Genesis: Steve Hackett opens the door to a reunion: "I'd even play harmonica"

Steve Hackett has once again addressed the possibility of a Genesis reunion, reiterating that, should an offer come from his former bandmates, he would accept without hesitation. The guitarist, who joined the group in 1971 and was a key figure in the most creative progressive era of Genesis, tackled the subject during the Word in Your Ear podcast. "I've always said that if they wanted to re-form Genesis, I'd do it. I'd even play harmonica or just make a simple appearance on stage."

Hackett, who left the band in 1977 after six studio albums, has always remained on excellent terms with the other members of the group, but believes a reunion is unlikely today. Even a possible studio collaboration, in his view, wouldn't be straightforward. Over the years, the guitarist has reinterpreted numerous Genesis songs, including in orchestral versions. "It gives me the chance to choose the ones I consider the best tracks, and I like to think of it as work done with no ulterior motives," he explained.
The real obstacle, according to Hackett, would be deciding which period of Genesis's career should be considered the "classic" one. "When they became a trio, would they think that was the classic period, the one with the big hits? Or would they choose the early years, the ones that influenced so many musicians, or perhaps the transitional phase?"
The last occasion that brought part of the historic lineup back together dates back to 2025, when Hackett took part alongside Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford in the event held to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway". A few years earlier he had also been invited to Genesis's final concert at London's O2 Arena, but had to withdraw due to a prior commitment.

In recent days, however, Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford got together at AIR Studios in London to revisit and discuss "From Genesis To Revelation", the 1969 debut album by Genesis, which is set to receive a lavish new reissue out on 9 October via Cherry Red and Esoteric Recordings. Original guitarist Anthony Phillips also took part in the project: alongside Banks, Gabriel and Rutherford, he oversaw and approved the new edition of the album, which will be released in three formats: a deluxe box set with four CDs and a Blu-ray, a double CD, and a double vinyl.
At the heart of the reissue is a new mix by Stephen W. Tayler, who sought to bring the young band's performances further to the fore, scaling back the orchestral arrangements that defined the original release. Tayler also created new stereo, 5.1 Surround Sound and Dolby Atmos mixes.
The deluxe box set reconstructs that early chapter of Genesis's history in remarkable depth. Alongside the new album mix, it includes remastered versions of the original mono and stereo mixes, singles from the era, rare recordings and an entire CD devoted to demos recorded in 1967 and 1968, four of which are previously unreleased and have been remixed by Tayler.
The Blu-ray, meanwhile, features "From Genesis To Revelation" plus four bonus tracks in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound and 96kHz/24-bit stereo. Rounding out the disc is footage filmed on 14 April 2026 at AIR Studios, showing Banks, Gabriel and Rutherford listening back to the material and recalling the genesis of the album. The box set also includes a 68-page illustrated book featuring an essay by Jon Dann and contributions from the four original members involved in the project.
The double vinyl edition will also come with extra content: a 12-inch bonus EP featuring new mixes of "A Winter's Tale", "One Eyed Hound", "Image Blown Out" and the previously unreleased "Visions Of Angels".

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