Genesis

[Mirror Image]

I am currently slowly working my way through the Genesis back-catalog -- I just pulled up Wind & Wuthering on my ipod (prompted by Mirror Image's post), and am listening as I type.  I first encountered Genesis through the later Phil Collins period (Abacab and Genesis were the only two albums I had back in the day), and quite enjoyed them, but the 90's stuff didn't really appeal, and I didn't come back to them for quite a while. 

I've long enjoyed Peter Gabriel's solo stuff, and eventually curiosity got the better of me and I started to explore.  I still haven't filled in all of the early albums; greatly enjoyed When the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.  What, in your expert opinions, is the best PG-era album?

I never have liked their "pop" albums. In fact, I found when they turned their backs on their progressive roots it was pretty distasteful, but I realize the guys had to make some big money. It wasn't about the music anymore. As for my favorite Gabriel era album, I like Foxtrot the most. Nursery Cryme, Selling England By The Pound, and The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway were all very good, but I have a soft spot for Foxtrot and it's one of those albums where each time I come back to it I enjoy even better than the last time. It never grows old. It's a solid album all the way through. Watcher of the Skies and Supper's Ready are just something else. Remarkable especially given the time they were written.

[bigshot]

When I was a kid, I loved this stuff. I went back and revisited Foxtrot and a couple of others, and I can't imagine wat I was thinking. It's formless, pretentious and downright goofy. Kitsch. Oddly enough, I find Bootsy Collins and a lot of disco much better than progressive rock, but I turned my nose up at it at the time.

[Mirror Image]

When I was a kid, I loved this stuff. I went back and revisited Foxtrot and a couple of others, and I can't imagine wat I was thinking. It's formless, pretentious and downright goofy. Kitsch. Oddly enough, I find Bootsy Collins and a lot of disco much better than progressive rock, but I turned my nose up at it at the time.

That's a shame. Some might consider a lot of the classical we enjoy pretentious, formless, and downright goofy, but it's okay, I'll continue to listen to what I enjoy and gives me happiness. In the end, we like what we like. Thanks for stopping by. By the way, I think it's pretty snobbish of you to turn your nose up at anything that you once enjoyed. I guess that's the difference between you and me. I can enjoy a wide array of music, but I realize that many people have a pretty narrow outlook.

[Sammy]

That's a shame. Some might consider a lot of the classical we enjoy pretentious, formless, and downright goofy, but it's okay, I'll continue to listen to what I enjoy and gives me happiness. In the end, we like what we like. Thanks for stopping by. By the way, I think it's pretty snobbish of you to turn your nose up at anything that you once enjoyed. I guess that's the difference between you and me. I can enjoy a wide array of music, but I realize that many people have a pretty narrow outlook.

I don't know that "narrow" is the best word.  There's a guy on the board who's always buying and talking about music from just the early to mid 20th century; I think of that guy as "focused".

[Mirror Image]

I don't know that "narrow" is the best word.  There's a guy on the board who's always buying and talking about music from just the early to mid 20th century; I think of that guy as "focused".

I listen to a wide spectrum of music outside of classical. I was listening to rock (and the many sub-genres within this idiom), bluegrass, and jazz before I was even listening to classical music. I don't turn my nose up at anything I once liked. I still listen to all of this music and I'm all the better for it. Each time I return to one of these genres I have a new appreciation for it. I don't know maybe it's just a musician thing? I've been playing the guitar for 21 years now and I've always tried to immerse myself into a lot of different kinds of music. I think I even went off on a folk tangent and listened to folk music from around the world most notably the Balkans, China, England, Ireland, Japan, among other countries.

[Mirror Image]

Listened to these two great albums tonight:

[bigshot]

I had remembered Foxtrot being one of the est Benesis albums. The first side was unlistenable, and Supper's Ready uas some of the funniest lyrics ever.

[Karl Henning]

I had remembered Foxtrot being one of the est Benesis albums. The first side was unlistenable, and Supper's Ready uas some of the funniest lyrics ever.

Well, some bits (at the least) of the lyrics to "Supper's Ready" are near flat-out goofy, and not only the "Willow Farm" interlude.  Now, in a sense, I think you're perfectly right: "Supper's Ready" is long, but it's not one long compositional whole the way that the first movement of a Mozart piano concerto (which probably runs about as long) is . . .  "Supper's Ready" is basically on the Abbey Road side 2 model, of a bunch of bits strung together, musically, with some incidental back-references tucked in later on in the piece for good measure.  So I think Foxtrot "significant" for them because (a) Hackett is now well integrated into the ensemble, and (b) for the nerve of trying something as large-scale as "Supper's Ready." And there is lots of "stuff" in "Supper's Ready" which is mighty impressive.  On the whole, though, strikes me as rather a rough-cut album (though "Watcher of the Skies" is a strong opener IMO) . . . and there followed a process of musical digestion, I think, from which Selling England by the Pound benefits in an impressive degree of assurance.

