GENESIS

It might be worth mentioning here that I was in no way raised with Genesis and it wasn't until a few years ago that a friend recommended them to me.

The album is truly a Genesis album, the symphonic and bombastic feel of the older records shines through from the first notes with "Dance on a Volcano" and the fact that they open the album in 7/4 just made me all the more delighted; progressiveness was to be had!

Going through the songs one by one is pointless, I think records should be enjoyed as wholes and nothing else. What I especially like so much about this album is how each track really stands out from the others, yet does so in such a fashion that it never feels disconnected.

I had a pretty interesting experience when I had a friend over a while ago. He was playing some video game and I was by the computer listening to the album. He is the kind of guy who listens to hardcore and electronic music of all sorts, not the type of guy who'd lurk around on this site. He looked up from the TV and asked me what band it was, saying he loved the song that was playing(Entangled). I think this just goes to show how Genesis stretch over musical borders, bringing a lot of great things together for everyone to enjoy, no matter what musical background.

A fantastic album! 4,5/5

Oh how my heart aches when i hear the keyboard solo on "One For The Vine". This is Genesis last great album. Wind & Wuthering succeeded almost all my expectations. There's lots of fantastic tunes here, from the opening track to the before mentioned epic, from the funny but great track "All In A Mouse's Night" to the magnificient instrumental of "Wot Gorilla?" The music here takes us back to the times of Foxtrot and Selling England, and it is here where Tony Banks and Steve Hackett show their arsenal of skills. The last three tracks are also fine Genesis, but maybe slightly weaker than the before mentioned ones. If it weren't for the corny and abysmal Collins-like "Your Own Special Way" this album could easily challenge for a five star rating

Nevertheless, this is the last Genesis you want, and should get. 4 Stars.

Songs:

Looking for Someone (3 stars) Some sinister force or element seems to be personified here in the lyrics to this song. After the vocal sections there is an aggressive, progressive instrumental section that arises and moves through a number of themes. A good early example of a truly progressive rock song although this one does not capture my interest as strongly as others on this album.

White Mountain (4 stars) Keyboards and guitars effectively introduce us to what I imagine to be a story in an alpine wilderness where the drama of this song story seems to take place. This perception could in large measure be due to the fact that the wolves about whom the story revolves have almost identical names to two wolves in Jack London's "white Fang" although this is where the similarities end. The instrumentation complements the story well. There is a definite lack of moral interpretation to the events which also keeps the story and the music in an intriguing alien space. Still connected to my Jack London associations I found the whistling and humming in the coda to this song to introduce a human presence in a tale about animals that seemed emotionally compelling.

Visions of Angels (3 stars) The lyrics speak bleakly of dreams and wishes which systematically never come to pass. The upbeat and hopeful tone of the music comes off as sarcasm in this context. There is an interesting progressive instrumental section to this song.

Stagnation (4 stars) From the album notes for this song:

To Thomas S. Eiselberg, a very rich man, who was wise enough to spend all his fortunes in burying himself many miles beneath the ground. As the only surviving member of the human race, he inherited the whole world.

Without this intriguing clue I don't think it would be possible to make much sense of the lyric's on this song. As the song moves in a more-or-less linear fashion through a series of musical themes and the lyrics along with it, there is painted a bizarre picture of a world full of futility and failure although the song's and song's protagonist seems to still find ways to respond to that world with a variety of emotions. This song requires some imagination to pull it together but I think that it ends up being evocative. A great example of a thoroughly progressively structured song.

Dusk (4 stars) The music is gentle and serene but again the lyrics are coldly despondant. Nice vocals both solo and group. The lyricist oscillates between a measured view of lifes destructive energies and seeming despair. Flute and guitar pick up the energy in the center of the song and fill a gentle instrumental progression. The final lyrical section takes a stab at God and then declares our final fate:

But wait, on the horizon, A new dawn seems to be rising, Never to recall this passerby, born to die.

The Knife (3 stars) This song has more aggression in it by far than the rest. It is also the longest. The lyrics describe a no holds barred attitude of violent revolution without any effort at moral justification. Without any clues to reveal a tone of sarcasm, I have to wonder whether the song was meant to show the horror of imposing one's own will without reservation:

I'll give you the names of those you must kill, All must die with their children. Carry their heads to the palace of old, Hang them high, let the blood flow.

