Steve Hackett ‎– Please Don’t Touch! (1978)

“Narnia” serves as a majestic and evocative opening to the album, now understood as a complex narrative that blends philosophical questioning with a fantastical warning. The song begins by challenging conventional wisdom, hinting at a hidden reality beyond the mundane. It then shifts to introduce the perilous nature of the magical world, specifically highlighting the danger posed by its icy queen and the unforeseen consequences of venturing into such a realm, even as it beckons. It’s an anthemic piece that captures both wonder and an underlying current of unease.

Musically, the track features powerful orchestral arrangements alongside Hackett’s signature electric guitar work, creating a grand and cinematic sound. The dynamic shifts contribute to its epic feel, making it an immediate highlight and a strong thematic statement for the album’s exploration of diverse, and sometimes dangerous, realities.

Passage 1: Challenging Perceived Truths and Entering the Unknown

Things they taught you at school
Can sometimes disappear
Why do you disbelieve
The things I said were true

Of a land nothing planned
It just happens
Girls and boys who shout come out to play

This opening immediately sets a contemplative tone, questioning the certainty of conventional education and suggesting that a deeper, unplanned, and spontaneous reality exists beyond everyday understanding. It hints at the existence of a magical “land” that defies logic, beckoning children to a fantastical play.

Passage 2: The Perilous Queen and the Allure of Magic

With a queen cold as ice
You’d best take my advice
To steer clear of her charm
She’s easily annoyed
What’s that sound, you turn around
It just happens there are bells
And reindeer drawing a sleigh

This passage introduces a direct warning about the “queen cold as ice,” clearly referencing the White Witch. It advises caution against her deceptive charm and quick temper. Despite the warning, the magical allure of “bells and reindeer drawing a sleigh” is presented as an inescapable, almost accidental occurrence, drawing the listener further into the dangerous realm.

Passage 3: The Enduring Conflict and the Human Connection

There troubled with snow covered peaks
Till the end of time
We know you’re a daughter of Eve
And a friend of mine – no

This section introduces a sense of ongoing, perhaps eternal, conflict within Narnia, symbolized by “snow covered peaks.” The recognition of the human visitors as “daughter of Eve” connects them to a larger, destined narrative, but the abrupt “no” implies a rejection of a simple friendship, suggesting deeper, more complex roles or consequences.

Passage 4: The Inevitable Influence and Unforeseen Repercussions

Yes I’m certain that you
Will influence the rest
She could turn you to stone
You’re suitably impressed
And so easily led
There just happen to be repercussions
Months ahead

This passage returns to the human visitors, highlighting their destined influence on the world of Narnia. It explicitly warns of the Queen’s power to “turn you to stone” (a direct reference to her magic). The speaker notes the visitor’s susceptibility (“suitably impressed,” “easily led”), revealing a critical vulnerability. The ominous concluding lines about “repercussions / Months ahead” add a layer of dramatic irony and foreboding, implying that their actions will have long-term, perhaps negative, consequences.

Passage 5: Lingering Threat and Unresolved Destiny (Reprise)

Oh there troubled with snow covered peaks
Till the end of time
We know you’re a daughter of Eve
And a friend of mine – no

This final passage reiterates the central conflict of Narnia, emphasizing its enduring nature “till the end of time.” The repetition of the “daughter of Eve” line and the concluding “no” maintains the sense of a grand, perhaps unsettling, destiny for the human characters, leaving the narrative on a note of unresolved tension and the lasting impact of their presence.

Credits:

• Steve Hackett: Electric Guitars, Bass, Harmonica
• Richie Havens: Vocals
• John Acock: Keyboards, Engineering
• Chester Thompson: Drums
• John Hackett: Flute, Keyboards
• Graham Smith: Violin
• Dave Toop: Cello

“Carry On Up The Vicarage” is a uniquely darkly humorous and theatrical track that immediately sets a scene of quirky British mystery and serial, bizarre deaths. The song presents a series of gruesome incidents within the vicarage and its community, delivered with a detached, almost nonchalant tone that amplifies the macabre comedy. It evokes a sense of absurd misfortune and local intrigue, reminiscent of a classic British farce infused with a strong element of gallows humor.

