Genesis

[NorthNYMark]

Thank you very much Mark for that extremely helpful analysis. I certainly won't be giving my 1985 transfer to the charity shop even if I go ahead and get the digital remix. I can always keep one in the car and one in the house. One other question to the Genesis fans here: which album should I listen to next?

Great point about having multiple versions around for different listening situations!

I suspect if you enjoyed Selling England enough to be interested in more, you will probably enjoy most of the Gabriel-era catalog, and possibly some of the early Collins era. Their musical approach was fairly consistent from 1970's Trespass through 1976's Wind & Wuthering. As I mentioned above, Selling England marks a subtle shift (more in terms of production and arrangement than in songwriting) away from the more organic textures of what came before to a slightly more streamlined sound. Their three previous albums tend to have a more acoustic guitars, organs, and mellotrons. Of them, the earliest, Trespass, is my personal favorite, though that is a minority view among Genesis fans. It predates the arrival of Phil Collins and Steve Hackett. Hackett's predecessor (Anthony Phillips) was particularly fond (as both player and songwriter) of delicate acoustic textures, and the album has an even more churchy,  "English pastoral" feel than the others. Its closing number ("The Knife")  is somewhat unrepresentative of the album as a whole,  as it is a rocker of the sort that will done more convincingly in upcoming albums. The next album, Nursery Cryme, is the first to include Collins and Hackett. It maintains some of the delicacy of Trespass, but throws  more "rock" elements (and humor) into the mix (its mini-epic opening and closing tracks, "The Musical Box" and "Fountain of Salmacis,"  are particularly outstanding, and remain broad fan favorites). The next album, Foxtrot, is more of the same, perhaps beginning to incorporate a bit more of Collins's jazz sensibilities in some of the arrangements. It is famous, among other things, for the sidelong epic "Supper's Ready."  Selling England by the Pound came next. If you enjoy its more folky and/or pastoral elements, any of the previous albums will give you even more of that.

The album following Selling England was the double concept album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. This carried the streamlining even further. Apparently Peter Gabriel was concerned about the band becoming overly "twee" in its evocations of children's stories, classical mythology etc., so he wanted to do a psychedelic extravaganza about a New York street tough's surreal, metamorphic journey. This album tends to divide fans, with some considering it their absolute pinnacle, and others considering it to be somewhat of a bloated misstep (I personally lean more toward the latter camp, though the album has some brilliant moments).

Gabriel left the band after that (and Hackett made a remarkably "Genesis-y" solo album called Voyage of the Acolyte). Collins (who had contributed a couple of lead and many harmony vocal performances on the earlier albums) stepped up as lead vocalist for the follow-up, A Trick of the Tail. In some ways, that album steps back from the streamlining of The Lamb, and returns to the more textured pastoralism of their earlier material, but adds a bit more fusion-y instrumental rigor as well. Odd as it is for me to say (as I generally prefer the Gabriel-era albums to those of the Collins era), it may be my single favorite Genesis album, though the other pre-Lamb Gabriel albums are all very close. (And the early CD mastering of this is legendary among rock audiophiles). The next album, Wind & Wuthering, is very similar, though not quite as consistent or inspired overall, IMHO. After that, Hackett leaves the band, and it begins morphing into the  pop behemoth it became in the '80s, for better or for worse, depending on your tastes.

If you're going to start with just one additional purchase, Foxtrot would probably make the most sense, though I personally like both Trespass and A Trick of the Tail even more. If the idea of a sidelong epic sounds over-the-top, though, it may make more sense to begin with Nursery Cryme and/or A Trick of the Tail. In some ways, A Trick is probably the closest in overall mood to Selling England, though it has a different lead vocalist and somewhat shorter songs. I suspect that you'll probably like almost any of these albums, though! Good luck exploring!  By the way, the original UK Virgin/Charisma CDs are generally considered to be the best available versions by audiophiles (at least, those like me who like a full dynamic range, don't mind a bit of tape hiss, and are sensitive to too much treble boosting). If you like a more "modern" sonic approach, though, the current remixes may be right up your alley (while the Definitive Edition remasters probably please no one in particular, though they're fine if other options are unavailable).

Sorry about the long response--it's obviously an area where my geekiness comes into full play!

