Dez Record Guides: Genesis

There are generally two types of Genesis fans: the ones who appreciate the Peter Gabriel prog years or the ones of the more pop oriented and commercially successful Phil Collins years. Hardcore fans of the PG years generally despise the PC years, the PC fans are often unaware that PG was ever in Genesis. It is a rare bird that can have an appreciation for both eras, but I am such an individual. If I had to pick between them, the Gabriel years are definitely the more artistically accomplished, producing, in my view, at least three of the greatest progressive rock records the genre has ever seen. In fact, Foxtrot may be the pinnacle of the genre, besting anything by Yes, King Crimson, ELP or Gentle Giant. While the Collins material may be less lofty, it has its substantial charms, and you cannot deny the commercial juggernaut that was Genesis in the 1980's. It is important to remember, however, that Genesis was a band in every sense of the word. Both Gabriel and Collins were band members, nothing more. Genesis has always operated as a strict democracy, so Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford (who had success on his own in the 80's leading side project Mike + the Mechanics) and Steve Hackett had just as much input as Gabriel or Collins. It is also important to remember that Phil Collins was in the band almost from the beginning, drumming on those crucial prog records during the Gabriel years. I have already written a vigorous Phil Collins Defense, and it is worth rereading.

From Genesis To Revelations (1969) **
Wherein they do not know who they are yet, recording a largely acoustic record of folkish ditties. That Gabriel dude is already really weird, giving the record an off kilter character.

Trespass (1970) **
OK, they think they know they are a progressive rock band now. But they still don't really know how to make great progressive music yet. "The Knife" rocks and "Dusk" is pretty.

Nursery Cryme (1971) ***
So, this is how to do it. Uneven, but "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" and "The Fountain of Salmacis" really work, and "The Musical Box" is their first stone cold prog masterpiece.

ABOVE: Peter Gabriel was a firm believer in live rock music as theater, and gained a reputation for wearing outlandish costumes onstage and portraying the various characters in the songs. Sometimes these costumes would get out of hand, and Phil Collins has discussed in interviews how sometimes Gabriel couldn't get the microphone close enough to sing clearly due to the costumes.

Foxtrot (1972) *****
Live (live) (1973) ****
Selling England By the Pound (1973) ****
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974) *****
Genesis Archive, 1967-75 (compilation box set, live) (1998) ****
The peak for this band and also a high point for progressive rock in general. My friend ANCIANT once said he thought Foxtrot was their best, and I disagreed with him at the time. I was wrong. Foxtrot is absolute perfection in progressive rock music. From the mellotron goodness of "Watcher of the Skies" to the stunning array of characters Gabriel invokes in the fascinating class warfare study "Get 'Em Out By Friday" to the 23-minute opus "Supper's Ready," progressive rock doesn't get any better than this. Live is great, featuring some superior versions of already great songs, but cannot be definitive as it is missing "Supper's Ready." SEBTP continues the streak, "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight," "Firth of Fifth" and "Cinema Show" are all brilliant extended pieces, while "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" was the closest to a hit the Gabriel-era ever got. Only "Battle of Epping Forest" and the Collins lead vocal debut "More Fool Me" don't work. TLLDOB, like many double concept albums, makes little narrative sense. But no matter, the individual songs are just outstanding. Sometimes "Carpet Crawlers" is my favorite Peter Gabriel song. Gabriel shocked the band in the middle of the Lamb tour by announcing his immenent departure. This '72-'75 stretch is why Genesis is important. The Archive box set is mainly live material from the era and some rarities, uniformly excellent. It includes a complete live performance of Lamb.

A Trick of the Tail (1976) ****
Wind and Wuthering (1976) **
Seconds Out (live) (1977) **
And then there were four. Music fans often forget that between the Gabriel-led quintet and the Collins-led pop trio there was a quartet, with guitarist Steve Hackett still in the band. ATOTT is nothing less than a triumph, with Phil Collins stepping out from the drum seat and taking the lead vocals. They had auditioned a slew of candidates to replace Gabriel, but finally settled for someone within their ranks. This material is still firmly progressive rock. WAW has its fans, but I find it really dull.

ABOVE: And then there were three. And they soon made a lot of money.

…And Then There Were Three (1978) ***
Duke (1980) ***
Abacab (1981) ****
Three Sides Live (live) (1982) ****
Hackett soon bolted as well. This is the awkward transition phase between progressive rock and more straightforward pop/rock. I'm a big fan of the period, though. Duke is where it really starts to happen. It is the first time where the progressive tunes now sound more out of place next to the more confident pop/rock faire. That punchy, horns-laden "Phil Collins sound" first appears on the ridiculously catchy "Misunderstanding," while "Turn It On Again" is also an undeniable hit. I think Abacab may be the strongest Collins-era record, where most everything works.

Genesis (1983) ****
Invisible Touch (1986) ***
We Can’t Dance (1991) **
The Way We Walk, vol. 1: The Shorts (live) (1992) ***
The Way We Walk, vol. 2: The Longs (live) (1993) ***
By the 1980's, Genesis had morphed from progressive weirdos to pop juggernaut. As unlikely as it was, they were one of the most commercially successful bands of the decade. All the more impressive was Phil Collins' simultaneous solo career that was even more successful, rivaling, in record sales, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen and Prince. I've got a real soft spot for Genesis, as it is where I originally got on board. "That's All" is one of the catchiest pop songs of the 80's, a real gem. IT sounds really dated now, but it was their biggest seller.

Calling All Stations (1997) *
Once Phil Collins decided to leave as well (temporarily, he would return for a reunion tour in '07 before the band retired for good), I guess you can't blame Rutherford and Banks for wanting to soldier on. But it was just a little late in their careers for a real reboot. New singer Ray Wilson gives it a go, and you can't blame him for this record, as most of the material was written before he signed on.

Turn It On Again: The Hits (compilation) (1999) ***
Genesis Archive 2: 1976-92 (compilation box set, live) (2000) NR
Platinum Collection (compilation) (2004) ****
Live Over Europe (live) (2007) NR
The Platinum Collection is the best compilation out there, three discs where thankfully one disc is dedicated to the hard to anthologize Gabriel era.

PETER GABRIEL solo, see here

PHIL COLLINS solo
I mentioned above that even though Genesis was one of the biggest bands of the 80's, Collins' solo career actually eclipsed them in sales and popularity. It started almost by accident. Genesis was on hiatus, Phil was separated from his wife (who ran off with the home decorator while he was out on tour), and so he had some time on his hands. He recorded a bunch of new songs by himself at his home studio, and passed the tape on to Ahmet Ertugen at Atlantic, almost as an afterthought. Ertugen insisted that it be fleshed out and released, and that was Face Value (1981) ****. My personal favorite of his is his overlooked sophomore effort, Hello, I Must Be Going! (1982) ***, and then there is No Jacket Required (1985) ***, the 5th top selling record of the 1980's. The rest of his solo work is negligible, though.

Bottom Line: The trilogy of Foxtrot, Selling England By the Pound and The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway are absolutely essential for any progressive rock fan. A Trick of the Tail is great prog rock as well, and is one of the finest examples of a band stepping up to the challenge after losing a seemingly irreplaceable member. Abacab is the best of the Phil Collins years, and Genesis is worthwhile as well. Platinum Collection does a fine job anthologizing the band's many incarnations.