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SECONDS OUT

Genesis

Symphonic Prog


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Genesis Seconds Out album cover
4.35 | 1081 ratings | 96 reviews | 57% 5 stars

Essential: a masterpiece of
progressive rock music

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Live, released in 1977

Songs / Tracks Listing

Disc 1 (46:55)
1. Squonk (6:27)
2. The Carpet Crawl (5:10)
3. Robbery, Assault & Battery (6:00)
4. Afterglow (4:18)
5. Firth of Fifth (8:37)
6. I Know What I Like (8:34)
7. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (5:05)
8. The Musical Box (closing section) (2:44)

Disc 2 (46:16)
9. Supper's Ready (24:30)
10. Cinema Show (11:00)
11. Dance on a Volcano (4:22)
12. Los Endos (6:24)

Total Time 93:11

Recorded live in Paris, June 1977 (except track 10 in Paris, 1976)

Line-up / Musicians

- Phil Collins / lead vocals, drums (3,5,8,9,10,12)*, percussion
- Steve Hackett / Gibson Les Paul guitar, Hokada 12-string guitar
- Tony Banks / RMI electric piano, Hammond T organ, ARP Pro Soloist, Mellotron 400, Epiphone 12-string guitar, backing vocals
- Mike Rutherford / 4- & 8-string basses, Moog Taurus bass pedals, acoustic & electric 12-string guitars, backing vocals
- Chester Thompson / drums & percussion

With:
- Bill Bruford / drums & percussion (10)

* Note: drums on tr. 3 only during keyboard solo, on tr. 9 in "Apocalypse in 9/8" section, on tr. 10 during keyboard solo

Releases information

ArtWork: Frank Sanson with A.D. Design

2LP Charisma ‎- GE 2001 (1977, UK)

2CD Charisma ‎- GECD 2001 (1985, Europe)
2CD Virgin ‎- GECDX 2001, (1994, Europe) Remastered by Chris Blair, Geoff Callingham & Nick Davis

Numerous (about 50) LP and CD reissues

Thanks to ProgLucky for the addition
and to projeKct for the last updates
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GENESIS Seconds Out ratings distribution


4.35
(1081 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(57%)
57%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(33%)
33%
Good, but non-essential (8%)
8%
Collectors/fans only (1%)
1%
Poor. Only for completionists (1%)
1%

GENESIS Seconds Out reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Jim Garten
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Retired Admin & Razor Guru
5 stars The original press release described this album: "from the best live band in the world, the best live album"; very little to argue with there, then - superb versions of classic Gabriel era songs, together with newer material like Dance On A Volcano/Los Endos, Squonk etc; Steve Hacket's swansong with the band & the way we will always remember him. Worthy of note, too, as it is the first album to feature Genesis with Ex Weather Report/Zappa drummer, Chester Thompson, whose duets with Collins throughout bring a new dynamic to the live sound. There is not a bad track on this album, but Cinema Show stands out particularly, due to Banks's solo & Bill Bruford's crisp drumwork (the only track to feature him)- a suitable way to bring this particular era of Genesis to a close.
Review by Sean Trane
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog Folk
5 stars For those who missed those tours (I did too), this is the proof that Collins did the Gabriel-era stuff as good as The Gabe did and sometimes even better (a flower?...) although I suspect a bit of studio tampering of this live album. It is such a delight to hear new versions of Cinema Show and the restof the earlier material.

Although recorded before W&W, this live album was released after the studio album (and Hackett leaving during the mix of the album) , only one track from tha album is featured and it is Afterglow. The bulk of the tracks here are from TLLDOB and ATTOT albums and do not diverge much from the original version (albeit with Collins singing some tracks even better than Gabriel did) .

Review by loserboy
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars GENESIS' "Second's Out" is a classic "Genesis Mark II - period" album with some great live performances. Of course at this stage in GENESIS' history Phil COLLINS had replaced Peter GABRIEL on lead vocals and drumming was contributed by Chester Thompson and Bill Bruford on tours. Songs performed include stirring renditions of "Cinema Show", "Afterglow" and "Dance On A Volcano" & "Los Endos". Although I always have preferred GABRIEL on the lead vocals, Phil does a great job in creating Gab's expressions and phrasing. "Seconds Out" sounds best when you have the bass and volume on 11. I love the deep bass vibes achieved with Rutherford's Moog Taurus pedals and Bank's Mellotron runs. An essential double album from the gods of progressive rock! And a monster album to boot...
Review by lor68
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Well the presence of Phil COLLINS in the place of Peter GABRIEL seems an heresy here!! But it never minds, cause the production is fantastic and the presence of Bill BRUFORD, well supported by Chester Thompson, who makes an incredible job within "Cinema Show" " and also inside "Dance on a Volcano" / "Los Endos", let us remain enthusiastic about this live!! Essential live!! Even though the piano intro of "Firth of Fifth" missed me very much the first time I listened to "Second Out"!!
Review by greenback
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars This is THE Genesis live album: a mix of songs from both Gabriel's and Collins' eras. Phil Collins is THE singer! The 2 weak points are the following ones: 1) Rutherford's bass is a bit lazy and timid 2) Banks' keyboards too often consist in the Afterglow-esque floating organ, approximating the subtle keyboards refinements of the studio tracks. "Carpet crawler", with Collins on vocals, is better than the original!! Collins is awesome on the majestic "Supper's ready". The best track is definitely "Firth of fifth": you have to hear the OUTSTANDING combo guitar solo-floating keyboards: unbelievable: those 2 instruments suddenly take all the available room, and that is pretty moving! I also like the modern version of "Supper's ready", featuring Collins on vocals: the guy has nothing to envy from Gabriel! Of course it has no more the strong Baroque dimension present on "Foxtrot", but the modern approach gives an opportunity to appreciate that song from another angle of view, which is totally valuable. The last part of "Supper's ready" presents Collins' echoed, poignant & loud voice, surrounding the incendiary & floating keyboards and the very SLOWED DOWN rhythm: you feel at that moment all the power & inertia of the overall music, and I find this part as good as the original one, if not better! Let's not forget the WONDERFUL "Cinema show"! Less good than the original because of the FLAGRANT lack of bass presence, it is all the same remarkable as reveals the excellent synchronization of the instruments. Unfortunately, Rutherford wakes up at the end, suddenly starting to play his spectacular bottom & complex bass too late! "Los endos" is very good, although the keyboards and drums are not as clean as on the studio version.

Rating: 4,5 stars

Review by Easy Livin
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
4 stars Encore

This live album was recorded pretty soon after the departure of Peter Gabriel. Phil Collins therefore takes on the lead vocals on many tracks previously fronted by Gabriel, post Gabriel Genesis material being in relatively short supply . It should be borne in mind that although "A trick of the tail" had given a firm indication that there was life after Peter, fans attending live gigs were still apprehensive, seeking the reassurance that the old favourites would not simply be ditched.

This in itself gives the album a purpose, as it is interesting to compare and contrast the way the two Genesis singers perform the songs. Collins does an excellent job with the older material, sounding of course very similar Gabriel. The version of "I know what I like" included here is particularly good, being considerably extended, and incorporating an extract from "Stagnation".

Also included is a superb rendition of "Supper's ready". Given the way Gabriel had developed his performance of this track, both aurally, and visually, performing it without him was a brave move, but there's no question it works.

This was the beginning of Collins now well worn path between drum stool and front centre stage. Chester Thompson and Bill Bruford (here on "Cinema show" only) were therefore brought in to fill in for Collins while he was out front. This though offered an excellent opportunity for some interplay between the drummers during instrumental passages, which is exploited to superb effect.

The only minor blemish is the missing piano introduction to "Firth of Fifth", allegedly because it was too hard to play live. The track starts rather abruptly without it, perhaps even a taped intro would have been preferable.

"Seconds out" is a good mixture of old and (at the time) new, with only the newly released "A trick of the tail" representing the post Gabriel era. As Peter Gabriel said at the time on his "Solisbury hill" single, "Today I don't need a replacement". "Seconds out" went a long way to showing that to be the case.

Review by Certif1ed
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Time, Gentlemen, Please!

Quite simply, one of the best live albums you are ever likely to hear. Phil Collins does a superb job on the vocals - it's clear that generally he's trying to do a "Gabriel", but often he does things his own way, and it's some of these details that really let him shine. I particularly like the way he delivers the line "Me, I'm just a lawnmower, mate, you can tell me by the way I walk" in "I Know What I Like" (this is one of his best deliveries overall), and "A Flower?" in "Supper's Ready". Overall, Collins sounds more soulful and less strained than Gabriel.

