Steve Hackett's last release for Charisma Records in Britain is one of his strongest efforts.
Hackett once again handles all the lead vocals, but sounds more assured in the role than he did on
Cured. This album spawned
Hackett's one and only solo hit single, "Cell 151," which charted in Britain. (An extended version of "Cell 151" was released as a 12" single, and was later included on CD versions of
Highly Strung.) With its heavily gated drum sound (an effect pioneered by
Hackett's onetime bandmate
Phil Collins), "Cell 151" had a hard-hitting, modern sound. This production style ran through the whole album, but complemented
Hackett's songs to great effect. Strong up-tempo numbers like "Walking Through Walls" (which espoused the virtues of pushing your boundaries via a daily morning jog) alternated with ballads like "India Rubber Man," on which the guitarist returned to his first instrument, the harmonica.
Highly Strung is a fine example of
Hackett's skills as an instrumentalist and composer. ~ Robin Platts