SPOT THE PIGEON

I said average to be polite but its not that good either. Iits mostly popish balads a la Phil Collins.It is often said to be in the same style as Wind and Wuthering but I don't agree at all and this is probably why it was never include with that album even though it was made at the same time.Buy at your own risk if you can find it.

A forgotten gem!

You can see why this stuff never made it to 'Wind'

'Mouses night' is one 'comedy' song enough, and 'Pigeons' and especially 'Match' are largely too 'English' to translate to the global fan-base.

However, Inside and Out is fantastic, and much prefarable to 'One for the Vine' for instance.

Pigeons is still a remarkable little pop song. - Genesis - Banjo Style!

`Cute` is the word I would use to describe this gem. I have an LP copy on 45 rpm, and it is so fun to listen to. Short, sweet and to the point. Well worth the 1978 $5 I spent for the import.

A game of two halves

The two lightweight songs on the first side of this EP, were not quite strong enough to be hit singles, but too pop orientated for a Genesis album. Interestingly, the band chose to omit "Match of the day" from the recent "Archives volume 2" album, deeming it to be "sub-standard".

"Inside and out" on side 2 of the EP is however more traditional Genesis, and would have sounded good on "Trick of the tail" or "Wind and Wuthering". It was recorded during the sessions for these albums, but not used. Rather than attempting to track down a copy of this now hard to find EP, the track (plus "Pigeons") is now available on the aforementioned "Archives Vol. 2".

This is the first album where we feel the real potential of Phil COLLINS's voice for pop hit. He uses very well his voice here, and it passes well through lot of acoustic rythm guitars. BANK's keyboards are less elaborated here, except some free moog solos and other patterns. This record is short and the original LP must be played at 45 RPM. The album is not progressive: it was a warning telling people: "Hey, we are now done of prog, so we gonna make stuff to be more popular".

The first two titles, "Match of the Day" and "Spot the Pigeon", are light and humorous pop tunes - nothing to crow about, musically speaking; sort of like your regular Phil Collins era GENESIS ditties ("That's All", as Philly would say a few years later). The third one, although more streamlined than your average 70's GENESIS tunes, is the best of the three. It recounts the story of a young man falsely accused of rape and coming out of jail after a 20-year sentence. Lyrically speaking, it is very moving and the music is a nice slow number with MIKE RUTHERFORD's signature all over it. However, don't expect any musical genius here. This is strictly a collector's item.

After years of searching, i stumbled across this record and immediately purchased it. Maybe my expectations for this rare EP were too lofty, but given the quality of Genesis music in the mid-late 70's, i felt that this would be close to the feel of those masterpieces.

Unfortunately, these are outtakes for a reason...they're just not developed enough for album-release. "Match of the Day", while a fun and novel song, is not exactly brilliant, and the soccer match subject matter seems a stretch for a band used to singing about more otherworldly battles. "Pigeons" has a nice feel and paints a good picture of contemporary England, but the one-note lead (the whole idea of the track, revealed Mike Rutherford later) is pretty annoying, actually.

The saving grace is the last cut, "Inside and Out". A slow-burner, it has sort of a "Wind and Wuthering" atmosphere during the lyrical segment. But wait till the outro...some of Steve Hackett's best guitarwork! Hackett has said he wishes this track was included on W&W instead of "Wot Gorilla?"...well, he has a point!

I would have given this a higher rating, but two of these three songs are on the second Archives box set in remastered form. Match Of The Day is not. The best song here is Inside And Out, and is an absolute masterpiece! It is my favorite prog-oriented song from the Phil Collins era.

These songs were recorded during the recording sesssions for the "Wind and Wuthering" album, and were released in an E.P. in May 1977. And yes, I agree. It seems that "Match of the Day" was mainly composed and released for their British fans (it reached #13 in their record charts). It is a song which tells the story of a football match, including some "bad words" for the referee! "Pigeons" is about a man who doesn´t like pigeons because they damage the city buildings with their "natural waste". The best song of this E.P. (which was available in C.D.) is "Inside and out". The music is better than the lyrics in this song. As somebody in a previous review wrote, the lyrics are about a man who was sent to prison for false accusations of rape, who 20 years later is finally "out" of the prison. When I read the lyrics for the first time, I was surprised. But this song has very good 12 string guitars in the first part, including lead and backing vocals. In the second part, totally instrumental, there is a 12 string rhythm guitar accompanied by drums and bass, with a lead guitar (by Steve Hackett) and a synthesizer solo (by Tony Banks). This song was played live in some of the last concerts of their "Wind & Wuthering" tour in 1977. "Match of the Day" and "Pigeons" are good and funny songs, not to be taken seriously as examples for progressive music, but they showed that GENESIS (at least, Banks/Collins/Rutherford, who are listed as the composers of these two songs) was trying to indicate their fans the new style for their next albums.For me, "Inside and out" is a good example of progressive rock music, and as previous reviewers said, it could have been included in the "Wind & Wuthering" album. "Inside and out" was more influenced by Steve Hackett, but the songwriting of this song is credited to the then four GENESIS`MEMBERS (Rutherford/Collins/Hackett/Banks)."Inside and out" sounds for me as a "Farewell Song" for Hackett and for GENESIS`progressive sound of the mid seventies as a quartet (1976-77). Both "Pigeons" and "Inside and Out" were included in GENESIS`"Archive Vol. 2-1976-1992" Boxed Set. "Match of the Day" wasn`t included in this Boxed Set because Banks/Collins/Rutherford didn´t like the song anymore (mainly the lyrics).

