Alternative Weekend: Focus on ‘Genesis’ - The Gabriel Years
I have been posting most weekends using @detlev’s #metalweekend tag, but my main love of music is progressive and alternative music. Some of my posts have included these songs, but I feel they are not keeping with the spirit of metal.
I will continue to post article’s using #metalweekend occasionally but feel I have more to offer regarding these other genre’s that I am more familiar with.
Introducing #alternativeweekend. Post an article that highlights THREE great songs that are either progressive or alternative and use the tag #alternativeweekend or use the ‘Focus on’ series if you like. There are no rules, just make your own!
If you have a short story or something to offer regarding an opinion on your songs, then share it with us!
It's Tuesday already, hardly an alternative weekend post this one!
I do have a story about my introduction to Genesis, but it started much later than the early '70s. Suffice to say I worked my way back through the back catalogue to Trespass which I bought but didn't really rate.
As I usually present FOUR songs per ‘Focus on’ the next four albums fit quite well into how I write these.
I had all the Genesis long play vinyls once; if you wanted to hear them in those days you had to buy them as there was no other choice. Mine were all sold in bulk years ago, and I for one have moved on with music content to digital files now. I know some would disagree and like the old LP's, but they take up far too much room for my liking.
Source
The Collins period was my introduction to the band, but I had little trouble accessing the early works. Genesis was really my introduction to the world of prog and because of that, I have very good memories of my early listens.
It helps if you pick the right band and these guys were the masters. Have a look on Prog-Archives and you will see that all the four albums I cover are high on the rankings.
I still listen to their songs now after 30 years of repeated plays. I am a person who can be touched emotionally by music although only a small selection of artists can do this. Genesis was one of the first to do that, and perhaps that is why I regard them so highly.
Genesis - The Musical Box (Nursery Cryme – 1971)
It had to be this or “The Fountain of Salmacis” from in my mind the first Genesis album of any noteworthiness. 'Hogweed' fans may disagree, but I always found that one a little cheesy.
This song takes me to another time period in its music that contains an ever-present undertone of menace that threatens to break out and bite the listener.
Phil does some background vocals in this to good effect and Tony Banks is playing guitar!
Genesis - Can-Utility and the Coastliners (Foxtrot – 1972)
Is this a lesser-known track from Foxtrot? Supper’s Ready seems to be the fan’s choice, and though I do like this epic sprawling monster of a song, I find it a little patchy.
‘Can’ has those typical Genesis progressive sounds that I love and coming in at just over 5 minutes, I suppose that's short.
Genesis – Firth of Fifth (Selling England by the Pound – 1973)
I saw Steve Hackett last year in concert and of course, he performed ‘Firth of Fifth' and more importantly the fantastic solo in the middle. For me this is one of the best songs from the Gabriel era.
Steve seems to have perfected this solo live, and after watching him perform it in a 70's live concert I can say he's much improved now!
I found ‘Selling’ a step up in quality from the previous two albums in the case of consistency. There are still tracks that I don’t listen to, but less.
If you have never heard this masterpiece before, I can tell you it's not just a classical piano track that it appears to be.
Genesis – Fly on a Windshield (The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway – 1974)
Like the ‘Supper’s Ready’ song, I found the ‘Lamb’ album quite rambling, long and more inaccessible than the previous offerings. That’s not to say it had its moments but being a double album never helps.
‘Fly’ includes the best use of a Mellotron I have ever heard. It really is the epitome of the progressive sound. Belt up the volume and gorge in those rich sounds when that old quirky analog instrument gets going!
There is zero chance that the original Genesis would ever reform. Phil Collins is now a global superstar, and would not likely be happy about being shoved behind the drums, though he has previously professed to have been happier there. The band members are also getting on a little, well actually a lot.
If it was to happen, it would either be a one-off performance or just a few songs. Peter Gabriel left under a cloud after ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’ and Genesis evolved into a quite different band.
I will cover the Collins years in a future ‘Focus on’.
Other articles in the ‘Focus on’ series:
Alternative Weekend: Focus on ‘The Pixies’
Alternative Weekend: Focus on ‘Sonic Youth’
Alternative Weekend: Focus on ‘Talking Heads’
Alternative Weekend: Focus on ‘Blackfield’
Alternative Weekend: Focus on ‘Karnivool’
Alternative Weekend: Focus on 'Tears for Fears'
Alternative Weekend: Focus on 'The Cranberries'
Alternative Weekend: Focus on 'Kate Bush'
Alternative Weekend: Focus on 'The Smiths'
Alternative Weekend: Focus on 'Radiohead'
Alternative Weekend: Focus on 'Rush'
If you found this article so invigorating that you are now a positively googly-eyed, drooling lunatic with dripping saliva or even if you liked it just a bit, then please upvote, comment, resteem, engage me or all of these things.
I used to love Genesis in the 1980s and I was aware of their style in the 70s - I liked bits of it, but I never really got into it. I liked Peter Gabriel's solo hits, but I preferred Phil Collins. I never really understood why he was so passionately hated!
I've never heard any of the tracks you've selected before. I really love Firth of Fifth. Not sure what to make of the others! Maybe they need a few listens.
Yes, Firth is a bit of a classic. The more you listen, the more you will hear.. and that solo... wooo! I'll be doing the Collins stuff next.
Yay!
My first approach with Gabriel was with the song "Shock the monkey", during the first years of the '80. I "met" the Genesis just a couple of years later (the Collins time ). It was the '80, I was a very young girl, I lived in a little village with no music shop and internet was just a dream, so the only way I had to know more about music was the italian radio and a tv italian music show where I could see videos from other countries. Few informations at that time, but fortunately I could appreciate the Gabriel's era with the Genesis when I met my hubby :D
I remember "Shock the Monkey" but it was a minor hit here so took little notice of it at the time. Many fans profess to be Gabriel ones or Collins ones, but I like both era's with little preference. It was the 'other guys' who made the music that made the difference and not just the vocalist in the case of this band.
Also here in Italy was a minor hit, but it was because during those years italian people loved italian singers more than other. I was the only one who used to listen international music between my friends (maybe because my village was very little :P ). Me and my hubby talked about Genesis just a couple of days ago. Both of us said that Gabriel and Collins was both great vocalists of the band (even if we think Gabriel was also a great performer and really a "showman"), but all the group made the difference, all that guys made the real difference!
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I of course grew up in the age of vinyl LP's. When we heard about the dawning of CD's we couldnt wait. I still love CD's and never looked back to vinyl. The only thing I miss is the album art!
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I still haven't had the time to go back and listen to any of the earlier stuff. I will try to get that taken care of within the next week. I have to get through my "Discover Weekly" on Spotify first though :)
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