Every song sounds fresh, but the mixing is dodgy in places. "Robbery, Assault and Battery", "Carpet Crawlers" and "Firth of Fifth" are other stand-out moments on this amazing album, even if FoF is brutally hacked (hence 4 stars).

OK, Gabriel is great, there's no denying it. The thing about Collins' voice is that it doesn't sound strained, like Gabriel tended to. BUY THIS IF YOU LIKE PROG MUSIC :0)

Review by Ivan_Melgar_M
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars I've read in this page many reviews from this album, some people believe it's a masterpiece, other's think is crap, well in this case I can't agree with any of those positions, I honestly believe it's a good album with a fantastic production that presents some better, a couple different and other terrible versions of 12 Genesis classics.

The basic problems with this album are two, the first one is the criminal mutilation of many Steve Hackett's parts (In some cases turn the guitar volume so low that is almost impossible for any two legged being to listen).

The second one is why in hell don't include more stuff from Wind and Wuthering? Where are One for the Vine and Eleventh Earl of Mar? Those tracks would make the album better instead of many Gabriel era songs where Phil was weak, but that was impossible because Hackett's contribution to W&W was the biggest in Genesis history and they wanted everybody to forget good old Steve who left the band instead of joining the pop team.

In the group of songs that sound better in Seconds Out than in itheir original versions I can include, Squonk (A collins era song, so there's no problem), Robbery Assault & Battery (Amazing drums), I Know What I Like (Maybe the only Gabriel era song that IMO sounds better by Phil) and Los Endos, the perfect concert closer.

There are others that sound different (not better or worst) like Carpet Crawlers (perfect for Phil's voice), Afterglow (more atmospheric), Dance on a Volcano and Cinema Show which is enhanced by the brilliant drumming duel between Master Bil Bruford and Phil Colins (Almost sure Chester and Bruford never played together in this album).

Some other songs are worst like Firth of Fifth (Where's the piano intro?), The Lamb lies Down on Broadway with that repulsive repetition of words (lies down.down, down, down) and of course Musical Box, a song made for Peter's voice with an ending that absolutely lacks of strength and emotion, the greatest achievement of the original version.

But the lowest track of the album is Supper's Ready, this masterpiece is murdered by Collin's inappropriate vocals, he's not Peter Gabriel and he should never try to sound like him. This song requires a vocalist capable of making different voices (specially in "Willow's Farm) something Collins can't achieve because his voice is flat and lacks of variations but he insists on trying to make different voices turning this masterpiece in a caricature of the original.

Second's Out is the last Genesis album I can listen without feeling nausea, IMHO deserves three stars because it's a good release but nothing else.

Review by Chris S
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
5 stars This to me ranks as the best live album of all time. Why? Not only is it cunningly accurate to the originals it has Collins on vocals and he does superb renditions of ' Supper's Ready', ' The Lamb' and 'Fifth of Firth' but 'Los Endos' is breathtaking. Daryl Stuermer and Chester Thompson are also on guitar and drums respectively and their talents are well founded.They complimented the new Genesis line up for years to come.Top marks for this great album.
Review by Blacksword
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Alongside 'The song remains the same' by Led Zeppelin and 'Genesis live' 'Seconds Out' is one of the best live albums ever recorded. This album says a poingnant farewell to many of the Gabriel classics, in most cases very respecfully. Recorded in Paris, 1977, this was to be the last time Steve Hackett appeared on a Genesis recording, and represented a fine departure for him. The album is wonderfully produced, allowing the complexity of Phil, Chester, and Bills drumming to come through as well as the thunderous Taurus pedals which shook the arena to its foundations. Getting the low points out of the way first, I would say that 'Robbery assault and battery' needn't have been on the album. 'Ripples' or 'In that quiet earth' would have been far more fitting! The rendition of 'Suppers Ready' cried out for Gabriel to come back!! SR wastes a whole side of the album IMO. But hi-lights are the fantastic 'Firth of Fifth' which has some of the best drumming I have ever heard on a prog album, live or otherwise. The same can be said for the brilliant version of 'Cinema Show' and the classic 'Los Endos'. 'Seconds Out' demonstrates all of Genesis's live strengths, and perhaps marked the end of them being a 'true' prog band, not that I have a problem with the two albums that followed. Live albums were big in the 70's, and were important marketing tools for rock bands setting out to prove that they were hard working musicians on tour and not spineless miming pop acts. 'Seconds Out' more than proves the worth of this classic band. No Genesis fan should be without this, nor should any lover of well perfomed, well produced live music.
Review by Guillermo
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars Almost all the songs in this album (except "Cinema Show") were recorded during the "Wind & Wuthering" tour in 1977, with the excellent drummer Chester Thompson playing his first tour with GENESIS. "Cinema Show" was recorded during the "A Trick of the Tail" tour, with Bill Bruford (another excellent drummer) as guest in that tour. This is one of the best live albums I have heard, despite Steve Hackett`s guitar was mixed lower. Phil Collins sings in his own style the songs from Gabriel`s period, and he did a very good job.He also sings very good the songs from the "Trick" and "Wind" albums. I think that by 1976-77 GENESIS reached their highest point as a concert band. Gabriel`s fans missed (and still miss) his theatrical vocals and costumes, but by 1976-77 GENESIS was mainly a band which played music, and they played it very well. Gabriel`s vocals and costumes were replaced by laser lights, with Collins being himself most of the time, doing some "theatrical vocals" in his own style when the music needed it. This live version of "Supper`s Ready"was considered as the "definitive" version by Banks/Collins/Rutherford in the eighties.
Review by erik neuteboom
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars At first I was very pleased with this inspired live-album from the '76 and '77 world tours: it delivers GENESIS at their creative peak (including an excellent Hackett and Banks) and it contains a comprehensive 'best of 'tracking list featuring the emotional "Carpet Crawlers" (beautiful twanging guitar and warm vocals), a Mellotron loaden "Afterglow" (more than on the studio album), a compelling version of "Firth Of Fifth" (including that 'progrock #1' moving guitar solo), a dynamic "Supper's Ready" (great drums and organ interplay) and of course the splendid instrumental parts (like the drums-duet) on "Dance On A Vulcano" and "Los Endos". But gradually I started to miss some exciting songs from the albums "A Trick Of The Tail" and "Wind And Wuthering" like "In That Quiet Earth", "Eleventh Earl Of Mar" and "One For The Vine" along songs that GENESIS exclusively played like "Inside And Out", "White Mountain" and "The Knife. In '77 the BBC (UK) broadcasted a complete "Wind And Wuthering" tour concert and that one featured the "Seconds Out" tracks plus the missing tracks. I wish that once this will be an official release because once again the GENESIS aficionados have to search for bootlegs featuring that concert.

Conclusion: "Seconds Out" is a great live-album, I've rewarded it with 5 stars but in the future Prog Archives have to add a 6 category when the Genesis '77 BBC concert is released on CD!

Review by richardh
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars I'm probably alone in finding this a little bland and over produced.Genesis had a certain amount of 'grit' in their early albums which, despite being a live recording, is missing here.I also miss Phil Collins contribution on the drum kit on most of The Musical Box and Suppers Ready.That said you do get the wonderfull dueting with Chester Thompson on the instrumental Los Endos which lifts this whole album.3.5 stars.
Review by NJprogfan
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars As a whole, this live album lacks the punch and thunder of "Genesis Live". There's just not enough ummph! Hackett's guitar is so low in the mix, it's frustrating. Phil sings well on the songs from "Trick Of A Tail", especially 'Squonk'. But when it comes to singing the Gabriel stuff, I'm sorry, his voice is not theatrical enough. I miss the nuiances in Gabriels voice during 'Supper's Ready', 'Musical Box' and 'Fifth of Firth'. Anyone can sing those songs and sound fine, as Collins does. But Gabriel gave them a uniqueness. He gave them a soul. He breathed life into them. With Collins, it's just a song to sing. With Gabriel, they're a part of his very being. Not all is bad though. Mssr. Bruford's drumwork on 'The Cinema Show' is splendid as is his duel with Phil during 'Los Endos'. Mr. Thompson's I find competent. So what this albums boils down for me is a kind of halves. One half, (Collins era songs) are fine. The other half (Gabriel era songs) disappointing. So I'll split it down the middle, 3.5 stars.
Review by Cygnus X-2
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars This is the essential Genesis live album. Although Peter Gabriel had long since been absent, Genesis carried on with two strong studio albums and then released this live album. This would be the final Genesis album to feature guitar maestro Steve Hackett, and his performances are a very strong part of the album. The material covered on the album is from their seminal era from Nursery Cryme to Wind and Wuthering. These are among the best live performances Genesis had ever accomplished.

