THREE SIDES LIVE

'Three Sides Live' is a concert film featuring Genesis that was released after their live album of the same title. This DVD doesn't use all of the material that was included on the live album as it only contains footage from Genesis' 1981 Abacab Tour, as well as interviews, tour bus and backstage footage. If you want to read more about my thoughts on the live performances themselves, read my review of 'Three Sides Live,' the live album. In this review, I will mainly talk about the visuals and how it affects the music.

I like how there is a video of Mike Rutherford saying something along the lines of, "You're jamming and all of a sudden, there's a spark," which then explodes into "Duchess," which is one of my favorite Genesis songs. The lighting during "Dodo / Lurker" complements the dark music well. A radio show with Phil Collins leads into "Abacab." The video for this song showcases Mike Rutherford's guitar playing. After the song ends, the video transitions back to Collins at the radio show and he answers questions from fans calling in. He doesn't appear to be particularly enthusiastic to be there, which is understandable; touring is a grueling endeavor. No Reply at All isn't the same without the Earth, Wind and Fire horn section, though Daryl Stuermer does a good job of playing the horn parts on his guitar.

Then, there is a radio interview with Phil Collins, and the interviewer asks some really odd questions. I have a feeling she didn't know the music of Genesis well. This then leads into a live performance of "Who Dunnit?" which wasn't featured on the live album, and I understand why. Watching this song is like experiencing a fever dream, but it's actually quite funny. Phil Collins is wearing what looks like a scuba mask and sings into a microphone that is bent sideways. Mike Rutherford is playing on Collins' drum kit with Chester Thompson playing on his. You can't make this stuff up. I know many Genesis fans who claim that "Who Dunnit?" is the worst Genesis song, but I strongly disagree. It's very entertaining. The video for the "In the Cage" medley demonstrates visually the exceptional musicianship of each of the five members. The medley ends with the instrumental passage from "The Colony of Slippermen," which bleeds into "Afterglow." This is my favorite moment of the DVD. All the viewer can see is the silhouettes of the band members as they are consumed by dry ice, which makes the song even more majestic when seen in a live context. There is then an interview where the band essentially talk about how they have changed musically since 'Duke.' "Turn It On Again" is a fun song to end the DVD.

In conclusion, 'Three Sides Live' is a good, but non-essential DVD from Genesis. Musically, the DVD features mostly material from 'Duke' and 'Abacab.' If you like the early eighties period of the band, you will love this DVD. I wish that all of the interviews were used as extras rather than interspersed throughout the concert. I also was a bit disappointed by the song selection, but then again, I'm not the biggest 'Abacab' fan. 6/10