Hidden Treasures - Early Genesis

[Scott]

Genesis is a band I've often battled with in my own mind. On one hand you have the Top 40 machine of the 80's and on the other, the heavy-laden Prog band of the late 60's and 70's. In between all of these versions of the band are 2 really cool studio albums - Duke and Abacab - and technically one side of a double live album - that always served as a reminder to me that there’s something more to this band because those two albums are really solid!

 

Long story short... along comes this site and the well intentioned recommendations of many of you guiding me to early albums that I could use as starting points. But it didn’t take, and I don’t know why. Then I had a thought, try working back from Duke and see what happens. So I took a chance on the album titled "And Then There Were Three" and slowly worked my way back to "Selling England by The Pound". Sure enough I now get it! I still have yet to get to anything earlier yet, but I will get there.

 

In the meantime, here’s some of the tracks that comprise "early Genesis" and some of what caught my attention. So now the tables have turned, and I have become the recommender versus the recommendee...

Did I get it right?

 

PLAYLIST --> http://snack.to/az9lrmnu

	Selling England By The Pound 1973 1 - The Cinema Show At 10:41 it’s the longest song I will post for you on this SHT list. But it’s really cool! This was the bands 5th album and interesting enough it reached Gold status in the US and was considered a big breakthrough for the band. Who knew?! "The Cinema Show" is divided into two main sections. The first section is a gentle 12-string guitar-based piece, featuring vocal harmonies between Gabriel and Collins, as well as a short flute solo. Afterward, the song segues into a four-and-a-half minute keyboard solo by Banks on the ARP Pro Soloist, with Rutherford and Collins laying down the rhythm in a 7/8 time signature
	The Lamb Lies Down On Brodway 1974 2 - Counting Out Time The last album to feature Peter Gabriel is also a concept double album. I still gotta listen to the lyrics, but the album is said to tell the story of a half Puerto Rican juvenile delinquent named Rael living in New York City, who is swept underground to face bizarre creatures and nightmarish dangers in order to rescue his brother John. Several of the story's occurrences and places were derived from Peter Gabriel's dreams. What an imagination! I read also, that the albums represents "a lot of moods". One listen all the way through and that’s clear! Really cool effort! This also went gold and nearly cracked the US Top 40, hitting #41 on the album charts. Again, who knew?!
	A Trick Of The Tail 1976 3 - Entangled   I’ve included this mostly as a Bonus Track since Niels posted the Steve Hacket remake recently. It’s cool to compare the versions though because they are really close, but I prefer this one. Interesting note... This album was recorded without a lead singer. After auditioning some 400 potential replacements for Peter Gabriel, one was nearly selected, but because the albums music was already recorded the new singer wasn’t comfortable with the key it needed to be sung in, and thus, Phil Collins reluctantly stepped in and took over. The album reached #31 in the US album charts, but wouldn’t achieve Gold until 1990. Who knew?!
	...And Then There Were Three... 1978 4 - Ballad of Big The album title is a reference to the departure of Steve Hacket. This album was the beginning of a new Genesis. While many of the songs were still progressive in terms of instrumentation and lyrics, the arrangements went from the more classical, movement-style composition of previous albums to the more standard verse/chorus/bridge format of popular songwriting. Chart success had been trending up as well, the album reached No.3 in the UK Albums Chart, and remained in the charts for 32 weeks having been bolstered by the UK Top 10 success of "Follow You Follow Me", which also became Genesis' first hit US single. ...And Then There Were Three... reached No.14 on the US chart, becoming their first Gold (eventually Platinum). Who knew?!

PS: I haven’t yet looked forward from Abacab, but it’s on my bucket list...

[Jon]

I have....that last album! Whoo-hoo!

[Scott]

Finally, 3 you don't have!!

[TageRyche]

To be perfectly honest, I never really got into the early Genesis. I liked the 80's Top 40 version.

[Scott]

You may like the last two tracks then... Give them a shot ...

[Niels (Mod)]

Nice playlist!

Haven't you heard anything earlier than SEBTP? Then you have missed one of their best albums "Foxtrot".

Yeah, I also get it now, and I have tried many times, but it was "Genesis Revisited 2" that really did the trick. There's better sound on that album, and a better production. I've always thought that TLLDOB especially had a weak production. I don't miss Gabriel that much, but listening to the old records, it's very clear, that Collins is an underrated drummer, and Tony Banks is maybe my favorite Keyboard-player ever. When I bought  "We Can't Dance" in '91, I noticed how good he was, and that you can tell, that he's a songwriter, the way he creates the keyboard-solo's in the songs. There's a good example of that in the track, you have chosen from SEBTP. Exellent played and written by Banks.