Highlight tracks off this album are Firth of Fifth, which features great performances from Banks and Hackett, the latter's solo being the highlisht. Bank's piano outro is utterly phenomenal, as well. The extended version of I Know What I Like is also very good, Phil Collins sounding like Peter Gabriel in bits and pieces of the song. Supper's Ready, which has been extended by 3 or 4 minutes is the pivotal track of the album. It features spot on performances by all members, especially Tony Banks. The Cinema Show features drummer- for-hire Bill Bruford on the kit along with Chester Thompson, who duel near the end of the show.

With spot on performances, and a plethora of great material, what could be bad about the album? First off, like most Genesis albums of that era, it is terribly quiet, sometimes inaudible in the quiet sections. And second, Hackett's guitar tone during his solos is a little unsettling at fiest. Overall, I feel that the faults are overshadowed by all the strengths of the album. It is the one all Genesis fans should own. I really want to give it a 5, but due to the minor weaknesses I give it a 4.5/5.

Review by Gatot
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars This review is unplanned. I was having lunch when my cellular phone sounded "clink" which remarked a short message being received. As usual, it was a prog message that said: " .. runnig at 33 1/3 RPM from 200 gram LP powered by 4 hours pre-heated amp . The unbelievable analog sound of The path is clear though no eyes can see. The course laid down long before. And so with Gods and Men .. Gancet! A very well balanced composition played by Genesis". What a provoking message in the middle of my lunch with my family at a restaurant when I had no music (prog I mean!) access at all. The sender was Ican - the guy who met and talked in person with individual Marillion members in US during their reunion with Fish in 1997 - and he actually forwarded the message from Ijal. Interestingly I only knew these two guys only through cellular messages exchanges. The connector was Tatan, my prog mate.

Inspired with that message, when I got a chance to drive alone, I put "Seconds Out" CD at my car audio and turned the volume really loud (beware the traffic!). Why Seconds Out? Because the second message from Ijal saying that he was listening to this album. Music is contagious. Wow man!!! What an astonishing experience - driving alone in highway with a moderate speed (hey, this is not "Highway Star" man!) and getting a loud volume of Seconds Out CD from my car audio system. Great!!!! From energetic "Squonk" with excellent vocal of Phil Collins to melancholic "Carpet Crawlers" until keyboard-driven "Robbery, Assault & Battery" and mellow "Afterglow" with mellotronisque music at the ending part plus excellent double drumming, I had a great joy with my driving. What a great weekend.

My ultimate satisfaction was fulfilled when the CD reached track 5 "Firth Of Fifth". Performed live with no piano introduction (what a regret!) as studio version, the band still could do the song in an energetic way with excellent live vibes. Phil Collins replaced Gabriel's role in vocal without having to emulate Gabriel's voice and it still sounds wonderful! What's so powerful about this song is the interlude. In this version, the oboe part is replaced by soft keyboard work by Tony Banks. The keyboard solo with touchy melody is really great and memorable especially when the inventive drum works enter the music. Yeah, all of you have known that this uplifting keyboard solo is continued nicely with Steve's howling guitar work. And this is actually the reason why I usually repeat this song (like today, I repeated four times!) because Steve has changed his guitar notes at the end of his solo. To fully understand what I mean, if you have the CD version, at approx minutes 6:37 you hear the end of Steve guitar solo in high register notes combined with dynamic double drumming of Phil and Chester. WOW!!! It's truly a musical orgasm for me at this part!

"Supper's Ready" is also another track that needs special attention as it is performed flawlessly. Yes, there is a huge difference at the opening part - not that this version has no "Horizon" as introduction - but the powerful voice of Gabriel singing "Walking across the sitting room ." of the studio version is replaced with a much softer voice of Phil. At first listen I got problem with this as it disappointed me. But when I see the band perform it in its entirety I can enjoy this version as well.

I also like "Cinema Show" in this version because I can hear how great Bill Bruford is, especially during short drum solo incorporated in this live version. Great work, Bill! "Dance on A Volcano" is another great track with an uplifting mood, frequent tempo changes and touchy melodies. This live album is concluded with an encore "Los Endos" taken from the same album of the previous track, "A Trick of The Tail".

Overall, it's an excellent addition to any prog collection. This album can be treated as a farewell concert with Steve Hackett as guitarist. The band then continued with a three- piece band and when they did a concert, they hired seasoned musicians: Chester Thompson (drums) because of Phil's duty as lead singer and Daryll Struemer as guitarist. Keep on proggin' ..!

Progressively yours, GW

Review by Seyo
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Very good live document, marking the end of the "classic" GENESIS period!

"The Carpet Crawl", "I Know What I Like" and "The Cinema Show" are excellent here, arguably even better than on their respective studio albums. Collins gave his best singing performance ever on a GENESIS album. Too bad Bill Bruford was not present on more than one track. Recommended to wrap up the collection of classic "progressive" period of this unique band. Afterwards goes.... well, another story.

Review by horza
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Genesis were the first prog band I saw.It was 1980 and during the Duke tour.I was curious to know what to expect hence my encounter with this album.It told me what I wanted to know and more.This is a superb live album,and whilst Steve Hackett was replaced by Daryl Stuermer,it prepared me perfectly for the concert I was to attend.Suppers Ready,The Cinema Show,Dance on a Volcano and Los Endos are the last 4 tracks on the album,and possibly the finest quartet to end a live set.As with all live albums it should be played LOUD!!
Review by Prognut
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Bye, Bye...Steve!! and GENESIS sound for that matter!! I personally will get this one only for two reasons.. First, because is the last chance of having Steve Hackett performing live with GENESIS and second, I wanted to listen Bill Bruford on board!! Excellent! Chester Thompson is always good, and he proves himself here too! Phil do the PG numbers OK, but not as good in my opinion, however he sings those numbers not trying to be PG but gives them another feel!!! 3 1/2 stars...........
Review by Chicapah
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars If you are a fan of Genesis but you don't have any of their live albums all I can say is shame on you. A Genesis concert was a powerful thing of beauty and awe. The first live album suffered from a lack of good engineering, mike placement, mix, performance, etc. but all subsequent offerings have been exemplary. This one stands out because it shows how the band unleashed their enthusiasm and energy to compensate for the loss of P. Gabriel. Aside from a few "noodling" explorations during "I know what I like" there isn't a weak spot to be found. The melding of "The Lamb" with the emotional end of "Musical Box" is incredible and stunning. But the drums are the real stars here. When Phil and Chester play together on "Suppers Ready," "Firth of Fifth" and "Los Endos" it signifies one of the finest moments in dual percussion history. I'm so glad their performances are preserved because it may never happen again. If you can't get over Gabriel's departure then you will surely enjoy Archives I but don't miss out on this and the British version of "Three sides live" to truly appreciate what a juggernaut Genesis was on stage.
Review by Australian
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars I could never get the feel of "Seconds Out", to me there seems to be something fake about it. "Seconds Out" was one of my first Genesis albums and I was a little annoyed when I discovered it was a live album. I was expecting it to be a studio album and the fact that there was no Peter Gabriel annoyed me even more. I thought that no Genesis album is complete without Peter Gabriel. So, for a long time this was all I had to go on with Genesis until about a month later when I purchased some more of the band's stuff. Now I realise that "Seconds Out" is a rather good performance, its no genuine Genesis in terms of line up, but it isn't bad. A couple of stand in drummers were brought in to compensate for the fact that Phil Collins because lead vocalist in Peter Gabriel's wake. Bill Bruford and Chester Thompson were recruited into the band to substitute for the absence of Collins (on drums). The boys did a fantastic job and the drum sounds are as clean and coherent as on the studio albums.

Steve Hackett's guitar is clean and precise as ever here and his solo on "Firth of Fifth" loses none of its magic. The instrumentation in general is great, the music loses the Peter Gabriel feel in parts, and in particular songs like "Suppers Ready" aren't the same without his passionate singular voice. Also with Peter Gabriel went the real flute and oboe, a minor point to some but for me the flute in "Suppers Ready" is very important to the mood of the piece. I think its criminal to have only included the ending of "The Musical Box" and there is nothing from 'Trespass' and very little of 'Nursery Crime.' 'Trick of the Tail' and 'Selling England by the Pound' both got considerable work-outs with several (exaggerated number) songs taken from both. These include a fantastic version of "I Know What I like" which involves the crowd and gives the song an extra dimension.