[Mirror Image]

A nice write-up, Mark. Since Genesis are my favorite rock band (just ahead of Pink Floyd and King Crimson). I think Trespass gets dumped on a good bit for no apparent reason. It's not a favorite of mine, but will freely admit that it does have a lovely folkiness with a nice blend of classical that makes it quite alluring. Nursery Cryme, at one point, was my favorite Genesis album, but that honor has gone to The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway for some time now.

[Mirror Image]

Of the Collins-led albums, Wind & Wuthering remains my favorite, although I don't like All in a Mouse's Night. I think it's the worst track on the whole album. The rest of the album is pure Genesis gold. Blood on the Rooftops may be their best song post-Gabriel.

[Mirror Image]

Mark mentions Steve Hackett's first solo outing Voyage of the Acolyte and this, for many people, was like a 'lost' Genesis album. I wrote a review for it on Amazon (for those interested):

The idea of Steve Hackett leaving Genesis and having a solo career was I'm sure to the dismay of many Genesis fans because, in my honest opinion, I believe he was a key ingredient to their signature style. Those quirky guitar parts and soaring solos (like in his trademark and highly lauded solo in "Firth Of Fifth" from Genesis' 1973 album "Selling England by the Pound") are without a doubt some of the highlights of progressive rock guitar in the genre's 1970s heyday. As things turned out, "Voyage of the Acolyte" was exactly what Hackett needed to release as this, in his own words, gave him the confidence to strike out on his own. What led to Hackett's departure from Genesis was that time and time again his own musical ideas were being shot down by Genesis members in favor of their own ideas. This constant onslaught of rejection led Hackett to finally quit Genesis in 1976 after recording the live album "Seconds Out." For many people, myself included, this is where I departed from the Genesis train, although "..And Then There Were Three" was an 'okay' album with a few good songs, but not substantial or 'proggy' enough for my taste as it was clear that Genesis were heading into a pop direction.

Anyway, that's enough background for now. "Voyage of the Acolyte" is considered by many to be a 'lost' Genesis album. I only partly agree with this as I think this album has more of Hackett's stamp on it than Genesis'. From the very beginning, we launch into "Ace of Wands," which is an uptempo piece and goes through a myriad of moods and styles before finally deciding where to end up. I don't mean this in a negative way of course. The piece just jumps around a lot and it's thrilling to hear. I won't go through the whole album's tracklist, but I'm not joking when I say the whole album is fantastic from start to finish. Some may find a weak moment here or there, but I can find absolutely none. I heard some people complain about Hackett's vocals on "The Hermit." Quite frankly, I like the vocals and I think they match the atmosphere of the piece.

All of the musicians are amazing. It's nice to have guest appearances by Genesis bandmates Phil Collins and Mike Ruttherford and Collins sounds especially good on "Star of Sirius". Rutherford played bass on the entire album I believe with the exception of "Star of Sirius." Also making an appearance, and on many subsequent Hackett solo albums, is his brother, John who plays flute, synthesizer, and some percussion. Other musicians include John Acock on synthesizer, Mellotron, piano, and harmonium, Sally Oldfield on vocals for the song "Shadow of the Hierophant," Robin Miller on oboe and English horn ("Star of Sirius," "The Hermit"), Nigel Warren-Green on cello ("The Hermit"), Percy Jones on bass ("A Tower Struck Down"), and John Gustafson on bass ("Star of Sirius").

This particular reissue has been remastered to perfection by Caroline Music and, for my money, is the recording to get. There will be a newer 'deluxe edition' issued with a Steven Wilson 5.1 stereo remix at some point either this year or next year, but I have found that Wilson's tinkering with the audio of the original recordings to not be sufficiently better than the previous issues in most cases and I can really do without them (as nice as the packing may be for these particular issues). They're not worth the extra money, but you can happily disagree with me and more power to you if you enjoy them.

If you're a fan of progressive rock and you love Hackett's work with Genesis, you need this album in your collection. He went on to do many other fantastic recordings, but there's nothing quite like his first.

[NorthNYMark]

Very nice review pf Voyage of the Acolyte, John. I too find it to be a beautiful album (and feel just as strongly about his Spectral Mornings album).

[NorthNYMark]

Of the Collins-led albums, Wind & Wuthering remains my favorite, although I don't like All in a Mouse's Night. I think it's the worst track on the whole album. The rest of the album is pure Genesis gold. Blood on the Rooftops may be their best song post-Gabriel.

