The First Seven Days

Recorded in 1975 at Red Gate Studios, The First Seven Days is Jan Hammer's conceptual masterpiece, predating his commercial peak with Miami Vice by a decade. The album is a musical interpretation of the Genesis creation narrative, structured as a seven-part suite. Despite the heavy presence of soaring solos that sound like an electric guitar, the album famously contains no guitars at all; Hammer achieved these tones through innovative use of the Minimoog and Oberheim synthesizers, utilizing pitch-bending and distortion to mimic the expressive qualities of a lead guitarist. This technique would become his sonic signature. The record also features Steven Kindler on electric violin and David Earle Johnson on percussion, adding an organic, world-music texture to the electronic foundation. Artistically, it sits between the progressive rock of the era and the burgeoning ambient movement, synthesized through Hammer's rigorous jazz background. It remains a high-water mark for 1970s keyboard-centric concept albums.