Steve Hackett – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (First Time on Vinyl) – Album Review**
Steve Hackett is an artist whose creativity feels inexhaustible. Over the years I’ve been fortunate enough to speak with him multiple times, and each time I’m reminded just how deeply he feels music—not as a technical exercise, but as pure emotional expression. And A Midsummer Night’s Dream, newly released on vinyl for the very first time, captures that side of him beautifully.
Originally released in 1997, this album is Hackett’s musical homage to Shakespeare’s timeless play, recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Now, Inside Out Records have finally given it the vinyl treatment it has always deserved—180g vinyl, gatefold sleeve, polylined inner sleeve (of course, because Inside Out know how to do it properly), and beautifully reproduced artwork and liner notes.
This is the sort of release that reminds you why vinyl exists.
A Package Made with Care
Straight away, Inside Out’s attention to detail shines:
A strong gatefold sleeve featuring full credits, story notes, and reflections from Steve himself.
A polylined inner sleeve—a detail some labels still question, but for us collectors it makes all the difference.
Excellent mastering for vinyl, giving space to the orchestra, the delicate guitar work, and all those dynamic nuances.
Seeing this album in large-scale artwork just feels right. It never belonged hidden on a CD shelf back in the late 90s. This was a widescreen piece of music waiting patiently for the vinyl renaissance.
Hackett the Colourist
One of the things I love most about Steve Hackett—across the five interviews I’ve done with him—is his ability to inhabit multiple musical identities effortlessly. Whether it’s searing electric solos, acoustic delicacy, world textures, or full orchestral sweep, Steve makes the guitar something deeply personal and painterly.
And here, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, he goes somewhere truly special.
His playing is never showy. Never about “look what I can do.” Instead, everything comes from the emotion and heart of the story he’s telling. On this album, Steve lets the orchestra take centre stage as often as he does, weaving in and out like a dancer—never dominating, always complementing.
If this were a violin concerto, Steve would be the solo violin. That’s how seamlessly he moves within the orchestral arrangements.
A Complete Musical Journey
You don’t dip into individual tracks with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. You experience it as a whole. You put it on, sit down with a coffee or a glass of wine, and let it whisk you away for 40–50 minutes.
That said, I have to draw attention to Side Two—tracks like Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed. This is where the magic really gathers around you. The orchestration becomes lush and enveloping, and Steve’s guitar feels like it’s floating above a summer woodland scene lit by fireflies.
It’s gentle. It’s warm. It’s romantic. It’s storytelling without words.
Part of a Bigger, Beautiful Thread
In the video I showed several of Steve’s other acoustic and classical-leaning works—Under a Mediterranean Sky, Tribute, Momentum, Bay of Kings, Metamorphosis and more. They form a beautiful constellation around this album. But A Midsummer Night’s Dream stands out because the orchestra functions not as accompaniment, but as a co-creator.
Matt Dunkley’s orchestration is sublime. Roger King’s contributions are essential. John Hackett’s flute adds familial warmth. Everyone serves the narrative.
And Hackett himself? He plays from the heart—always.
The Music That Brings The Sun Out
As I write this, the wind is howling outside, and the cats are curled up nearby trying to stay warm. But this music? It brings out the sun in the human heart. That’s the power of instrumental music. No words—just pure emotional communication.
And it’s why this album works so well on vinyl. You sit with it. You feel it. You let it take the room over.
If you’re a Steve Hackett fan, you already know this is essential.
If you’re new to him—perhaps discovering him through the recent Lamb Lies Down box set—this is the perfect gateway into his more reflective, classical, cinematic side.
This is the first time A Midsummer Night’s Dream has been on vinyl. Inside Out have done a magnificent job, and I hope this continues with many more of Steve’s overlooked albums from the 90s and early 2000s finding new life in this format.
Brilliant album. Beautiful edition. Highly recommended.
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
