Dancing with the Moonlit Knight

Genesis, 1973, from Selling England by the Pound. Solo by Steve Hackett.

Hackett uses early two-hand tapping and sweeping runs in the fast middle section.

Dancing with the Moonlit Knight opens Genesis's Selling England by the Pound, moving from a gentle, hymn-like opening into a fast, complex middle section. Steve Hackett's guitar work there is some of the most adventurous of the early 1970s, using an early form of two-hand tapping and sweeping, rapid runs that dart through the band's intricate arrangement. His playing is precise and inventive, adding colour and energy without losing melody. It anticipated techniques that later became common in rock and metal. Listen for the fast, fluttering phrases that seem to spiral upwards, and for how Hackett's guitar blends with the keyboards, creating a dense, shimmering texture rather than a straightforward solo.

Dancing with the Moonlit Knight by Genesis is ranked #280 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Steve Hackett and the song was released in 1973. It appears on 1 lists, placing as high as #47 (uDiscover Music).

In our lists

• The 25 Greatest Prog Guitar Solos — #22
• Tapping — #12
• The Best Steve Hackett Guitar Solos — #4
• The Best Genesis Guitar Solos — #4

Sources

• uDiscover Music: The Best Guitar Solos Of All Time: 108 Amazing Moments — #47