Overall the absence of Peter Gabriel isn't as grievous as one would expect, the only major things lacking are genuine vocals and a real flute. Apart from that this is genuine Genesis and is well worth three stars. I'd recommend "Seconds Out" to all Genesis nuts out there, and just to confirm: don't let the absence of Peter Gabriel affect your judgement too much. Good, but non-essential

Review by ZowieZiggy
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars This album is a compilation of two tours (1976 and 1977). Both were recorded in Paris. I saw the concerts of both tours in Brussels.

It's a pity that their record company compiled these two on one album (being a double) only. In those days, live albums were not as popular as now. Five songs are from "and then they were four" era but I was very disappointed that only one song from "Wind" was selected out of the tour ("Afterglow") while "Eleventh Earl Of Mar" and "All In A Mouse's Night" were regularly played in 1977. I guess that the fact that Steve left the band in the meantime (after the 77 tour, but before this release) was the main reason for it. The best track from "Trick" is also skipped (actually, it will never be played live) : of course, I mean, "Mad Man Moon". So, let's go now to the more positive side : the renditions of "Squonk" (which sounds harder than the studio one), "Robbery" (during which I think, the clip was displayed on a giant screen. I think it was the 76 show, but I am not 100% sure), and "Afterglow" (wonderful moment of emotion) are very good. As far as the "old" repertoire is concerned, if we except the (too) long version for "I Know..." (but this will be their trademark for this song for the next two decades), and the emasculated "Musical Box" limited to the closing section (three very cool minutes though) there were two very nice versions from "The Lamb" : the title track as well as "Carpet". All the other tracks are at the level of excellence : "Firth" being as beautiful as on "Selling" (but, hell ! Why did they cut the intro in their concerts ?) I remember quite well "Supper's Ready" and the laser effects surrounding Phil. Actually, I prefer this live version to the Foxtrot one (and even to the other official live release on the "Archive I" boxset recorded with Peter at the Rainbow theater in 1973). I can't tell though if this version was taken in 76 or 77 (the laser effect appeared in both tours). Phil is really astounding in the lead vocal of this epic of prog music. In general, Phil was great during those tours, and quite a surprise for most of the fans. The last three tracks of this album are GORGIOUS. When you listen to the second part of the "Cinema Show" the drumming is incredible. Can you imagine : Bill and Phil on the drums on the same stage ! About five minutes of pure crazyness. They were probably the best prog drummers in the world (and even if we include Bonham, Paice and Moon we got two of the top five drummers in the music history on the same stage - let's add maybe Carl Palmer to be complete). The same feeling will apply to the closing numbers which I did not consider as great studio tracks on "Trick" but here they just sound fantastic. This time, the second drummer is Chester, and I can tell you that it was a great experience to watch them both playing together. As I was always in the first row in those days, I could see them pretty close. The liner notes mention Bill on drums for "Cinema Show" only. This means that this is the sole track of the 1976 tour on this album. For your information, this is how both tours looked like (here and there some tracks changed, but not very much) :

Classical 1976 tour : 1) Dance On A Volcano 2) The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 3) Fly On A Windshield / Broadway Melody Of 1974 4) The Carpet Crawlers 5) The Cinema Show 6) Robbery, Assault & Battery 7) White Mountain 8) Firth Of Fifth 9) Entangled 10) Squonk 11) Supper's Ready 12) I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) 13) Los Endos 14) It/Watcher Of The Skies

Classical tracklist 1977 tour : 1) Squonk 2) One For The Vine 3) Robbery, Assault & Battery 4) I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) 5) Firth Of Fifth 6) ... In That Quiet Earth 7) Afterglow 8) Eleventh Earl Of Mar 9) Supper's Ready 10) All In A Mouse's Night 11) Dance On A Volcano 12) Drum Duet 13) Los Endos 14) The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 15) The Musical Box (closing section)

This is great live record, and a wonderful moment in my "Live" life. Four stars.

Review by progaardvark
COLLABORATOR Crossover/Symphonic/RPI Teams
5 stars Seconds Out is probably one of the best progressive rock live albums ever released. Originally released as a 2-LP set, it covered material from the peak period of the group, from Nursery Cryme to Wind & Wuthering. One song, Cinema Show, features Bill Bruford during his very short tenure with the group. With Phil Collins now in the lead, the drumming was skillfully performed by Chester Thompson (of Weather Report and Frank Zappa fame).

Unfortunately, not everything a die-hard fan could want is found here. To satisfy every Genesis fan would have taken a 4-LP set! Missing are Eleventh Earl of Mar, One for the Vine, In the Cage, Colony of Slippermen, among numerous others. What a dilemma? When five of your last six studio releases are masterpieces, what is a group to do?

Thank goodness they had the sense to include the full performance of Supper's Ready. And Phil does an incredible job on this. What a fantastic collection. Like I said, too bad it wasn't a 4-LP set. Nonetheless, a genuine live album masterpiece. Not many fit that bill, but this sure does. This album would also make a nice introduction to Genesis for those of you not familiar with them.

Review by Tarcisio Moura
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars This album sounded awkward at the time and I still get this feeling today. It had a bitter taste also, because by the time it was released I already knew Steve Hackett was gone. I had the feeling that this would be the end of the band (in a prog way, I was right). Anyway, this live album is a good one, it has some fine moments. Still it is like hearing two different bands playing sometimes. The Collins era stuff is simply great, with some songs sounding better live than in the studio versions. The older stuff sounds just right, but more like a cover band doing them (even if is a brilliant cover band). And it definitly does not have the same musical quality and guts as the earlier Genesis Live (although the production is drastically better in Seconds Out). The inclusion of a whole Supper´s Ready is dubious: it takes so much CD time and the performance is good, but it pales if you hear the original one or the DVD version recorded with Peter Gabriel in Shepperton . It would be much better if they played some latter day stuff instead.

All in all a good live album of this transitional period. It lacks however some balance and the Wind And Wuthering tracks are sorely missing here. It would be much better if they played more of it (one song only?). Even if the band is excellent and the performances are spot on, this release is far from essential.

Final rating: 2,5 stars that I´ll round up to three because with Steve Hackett still on board, they were still brilliant.

Review by UMUR
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars This album is for Genesis what Playing the Game is for Gentle Giant and what Two for the Show is for Kansas. The end of their progressive rock career. Well! And Then There Were Three, Missing Piece and Monolith all had progressive elements but they are without a doubt more commercial than the three bands previous efforts.

The quality of Genesis songs are not to be discussed, I love their music. But I don´t think their live albums are essential listening. Good but not essential. Seconds Out is no exception to that rule unfortunately. I think the perfomance is quite passionless and not very exciting.

The real treat here is of course that you get to hear Phil Collins sing some of the Peter Gabriel classics like The Carpet Crawl, Firth of Fifth ( without the brilliant piano intro), Cinema Show,The Musical Box (Closing Section) ( why only the closing section to this beautiful song ???) and Suppers Ready.

While Phil sings the drums are played by Chester Thomson ( Zappa, Weather Report) who as usual delivers his best. But in the longer instrumental parts Phil gets behind his kit and plays with the others. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the musicianship on the album. It´s just too streamlined.

Review by Garion81
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Well its not yesterdays leftovers or is it?

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..

Review by SouthSideoftheSky
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Symphonic Team
5 stars From Genesis to Los Endos

It is always difficult to find some original words of praise for an album that is already massively popular and well respected. However, one controversial view that I hold is that Phil Collins performs these songs, both the newer ones and the older ones that were originally sung by Peter Gabriel, better than anyone else could do, including Peter Gabriel! It is remarkable how well Collins performs vocally. And the rest of the band are spot on too!

Since Genesis at this time had so many great songs to choose from they were able to make this excellent live album at the very peak of their amazing progressive career. If you love the progressive Genesis, you will simply love this album. It doesn't outdo the studio albums, of course, but it is a live masterpiece album!

Highly recommended!