I enjoy the album very much as well, and "Blood on the Rooftops" is particularly beautiful (and definitely my favorite track on the album). I think the second half of the album   (from "All in a Mouse's Night"'s instrumental coda until the ending) is an atmospheric triumph. The first half of the album, though, doesn't work for me quite as well. I prefer A Trick overall (and "Mad Mad Moon" may be my favorite single Genesis track), but can easily imagine why someone would prefer the autumnal moodiness of W & W. In any event, I think they are both somewhat underrated by many fans in relation to the Gabriel albums.

[Mirror Image]

Very nice review pf Voyage of the Acolyte, John. I too find it to be a beautiful album (and feel just as strongly about his Spectral Mornings album).

Yes, Spectral Mornings is a gem of an album. No doubt.

[Mirror Image]

I enjoy the album very much as well, and "Blood on the Rooftops" is particularly beautiful (and definitely my favorite track on the album). I think the second half of the album   (from "All in a Mouse's Night"'s instrumental coda until the ending) is an atmospheric triumph. The first half of the album, though, doesn't work for me quite as well. I prefer A Trick overall (and "Mad Mad Moon" may be my favorite single Genesis track), but can easily imagine why someone would prefer the autumnal moodiness of W & W. In any event, I think they are both somewhat underrated by many fans in relation to the Gabriel albums.

There's a lot to admire about A Trick of the Tail and I certainly can see what you hear in that album, but it has never really been a favorite. I love many pieces from that album, but it's overall mood never really hit me. I know a lot of people love A Trick of the Tail and it gets high marks from most Genesis fans.

[Mirror Image]

Since this is a Genesis dedicated thread...now playing the original mix (no remaster) of my favorite post-Gabriel album:







Another critique I have for Wind & Wuthering even though it's a favorite is the duration of Your Own Special Way could have been cut down to about 3-4 minutes. It's a beautiful piece, but it just goes on a bit more than it should IMHO.

[vandermolen]

Thanks Karl and John,
I'll probably end up getting both. 

[Karl Henning]

Great point about having multiple versions around for different listening situations!

I suspect if you enjoyed Selling England enough to be interested in more, you will probably enjoy most of the Gabriel-era catalog, and possibly some of the early Collins era. Their musical approach was fairly consistent from 1970's Trespass through 1976's Wind & Wuthering. As I mentioned above, Selling England marks a subtle shift (more in terms of production and arrangement than in songwriting) away from the more organic textures of what came before to a slightly more streamlined sound. Their three previous albums tend to have a more acoustic guitars, organs, and mellotrons. Of them, the earliest, Trespass, is my personal favorite, though that is a minority view among Genesis fans. It predates the arrival of Phil Collins and Steve Hackett. Hackett's predecessor (Anthony Phillips) was particularly fond (as both player and songwriter) of delicate acoustic textures, and the album has an even more churchy,  "English pastoral" feel than the others. Its closing number ("The Knife")  is somewhat unrepresentative of the album as a whole,  as it is a rocker of the sort that will done more convincingly in upcoming albums. The next album, Nursery Cryme, is the first to include Collins and Hackett. It maintains some of the delicacy of Trespass, but throws  more "rock" elements (and humor) into the mix (its mini-epic opening and closing tracks, "The Musical Box" and "Fountain of Salmacis,"  are particularly outstanding, and remain broad fan favorites). The next album, Foxtrot, is more of the same, perhaps beginning to incorporate a bit more of Collins's jazz sensibilities in some of the arrangements. It is famous, among other things, for the sidelong epic "Supper's Ready."  Selling England by the Pound came next. If you enjoy its more folky and/or pastoral elements, any of the previous albums will give you even more of that.

The album following Selling England was the double concept album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. This carried the streamlining even further. Apparently Peter Gabriel was concerned about the band becoming overly "twee" in its evocations of children's stories, classical mythology etc., so he wanted to do a psychedelic extravaganza about a New York street tough's surreal, metamorphic journey. This album tends to divide fans, with some considering it their absolute pinnacle, and others considering it to be somewhat of a bloated misstep (I personally lean more toward the latter camp, though the album has some brilliant moments).