For those who wished Steve Hackett would've hung around a little longer, this is a 3-song EP that's worth a purchase if not priced too outrageously. (It only exists in its original vinyl form, but 2 of the 3 songs can be found on the Genesis Archives 2 box.) Recorded during the 'Wind And Wuthering' sessions, you get two upbeat pop-leaning tracks and a bona fide Genesis classic with "Inside And Out". Those first two songs are fairly forgettable, hardly essential additions to the Genesis collection unless you're a completist. "Match Of The Day" is probably the weakest song, with Phil not putting much effort into the vocal performance. It's about soccer, and you can expect a lighthearted musical approach to match the funny lyrical approach. It truly sounds like filler, as if they wrote it in their sleep. "Pigeons" is a short tune recalling their 1983 hit "That's All", so if you like that sort of bounce to your Genesis, go for it. It doesn't appeal to me, but I have to admit the lyrics are a great read, typically wacky British humor at its best. Then there's "Inside And Out", so damn good it's baffling as to why they decided to leave it off of 'Wind And Wuthering'. With it's ballad- esque intro, it would've made the great 'W & W' album even better had they used this instead of "Your Own Special Way". C'est la vie. From the tranquil beginning, which builds up the storyline of the song, it then widens into a lush section propped up with acoustic guitars in the tradition of their early days, as well as Tony Banks' well-layered keyboards. Then things get a bit more kinetic, with Banks flying all over the keyboard, Michael Rutherford displaying his underrated bass finesse, and Hackett's amazing guitar voice becoming the real highlight of this exciting song. A fun little record to put in your collection as a coda to Hackett's last hurrah on the 'Seconds Out' live album, but it's only "Inside And Out" that justifies its purchase.

This little gem is one of the best things this great band produced. Perhaps on the lighter side of progressive rock, but progressive nevertheless. The songwriting, the wit and the good-natured sense of fun is there as always in their music up until th emid 80's. These songs are above all fun, pleasant and enjoyable, especially the mini-epic Inside And Out. Pigeons and Match Of The Day are typical Genesis at their most charming... Why cannot they make more music like that?

Things you must know about Spot the Pigeon: 1. It is only 13 minutes long. 2. The songs are outtakes from the Wind and Wuthering album and represent their last released studio recordings with Steve Hackett. 3. Good luck finding it. Two of the three tracks are found on Archive 2, but Match of the Day is only found on a mini CD that (I found it on ebay so that might be a good place to start looking). 4. The music is of the utmost high quality. Inside and Out would have been my favorite song on Wind and Wuthering (tied with One for the Vine), while Pigeons and Match of the Day were quirky yet simple songs not unlike the mix they had on I Know What I Like.

So, seek this one out, if you can.

This EP almost felt like a message to fans when it was released. It seemed to be an announcement regarding the change of direction the band was clearly moving in. Looking back, this seems like a perfect bridge between W&W and ATTWT. "Match of the Day" has a catchy, quirky pace to it. Lively drumming and strumming certainly give it colour. Unfortunately, the lyrics never grabbed me, being Canadian where soccer/football isn't exactly an institution. If the lyrics involved the Maple Leafs giving the Canadiens a royal smackdown, then this would certainly vault to my favourite song ever composed :) !!! "Pigeons" makes me cringe. The first time I heard this, I was in awe at how remarkably bland this was. I guess 'ditty'-style songs never captured me very much. "Inside and Out" is undoubtedly the redeemer of the three. The E (add2) opening chord suits the mood perfectly. A great choice. I especially like the final three minutes of instrumental. All the guys get a chance to let loose without it getting self-indulgent or over-the-top. In the Genesis catalog, I would rate this smack-dab in the middle. Genesis' bridge.

One of my friends bought this EP in London. When he cames in Italy shows me this rare vinil and we listened it. The first listening was totally boring and my friends cried on the 12£ of the cost of the disc. After several listening we appreciate the musicianship, but the result was the same: this EP is a flag to show the new direction of the band. But the next album, "And Then There Were Three" was not so bad like that. So is a piece for the collectors, not so bad, but nothing to do with the word "good". Only for collectors.

