If Voyage of the Acolyte was anything, it was the expected thing from Steve Hackett. A synthesis of his progressive rock chops honed from his time in Genesis and his penchant for more pastoral, classical arrangements. And beautiful guitar playing, of course. So the surprise of the left turn he takes on his sophomore solo album makes Please Don’t Touch perhaps makes the album more of a delight than I anticipated. Hackett recorded in the United States, working with a number of incredible vocalists and a killer’s row of backup musicians, and the variety of styles on display makes this a delight, my current go-to record for lifting the spirits.

It kicks off with “Narnia” and Steve Walsh on vocals. I always confused Steve Walsh with Joe Walsh in my mind, and while Joe may have an okay voice (and slay giants on the guitar) Steve Walsh, vocalist from Kansas, is a revelation working with Hackett. “Narnia” blends prog, pop and whimsy in a way that’s a breath of fresh air from the more suffocation English pomp of the debut, and he gets even better when a few tracks later he comes back for “Racing in A” which could easily be a Kansas song. It packs a lot of ideas in five minutes, and still manages to be catchy as hell, particularly Hackett’s guitar lines and Walsh’s vocal melodies.

For many those two would be the highlight lights of Please Don’t Touch, but that discounts one huge factor: Richie Havens. “How Can I” is exactly the kind of song you want Havens singing. There’s a distinct Beatles through line in both Hackett’s chords and the way Havens weaves his vocal melody over it. It’s an instant classic, never failing to choke me up when I hear it. He returns with Hackett in tow for the more epic closing track “Icarus Ascending” but for all its pageantry and progressive trappings (somehow there’s a reggae section wedged in the solo section) it pales beneath the simple beauty of “How Can I”.

If there’s a weak spot to the record, it’s the sappy, radio friendly “Hoping Love Will Last” with Randy Crawford on vocals. She has a fine voice, but the song, the first part of a suite that flows into the instrumentals “Land of a Thousand Autumns” and the rollicking title track sucks some of the momentum, especially following on the heels of something as beautiful as the Havens number. The instrumentals though are really good, with “Please Don’t Touch” reaching into fusion, the earlier “Kim” being a lovely duet between Hackett’s classical guitar and his brother John returning for some flute.

There are two tracks I haven’t mentioned, and they perhaps light the way for what Hackett was striving for, as they’re the ones that feature him the most. I love “Carry On Up The Vicarage”; his use of found objects – mainly vintage toys – are coupled with a jaunty melody and his own vocals pitched up and down to create a progressive circus epic that’s hard to imagine anyone else attempting. It’s also a great showcase for the murderer’s row of talent in the band, including Zappa bets Chester Thompson (coincidentally also a Genesis vet) and Tom Fowler. Finally there’s a companion piece in tone with “The Voice of Necam” made by recording Hackett’s voice onto a multitrack tape and then having a NECAM system play certain chords using his voice for the notes. It’s not as odd as you’d think and, mind with some classical guitar turns out to be a graceful, small prelude to the final piece.

For the Steve Walsh and Richie Haven songs along I’d mark Please Don’t Touch as my favorite Steve Hackett to date. But when you add in everything else – especially “Carry On Up The Vicarage” it’s a no-brainer. At least for me.