Please Don't Touch!  by Steve Hackett

Please Don't Touch! is Steve Hackett's resounding statement of independence following his dramatic departure from Genesis. It was released in April 1978 and is the second solo album by the British guitarist.

Between November 1977 and February 1978, Hackett split the production between London and Los Angeles. Seeking a sound that would bridge progressive rock with "black" music, he enlisted an eclectic group of legends: Richie Havens, Randy Crawford, as well as members of Kansas (Steve Walsh, Phil Ehart) and Chester Thompson. The recording took place in iconic studios like Cherokee and Record Plant, even using the NECAM mixing computer to tame the multi-layered sound. The artistic part of the cover was curated by his then-wife, Brazilian artist Kim Poor. The cover depicts a surreal scene with a woman (in the style of a Victorian doll) being attacked by toys or mechanical hands in a room, reflecting the atmosphere of the title and the "fragile" nature of art. It is even said to have been an inspiration for the famous toy scene in the movie Blade Runner (!)

Commercially, Please Don't Touch! had a respectable run, reaching No38 on the UK charts and No103 on the Billboard. While some critics were disappointed by its "fragmented" character, for fans it remains a daring mosaic that proved Hackett could thrive even outside the shadow of the giant known as Genesis.