IN CONCERT 1976

This DVD captures a version of Genesis that only existed for one tour, and in the words of the Comic Book Guy, it is "the best Genesis ever". The instrumental sections are always the best part of a Genesis record and on this tour the band really displayed their ability to sound like a small electronic orchestra. This concert captures a breif moment in modern Genesis history when Phil Collins still felt more attached to the drum kit than the spotlight. The icing on the cake is the additional drum talents of Bill Bruford who only did one tour with the band.

The band had just recorded two of their best albums, Lamb Lies Down and Trick of the Tail, albums that showed the band progressing in both musical style and sound production. Genesis at this point had developed a full rich elctronic sound that they were able to reproduce live. I saw this tour in Arlington TX and they were one of the best sounding bands I have ever heard in concert. Musically the band had re-energized themselves by looking to jazz fusion bands for more aggressive and modern rhythms. Both Phil and Bill are jazz fusion drummers at heart and you can really hear it in all the inventive and high energy beats they play on this DVD.

The visuals don't seem particularly important on this DVD. Mostly you see shots of the guys playing, which is the way it should be. If you want to see Genesis at their peak, before Hackett split and Collins became a pop star, playing their unique brand of instrumentals, do check this out. Warning: this DVD does contain some Phil Collins vocals.