Review by Mellotron Storm
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars Bill Bruford sure played for some great bands live on stage. It doesn't get better then KING CRIMSON, YES and GENESIS does it ? He's actually featured on one track here "Cinema Show" from a concert in Paris in 1976.The rest of the songs feature Chester Thompson and were from their concert in Paris in 1977. It shows how much respect both GENESIS and YES had for Bill Bruford, that both bands would release live albums and yet go back to older live material just to get him on these particular albums.This is from the "A Trick Of The Tail" tour and features four songs from that album (the most) and three from "Selling England By The Pound". "Wind And Wuthering" wasn't released yet but there is one song ("Afterglow") from it as well. This would be Steve Hackett's last recording with the band. Lots of mellotron on this one and Phil is in fine form.This recording is in my top three of all-time favourite live albums. It's almost perfect.The only thing I would change would be to have "Dancing With The Moonlit Knight" in place of "Robbery, Assault & Battery".

So many highlights to pick from. I will say that "The Carpet Crawl" is in my opinion one of the most beautiful songs i've ever heard. In like manner "Afterglow" is a gorgeous track with some beautiful mellotron.The sound gets louder before 2 1/2 minutes and it's so emotional. "Firth Of Fifth" is really a song I feel that I should stand fo r(like the national anthem). That's how much respect I have for it. Anyway check out Banks after 3 minutes, and the drumming that follows is outstanding. A fuller sound with mellotron before 6 minutes. Perhaps the biggest wave of mellotron on this recording comes in after 8 minutes. It ends with piano and we can sit back down now. The crowd really gets into "I Know What I Like" clapping along. Some nice bass in this one too. Great sound 5 minutes in.The closing section of "The Musical Box" is so moving.

"Supper's Ready" is the best version i've heard. 24 1/2 minutes of bliss for me. Funny but this is a song that i've never warmed up to until about the fourth listen to this version and then it clicked. It is simply jaw dropping. I can't even begin to express how incredible the first almost 5 minutes are. "Cinema Show" features Bruford but honestly Hackett and Banks shine as well. Check out Hackett before 2 1/2 minutes. Beautiful. I like too when the tempo picks up before 6 1/2 minutes as Bruford and Banks deliver. It's even fuller sounding 8 minutes in with mellotron. Nice bass 10 minutes in. Lots of mellotron on "Dance On A Volcano". Love the intro as well. There's even a drum duet with Phil and Chester after 4 1/2 minutes. Mellotron opens "Los Endos" as drums build.The mellotron throughout is incredible.

Each track is outstanding so I feel bad not touching on them all. This is the kind of music that for some reason really moves me.

Review by Bonnek
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Seconds Out is a certain contender for the top 10 of prog live albums ever. Seconds Out was recorded shortly before Steve Hackett would leave Genesis and in doing so bereave the band of their strongest remaining prog asset.

It also two studio releases where Collins took the position as front man and even though these albums could not entirely convinced me; the live recordings here prove his grown confidence. Phil gives a solid performance on both his own and on the Peter Gabiel tracks. Quite an achievement. It is never easy to impersonate another voice, let alone that of an icon like Peter Gabriel.

The rest of the band is in fine form as well. Thompson fills Phil's shoes as if he never worn anything else and Bruford sounds as comfortable with Genesis as he did with Yes and King Crimson. Rutherford and Hackett don't miss a note and as usual Tony Banks brings in an excellent performance. More then 30 years after its release, his keyboards have aged very well and still sound fresh and inspiring. Something that can not be said about many of his contemporaries...

As far as I'm concerned this is an essential addition to the Genesis catalogue.

Review by lazland
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars This album is a historical one in a few respects. It was to prove to be Steve Hackett's swansong in a band to which he had given so much. It was absolutely deliberately intended to mark an epoch in the band's career by providing fans with a definitive handover from the "classic" era to a new, simpler, era under the direction of the three remaining members. It was, also, the tour (combined with Yes Going For The One) that finally persuaded the late John Peel that prog was, as an artistic force, dead and buried, and he went on to champion the emergent punk rock movement.

Wow, that's a lot of history associated with just one double live album. But, does it live up to this in terms of performance? The answer is a resounding yes. This is THE definitive Genesis live album, although I would here mention the one gripe that I have with this, and other official live releases by the band, and that this also has barely any interaction between Collins and the audience, in the same way as the interaction by Gabriel in Live is minimal. In truth, of course, Collins was an excellent frontman, always telling stories, jokes, and inviting the audience to participate.

This, though, is a minor quibble. The album features five tracks from Trick Of The Tail and Wind & Wuthering, including quite easily the finest version of Afterglow ever committed to tape, and seven from the Gabriel era. Thus, it features a live catalogue of the band's career from Trespass to W & W. Yes, Trespass is included - listen to the instrumental passage within I Know What I Like, and you will hear the instrumental from Stagnation. The last tour still featured this, by the way.

Given that Suppers Ready was acknowledged by Gabriel to be his early period masterpiece in terms of one track (The Lamb being the successor in album form), it was a mighty brave thing for Collins to throw himself into it with such aplomb, and it is pulled off fantastically well. In addition to this, the closing section of The Musical Box pulls off the almost impossible task of beating the original live album for sheer intensity, scope, and emotion.

There is not a weak moment here. This is the sound of a band who have sweated blood over years to arrive as probably the finest live band in the world. This is also, by the way, the sound of the band at the precise moment when I fell in love with them, a love affair that remains to this day.

A pleasure to listen to from start to finish, and fully worthy of the ultimate accolade. Five stars for the one live album every self respecting prog collection should include.

Review by BrufordFreak
COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
5 stars This is one of the best live albums ever made. It captures the essence of the 1976-77 tours so well! (I know: Those were the first tours I saw the band in concert!) It was so awesome to have them play so much of the "old stuff" (Peter Gabriel era songs) and still manage to blow people away with the new stuff. Having Chester Thompson up there duelling away with Phil--two masters at the top of their game, loving every minute of their performances--was such a gift! Too bad the beginning of the rift with Steve Hackett was so palpable. (He was front left--in his own territory--and he didn't really need it: physically mobility was not a part of Steve's shtick.) The recording truly captures some of emotional impact of some of the concert highlights: the theatrical genius of phil (sometimes a bit over the top), especially in "Robbery, Assault and Battery" and "Supper's Ready"; the amazing sound coming from Tony's keys washing and bathing the audience; the comedic moments (Phil's tambourine solo in "I Know What I Like"), great sound reproduction from the studio versions, and, of course, Phil and Chester's duels (especially in "Los Endos"). Awesome concert. Awesome album. Five of the greatest prog epics represented on one album, in one concert! Who could ask for anything more?!
Review by Rune2000
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars This is definitely my favorite out of the official Genesis live album releases even though both As Good As Gold and The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, from the Archive - Volume 1: 1967-1975, have been played more by me.

Not only does this recording sounds as a much cleaner production but it also shows that the quartet didn't loose any of their enthusiasm as a live band. Seconds Out has a fantastic set-list that picks up just where Genesis Live ended and gives us a mix of material that mainly comes from Selling England By The Pound, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway plus the two new releases, A Trick Of The Tail and Wind And Wuthering. There are quite a few amazing moments on this release but my favorite would have to be the blow-out version of Cinema Show which actually sounds even better than the studio version that I'm so accustomed to.

I must admit that the classic quintet-era Genesis material overshadows most of the newly recorded tracks here. This is conclusion that I came to only after rating every performance individually on its own merits and then summing up the results. Maybe this has to do with the fact that the contrasts between the band's two eras are still highly distinguishable by this point in their career. Still it would have been interesting to see how the quartet would have progressed if Steve Hackett didn't leave the band right just around the time of the live album's release.

Seconds Out is undeniably a gem of the Genesis live performances. Anyone who is remotely familiar with the band's 70's output should recognize that this release is a strong one just by looking at the material featured here.

***** star songs: The Carpet Crawl (5:27) Firth Of Fifth (8:55) The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (4:59) Cinema Show (10:58)

**** star songs: Squonk (6:36) Robbery, Assault & Battery (6:03) Afterglow (4:24) I Know What I Like (8:42) The Musical Box (Closing Section) (3:18) Supper's Ready (24:32) Dance On A Volcano (5:09) Los Endos (6:30)

Review by Andy Webb
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Retired Admin
4 stars The end of an era.

Peter Gabriel left Genesis in 1975. Many speculated that Genesis would not be able to survive without Gabriel's iconic figure on stage. However, Genesis rebounded with their drummer Phil Collins on vocals and released two successful studio albums the following year, each containing classic Genesis elements as well as a slight transition - this one to Genesis' most popular era, the pop era. In 1977, guitarist Steve Hackett departed from the band. Many say that Hackett took Genesis with him. Seconds Out is Hackett's last expose with Genesis, and it is, in my opinion, the last foray of Genesis as the symphonic giants that we love today.