Musically, the song features a lively tempo, prominent flute melodies that often add to the whimsical-yet-eerie atmosphere, and a more accessible, almost pop-oriented structure. Hackett’s progressive leanings are evident in the layered arrangements and subtle instrumental flourishes. Sally Oldfield’s distinct vocal style adds to its unique, character-driven charm, delivering the grim narrative with a blend of nonchalance and narrative intrigue.

Passage 1: The Initial Discovery and First Death

Body was found at the vicarage quarter past nine
People die from sudden strokes all the time
Verdict of misadventure mending the roof
The doctors niece, whilst tending the rosehedge
Stung to death by a swarm of bees

This opening immediately sets a scene of grim discovery, with a “body found at the vicarage.” The mundane explanation (“sudden strokes”) is juxtaposed with the increasingly absurd and specific cause of death (“Stung to death by a swarm of bees” while “mending the roof”), establishing the song’s darkly comedic tone and setting up a pattern of unusual fatalities.

Passage 2: Expanding the Morbid Catalogue

“My wife’s cooking is out of this world take a bite”
Died from some rare tropical disease in the night
Dab hand at pharmaceuticals, still no one guessed
The village vet was drowned in the pigswill
You wonder whose turn will be next

This passage continues the catalogue of bizarre deaths, shifting from a comically deadly meal to a “rare tropical disease.” The presence of a “dab hand at pharmaceuticals” who still fails to guess further emphasizes the absurdity. The drowning of the “village vet in the pigswill” deepens the dark humor, culminating in the chilling question “You wonder whose turn will be next,” implicating the listener in the morbid anticipation.

Passage 3: The Climax of Absurdity and Fall

“In the world of sinners all are condemned
My son this gun’s loaded”
A missing floorboard then screaming from the belfry he fell

This final passage introduces a dramatic, almost theatrical, sequence. A pronouncement of sin and a loaded gun suggests a confrontation or act of desperate faith. The “missing floorboard” and the subsequent “screaming from the belfry he fell” deliver a final, comically sudden, and absurd death, bringing the series of unfortunate events to a dramatic, if ridiculous, climax.

“How Can I?” is a deeply soulful and introspective ballad, distinguished by the raw, emotive vocal performance of Richie Havens. The song navigates themes of restlessness, the frustrations of communication, and the longing for genuine connection amidst life’s challenges. It contrasts the weariness of daily routines and personal struggles with an enduring desire for love, friendship, and understanding. The narrative weaves between the mundane frustrations (like a car running out of gas) and profound existential questions, ultimately suggesting that perseverance and connection are key, even when things seem bleak.

Musically, the track relies heavily on acoustic guitar, often featuring a steady rhythmic strumming combined with delicate melodic lines. Havens’s distinctive vocal style, characterized by its gravelly texture and powerful delivery, gives the song its emotional core, supported by a subtle and empathetic arrangement that emphasizes the heartfelt plea for connection and resilience.

Passage 1: Restlessness and Distant Longing

The local radio says sorry time to go
But I don’t sleep too well
Where are those Southern Belles
Tryin to get a telephone line through South Caroline
Your call may bring somebody down for miles around
I’m watching her eyes again
I won’t use no fountain pen

This opening immediately sets a scene of restlessness and a desire to escape the mundane present, marked by the radio’s sign-off and the speaker’s insomnia. The longing is specific: for “Southern Belles” and a connection to “South Caroline,” highlighting both geographical and communicative distance. The frustration of trying to connect (“Your call may bring somebody down”) and the preference for direct, unwritten communication (“I won’t use no fountain pen”) emphasize a yearning for genuine, immediate contact.

Passage 2: Unclear Messages and Impending Departure

The lady isn’t here. The message wasn’t clear
She left an hour ago, screamed from the floor below

This short passage introduces a specific, confusing interpersonal situation. The “lady” is absent, the message is ambiguous, and the “scream from the floor below” adds a layer of mystery and urgency, hinting at unresolved conflict or a dramatic exit.

Passage 3: Nature’s Call and Personal Struggle

Mother nature never gives in, she wants you to sing
But how can I go on just singing this song
My car’s out of gas again
Hurry home to see my friend

This passage contrasts the relentless, life-affirming force of nature with the speaker’s personal exhaustion and practical difficulties (“My car’s out of gas again”). The question “how can I go on just singing this song” conveys a feeling of weariness or disillusionment with their current path, but this is immediately followed by a clear, simple desire for companionship and comfort (“Hurry home to see my friend”).

