Guitar Noir is the tenth album by Steve Hackett, released in 1993. On this record, he started turning to a much darker guitar sound, yet still retaining the fluidity he has become known for.
Track listing (UK Version) "Sierra Quemada" (Steve Hackett) – 5:19 "Take These Pearls" (Hackett, Aron Friedman) – 4:14 "There Are Many Sides to the Night" (Hackett) – 7:23 "In The Heart of the City" (Hackett) – 4:35 "Dark As The Grave" (Hackett, Friedman) – 4:38 "Lost in Your Eyes" (Hackett, Dave 'Taif' Ball, Julian Colbeck, Hugo Degenhardt) – 4:56 "Little America" (Hackett, Ball, Colbeck, Degenhardt) – 4:55 "Like An Arrow" (Hackett) – 2:51 "Theatre of Sleep" (Hackett) – 3:04 "Walking Away From Rainbows" (Hackett) – 3:10 "Paint Your Picture" (Hackett) – 2:58 "Vampyre with a Healthy Appetite" (Hackett) – 5:30 "Tristesse" (Friedman) – 4:02 1997 remastered bonus tracks "Sierra Quemada" (demo) (Hackett) – 4:31 "Take These Pearls" (rough mix) (Hackett, Friedman) – 4:11 "In The Heart of the City" (original version) (Hackett) – 4:19 "Vampyre with a Healthy Appetite" (demo) (Hackett) – 4:41
The original (1993) version of the CD did not include the track "Theatre of Sleep".
Track listing (US Version) "Lost in Your Eyes" (Hackett, Ball, Colbeck, Degenhardt) – 4:56 "In The Heart of the City" (Hackett) – 4:35 "Sierra Quemada" (Hackett) – 5:19 "Vampyre with a Healthy Appetite" (Hackett) – 5:30 "Take These Pearls" (Hackett, Friedman) – 4:14 "Little America" (Hackett, Dave 'Taif' Ball, Colbeck, Degenhardt) – 4:55 "There Are Many Sides to the Night" (Hackett) – 6:55 "Walking Away From Rainbows" (Hackett) – 3:10 "Like An Arrow" (Hackett) – 2:51 "Dark As The Grave" (Hackett, Friedman) – 4:38 "Paint Your Picture" (Hackett) – 2:58 "Tristesse" (Friedman) – 4:02 Cassandra (Hackett) – 3:42 (unlisted song featuring Brian May of Queen recorded in 1986)
Personnel (on UK Version) Steve Hackett – guitars, vocals (2–9, 11, 12), stepp (3, 10, 11), noises off (3), harmonica (6, 7, 12), string arrangements (8), rainstick (11) Julian Colbeck – keyboards (1, 4, 6, 7, 12), backing vocals (7) Dave "Taif" Ball – bass (1, 4, 6, 7, 12) Hugo Degenhardt – drums (1, 4, 6, 7, 12) Aron Friedman – keyboards (2, 5, 8, 13), programming (2, 5, 8, 13), string arrangements (8) Nick Magnus – keyboards (9), programming (9) Bimbo Acock – clarinet (9) Billy Budis – backing vocals (11)
References