Always known for their elaborate live performances, a Genesis show without Gabriel must have truly been a dulling experience, in relation to older shows. However, the band is able to preform effortlessly some of the classic songs of their discography, with a fervor and determination of a determined group of musicians. Each song is preformed fantastically, with symphonic atmospheres and instrumental prowess spot on. The production lacks a little, which is seen in many older live releases which lack the computerized enhancements available today. The mixing of classics such as Supper's Ready, The Musical Box, and Cinema Show with more modern (then) hits like Squonk, Afterglow, and Dance on a Volcano make for an especially dynamic set list and shows the slow transition to Genesis' more popularly leaning era. In the end, the live album is a superb display of Genesis' power, and the final outing of the classic Genesis sound. 4+ stars.

Review by Warthur
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Steve Hackett's swansong with the band - not that you would necessarily know it, because unfortunately his guitar is rather low in the mix. Still, Seconds Out is an entertaining and well- recorded document of Genesis' Wind and Wuthering Tour (bar The Cinema Show, from the Trick of the Tail tour, which features Bill Bruford instead of Chester Thompson). The live renditions of Phil-era material are lovely, but the real treat is the chance to hear Phil try his hand at Gabriel-era stuff, including a complete rendition of Supper's Ready, and succeed admirably, taking to the theatrical stuff with just as much enthusiasm as Pete did.
Review by friso
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Genesis - Seconds Out (live) (1977)

Genesis playing light and tight symphonic progressive rock in a big stadium.

This is Genesis' second live album, dating from the period of the 'A Trick of the Tail' & 'Wind and Wuthering' period. Strangely enough, the album hasn't a single track from the latter (except for the short 'Afterglow'). As many will already know, the mic was handed to Phil Collins and the drums we're done by good 'old Bill Bruford and the lesser know Chester Thompson.

Though it took me some time to get into this live album, I must admit it is actually quite good. The sound of the band in this phase is modern, professional and Phil Collins' vocals have always worked very well in the bombastic stadium-rock setting. I'm however glad he doesn't play drums too often, because his muddy and in-accurate drum style has always been my main complaint on most of Genesis albums (I do prefer the drums on Trespass). The synths are all very modern, but don't expect to hear a lot of (distorted) organs, mellotrons and moogs, because these are modern synths that have quite an impact on the sound of the band. The band's sound is lighter, just like on the 'Wind and Wuthering' album.

The recording of this live album lives up to what can be expected from this period. It's however a pity that both the guitars of Steve Hackett and the vocals of Collins could have been a bit louder in the mix. The stadium sound (big speakers, natural reverbs) works well for a lot (of more modern) songs of the band. Though this type of recording can be perceived as a bit blurry (the notes are less articulated and the louder parts can evoke the 'wall of sound' feel), it also sounds as a 'lager then life' concert. This of course gives us a feeling of being part of something big.

The set-list of the band has its ups and downs. Opening with 'Squonk' with a silent audience isn't the best entry into what will become a much anticipated live concert. Moreover, on side one you can hardly hear this is a live concert. 'The Carpet Crawl' benefits from live aesthetics, but 'Robbery, assault and battery' still doesn't impress me. On side two the band gains momentum with 'Firth of Filth', 'I know what I like' (extended with some crowd interaction) 'The Lamb' and the moving ending section of 'The musical box'. On side three the steam is still on pressure with the complete version of 'Supper's Ready'. This epic both suffers and benefits from the new sound of the band, but the end-result is very rewarding. Phil Collins might never be my favourite figure of prog history, but I have respect for how he manages to replace Peter Gabriel. On side four the band reaches its highest peak with the subtle 'Cinema Show' and the very impressive and energetic versions of 'Dance on a Volcano' and 'Los Endos'. The crowd now becomes a part of the music the sound of the band is fully in line with the songs played.

Conclusion. A well-deserved strong live album for fans of the band. Though I myself prefer the early progressive sound of the band, I must say I'm quite impressed by the 'light and tight' sound, the good (but not excellent) set-list and the stadium vocals by Phil Collins. Recommended to fans of the band. A solid four stars.

Review by AtomicCrimsonRush
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars I am always content to sit back and listen to live Genesis but when it comes to their lineup of 1977, it is difficult to beat. Tony Banks shines on RMI electric piano, Hammond T. organ, APR Pro- Soloist, Mellotron 400, Epiphone, and 12 string guitar. This is a virtuoso performance from Banks with flawless organ phrases and huge soloing. Bill Bruford on percussion features on the classic Cinema Show. Phil Collins takes over on drums for the rest of the show and is terrific here on lead vocals before he turned to the syrupy ballads of the 80s. Steve Hackett is indispensable on lead guitars giving a powerhouse performance with some incredible breaks. Then there is the ever reliable Mike Rutherford who plays electric 12 string guitar, bass guitar, 8 string bass guitar, and bass pedals. Finally Chester Thompson helps out on percussion in places.

The album features some of the all time greatest Genesis treasures. Highlights include The Carpet Crawlers, Robbery, Assault & Battery, and the brilliant Firth Of Fifth clocking nine minutes. I Know What I Like is of course here as well as pieces from The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. The Musical Box is limited to the 3 minute Closing Section but it is great to hear full versions of Cinema Show, and the massive finale of dance On A Volcano and Los Endos. I didn't mention that this album is essential also for featuring a full blown prog multi movement suite that is quintessential to the prog era; the astonishing Supper's Ready that journeys along for a full 24:32 running length.

This is the best early live album for Genesis proving that Collins can comfortably fit into the enormous shoes of Gabriel. He not only does this but also reinvents the classic Genesis tracks, providing a refreshing sound that carried the band along for decades to come.

Review by tarkus1980
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars An annoyingly mediocre live album. Looking at the song selection, it's hard to imagine that this couldn't be an extremely enjoyable experience, but sure enough, Phil and Co. managed to pull it off.

I've always found this album disappointing, but it wasn't until I acquired bootlegs from the Trick and Wind tours that I finally understood why. To start: if you're a Genesis fan and you ever have the chance to listen to a bootleg from the Trick tour with good sound quality, you need to jump at the chance. It's a different experience from the Gabriel era to be sure, but the band took on the tour with a chip on its shoulder, and the show I've heard has an awesome "WE'RE STILL ALIVE, MOTHERF*#&#$S" vibe to it. Phil's vocals don't stray much from the studio versions, but this is for the best, and there's a great combination of appropriate reverence for the old material (they do "White Mountain!") and enthusiasm in presenting the new. Of course, Phil can't quite do "Supper's Ready" proper justice, and his stories are kinda silly, but he sounds like a fine replacement for Peter, and one gets the sense the band would be in good hands for years to come.

The Wind show I've heard is nowhere near as enjoyable though (even if it has nice renditions of "Eleventh Earl of Mar" and the glorious rarity "Inside and Out"), and given that there's no indication that this was a weak show but rather a fairly typical one, this suggests to me that I'd have problems with pretty much any show from the tour. The main culprit is Phil; I've always considered Wind to have the weakest Phil vocals until We Can't Dance, and the tour was unfortunately not much different. He's trying to make his own mark on the material rather than functioning as Peter's replacement, but while he basically sounds ok on the Trick and Wind material (he sounds plenty amusing on "Robbery, Assault and Battery"), he kinda sounds like a fool on a lot of the other tracks. He hams up "I Know What I Like" so much that he nearly ruins it by himself (the others don't help either; more on that later); I mean, it was always kind of a silly song live, but it's almost as if he's mocking the material. "Supper's Ready" has all of the vocal problems it had on the '76 tour and then some; his only two modes in the song are his standard high-pitched "neutral" approach and his ultra-ham approach. "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" loses all of its intensity; in '76 he'd preserve some of the more dramatic moments, but here he tries to reinvent it as a standard pop song, without such treats as the "RAEL IMPERIAL AEROSOL KID" growling scream. The ending excerpt of "The Musical Box" becomes sing-song-y; while he does give some heated passion to the "TOUCH ME, TOUCH ME" parts, he destroys the creepy atmosphere of the verses. "Carpet Crawl" sounds worse than before simply by virtue of his voice being higher; the song is still beautiful, but it loses power without a lower pitch or some bite in the voice. "Firth of Fifth" sounds fine enough, but he sounds like somebody who really secretly dislikes the words and is only singing them because the song requries them. Point is, Phil just does not do anything to help the older material, which is a problem when there's so much of it.