Perhaps the stage performance helped to put this song in context. Vocal and instrumental passages progress through a connected variety of themes. Relentlessly militant, this song breaks the mood of the rest of the album somewhat but has much to hold interest. A very dark and heavy song.

Album: Song composition and mood and lyrical content rise well above the standard pop/rock fare. Excellent song composition with a great variety of musical ideas well connected. I suspect that already Genesis were the masters of musical transitioning making a song seem to sit well with itself despite its rich assortment of musical themes. So far there seem to be progressive rock albums that have two different overall emotional outlooks: the hope of Yes and the Moody Blues and the darkness and despair of ELP and King Crimson. The lyrics of Peter Gabriel are dark indeed and seem to intentionally avoid any kind of apologetics or moralism. This gives the songs on this album a certain raw strength but it may leave you cold and sometimes disagree with the tone of the instruments. But mainly these songs seem artfully crafted. Already Genesis is showing their skill at song composition that made them one of the greatest progressive rock bands.

Overall, this album probably would have had a bigger positive impact on me had I heard it first in the context of its time. As it was I traced my way back to it from the 80's perspective from which my musical interests originated. I also have the non-re-mastered edition and my opinion of this album might improve (some song ratings that were 3's might become 4's) if I heard a better recording. The album as a whole is a worthwhile addition to any progressive rock fan's collection. I've heard Genesis' earlier From Genesis to Revelation and like the Moody Blues' first album I have not bothered to purchase it as its style is much too poppy for my tastes.

MP3 recommendation:

There isn't too much call to not buy the whole album but here are those songs I gave 4 stars to rather than just 3.

4 star songs (4 stars) 1. White Mountain (4 stars) 2. Stagnation (4 stars) 3. Dusk (4 stars) 4. The Knife (4 stars)

All of this background, I think, is probably necessary. Surely Gabriel-era Genesis seemed somewhat inscrutable to a majority of Americans at the time, given the band's, well, *Englishness*. I wonder if British people grew up with at least some of these songs at least "out there" in the culture, whether on the radio or whatever? Take it from me, an American would never have heard this music before. Okay, now that that is out of the way, my review will reflect that I'm someone coming to this music fresh, for whom all of this is new. After several false starts over the past couple of years (last year, I tried to get into THE LAMB LIES DOWN;

The first few weeks (and in times past) that I listened to these Gabriel-era albums, I have to admit: I just didn't get it. But then, certain moments from certain songs wormed their way in. First was the guitar solo at the end of "Firth of Fifth." At first, I had no use for the song, other than that moment, and wished Pink Floyd had done it or something, building a more accessible song around it... But slowly I "got" the song, and was hooked. Next was "I Know What I Like." Brilliant chorus. Finally, I came around to liking the opening track, "Dancing with the Moonlight Knight." In the past few days, I've begun to appreciate the last two tracks, and at the same time, falling in love with other Gabriel-era songs, especially "The Carpet Crawlers," "Fly On a Windshield," "Watcher of the Skies" and "Fountain of Salamis." Oh, and the first 6 minutes of "Supper's Ready" (how I wish I could find an edit of that song!).

At this point, though, I'm having a hard time thinking of SELLING ENGLAND as a masterpiece, although I do think it's best moments make it their best album. I could very well change my opinion as I get into the band more, but right now, the other half of the album - More Fool Me, The Battle Of Epping Forest, and After The Ordeal - seem like throwaway padding. Collin's song just doesn't belong here, and the instrumental "After the Ordeal" - what was the band thinking? So how can it be a masterpiece? I mean, there isn't one second that I would have edited out of DARK SIDE OF THE MOON or WISH YOU WERE HERE, not one song that doesn't belong, not one thing I would change. A true masterpiece in my opinion has to be one which is perfect, from beginning to end. At this point, I view SELLING ENGLAND as a near-masterpiece, perfect in half it's songs, but otherwise deeply flawed...

From Trespass through The Lamb, legendary proggers Genesis laid forth a 5-album streak of some of prog's most beloved classics. Trespass was their breakthrough masterpiece and established the band's lush sound built around guitar and keyboards, and lead by the dramatic and passionate voice of Peter Gabriel. Unfortunately, guitarist Anthony Phillips, who was the heart of the band at this time, was having unbearable issues with stage fright. It became so bad that he felt he had to leave the band. It's a shame because as good as they were anyway, they were a better band with Phillips in the fold. The band used the departure of Phillips to shop for a new drummer figuring they would handle both personnel issues at once. Enter Steve Hackett and Phil Collins....and so begins the next chapter which was a continuation of their most significant creativity.