"Match of the Day", while funny, is the type of song that'll bore you after a couple of plays. "Pigeons", on the other hand is a song that slowly grows on you - it takes some time to appreciate the chord changes which in fact are very interesting (most people would be distracted by the one-note line on first hearings) - and secondly, the vocal melody is well crafted over such a peculiar chord structure. It's not 'prog' in the traditional sense, but it's simply good that no ordinary artist would be able in achieving ('prog' labelling is a typical 90s thing - unheard of in the 70s, when people didn't care about categories) "Inside and Out": touching lyrics and a sweet (and fortunately, not sappy) first half. But it's the instrumental part that elevates the song. Though lacking Banks' better ARP solos, it has the flashiest Steve Hackett solo on a Genesis record ever. A pity that the ballad part of the song was too plain and not craftily constructed like 'Ripples' or 'Entangled'.

I gave it 3 stars, simply because the better songs have been reissued on Archives Vol. 2.

When Genesis "Duke" was released, I purchased the cassette format of the album and I quiet enjoyed the album. But when I upgraded the album into CD format, I was wondering why there were two songs "Match of The Day" and "Pigeons" were not included in the CD format. At the time I did not have internet access and only later I knew that actually these two songs were not part of Duke but it's part of EP called "Spot The Pigeons" which was recorded during or around the "Wind and Wuthering" album. Even though "Match of The Day" is completely a pop song, I really enjoy the melody and mood especially on how bass guitar is played. Usually, I listen to this song for a change only after listening to many heavy and complex stuffs. "Pigeons" is also another nice pop song. "Inside and Out" is probably a song that brings the soul of early Genesis especially with Hackett guitar fills at the opening part.

Overall, I would say that this is a good and memorable record. To my knowledge, this record is hard to find. But you can have two songs "Pigeons" and "Inside And Out" in the Genesis Archives vol. 2 boxed set. Keep on proggin'..!

Progressively yours, GW

This EP is Hackett his swansong with Genesis. If you listen to "Inside and out" you will be delighted by his splendid contribution. It showcases how Hackett has developped his style into a very distinctive, innovative, moving and compelling blend of classic, rock, blues and symphonic, base upon emotion, GREAT! The track "Match of the day" is a tribute to the weekly soccer BBC TV programm (I LOVE JIMMY HILL!), I wonder how many non- Europeans know what this is about? Anyway, MOTD is a British soccer institute that almost disappeared because of the commercial television in the UK but is it has survived. And Phil Collins was a soccer fan so he wrote this fine, nostalgic piece, credit to him for that but after this EP he became a bit too demanding ....

1. Match Of The Day (3:23) 2. Pigeons (3:13) 3. Inside And Out (6:44)

I’m not the Genesis guru that most of the other members of the Archives are, but I do have the rather dubious distinction of owning an original vinyl pressing of this EP (or big single, or whatever this disc is supposed to be called). I really only got into Genesis briefly about the time ‘Lamb’ was released, so when I saw this import in a local record shop nearly thirty years ago I picked it up mostly out of mild curiosity.

So with that in mind, my apologies in advance to the Genesis hard-core faithful if I overstate the obvious or tread on any sacred cows, but this is really a pretty forgettable piece of promotional fluff in my opinion.

“Match of the Day” is a silly little ditty about some hooligans (er., ‘fans’) acting out the soccer equivalence of armchair quarterbacks, cussing out the referees and generally pontificating on their expert knowledge of the sport. This is an early glimpse of the Phil Collins-inspired pop phase of the band post-Gabriel. I gather these were songs that were written for ‘Wuthering’ that didn’t make the cut. No surprise there once you listen to them. Collins shows his masterful talent for deep lyrics with lines like “each side’s eleven men with numbers on their backs” and “there’s the reds and there’s the greens… they’re accompanied by three men dressed in black”. It sounds like he plagiarized from a soccer rules book to get his lyrics. The music is just very simple pop, and one of those songs that clearly doesn’t translate very well if it travels west across the Atlantic.

“Pigeons” is another short pop tune that’s a tribute to those smelly flying rodents that congregate along city blocks to drop crap on everyone and everything. I’m guessing the tourist bureau will never come knocking to see if they can use this in a travel commercial. The music itself is pretty much monotone, as in there is a single note that basically takes up all but the few last seconds of the song.

The flip side contains just one song, the longer “Inside and Out”. This one is a bit meatier, a song about a poor guy who’s wrongfully convicted of rape and ends up spending twenty years behind bars. Once he finally gets out, he finds he can’t live down the stigma of what he’s been accused of. Not the kind of subject matter that Genesis has become known for either in their actual prog days, or after this album when they started their male-Britney pop phase, but it is certainly more substantive than pigeon sh!t or corner kicks, and in Hackett’s swan song with the band he shows off some decent guitar licks, so it’s not a total waste.