Passage 4: Love, Loss, and Existential Doubt

Money won’t help you to win a new look at things
Loving can bring you down so you fall
Then why do you still try to get up at all
Your good and bad side showing through
Problems are a part of you

This passage presents a more philosophical reflection on life’s challenges. It dismisses material solutions (“Money won’t help”) and acknowledges the painful vulnerability of love (“Loving can bring you down”). This leads to an existential question about the point of perseverance (“why do you still try to get up at all”). The acceptance of personal flaws and problems as inherent parts of oneself (“Your good and bad side showing through / Problems are a part of you”) offers a candid and somewhat resigned perspective.

Passage 5: New Hope and Connection

You must love someone else or face life by yourself
You may expect a call
She’s waiting in the hall

This passage presents a stark choice: seek connection or face isolation. It offers a glimmer of hope or resolution with the anticipation of a call and the revelation that “She’s waiting in the hall,” suggesting that the desired connection is closer than previously thought, perhaps resolving the earlier communication issues.

Passage 6: Finding Solace and the Continuous Cycle

See the garden grows and it grows nobody else knows
And you can wear just any old thing
The show can begin
I’m falling asleep to dream
No more hills to climb it seems

This passage introduces a moment of peaceful, almost surreal detachment. The growing garden symbolizes life’s quiet persistence and personal secrets. The idea of “the show can begin” and “falling asleep to dream” suggests a transition into a state of imaginative escape or rest, where the struggles are temporarily overcome (“No more hills to climb it seems”).

Passage 7: Enduring Struggle and Friendship (Reprise/Outro)

Money won’t help you to win a new look at things
You never give in
So why don’t you sing
But how can I go on just singing this song
My car’s out of gas again
I’ll be home to see my friend

This concluding passage reiterates themes from earlier in the song. The dismissal of money as a solution returns, as does the rhetorical question about singing when facing exhaustion. The phrase “You never give in” offers a note of resilience. Ultimately, the song circles back to the practical frustration of the car and the fundamental desire for the comfort and solace of friendship (“I’ll be home to see my friend”), ending on a note of grounded human connection despite ongoing struggles.

B5. “Icarus Ascending”

6:06 | progressive rock / epic narrative | medium-slow to fast, soaring

“Icarus Ascending” is an epic and profoundly contemplative track that uses the metaphor of Icarus’s flight to explore personal ambition, the desire for escape from mundane existence, and the profound impact of connection. The song juxtaposes the yearning for freedom and higher experiences with moments of poignant observation and the subtle acknowledgment of risk and transformation that comes with striving. It ultimately concludes on a note of enduring, unfalling progress through the power of a significant relationship.

Musically, the track features sweeping, layered arrangements, prominent acoustic and electric guitar melodies, and a diverse dynamic range, moving from moments of reflective introspection to powerful, soaring crescendos. The intricate instrumentation and dramatic development contribute to its cinematic and emotionally resonant quality.

Passage 1: Dissatisfaction and Aspiration

There are many things that I would rather do
Many many places I would rather be

This opening immediately establishes a feeling of dissatisfaction with the current reality. The speaker expresses a deep yearning for new experiences and different environments, setting a personal, aspirational tone for the “ascent” – not just a physical one, but a mental or spiritual one.

Passage 2: The Mythic Warning and Consequence

Splendour wings of ambition
Melted by the sun
To the sea of remorse
Graveyard come

This passage directly invokes the Icarus myth as a cautionary tale. “Splendour wings of ambition” symbolize grand aspirations, which are tragically undone by hubris (“Melted by the sun”). The descent into the “sea of remorse” and “graveyard come” speaks to the painful consequences of overreaching and the feeling of regret that follows failure.

Passage 3: Lingering Doubts and Innocence

Dogs that bark at night are fearful of the moon
Will the sound of children’s toys remain in tune

This passage introduces contrasting images, suggesting underlying anxieties and a concern for enduring innocence. The barking dogs represent primal fears or disturbances, while the question about “children’s toys” remaining “in tune” speaks to a hope that purity or harmony can persist despite the world’s harsh realities.