"Counting Out Time" is one of the 5 best tracks from TLLDOB, but again Gabriel annoys me a bit. I wish this track had been on GR2 with another vocalist, and a better production and sound. "Take it away Mr. Guitar"! Weirdo! Don't take this the wrong way. I like Peter Gabriel, but not all of the time, and it's partly his weirdness, that have kept me away from early Genesis.

This is actually the first time, I hear the original "Entangled", even though I have heard a live-version from around 1975. I still like the version from GR2 the best, because of the harmonies and the playing is better. Hackett is a much better guitarist nowadays. This version is a bit boring, but still it's a very good track.

"Ballad of Big", I don't think I've heard before?! At that time, Genesis started to sound like Phil Collins and backing-band. With Hackett out of the band as well as Gabriel it wasn't really Genesis anymore. But I like Phil Collins and this track is okay. You can still hear the genius of tony Banks.  

Around the time of the release of "And Then There Were Three", Collins contacted Pete Townshend, and suggested that Collins should take over from the recently deceased Keith Moon as the drummer in The Who, on an upcoming tour, but Townshend didn't want him, since Collins was still in Genesis, and was about to start up his successfull solo-career. 

[Scott]

I am pleasantly surprised at how good Banks really is and his role in the band is soooo much bigger than I originally thought.

 

I will take your advice and seek out Foxtrot.  I think there were 4 albums that preceded SEBTP, so I will work my way through them all at some point, and then I want to check out the newer stuff, starting from Abacab.  I recall RJ posting "Invisible Touch" and how surprised I was at the prog that they still played on it, though the rest of the album is overplayed, that one track also peeked some interest in me...

 

Thanks for the listen and the kind words!!

[RJhog (Admin)]

I'm so glad I can finally get to some stuff today.  For the last week or so I haven't been able to watch a video or listen to anything at home because of a corrupted internet connection.  It seems as though Comcast finally got it fixed 'cause everything's working this morning.

I've never been a big Genesis fan to begin with, but the only albums I own are from the pop era.  So, I go into this without any high expectations.

The Cinema Show - I really like the acoustic guitar that kicks this off.  And the vocal harmonies are particularly good.  While I will say that overall, I like the first segment better, the second segment is pretty good too.  I'm trying to change my mindset regarding such long songs, and I think it's working.  

Counting Out Time -  Are these vocals Gabriel and Collins or are the Gabriel double-tracked?  Whichever it is, I do like it.  This song isn't bad except for the weird keyboard solo or whatever that is.

Entangled - Now I have to go back and listen to Niels' post.  I really can't remember what I thought of the remake.  This is just unremarkable to me.

Ballad Of Big - This is my favorite.  I love the big bass and drum sound.  And it's a cowboy song, I'd have never guessed that from Genesis.  Can't make up my mind if I like the heavy keyboards or not.

As a whole, this was a bit better than I expected it to be.  This is enough to interest me in hearing more.  

1. Ballad Of Big

2. The Cinema Show

3. Counting Out Time

4. Entangled

[Scott]

You know...  I'm still trying to figure why I missed the boat on this version of Genesis.  I recall distinctly sitting at a friends house way back in the early 80's and listening to their live album titled "Seconds Out".  I remember it because the cover was cool and I love checking out cool album packaging.  What I also remember, and its not much because we were there for a party, and that was kind of digging it.  But nothing would come of that event other than the likely hangover.

 

My next memory is DUKE, and watching the video for Turn It On Again on TV (cant remember what show it was though) and I really liked that.  So I went to my favorite Record Store and picked it up, loved it and Abacab!  Then, *poof*, they hit the charts and Mtv, and Collins solo career was all that was ever played on radio, and that was that!

 

Now here I am, thankful I get to go back and listen to them once again, for what seems like the first time!  And that's very cool!

[Niels (Mod)]

You and me both....kind of.

[Jon]

Yeah, now I know why I don't like early Genesis. It meanders. It's just meandering, loopy music. Funny thing, I like Peter Gabriel solo, but not PG-era Genesis. I like the first three Genesis albums after PG left (especially "Abacab") but not solo Phil Collins. I do like "Ballad Of Big" he had sense and a melody, the other three though? Not so much. 

Damn, worst SHT list ever! (That'll learn ya!)

[christopher]

What about "Match of the Day" or the B-side "The day the lights went out"? 2 great forgotten tracks.

[Scott]

I'm afraid I have no idea about these two tracks.  What album do they come from?