This isn’t something that would inspire me to spend any time on Amazon or in old record shops trying to find today. However, I suppose for hard-core fans of the band it makes for a necessary finishing piece to the collection if they don’t already have it, so we’ll mark it as a two star effort and put it back in the stacks so the grandkids can rediscover it someday.

peace

I remember hearing this back when it first came out, and my reactions were similar to those mentioned here: "Match of the Day"?? However, the funny thing is that just reading about it I can still hear that stupid chorus in my head, all these years later. "Match of the Day's the only way/To spend your Saturday." The power of the hook.

I must say that this is a record to own. I like every song here but, "Inside and Out" really outshine the other two songs. "Inside and Out" is IMO one of the best track Genesis has ever recorded. I don't know why i like this song so mutch, but every time the ending starts, with the keyboards solo by Mr. Banks, i go in some sort of trance, what a build-up !!!! For me, it's the same sort of build-up that you can find in "Starless" by King Crimson or the one in "Close to the Edge" by Yes when it goes to the Wakeman solo part. If you are a fan of the good Genesis years, you should try get this one. By the way, the original version of that EP, came in a clear blue vinyl, really cool !

Definatley a forgotten GEM!! Should come back and be played on radio as my kids grew up listening to Genesis, but have never heard this album. The young listeners of today are really into the older music and they should have the right to hear this album. It really shows how the Genesis song writing has evolved as with this album, they were young and they could only write about what they knew best. A song about a soccor game, pigeons having a crap in travalga square etc.... As you get older you see more things in life and expand your adventures. Keep on ticking guys. See you on your reunion tour, as I know you will be doing one eventually!

Of any of the works of Genesis, why do I choose to review this 3 song EP? Primarily because it is a turning point in the bands' career. Side one with" Match of the Day" and "Pigeons" gives us a glimpse of what's to come. Side two shows us what was with "Inside and Out." The first two songs are very British in their humour and it is understandable that they were omitted from the Wind and Wuthering album during those sessions. They would not have fit with the atmosphere of the rest of the pieces and more importantly : the two songs were not that interesting anyway. "Inside and Out" on the other hand, was and still is a beautiful piece of music. I understand Steve Hackett's frustration when the decision to include "Wot Gorilla" instead of the aforementionned song. I like "Wot Gorilla" pales in comparison... To me, "Inside and Out" had what I enjoyed about Genesis. Melodious 12 string guitars with exquisite vocal harmonies ( Collins at his best!), Banks' beautiful textures and the various sections creating different moods. This song is the EP's saving grace. The song is included in the Archives- Vol. 2 so unless you are a die-hard collector, you're better off getting the CD Boxset. Nonetheless, I'm still giving the EP 3 stars.

"Match of the Day" which inspired the sleeve, is a poppy song like the band will produce later on. It is not essential but not bad either. "Pigeon" has more flavour and was an attempt to a more commercial approach. But we know how the band will evolve... It is a fresh and light song; doing no harm. Just pleasant, I guess.

Sounds a bit like "Counting Out Time" to give you an idea. It would be impossible to write the same lyrics today though. Talking about pigeons : "Who congregate around Trafalgar Square Taking pot shots at the tourists" Then talking of an honest man saying "I want them out of here" !

It was quite premonitory since nowadays there aren't no pigeons any longer on Trafalgar ! "Inside Out" is the track I prefer. It has the mood of "And Then There Were Three" even if it was written during the "Wind" sessions.

It starts in a mellow, quiet mode with nice vocals and acoustic work in the background . The second part of the song (from 3'30 onwards) is quite rocky and instrumental (lots of nice keys).

Three stars for this good but not essential EP.

I'm not sure why so many people slam this 3-song EPt. Recorded during the same sessions for Wind & Wuthering, and released in 1977, it compiles 3 tracks that just didn't quite fit on the album. And I think all 3 tracks are great.

Being from the US, I found "Match Of The Day" to be a fun little tune, charmingly British in an odd way. By this time Collins had recorded 2 studio albums with Brand X, and his sense of humor was evident in the liner notes he wrote (with Robin Lumley, I believe) for the Unorthodox Behavior album. I don't know if Phil wrote the words for this tune, but the enthusiasm he sings it with brings to mind the chuckleheads that obsess over their beloved home sport (here in the US the equivalent would probably be Football). I can picture a full ashtray crashing through a television screen after a bad call by the ref. So, it's kinda lightweight in the lyrics department, but I think the musicianship is a different story. Specifically, Collin's drumming on this track is really just excellent! The tune is in 4/4, but Collin's love for syncopation and off-beats is obvious here! There is no other Genesis track in the catalog where he plays a beat such as on this track, and it's really cool. The way the track begins (and the chorus, basically the same musically) is reminiscent of the middle "percussion" section of "One For The Vine"; it's pretty bizarre. But the song cooks along, and I can appreciate the way his humor manifests itself musically -- definitely listenable.