Several changes occurred in the sound between Trespass and Nursery. First and foremost was Banks stepping to the forefront with much more emphasis, the folksy medieval charming-ness of Phillips no longer in the way. Hackett brought with him a more confident and somewhat heavier lead in the rock sense, the bold leads of "Musical Box" are melodic and powerful. Second was the undeniable control and finesse that Collins brought to the kit. As great as I feel Mayhew was, and I personally prefer his style, there is no doubt that progressive rock fans enjoyed what Collins brought to the sound, let alone the eventual vocal prowess. Nursery Cryme would keep the English whimsy of Trespass but feel more Victorian than Middle Ages, more rock than woodsy, more feisty than breezy. "Musical Box" was and remains an absolute high point of the band with its top notch songwriting and good fun. "Hogweed" is another step upward in rock intensity with furious bashing by Collins and chunky fuzzed out guitars melded beautifully to Banks keys and even occasional remnants of Gabriel's flute. "Seven Stones" is a grand vocal piece that recalls Trespass in mood and softness, with flute and pastoral ambiance. Here's a prime example of Collins overplaying though, a song where I'd prefer Mayhew's style. "Harlequin" is another luscious but mellow track that could have been on Trespass, with glorious vocal harmonies, serving as the perfect introduction to the third classic of Nursery Cryme. "Salmacis" is another fan favorite with imagery of water that is mimicked in the sound, the dreamy part from the beginning which recurs sounds exactly like a dark pool of rippling water would look to the eye. Brilliant concoction!

I love the confidence Tony Banks exhibits here and I feel with Phillips departure it was his show despite the more popular and acclaimed Peter Gabriel in front. Cryme is another classic album that leads the competition of the day: easily a better album than Meddle and a bit stronger than The Yes Album.

Trick of the tail is the first one of the two great albums made without the Gabe. It's really a great album, even though Gabe isn't on it. It starts with the nice jam of "Dance on a volcano" and goes then to the nostalgic "Entangled". The old Genesis sound is still fresh, and these two tracks take you back to the times of Selling england by the pound and maybe Foxtrot. The funny thing with Collins voice is that he sounds almost exactly like Gabe on this one(and W&W), except without that rasp that Gabe sometimes puts in his harder vocal parts.

There's real gems on this albums too, "Mad Man Moon" and "Ripples" are outstanding, and then there is the ending instrumental "Los Endos" which is also magnificient. The problem with the album is of course rest of the tracks. "Squonk" is a bit too loose, "Robbery & Assault" is just boring and "Trick of the Tail" fails to deliver even though it isn't as bad as the two i described.

This album actually shows that Genesis is more than just Gabe, even though Gabe was a BIG part of the best Genesis. Tony Banks deserves a big credit for this album, as the keyboard solos are mostly amazing. Credit goes also to the rest of the band for keeping the standards high, so that Genesis could remain as the best prog and rock band of all time. 4 Stars.

Genesis first album is what it is, we all know there aren't any great epics on it or that Genesis feel we are used to. But hilariously enough, this album makes a great late 60s poppy Genesis a la Peter Gabriel. The music is actually so easy listening, it makes it enjoyable. I always smile when i listen to this. It's like looking at an old photograph and thinking "oh where it all began!". The only real problem with this debut album is that it just serves as that which makes an album only good, and nothing more. A harsh comparison which i yet dare to make is to compare this album to every late Beatles album. Gabriels voice is yet so immature, which also adds to the happy slappy feel of the album, and i can admit i sometimes want to listen this album through.

Nothing epic of course, or great, but still a good and solid debut album. 3 Stars

However, dances with the moonlit knight, cinema show, and firth of fifth are all perfect mini prog epics in my opinion. They ooze melody, technical skill (without showing off), interweaving sections seamlessly and don't get boring. For me it is almost instantly a classic, despite it being released a good 12 years before i was born. They simply don't make records like this anymore...

Ive avoided reviewing this for a while due to wanting to be sure that my score was justified, and it turns out that this album has stood the test of time for me.

An easy 5* for me due to 3 pieces that are simply not matched in any modern music and will last forever, and a lovely reprise of dances at the end