Gabriel left the band after that (and Hackett made a remarkably "Genesis-y" solo album called Voyage of the Acolyte). Collins (who had contributed a couple of lead and many harmony vocal performances on the earlier albums) stepped up as lead vocalist for the follow-up, A Trick of the Tail. In some ways, that album steps back from the streamlining of The Lamb, and returns to the more textured pastoralism of their earlier material, but adds a bit more fusion-y instrumental rigor as well. Odd as it is for me to say (as I generally prefer the Gabriel-era albums to those of the Collins era), it may be my single favorite Genesis album, though the other pre-Lamb Gabriel albums are all very close. (And the early CD mastering of this is legendary among rock audiophiles). The next album, Wind & Wuthering, is very similar, though not quite as consistent or inspired overall, IMHO. After that, Hackett leaves the band, and it begins morphing into the  pop behemoth it became in the '80s, for better or for worse, depending on your tastes.

If you're going to start with just one additional purchase, Foxtrot would probably make the most sense, though I personally like both Trespass and A Trick of the Tail even more. If the idea of a sidelong epic sounds over-the-top, though, it may make more sense to begin with Nursery Cryme and/or A Trick of the Tail. In some ways, A Trick is probably the closest in overall mood to Selling England, though it has a different lead vocalist and somewhat shorter songs. I suspect that you'll probably like almost any of these albums, though! Good luck exploring!  By the way, the original UK Virgin/Charisma CDs are generally considered to be the best available versions by audiophiles (at least, those like me who like a full dynamic range, don't mind a bit of tape hiss, and are sensitive to too much treble boosting). If you like a more "modern" sonic approach, though, the current remixes may be right up your alley (while the Definitive Edition remasters probably please no one in particular, though they're fine if other options are unavailable).

Sorry about the long response--it's obviously an area where my geekiness comes into full play!

Cheers, Mark, I very much enjoyed reading these extended thoughts.

I was insufficiently curious about Trespass back when I was first a Genesis fan, so I may never have actually listened to it before I got the 1970-75 reissue box.  So it was a most pleasant surprise, and I like it very well, although it does not displace any other favorite of mine.  It certainly does have its own tenor, setting it somewhat apart from any of the later albums.

Personally, I much prefer Nursery Cryme to Foxtrot, notwithstanding what is my general (non-fatal) quarrel with early Genesis, which is:  the preciosity of the words.  I had not really thought about the matter in quite those terms until I read your observation that The Lamb was a determined shift from the quasi-children's-lit and classical mythology;  but from my (minority, and arguably stern) vantage, the real problem with the lyrics remains with The Lamb, notwithstanding the shift in genre . . . and I think there is a sense in which Gabriel himself owned the problem with his shift later on in his career:  he was awfully effortful in making the words clever.

(We all probably do enjoy it to some degree, and I love the music, and can "set aside" the words for what they are betimes.)

In my view, Nursery Cryme, even though it was a 'rite of passage' album with the fresh recruitment of Hackett and Collins, is thoroughly successful.  Their inaugural duo, "For Absent Friends," is an exquisite intermezzo between "Musical Box" and the Triffids knock-off    "Hogweed."

I don't like Foxtrot quite so much; why?  Well, I blame "Supper's Ready," I suppose, which I find (to a degree) bloated (where I do not feel that about The Lamb).  There is a lot of great stuff in there, and it is The Grand Epic to Which They Had Been Trending, and it really is both an Accomplishment, and entertaining.  For example, a very small thing:  I don't think "hey, my baby" has aged all that well.  I won't belabor the point, as it is a Fan Favorite, and I am not saying that is undeserved (and maybe, just maybe, I prefer the live version on Second's Out).  But where Nursery Cryme is, in my view, at a uniformly high level (like Selling England, again, which went one or two better) my feeling is that the follow-up is a bit mixed.

In general, and certainly among present company  , I am more forgiving of the change in tone/direction of the band.  I think And Then There Were Three is actually instructive here;  although none of the songs were extended (which is also true of The Lamb) it was an album by the now-three-piece band trying to carry the torch, from one perspective.  And it is hard for this listener, at least, not to feel that "the single" stood out from the album in musical excellence, in a way that "the single" (as they joked) from Selling England did not lord it over the rest of its album.  So my read is that The Shift was a stock-taking both internal (what they felt their strengths as now-a-trio were) and external (the musical world does not remain static, the pop music world rather less so—Duke was released in Mar '80, and the reformed King Crimson released Discipline in Sep '81 . . . coincidence?)  The two Genesis concerts I have attended were the Duke and Abacab tours, so that only reinforces my perspective, probably.  I think that Duke is actually a restoration of musical self-confidence;  where the prior album is mixed at best (though with many glimpses of excellence), Duke is IMO both a thoroughly excellent album, and (slightly ironically) the album on which they brought back extended instrumental numbers; and unlike the prior album (or, for that matter, any album since) it flows from first track to last as a satisfying whole.