"Pidgeons" is a little more weird, and I think Hackett probably found this one of the most boring tunes he's ever done with the band, because it seems he picks one nose -- I'm sorry, one NOTE through the whole tune. I liked the song right away, though, because it's the first song I heard where Phil sings the word "[&*!#]", and right in the first line of the song ("Who put 50 tons of [&*!#] on the foreign office roof?"). I STILL like that! Shuffle beat on the drums, a descending bass line, and some steady organ by Tony -- musically, it's not up to the usual Genesis standards of the time, and the bizarre subject matter is out in left field, so it's clear why it didn't fit on Wind & Wuthering -- but it seems to fit nicely here.

Of course, "Inside & Out" is the real reason any Genesis fan would dig this EP. Classic Genesis -- it tells a story, and it's got great playing on it. The song is basically in two parts. The first part is the vocal section, pretty heavy story (summarized in several reviews above), with some nice guitar picking and great singing by Phil. It's slow and contemplative at first, but then halfway through, the mood changes, and the pace picks up -- and the drums kick in along with a great moog solo by Tony (sure sounds like a moog, anyway!) Great guitar work by Hackett (also mentioned previously in several reviews), and though the song is in 4/4, they mess with the rythm a little, too. The drums crash around a bit, and then the song fades, with thick heavy keyboards chiming and guitar chords ringing .... it's classic Genesis.

What I find probably THE BEST about this release, is that Collins plays REAL ACOUSTIC DRUMS on all three tracks. No drum machine or electronic kit here -- they needed mics to pick up these sounds, and his playing is fantastic. In fact, I think it's Phil who stands out most on all 3 tracks, for both his drumming and his vocals. And I'll NEVER figure it out, WHY they didn't include "Match Of The Day" on the 2nd Archives Box. A very poor decision indeed.

By the way, there seems to be some confusion as to the configurations in which this EP was released. It was originally a 7" UK EP by Charisma. In Canada, somebody cool from Atlantic records released it as a 12" Blue Vinyl EP (Someone mentioned this earlier. This still seems pretty readily available, and for not TOO much scratch -- although of course you gotta hope the RECORD isn't scratched!). There are several more 7" vinyl releases from different countries. I also have it as a 5" CD EP from England (obviously a later release, by Virgin/Charisma), and a 3" CD EP (I believe from Austria, also Virgin/Charisma). That last one is pretty cool, because it has a fold out flap, and includes all the lyrics -- except that the package is SO small, it's hard to READ the lyrics!

Then again, the lyrics are so strange, maybe you don't WANT to read them! If not, just listen to the songs -- they're all great tunes!

Hey, what's wrong with "Match of the Day"? It's funny and it's got a great bassline... not bad for an EP. "Pigeons" is really weird, kind of a ragtime with the guitar piercing your ears with the same high note over and over and lyrics about a businessman wishing for birds to be exterminated. It seems humor is what's linking these songs together, and then comes "Inside and Out", which seems dead-serious in comparison. The lyrics are somewhat interesting, but as a fellow reviewer said, the music is much interesting. Certainly the most classic prog in here, though it doesn't mean best. All in all, 3 relatively good songs.

A 3-track EP featuring music that didn't make it onto Wind and Wuthering which means basically out-takes. Match of the Day and Pigeons are short, somewhat radio-friendly pieces. Nothing really exciting, but probably worth your time if you are a completionist.

Side B contains the 6+ minute Inside and Out which is more serious and would fit nicely on Wind & Wuthering or Trick of the Tail. It has some nice 12-string guitar work and some wonderful synth textures from Tony Banks.

Since the last two songs are now available on the Genesis Archives vol. 2 box set, there really is no reason to search for this EP unless you are a collector. Two stars seems fitting to me.

I was quite surprised when I learned about the existence of this EP, because I thought I had collected everything there was to collect from the early Genesis. Well a nice surprise it is, even though I fear the standard of the first two tracks are not really that good. I think they are far too pop orientated and radio friendly. Inside and Out is a very good track though and worth listening to a couple of times.

This EP makes a nice link between Wind and Wuthering and ...and then there were Three. Actually I thought these songs were outtakes from the later, but it seems they are outtakes from the Trick of the Tail and Wind and Wuthering sessions. These are the last recordings with Steve Hackett on board, and a nice testimony to him ( even though this is not his best or most innovative work, it´s nice and melodic). Nothing special though and only for completists.

An EP you can easily live without.

