Steve Hackett: Horizons and Beyond: Genesis, Solo Mastery, and the Future of Progressive Guitar

By Caius D. Merrow

Steve Hackett is one of progressive rock's most visionary guitarists, celebrated both for his groundbreaking years with Genesis and for a solo career that has stretched across five decades. Steve Hackett: Horizons and Beyond tells the complete story of an artist who redefined the guitar as an instrument of orchestral imagination.

From his Pimlico childhood in postwar London to his discovery of classical guitar and blues, Hackett developed a vocabulary unlike any of his peers. Joining Genesis in 1970, he became the quiet architect of their progressive masterpieces. His tapping technique on Nursery Cryme, the lyrical sustain of "Firth of Fifth," and the acoustic miniature "Horizons" demonstrated how guitar could carry both ferocity and delicacy.

Hackett's departure from Genesis in 1977 opened the door to a solo career defined by exploration. Voyage of the Acolyte revealed orchestral scope; Spectral Mornings solidified his identity; and later works such as Wolflight and The Night Siren blended global influences into progressive frameworks. His classical recordings, collaborations with his brother John, and orchestral projects confirmed his versatility beyond rock.

This book also explores Hackett's role as custodian of the Genesis legacy. Through his acclaimed Genesis Revisited tours and recordings, he has reintroduced classic material to audiences worldwide, reclaiming authorship of the progressive era. At the same time, his solo albums and international tours prove that he remains a restless innovator, not a nostalgic figure.

Steve Hackett: Horizons and Beyond captures the full arc of his journey-personal struggles, artistic triumphs, and a philosophy that treats the guitar as a limitless instrument. For fans of Genesis, progressive rock, and modern guitar craft, this is both history and inspiration, the story of a musician who continues to shape the sound of the future.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FP2VH3DZ
• ISBN13: 9798262592210
• Release Date: August 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 150 Pages
• Weight: 0.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.0" x 8.0"