SECONDS OUT

When this album came out in the 70's it was much heralded and timely. I think time has shown it is not quite the document it once was though. At that time it was the only official live versions of songs like Suppers Ready, Firth of Fifth and anything off the Lamb. Now that Archive box set Vol 1 was released those things aren't quite so important as they were. I was introduced to Genesis through the Gabriel albums but I never saw that band and my first show was A Trick of The Tail tour. This album is a pretty fair rendition of that era and it was the end of the sound we had come to know and love. It is not the complete concert so this is just a part. Genesis shows were generally 2.5 hours to 2.75 with encores in length so there is whole hour of stuff missing here.

So the questions is does this album remain relevant to the band and prog rock in general and the answer is simply yes. Genesis had changed a bit over this two year period but they still were a force on the prog scene. Anyone who devalues that is crazy. As for its popularity Genesis was on the rise even thought they had not really released a noteworthy single to date. They went from the 3000-5000 arenas to the 12,000-18,000 ones. Their album sales were up and the band really was playing at a very high level.

All the muttering over Collins vocals don't detract from the fact this was the one of the best live acts of all time. I still get chills at the end of Firth of Fifth when the piano fades out and Phil just sings a couple of notes rising with it from his last note of constant change Simple and perfect! Or for the very first time Tony plays meoldies from Visions of Angles and Stagnation into his solo in I Know What I Like. Songs never to be heard live again and am so very happy he kept it in even through the last tour. I am with others though I could do without the Lamb/Closing Section The Musical Box medley except for one simple fact I didn't think that way as I sat there and watched it in 1976/1977 and you can also hear it in the crowd when they recognize it when the Musical Box starts.

Maybe as some suggest more songs or different songs could have been placed on here and Steve Hackett should have been up in the mix as well. I still enjoy listening to this at it brings up the memories of the classic concerts I saw. This is still a 4 star release. Maybe in time the band will re-release it with more songs and Hackett back in the mix where he belongs then it will be a 5 star again..

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