...even if you're GENESIS fan (like me...to some point). Listening to this I see why Steve decided to quit. Honestly, there's nothing utterly disgusting, first two tracks are rather enjoyable even despite their pop-nature, and closing mini-epic wouldn't be out of place on any 76-78 era album. But this is not the level Gabriel's GENESIS has always been known and loved for. A collector's item for sure, it won't grab your attention much, just to complete your collection. 2,5 stars and no ''rare gem'' thing here.

It's strange for a GENESIS fan specially from the Prog era, not to have Spot the Pigeon, but to be honest, back in the 70's I heard Match of the Day and that was enough to know that not even Steve Hackett could make miracles and save the band from the POP debacle that was about to reach them.

But a few days ago while buying some DVD's, the guy from the store offered me a used copy at one buck (seems he was stuck with it), so I bought the EP immediately, and the disappointment was almost total.

Match of the Day is one of the worst and most repetitive songs that the 4 men era Genesis could release, only better than Your Own Special Way and that song is not hard to beat. I understand why Steve left the band knowing what path GENESIS was walking to.

Pigeons is even worst, reminds me of one of the comedy relief tracks by ELP (Benny the Bouncer or The Sheriff), but without any sense of humor or imagination plus Phil Collins flat vocals instead of Greg's excellent voice, at this point I was thinking in how many better things I could had done with my buck instead of wasting it in this reminder of how depressive GENESIS turned after Wind & Wuthering.

But it was time for Inside and Out, which is not a masterpiece but by far the best track of the album without any doubt, despite the boring vocals by Phil Collins, the elaborate keyboards sections and the excellent 12 string guitar by Steve, makes of this song a good reason to pay one buck for the record.

Even when Inside and out is a good track, the complete album doesn't deserve more than two stars.

Spot The Pigeon is a 3 track EP released between Wind and Wuthering and the And Then There Were Three. albums. It's really only worth owning for Inside And Out, the other 2 tracks being throwaway pop songs and not very good ones at that.

Inside And Out is an excellent song in the Genesis tradition of the era. The first half is a slow and melodic vocal section and then it explodes into a frantic instrumental finale, excellent stuff!

Unfortunately Pigeons and Match Of The Day I can quite happily live without. Pigeons skips along with a kind of jolly 1920's vibe and is pretty poor. Equally so is Match Of The Day; lightweight fluff with an almost Caribbean feel in places, a tribute to the British TV football programme of the same name.

Worth 3 stars for Inside And Out alone, without which though I'd only give it 1.

Commercially oriented Genesis EP. "Match Of The Day" and "Pigeons" ( Side A) is both pop songs with characteristic Phil Collins vocals. There you can perfectly feel that the beginning of his solo career is not too far ( and even can hear how it will sound).

Side B is one longer song, but more under the Genesis standard. I mean - Genesis without Gabriel. So - kind of pop symphonic rock. But still listenable.

I believe the target of this release was strictly commercial, so it could only make happy Genesis collectors.

A Collector's Item Only

I first heard this EP when I was in the car with my dad about 3 years ago. This was during my Genesis obsession phase, and I was a borderline fanboy for all of the Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett-era Genesis music. These were the days when I would listen to The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway on a once-a-day basis, the flute solo in Firth of Fifth lulled me to sleep, and Supper's Ready consumed every 23 spare minutes I had. I learned how to play The Knife on keyboards, and I would try all day to figure out that damn Apocalypse in 9/8 solo! All in all, Genesis has produced some of the best music I have ever heard and holds a special place in my heart.

So when I heard the EP in the car I only heard the closing track, which left a natural good impression. When I got home I listened to the EP in whole, and I was generally impressed. The first two songs, while I wasn't blown away, I thought they were generally very good. My tastes have changed a little bit since then, and I don't appreciate the first two songs as I used to. Songs like Firth of Fifth and Supper's Ready still continue to impress me, but much of this EP tires after multiple listens. Not to say that it's "bad", but I would stop at calling it above average.

THE MUSIC:

"Match of the Day"- The first song opens up with an upbeat and poppy guitar and keyboard riff. It evolves into a very poppy bassline with some nice acoustic guitar chords in background. This sounds like something that could have come off of And Then There Were Three. This song is not as high of quality of something from that album, even though this is catchy.

"Pigeons"- This song just isn't worth your time. The vocal performance from Phil Collins is irritating, and the melodies and chord progressions are mediocre at best. This is definitely a "catchy" song though, and I will give them that. However, this isn't the type of "catchy" song where I enjoy its presence in my head, and am comforted by its solid melodies and composition. This is the type of song that I want to manually remove from my head with a pair of pliers. Needless to say, this song is pretty boring and uninteresting.