The rest of the band isn't off the hook, though. The setlist has a weirdly haphazard feel that makes it seem less like a normal Genesis concert and more like a Genesis revue, and the effect isn't a good one. In '76 they did a shortened version of "The Carpet Crawlers," sure, but that's because it was the capstone of a medley that started with "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway"; in '77, when it comes on after "Firth of Fifth," it doesn't feel like there's a good reason for it to be missing its introduction. In '76 they closed with a jaw-dropping medley of "it" dissolving into "Watcher of the Skies" (a version is found on Three Sides Live), leaving me wanting more; in '77 they closed with the largely punchless medley of "Lamb" and "Musical Box." And, worst of all (and setting a precedent for years to come), "I Know What I Like" turns into a lengthy boring jam in the middle, with Phil hitting himself in the head with a tambourine (seriously!) seemingly forever, and the rest of it is only interesting from a "name what song they're quoting" perspective (I appreciate the quotes of "Moonlit Knight" and "Stagnation").

Well, as you might have guessed, the bulk of this album comes from the '77 tour. The one exception is the '76 version of "The Cinema Show" (with Bill Bruford on drums!), but that weirdly sounds worse here than there because of placement. In context, it happened fairly early in the show, and while the song is much less of a tender moment between listener and band than it is an energetic show-stopper, it really worked as a way to boost up the intensity of the show (hearing Phil and Bill crashing about during the synth climax is really something). Here, though, it's stuck near the end, and somehow just that detail ends up making the show-stopping aspects of it sound pretty cheesy. Beyond that, though, the album rearranges the flow of the '77 show pretty significantly, and it ends up sounding even more haphazard and revue-like than in context. People who don't care about those aspects of live albums may not care, but for a band that had previously been so masterful in ordering its sets in a way that would maximize tension. I mean, I may not be the biggest fan of "In That Quiet Earth," but if you're going to have "Afterglow" you may as well have it as the climax to something; otherwise "Afterglow" goes back to sounding kinda tacky to me.

Still, for all of this moaning on my part, there's plenty of good to be found. The Trick material that starts and ends the album, in particular, conveys all of the best attributes of this era of the band as a live unit. "Squonk" has always been my favorite track from this era, and this doesn't change live, but the album-closing medley of "Dance on a Volcano" and "Los Endos" (on separate tracks, but the only good way to listen to them is ripped as a single track) reveals a potential in both that I'd never quite felt just from the studio versions. Yup, "Los Endos" might have been an interesting album capstone on Trick, but it becomes one of the band's main calling cards live, and it would be embarrassing to admit how many times I've played air-drums to the break (in this version and others) just after the crescendo coming out of Banks' synths and before the "Squonk" reprise.

All together, this is a very frustrating live album, and while there are many good attributes (for all of the weaknesses from Phil and the occasional lapses in taste from the band, it's a treat to hear the band plowing through this material with flair in a live setting), there are nearly as many bad. If Phil's vocals in this era don't bother you, then loving this is a definite possibility ... but as for me, I'm sticking to my boots.

Review by VianaProghead
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars Review Nº 61

"Seconds Out" is really the album that closes definitely the Steve Hackett cycle in Genesis. Hackett left the group in 1977 after this live album, while his fellow band mates were in the studio mixing together "Seconds Out". It becomes his final release with Genesis. And so, comes to an end what is usually called the end of the Hackett's era on Genesis. However, I need to mention a curious fact to our reflection. To be called the Hackett's era, it leads us to think that he was the main songwriter and the musician most influential in this musical period of Genesis. If it's partially true when we are talking about of one of the most influential musicians in the band, owner of an unmistakable sound with his guitar, in relation to the band's song writing, nothing is more wrong. Hackett had wanted to include a quarter of his own work on "Wind And Wuthering", and that wasn't possible because his colleagues in the group denied him that.

So, let's see it. "A Trick Of The Tail" has eight tracks. Tony Banks wrote two tracks and co-wrote six tracks. So, he participated in all the compositions of the album. Hackett co-wrote three tracks. Phil Collins co-wrote three tracks. Mike Rutherford co-wrote four tracks. "Wind And Wuthering" has nine tracks. Banks wrote three tracks and co- wrote three tracks. Hackett co-wrote four tracks. Collins co-wrote three tracks. Rutherford wrote one track and co- wrote three tracks. All this is to say that the vast majority of the band's compositions during this Genesis' musical period were mostly signed by Banks, while the remaining compositions of the other three band members are almost equal. I always considered that the two greatest composers of the band are Banks and Hackett, which are my favourite band's members, too. So, I always considered unfair that Hackett has had no more importance on the compositions of Genesis, which would be entirely fair. Surely, this was the main reason for his departure from Genesis.

"Seconds Out" is the Genesis' second live album and is also their debut double live album. It was released in 1977. The live performances were recorded in Paris in 1976 and 1977 on their live supporting tours of "A Trick Of The Tail" and "Wind And Wuthering", both albums released in 1976. As far as I can think, this is probably the last classic Genesis' album, because it still features Hackett and it still relies mostly on the old classic tracks. The diehard progressive fans usually don't even want to think of crossing the line between this and what followed. And as this is a live album, of course, it doesn't have Phil on the drums, in almost all of it. Bill Bruford plays on a track, "The Cinema Show", but for all of the rest of it, it's Chester Thompson, who'd previously played with none other than Frank Zappa himself. Needless to say he's really good. He'd played stuff thrice as complex and witty as Genesis' moderately tricky signatures. As an unpretentious drummer, he rules really very hard. It became a Genesis' member in their live shows.

As a double live album, "Seconds Out" concentrates heavily on the classics tracks which the band just didn't had a chance to record, or to release live, while Gabriel was still hanging around. I don't have many complaints about the song selection overall, this is a solid lot of songs. Of course, it's to be expected that the live versions of the songs are going to be inferior to their studio counterparts especially when the band is doing their best to recreate the original songs exactly. However, we can't feel it on this live album. Looking at the track listing, we can see "Firth Of Fifth", "I Know What I Like", "The Cinema Show", "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway", "The Carpet Crawlers", and, of course, a whole side dedicated to "Supper's Ready". There's also a rather pointless, I must say, short excerpt of "The Musical Box", a closing section. We also have plus some of the newer material, like "Squonk", "Dance On A Volcano", "Robbery, Assault And Battery" and "Los Endos", which are all tracks from "A Trick Of The Tail". Strangely, there's only one number from "Wind And Wuthering", "Afterglow", a Banks tune, which closes the original studio album.

Conclusion: "Seconds Out" is clearly the best Genesis' live album and is also, in my humble opinion, one of their few live albums that deserve to be rated as a masterpiece. It's a very well balanced album with a great selection of songs to be played live. It's also very well representative of the group's repertoire at the time, and it has great and magical musical moments. It's without any doubt, one of the most fantastic live albums from the 70's. It sounds loud, powerful and energetic, which is exactly the way that a live release should sound. A Genesis' concert was a very powerful thing of beauty and real awe in the 70's, when Gabriel was still part of the group, and compared with those times, this release stands out, because it shows how the band unleashed their enthusiasm and energy to compensate for the loss of Gabriel. It represents also the definitive farewell of Hackett in Genesis. With his departure, Genesis turns to be a trio and unfortunately they began to lose their progressive references and they turned to be a very successful pop band.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Review by patrickq
PROG REVIEWER
5 stars It's unusual that my favorite album by a specific band would be a live album, but Seconds Out is an unusual album. Many have said this before, but what we have here is (most of) the best Gabriel/Hackett-era compositions sung by Phil Collins, with Chester Thompson replacing Collins on the drums. o state it negatively: pre-1976/1977 live performances were weaker, while post-1977 Genesis material was also weaker. To state it positively: this is the band's "sweet spot." To state it positively: this is the band's "sweet spot."

The studio albums on which these songs originated were very good - - take Foxtrot or A Trick of the Tail, for example. But almost every song on Seconds Out is better than its studio original, and none is worse. The song selection is also excellent. While I would've liked to have had "Entangled" on Seconds Out, I can't tell you what I'd remove to make room for it. And yeah, a triple album would've been been great.