Passage 4: The Dual Nature of Influence and Choice

The same light shines on vineyards
That makes deserts its true
What awaits me if I follow you – ooh

This passage reflects on the dual nature of powerful forces (like “light” or influence) that can either bring forth beauty (“vineyards”) or desolation (“deserts”). This observation leads to a crucial question directed at another person (“What awaits me if I follow you”), indicating a pivotal decision about whose path to follow or what influence to embrace.

Passage 5: Unceasing Progress Through Connection

And all that’s behind me
And I flew this time
Never falling
Since your eyes first touched mine

This concluding passage represents a powerful resolution and shift in perspective. The speaker asserts a decisive break from the past (“all that’s behind me”). Crucially, the “flight” this time is successful and without falling, directly countering the Icarus myth’s tragic end. This enduring ascent is attributed to the transformative power of a significant personal connection, symbolized by “Since your eyes first touched mine,” implying that this relationship provides stability and allows for perpetual upward movement.

Credits:

• Steve Hackett: Vocals, Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Keyboards
• John Hackett: Flute
• Chester Thompson: Drums
• John Acock: Engineering

Origins During Wind and Wuthering Sessions (1976)

The title track to Please Don’t Touch! had its origins during the Wind and Wuthering sessions but Genesis vetoes its inclusion on that album.

Steve Hackett entered the writing and recording sessions for Genesis’s Wind and Wuthering album (released in December 1976) with a significant amount of material, much of it borne from a creative surge following his first successful solo album, Voyage of the Acolyte (1975). He felt emboldened and expected more of his ideas to be included on the band’s next album.

“Please Don’t Touch!” was one of the compositions Steve Hackett brought to Genesis during these sessions. It was conceived as an instrumental piece, and it’s even noted that the main theme of “Please Don’t Touch!” was a variation on the theme of the Wind and Wuthering instrumental track “Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers…”. This highlights how intertwined some of his ideas were with the band’s ongoing work, even if they didn’t make the final cut in their original form.

Why Genesis Didn’t Use It

The decision not to include “Please Don’t Touch!” (and other Hackett compositions like “Inside and Out,” which later appeared on the Spot the Pigeon EP, and “Hoping Love Will Last”) on Wind and Wuthering stemmed from increasing creative differences and internal friction within Genesis, particularly between Hackett and keyboardist Tony Banks, who was a dominant songwriter in the band.

Several factors contributed to its rejection:

• Creative Direction: Hackett felt that Genesis was increasingly moving towards a simpler, more song-oriented, and less experimental direction, which he found frustrating. He was keen on exploring more instrumental, orchestral, and diverse styles, which didn’t always align with the band’s consensus. Banks, in particular, was often reluctant to adopt Hackett’s more esoteric or instrumental ideas.
• Phil Collins’s Input: A well-known anecdote recounts that Phil Collins was reportedly not keen on “Please Don’t Touch!” specifically from a drumming perspective. Hackett stated that Collins felt he “couldn’t get behind it” drum-wise. This rejection, coming from the rhythm section, was a significant hurdle. Ironically, after Hackett left and released it, Collins reportedly admitted it sounded great.
• Competition for Album Space: With three primary songwriters (Banks, Rutherford, and Hackett, with Collins also contributing), there was always competition for space on the album. Tony Banks often had a large body of material, and his ideas, along with Mike Rutherford’s, frequently took precedence. Hackett often felt his contributions were sidelined. The band ultimately chose to include “Wot Gorilla?” (a Tony Banks/Phil Collins instrumental) over “Please Don’t Touch!”, a decision that deeply frustrated Hackett. This exchange of one instrumental for another, particularly when “Wot Gorilla?” used a similar rhythmic feel, underscored Hackett’s feeling of being creatively stifled.
• Hackett’s Growing Frustration: This rejection, coupled with other disagreements over songwriting credits (Hackett had proposed a system of equal credits and bringing in outside musicians, both of which were rebuffed), contributed significantly to Steve Hackett’s growing disillusionment with Genesis. He felt that a “huge percentage” of his material was being scrapped, and his desire to see these compositions realized fueled his decision to leave the band shortly after the Wind and Wuthering album and subsequent tour, during the mixing of the live album Seconds Out.

In essence, “Please Don’t Touch!” was a casualty of the evolving dynamics and creative tensions within Genesis. Its rejection became a symbol of Steve Hackett’s increasing need for artistic freedom, which he then fully realized on his subsequent solo album carrying the same name.