"Inside and Out"- This is honestly the only song that makes this EP worth taking a look into. It sounds like something directly off of Wind and Wuthering. It starts with a pleasant acoustic guitar melodies and solid vocal lines from Phil Collins. A drum rhythm enters, and the same melodies continue. It evolves into a beautiful chorus with great mellotron sounds from Tony Banks. An instrumental section that reminds me of the Genesis glory-days soon enters. A proggy rhythm section with a solid keyboard solo opens the instrumental section. It is extremely well played, and Steve Hackett delivers a great guitar solo soon after. I wish more of the EP would be like this song. I would have easily rated it four stars if the other songs were of this quality.

Conclusion:

Spot The Pigeon is a passable EP from Genesis. This is the last Genesis piece of material with Steve Hackett present, and he didn't exactly leave on a high note with this EP. When rating this album, I am torn between giving this 2 or 3 stars. On one hand you have 2 songs that are passable at best, and on the other you have an excellent piece of prog rock. Since this really is only a collector's item, I'm going to be a little unfair and give this a 2. It is good, but you can easily get by without this EP. I still recommend this to any hardcore early Genesis fan such as myself.

2 stars.

Spot the Pigeon is a very obscure EP that most Genesis fans would find quite dandy if it kept it's status of obscurity but this humble reviewer feels its objective to think for himself rather then conform to consensus opinion. For soley that reason, I have done just so and given this EP a fair, unprejudiced listen.

I personally find "Inside and Out" to be the centre of Steve Hackett's most definitively amazing work with Genesis. A twelve string ladden beauty with a heavenly chorus to end all heavenly choruses who's closest comparison is that Beatles anthem of undying gorgeousness, "Hey Jude". And that's only friggen half the song! The other half is a brilliant Yes flavored jam that's probably more frenetically inspirational than a Alka-Seltzer enema. Hackett plays a staggering solo quite in the vein of Mr. Steve Howe (which means it's very countryish and very kick-ass) and Banks plays a speedy keyboard solo that is very reminiscent of Keith Emerson. (Which means it's very synth-y, and a very fast paced deliverer of the goods.)

"Pigeons" is totally Genesis + The Kinks! The vocal melody is pure music hall and Tony Banks actually pens a great 'character sketch' on those flying crap machines. (Really, "Who put 50 tons of [&*!#] on the Foreign Office roof..." is an epic win! Hey, good job, Tony, the Davies brothers would be proud!) Also, this song is very boppy and quite possibly the precursor to That's All, in terms of boppiness, at least.

The final song "Match of the Day", interestingly enough, predicts the sound of Abacab (minus the eighties synths) five years later but that's not a bad thing. I like the poppy guitar sound and those bass swoops are a really nice touch!

I can understand the hatred for poppy tunes on this site but the pop slop on here is very well written and Inside and Out couldn't be mistaken for that so called "ABBA crap" (and I like ABBA, FYI) 2000 light years from home. Buy this fun little EP cheap on vinyl or otherwise lament over not being able to hear otherwise unavailable "Match of the Day". Curse you, Tony Banks for hating on the completionists and leaving it off Archive 2!

Album Grade: B

Best songs: Inside and Out

Worst Songs: None.

I had a vinyl copy of this, and miss it very dearly. The obvious one of these outtakes from Wind & Wuthering that would have fit in best on that album, Steve Hackett's "Inside and Out", bears some resemblance to some of his solo work, but adding very lovely vocals from Phil Collins and very spirited and exciting keyboards from Tony Banks, and of course one of Steve Hackett's signature solos. "Match of the Day" serves as somewhat of a missing link between Wind & Wuthering and ...And Then There Were Three... with an upbeat, jaunty "Eleventh Earl of Mar"-like romp, and "Deep In the Motherlode"-esque guitar tones. The other track, "Pigeons', sounds more like it came from "A Trick of the Tail'. And this EP isn't just loved by many just based on it's rarity - these are some classic Genesis songs whose relatively short running time can still be considered masterpiecey.

Genesis - Spot the Pigeon is the last release with Steve Hackett in the band. This EP is interesting and could have made Wind and Wuthering even better than it ended up being. Inside and Out is obviously the best track on this EP, and would have fit in quite nicely ontheir last album. Having it left off is one of the reasons for Hacketts departure, as he felt that his contributions had been ignored famously and that in order to get his compositions out there, he would have to go and put them onto solo projects (this has actually gone full circle as Steve has release TWO CDs of redone Genesis material - Genesis Revisited and Genesis Revisited II). The other songs, while interesting, are imminantly forgetable.