Seconds Out does have some imperfections, and most are in the postproduction. The charge that's been leveled against the album from the start is that Hackett's guitar parts are too low in the mix. A couple of thoughts on this: first, the guitar parts are low in the mix, but not substantially lower than on some soundboard bootlegs from the same tour. Second, they're quite audible; their volume relative to, say, the synthesizers and other keyboards doesn't reduce the quality of the listening experience, at least for me. However, I totally get it: Hackett leaves the band during the mixing of Seconds Out, and guess whose parts wind up low in the mix?

For me, the bigger postproduction issue is the "fixed" vocal harmonies. Maybe it shouldn't, but it bugs me when I think I'm hearing two or three Phil Collinses singing at once on a "live" album. It makes me wonder what other parts were re-recorded. But compared to the overdubs on some live albums, these are mild annoyances.

In addition to some of Phil Collins's best singing (in the stead of Peter Gabriel), Seconds Out contains phenomenal drumming by Chester Thompson as the touring replacement for Collins. Collins is a very good drummer, and kudos to him for hiring an even better drummer for Genesis's live shows. Finally, I'll say that Seconds Out contains the seminal versions of two important Genesis songs: "I Know What I Like," and the band's magnum opus, "Supper's Ready."

Bottom line: as live albums go, this is a classic which I'd recommend to any fan of the genre, even those who generally dislike Phil Collins. Easily a five-star album.

Latest members reviews

5 stars 'Seconds Out' in many ways, is the end of an era for Genesis. Some may say it's the end of their "progressive" era, though I would disagree as Genesis were always progressive, even in the eighties and onward. This is Steve Hackett's swansong in many ways. His guitar playing was an element that made ... (read more)

Report this review (#2941696) | Posted by Magog2112 | Saturday, July 22, 2023 | Review Permanlink

5 stars I don't dare speculate if this is one of the best progressive rock live albums but it is the best live album by one of the best progressive rock bands of the 70's. Missing Gabrlel but still soldering on with Hackett and with extra two drummers (Bruford or Thompson), these two additions give an ... (read more)

Report this review (#2441155) | Posted by sgtpepper | Tuesday, August 25, 2020 | Review Permanlink

5 stars This is one of the greatest live albums of all time as far as I'm concerned. Gabriel wasn't here however Hackett was still with the band adding his magic to the music. Collins still sounds a lot like Gabriel here and he does a stirling job with the vocals. "Squonk" is a really strong opening f ... (read more)

Report this review (#946892) | Posted by sukmytoe | Saturday, April 20, 2013 | Review Permanlink

5 stars Genesis best live album. Here, Steve is still there and we have Chester on drums (Cinema Show has Bill Burford) so we are still in progressive territory. It opens with Squonk which has a very powerful quality to it compared to the studio version. With Carpet Crawlers, Phil does a fantastic job ... (read more)

Report this review (#564363) | Posted by criticdrummer94 | Tuesday, November 8, 2011 | Review Permanlink

4 stars Perhaps it is blasphemous to say, but I consider 'Trick of the Tail', the first album Genesis released after Peter Gabriel left the group, as their best ever; however, I consider the material with Peter Gabriel far better overall than the output Genesis released afterwards. An incongruous prop ... (read more)

Report this review (#392359) | Posted by The Dark Elf | Wednesday, February 2, 2011 | Review Permanlink

5 stars With life style changes in the latter part of the 1970's - study at University, part time work, new friends - the time I had available for music was becoming limited. When I moved out of home I had no stereo system so it was only when I returned home could I play my old stuff and, occasionall ... (read more)

Report this review (#350091) | Posted by KeepItDark | Saturday, December 11, 2010 | Review Permanlink

5 stars To me, this is thè best Genesis album. It is also the first one I had. On tape. Air drumming in the back of the class, sharing my walkman with a classmate. Memories! All of the Gabriel era songs are better here than on the studioalbums. I believe Collins is simply a better singer than Gabriel. ... (read more)

Report this review (#297597) | Posted by Luc | Monday, September 6, 2010 | Review Permanlink

5 stars Masterpiece. More than 5 stars Could a live album be a masterpiece? I think that with Seconds Out, everything is possible. Many things converge here to make this album something different into the live albums universe. The band was pure energy at this time, beginning a new life. The set list ... (read more)

Report this review (#289025) | Posted by genbanks | Saturday, July 3, 2010 | Review Permanlink

5 stars Seeing this concert in Houston at the Sam Houston Colliseum was one of the hightlights of my early prog concerts. Then when they came out with the double album I had to buy it. First the sound. The vinyl was lush with deep bass, crystal highs and solid midrange. The live concert and vinyl were ... (read more)

Report this review (#279764) | Posted by Boxhead | Thursday, April 29, 2010 | Review Permanlink

5 stars Why can't all bands play this good live? Genesis sounds good whether they are in the studio or on the stage. They have good sound people, everything blends together, and they are truely professional. I really enjoyed listening to this one. It is better than the first live one, and that was sti ... (read more)

Report this review (#278528) | Posted by Keetian | Monday, April 19, 2010 | Review Permanlink

5 stars Surely "Seconds out" is an awesome witness of the post Gabriel first works by Genesis, personally probably the period which spans from "A trick of the tail" to "Duke" is my favorite. When I first heard about it I was not convinced about getting it, but I admit I was wrong; I took a look at the tr ... (read more)

Report this review (#277000) | Posted by Malve87 | Friday, April 9, 2010 | Review Permanlink

5 stars This album is one of the best live albums ever released, and certainly the epitome of Collins-era Genesis. Phil does a great job performing Gabriel-era pieces, melding them perfectly in the set with some of the newer, but stylistically similar, pieces. This album has the definitive live recording ... (read more)

Report this review (#275331) | Posted by msphelps | Monday, March 29, 2010 | Review Permanlink

4 stars Seconds Out is *the* live album of 1977. I remember walking into a book store in the month of April 2009, looking for some books, some albums, anything that fits my mood. I remember walking through a book counter and hearing something unknown yet familiar. It sounded celestial, with that 12 ... (read more)

Report this review (#240329) | Posted by The Runaway | Saturday, September 19, 2009 | Review Permanlink

4 stars Peter Gabriel departed, Phil Collins arrived. Well, moved some steps forward from the drums and out to the limelight at the front of the stage. And a good move it is, too. This album presents some of the best Genesis songs from that era. Well, the track selection is always up for debate. Ther ... (read more)

Report this review (#215917) | Posted by toroddfuglesteg | Friday, May 15, 2009 | Review Permanlink

5 stars It'll be very hard for me to talk about Seconds Out, because I adore it. More than loving it, I mean. I just can't live without listening to this live album each week. It's absolutely wonderful, no weak moments. Some songs from A Trick Of The Tail, just one song from Wind & Wuthering, and, among ... (read more)

Report this review (#164010) | Posted by Zardoz | Saturday, March 15, 2008 | Review Permanlink

5 stars Now were talking! This is how i want my live Genesis raw and vital and with many surprises, all the songs are well played and immproves on the orginal ecpesialy the Selling england ones while the stuido version was boring and dull, this ones are reworked shorter all the boring parts are gone and ... (read more)

Report this review (#161848) | Posted by Zargus | Friday, February 15, 2008 | Review Permanlink

4 stars Released in 1977, this double live album was was brought out after Wind and Wuthering and was the last Genesis release to feature Steve Hackett. You may groan with doubt and apprehension, but fear not, because this is an excellent album- for the most part anyway. The album contains mostly material ... (read more)

Report this review (#156421) | Posted by cynthiasmallet | Sunday, December 23, 2007 | Review Permanlink

2 stars First of all, I know Genesis was this huge live act due to Peter Gabriel's Antics, but on a cd, you can't hear them. Nor were the songs as good live because of the absence of a grand piano, replaced by a corny electric that doesn't do justice to any of Banks' glorious piano parts. Second of all, C ... (read more)

Report this review (#155799) | Posted by The Ace Face | Monday, December 17, 2007 | Review Permanlink

5 stars Easily one of the best live albums out there. The drum duets are especially worth it! usually I hate two drummer bands, but these guys make it work in a way that few do. A couple weak spots in the record. Gabriel fans will miss PG. Though his voice was never better than Collins' it was alway ... (read more)

Report this review (#150312) | Posted by Wormboy | Monday, November 12, 2007 | Review Permanlink

5 stars This is my absolute favorite live recording ever made. Phil steps up wonderfully to sing Peter's parts. This album has truly amazing musicianship on it. It has some of my favorite Genesis songs of all time. This is the first Genesis that I really listened to and it really turned me on to the Band. ... (read more)

Report this review (#140778) | Posted by TheMadCap | Thursday, September 27, 2007 | Review Permanlink

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