[snyprrr]

Do you find orchestral unisons squirm-inducing, too?

I'm a composer, you know, and I want to know how to push your buttons, bwa-ha-ha-ha-hah! . . . .

You knooow the kind of prog rock runs I'm talking about? Anyhow...

The thing with these types of musicians,... take McLaughlin for instance,... he's just so ridiculous that he NEEDS limitations placed on him, like playing an acoustic!! He should be forced to play with only ONE string, frankly, haha!

[Mirror Image]

Well, some bits (at the least) of the lyrics to "Supper's Ready" are near flat-out goofy, and not only the "Willow Farm" interlude.  Now, in a sense, I think you're perfectly right: "Supper's Ready" is long, but it's not one long compositional whole the way that the first movement of a Mozart piano concerto (which probably runs about as long) is . . .  "Supper's Ready" is basically on the Abbey Road side 2 model, of a bunch of bits strung together, musically, with some incidental back-references tucked in later on in the piece for good measure.  So I think Foxtrot "significant" for them because (a) Hackett is now well integrated into the ensemble, and (b) for the nerve of trying something as large-scale as "Supper's Ready." And there is lots of "stuff" in "Supper's Ready" which is mighty impressive.  On the whole, though, strikes me as rather a rough-cut album (though "Watcher of the Skies" is a strong opener IMO) . . . and there followed a process of musical digestion, I think, from which Selling England by the Pound benefits in an impressive degree of assurance.

I thought every piece on Foxtrot was fantastic. The songwriting became more mature, although it was a logical progression from what they developed on Nursery Cryme. The opener Musical Box is still a revelation to me. They were so far ahead of their time.

[Karl Henning]

I thought every piece on Foxtrot was fantastic.

Musically, I am inclined to agree, John (well, I can never remember “Can-Utility and the Coastliners,” somehow, where every other track on the album has a strong profile . . . and of course, the twee word-play of that very title underscores one of my points) : )

[Mirror Image]

Musically, I am inclined to agree, John (well, I can never remember "Can-Utility and the Coastliners," somehow, where every other track on the album has a strong profile . . . and of course, the twee word-play of that very title underscores one of my points) : )

Get 'Em Out By Friday, Time Table, Can-Utility and Coastliners, and the short classical-influenced instrumental Horizons were burned into my memory, Karl. Supper's Ready and Watcher of the Skies are truly unforgettable.

[Karl Henning]

I understand the memory burn-ins ; )  I may not have benefited from that w/r/t Foxtrot, as it was some little while before I could find a copy . . . and probably I heard "Supper's Ready" on Second's Out before ever hearing the studio track. So, for me, there are ways in with the original track has always sounded second-best.

[jwinter]

Listened to Selling England By the Pound this morning during my commute.  I liked it quite a bit on first listen, but I think it will take a few spins before I can form a fair opinion of it -- lots going on there (which is what drew me to Peter Gabriel in the first place, all those layers of textures and sounds.... good stuff)

[Karl Henning]

We guard your souls for peanuts, and we guard your shops and houses for just a little more . . . .

[Ataraxia]

I downloaded a Genesis album recently. Foxtrot?

Anyway, if I allowed it I could see myself getting heavily into Kate Bush.

[Bogey]

saw Genesis in concert in the late 80s, possibly their Invisible Touch tour.

Caught them on their Abacab tour in Montreal in th early 80's....fantastic.  Phil and Chester doin' their thing.  Found this on a fan page:

The Band
Phil Collins
Tony Banks
Mike Rutherford
Daryl Stuermer
Chester Thompson

The Setlist
Behind The Lines/Duchess
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
Dodo/Lurker
Abacab
The Carpet Crawlers
Me And Sarah Jane
Misunderstanding
No Reply At All
Firth Of Fifth
Man On The Corner
Who Dunnit?
In The Cage/Cinema Show/Slippermen/Afterglow
Turn It On Again
Dance On A Volcano/Drum Duet/Los Endos
I Know What I Like

Are solo career posts allowed here, Karl?

[Bogey]

A Zappa connection?

http://www.genesisfan.net/phil-collins/phil-collins-archive/chester-thompson-moving-forward-with-phil

[Karl Henning]

Are solo career posts allowed here, Karl?

Why not, Bill! : )

[Karl Henning]

A Zappa connection?

I've yet to follow that link; but Chester played on the marvelous One Size Fits All album.