[vandermolen]

Great point about having multiple versions around for different listening situations!

I suspect if you enjoyed Selling England enough to be interested in more, you will probably enjoy most of the Gabriel-era catalog, and possibly some of the early Collins era. Their musical approach was fairly consistent from 1970's Trespass through 1976's Wind & Wuthering. As I mentioned above, Selling England marks a subtle shift (more in terms of production and arrangement than in songwriting) away from the more organic textures of what came before to a slightly more streamlined sound. Their three previous albums tend to have a more acoustic guitars, organs, and mellotrons. Of them, the earliest, Trespass, is my personal favorite, though that is a minority view among Genesis fans. It predates the arrival of Phil Collins and Steve Hackett. Hackett's predecessor (Anthony Phillips) was particularly fond (as both player and songwriter) of delicate acoustic textures, and the album has an even more churchy,  "English pastoral" feel than the others. Its closing number ("The Knife")  is somewhat unrepresentative of the album as a whole,  as it is a rocker of the sort that will done more convincingly in upcoming albums. The next album, Nursery Cryme, is the first to include Collins and Hackett. It maintains some of the delicacy of Trespass, but throws  more "rock" elements (and humor) into the mix (its mini-epic opening and closing tracks, "The Musical Box" and "Fountain of Salmacis,"  are particularly outstanding, and remain broad fan favorites). The next album, Foxtrot, is more of the same, perhaps beginning to incorporate a bit more of Collins's jazz sensibilities in some of the arrangements. It is famous, among other things, for the sidelong epic "Supper's Ready."  Selling England by the Pound came next. If you enjoy its more folky and/or pastoral elements, any of the previous albums will give you even more of that.

The album following Selling England was the double concept album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. This carried the streamlining even further. Apparently Peter Gabriel was concerned about the band becoming overly "twee" in its evocations of children's stories, classical mythology etc., so he wanted to do a psychedelic extravaganza about a New York street tough's surreal, metamorphic journey. This album tends to divide fans, with some considering it their absolute pinnacle, and others considering it to be somewhat of a bloated misstep (I personally lean more toward the latter camp, though the album has some brilliant moments).

Gabriel left the band after that (and Hackett made a remarkably "Genesis-y" solo album called Voyage of the Acolyte). Collins (who had contributed a couple of lead and many harmony vocal performances on the earlier albums) stepped up as lead vocalist for the follow-up, A Trick of the Tail. In some ways, that album steps back from the streamlining of The Lamb, and returns to the more textured pastoralism of their earlier material, but adds a bit more fusion-y instrumental rigor as well. Odd as it is for me to say (as I generally prefer the Gabriel-era albums to those of the Collins era), it may be my single favorite Genesis album, though the other pre-Lamb Gabriel albums are all very close. (And the early CD mastering of this is legendary among rock audiophiles). The next album, Wind & Wuthering, is very similar, though not quite as consistent or inspired overall, IMHO. After that, Hackett leaves the band, and it begins morphing into the  pop behemoth it became in the '80s, for better or for worse, depending on your tastes.

If you're going to start with just one additional purchase, Foxtrot would probably make the most sense, though I personally like both Trespass and A Trick of the Tail even more. If the idea of a sidelong epic sounds over-the-top, though, it may make more sense to begin with Nursery Cryme and/or A Trick of the Tail. In some ways, A Trick is probably the closest in overall mood to Selling England, though it has a different lead vocalist and somewhat shorter songs. I suspect that you'll probably like almost any of these albums, though! Good luck exploring!  By the way, the original UK Virgin/Charisma CDs are generally considered to be the best available versions by audiophiles (at least, those like me who like a full dynamic range, don't mind a bit of tape hiss, and are sensitive to too much treble boosting). If you like a more "modern" sonic approach, though, the current remixes may be right up your alley (while the Definitive Edition remasters probably please no one in particular, though they're fine if other options are unavailable).

Sorry about the long response--it's obviously an area where my geekiness comes into full play!

