a Thousand Autumns” – 1:38
8. “Please Don’t Touch” – 3:39
9. “The Voice of Necam” – 3:11
10. “Icarus Ascending” – 6:27

Personnel

• Steve Hackett – Electric guitar, acoustic guitar, Roland GR-500 Guitar Synthesizer, vocals (2), backing vocals (1, 3, 9, 10), keyboards, percussion
• John Hackett – flute, piccolo, bass pedals, keyboards
• John Acock – keyboards, engineer
• James Bradley – percussion
• Phil Ehart – drums, percussion
• Tom Fowler – bass
• Richie Havens – vocals (5, 10), percussion
• Dave Lebolt – keyboards
• Hugh Malloy – cello
• Graham Smith – violin
• Chester Thompson – drums, percussion
• Steve Walsh – vocals (1, 3)
• Maria Bonvino – guest female soprano (6)
• Randy Crawford – vocals (6)
• Feydor – vocals on “The Voice of Necam”
• Dan Owen, Dale Newman – guest vocals on “Icarus Ascending”