Highly Strung

Highly Strung
Studio album by Steve Hackett
Released	April 1983
Recorded	1982
Genre	Progressive rock, pop rock
Length	37:01
Label	Charisma Records (United Kingdom) Epic Records (United States)
Producer	John Acock and Steve Hackett
Steve Hackett chronology
Cured (1981) Highly Strung (1983) Bay of Kings (1983)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Highly Strung is the sixth solo album from former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett. "Cell 151" was a minor hit from the album, and charted in Great Britain. Added to Hackett's band was drummer Ian Mosley, who would join Marillion in 1984. This was Hackett's final studio release for Charisma.

In 2007, Highly Strung was remastered and re-released on Virgin Records. The new edition features updated liner notes and three bonus tracks.

The front cover painting is as on many of Hackett's albums by his then-wife Kim Poor.

Track listing

1. "Camino Royale" (Hackett, Magnus) – 5:28
2. "Cell 151" (Hackett) – 3:30
3. "Always Somewhere Else" (Hackett) – 4:02
4. "Walking Through Walls" (Hackett) – 3:48
5. "Give It Away" (Hackett) – 4:08
6. "Weightless" (Hackett) – 3:31
7. "Group Therapy" (Hackett) – 5:47
8. "India Rubber Man" (Hackett) – 2:31
9. "Hackett to Pieces" (Hackett, Magnus) – 2:40

2007 Remaster Bonus Tracks

1. "Guitar Boogie" – 2:12
2. "Walking Through Walls" (12" version) – 5:55 (This is a different recording than the album version.)
3. "Time Lapse at Milton Keynes" – 3:52

Alternate US LP Track listing

The US LP version of the album had a different track order than that found on other versions of the album. The LP's version of the song Walking Through Walls is also different.

Side One

1. "Cell 151"
2. "Give It Away"
3. "Camino Royale"
4. "Always Somewhere Else"

Side Two

1. "Walking Through Walls" (12" version)
2. "Weightless"
3. "Group Therapy"
4. "India Rubber Man"
5. "Hackett to Pieces"

Single Releases

CELL 151 This was released a single (see discography for listing) and briefly charted becoming Hackett's only solo single hit reaching number 66 in the UK charts in April 1983 for a two-week run. The 7" was in an edited form while the 12" was the full album cut. The front cover painting is by Kim Poor, and the back photo is a live shot promoting Steve's UK tour with a list of upcoming concerts. A limited edition version of the 12" came with a shrink-wrapped bonus Clocks 12" "white-label" with a white sleeve and the labels have a large "1" on side one, and a large "2" on side two. A promotional video was made featuring the Mad-Hatters tea party (a Charisma reference) with Steve in a cage... maybe another Charisma reference!

WALKING THROUGH WALLS – RELEASE CANCELLED: This track was remixed and clocks in at 3:38. It is essentially a remixed edit of the extended version that originally showed up on the American album release of Highly Strung on Epic records and latterly on the 2007 CD remaster of Highly Strung. Two Utopia Studio acetates are known to exist for this: a 7", and a 12" both containing the same 3:38 version. This release was withdrawn probably because it was the end of Steve's tenure with Charisma/ Virgin.

Personnel

• Steve Hackett – guitar, vocals, harmonica
• Nick Magnus – keyboards, producer, engineering
• John Acock - synthesisers, engineering
• Chris Lawrence – contrabass
• Ian Mosley – drums
• Nigel Warren-Green – cello

References