Somehow I managed to miss this post!  very sorry as you make such helpful comments which I shall certainly take on board. Thanks so much for going to so much trouble to advise me on this - more enthusiasm than geekiness I think. I do have some Peter Gabriel on LP and 'So' on LP and CD. I'm also sure that at some point I owned 'Voyage of the Acolyte' it certainly rings a bell. I know they are very populist but I like some Phil Collins too and have a couple of Naxos CDs of music by Tony Banks which I haven't properly listened to yet. So thanks again NY Mark for the really helpful advice and thanks, as always to John and Karl too.

[Mirror Image]

You're most welcome, Jeffrey.

[NorthNYMark]

Thanks for the kind words, Jeffrey! I'll be curious to hear what you think of whatever you hear next. And thanks, Karl, for your very thoughtful contribution. I will respond to it in more depth when I have a bit more time!

[Mirror Image]

Now playing the original mix of this album:





This is a damn good sounding album, so, IMHO, it never needed to be remastered (or remixed for that matter) and I feel the same way about Wind & Wuthering. Both of these albums are strong musically, but, of course, Wind & Wuthering continues to be my favorite post-Gabriel album. A Trick of the Tail does have strong points --- Dance On A Volcano, Entangled, Squonk, Mad Man Moon, and Ripples. I found the remaining pieces: Robbery, Assault, & Battery, A Trick of the Tail, and Los Endos to be the weak links in an otherwise solid album.

[71 dB]

As a teenager I was a lot into Invisible Touch album. One of my classmates in school had it on C-cassette and he allowed us to listen to it with his walkman. This was mid 80's and access to music was like this, no Youtube!  I liked the album and eventually bought it on vinyl and a few years back I bough it on CD used very cheap. I also picked up We Can't Dance album. I have tried other Genesis albums, but I don't care much about them. That "pop" era those albums represents work best for me. Genesis seems too simple for prog rock and for that kind of music my choice is King Crimson. But Invisible Touch album for me is a pop gem from mid 80s. 

[Mirror Image]

As a teenager I was a lot into Invisible Touch album. One of my classmates in school had it on C-cassette and he allowed us to listen to it with his walkman. This was mid 80's and access to music was like this, no Youtube!  I liked the album and eventually bought it on vinyl and a few years back I bough it on CD used very cheap. I also picked up We Can't Dance album. I have tried other Genesis albums, but I don't care much about them. That "pop" era those albums represents work best for me. Genesis seems too simple for prog rock and for that kind of music my choice is King Crimson. But Invisible Touch album for me is a pop gem from mid 80s. 

To the bolded text, what in the world are you talking about? Did you forget to take your meds again? To claim, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway or the 20-minute epic: Supper's Ready, is 'too simple' shows me you haven't bothered listening to the music at all.

And, as always, thanks for stopping by to share that you don't like Genesis' progressive rock albums. Now, please, exit stage left.

[Karl Henning]

As a teenager I was a lot into Invisible Touch album. One of my classmates in school had it on C-cassette and he allowed us to listen to it with his walkman. This was mid 80's and access to music was like this, no Youtube!  I liked the album and eventually bought it on vinyl and a few years back I bough it on CD used very cheap. I also picked up We Can't Dance album. I have tried other Genesis albums, but I don't care much about them. That "pop" era those albums represents work best for me. Genesis seems too simple for prog rock and for that kind of music my choice is King Crimson. But Invisible Touch album for me is a pop gem from mid 80s. 

I must admit that Invisible Touch is a fine album, which is to say, a much better album than I may have been apt to give it credit for.  I may nevertheless prefer the flowing unity of Duke, and it also has personal sentiment on its side, for me.

And I see your point viz. King Crimson, which (come to think of it) I likewise prefer to Gabriel-era Genesis.  De gustibus and all that, there is nothing wrong with preferring the "hit machine" incarnation of Genesis.

[71 dB]

To claim, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway or the 20-minute epic: Supper's Ready, is 'too simple' shows me you haven't bothered listening to the music at all.

And, as always, thanks for stopping by to share that you don't like Genesis' progressive rock albums. Now, please, exit stage left.

I may check these again, thanks. Anyway, you are hard to please man. One has to almost become you (your mirror image!) to get your acceptance. 

[Karl Henning]

One has to almost become you (your mirror image!) to get your acceptance. 

Nicely played!