Interesting to know about this 3 track EP. I wasn´t aware of its existence until few months ago. Upon reading about it on the Genesis biography Turn It On Again, I was curious enough to get it, since I´m a big fan of Wind & Wuthering, and Spot The Pigeon was recorded at the time. In fact, this is really a kind of leftovers from that LP and it shows. The first two songs, Match Of The Day and Pigeons are are quite popish, but still good and quite sophisticated for the style, as anything you might expect from Genesis. They are nice, but clearly not up to the W & W standards. However, the last tune, the almost 7 minute long Inside And Out, is much better, with their chiming 12 string guitars and moving lyrics about a man falsely accused of rape. Musically it could be at Wind & Wuthering, at the very least it could (and should) replace the musically silly track like Wot Gorilla, and lyrically the embarrassing All In A Mouse´s Night. It could not, I should mention, compete with that album´s best cuts.

It was also the last studio recording featuring Steve Hackett.

All in all a nice little single that is quite charming, although not essential in any way. Three stars.

#4 Review

Spot the Pigeon, the mini album that came after Wind & Wuthering and that signed Hacket's departure... it featured songs that didn't make it into Wind & Wuthering and we all know that there where much more than just 3 songs, but still nice to have atleast those.

As usual, i'll be scoring every song separately.

1.- Match of the Day 7/10 A song made to promote the game played on the cover, it's not bad but i find it a little repetitive and it doesn't have very interesting or "Genesis-like" lyrics. It's generic and falls on the short side, but it's still catchy.

2.- Pigeons 6/10 I find this song even more repetitive than the previous song, this also falls on the short side, but atleast it has better lyrics than the previous one, but the instruments get boring quickly.

3.- Inside and Out 9/10 The best song in this mini album, this should've been added to Wind & Wuthering, it's that good. It starts pretty melancholic and the lyrics make me cry a little, really pretty, but at half it changes into a really cheerful solo, the song feels pretty complex and full of life, and the piano solo in the second part sound like a violin for a moment, it's amazing.

All in all, this mini album gets a 73/100, wich is 4 stars, but i'll give it only 3, the first 2 songs are really not that worthy, but the last it's a must listen.

For most Genesis fans, Wind & Wuthering would mark the end of the band's pure prog-rock era. This was to be their final LP with Steve Hackett. The EP is three songs were originally written for the group's eighth studio album Wind & Wuthering, but were not included in the final track selection. Opener "Match of the Day," in my opinion is musically ok, but has very silly and embarrassing lyrics. That has always bothered me about this song. While a fun and novel song, is not exactly brilliant, and the soccer match subject matter seems a stretch for a band used to singing about more serious subject matters. Looking back, i can see why they'd left it off Wind and Wuthering. Definetly not there finest hour. But is it there worst song? Not The worst Genesis song...that would come 4 years later on Abacab's Who Done it. The lightweight "Pigeons," also adds to the EP's reputation as a fluffy filler release. This song just isn't worth your time. The vocal performance from Phil Collins is irritating, and the melodies and chord progressions are mediocre at best. This is definitely a "catchy" song though, and I will give them that. Needless to say, this song is pretty boring and uninteresting. No one can deny the majesty of closer Inside and Out. A Hackett-dominated composition that builds from 12-string guitar to a fiery prog workout that peaks with a Tony Banks' circus-like synth solo. Over the years, Hackett has remained adamant ? and for good reason ? that "Inside" should've cracked the Wuthering track list as it exemplified the band's multi-layered sound. "I think it was one of the stronger tracks that Genesis has ever made. An absolute masterpiece. "I think it should have been included on Wind and Wuthering because it has a very beautiful sound and atmosphere to it. I believe it would fit in perfectly on the album. Despite its obvious flaws, Spot the Pigeon has aged well ? had a reissue the on vinyl for Record Store Day in 2012.

GENESIS for the real end of the 1st period. This E.P was released in 1977, an area of turbulence in my humble opinion,

"Match of the Day" 3 minutes for a pop song feeling the end of an era, with a very beautiful riff from Steve which drives home the 'end' of the Genesis sound of yesteryear; memory of Phil's passion put into song, no luck I don't like football; I feel like I'm in 'From Genesis to Revelation' "Pigeons" releases the title which must have scared away the progues of the 70s, who dreamed and escaped on their fabulous notes; even knowing that we shoot, that we murder birds is a bit weak as an excuse to propose a Genesisian ersatz and it doesn't really make me want to

Side B, yes even on this maxi you had to get up to read the 2nd side; "Inside and Out" that I first stole from a K7 that a friend gave me; phew, I find the flavors of autumnal leaves of 'Wind and Wuthering', the fluid vocals, the 12- string guitar which reassures and poses; the synth solo of the break smells of real GENESIS, one could even believe that Gabriel is still present; a Yessian break at times, an intense surge which had struck me straight away at the time; for the texts it is the opportunity for the prisoner of the story to escape, ok I understand better... yes the image of Steve thinking of leaving is perhaps not a coincidence; in short, a luminous, saving and progressive break, yum, and the opportunity to dream one last time.