MISUNDERSTANDING

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I think that the year 1980 was a year of transition in the music of Genesis and other Prog bands. The two songs included in this single are good examples of this transition. The band was in a period of deciding to take a more Pop Rock direction, and by the other part, the Prog Rock elements still were part of some of their songs. The "...and then there were three..." album with the single "Follow You, Follow Me" was a first step, but in that album, despite having shorter songs, still has Prog Rock arrangments in most of the songs. But in their next album, "Duke", which included "Misunderstanding", the band was more in the Pop Rock musical direction.

"Misunderstanding" was the first time that a song composed by Phil Collins was released as the "A" side of a Genesis`single, and the success that this song had in the Radio playing and in the Popularity Charts (it reached number 14 in the U.S. and Number 42 in the U.K.) maybe showed to Collins that he could write good and successful Pop Rock songs by himself. Later in 1980, this new confidence as a songwriter led him to write more songs for his successful first solo album called "Face Value" (1981). This song shows the Pop Rock direction that Genesis was looking for and it was reinforced with the release of another Pop Rock song from the "Duke" album ("Turn It On Again", composed by al the members of the band) which also was successful. So, the new musical direction for the band in the next years was more established with their next album, "abacab" (1981). "

Misunderstanding" also included a very commercial video clip which is not one of their best, in my opinion.

"Evidence of Autumn", in contrast, is a song composed by Tony Banks, which is more similar to the songs he recorded for his first solo album called "A Curious Feeling" (1979). I think that the decision to not include this song in the "Duke " album was that the song sounds very related to that first solo album. It is a nostalgical song which relates the story of a broken love relationship from the perspective of the passing of time. It is a very good song, a bit sad too, with very good electric piano playing and lyrics. In general the arrangement of this song is very good, still having Prog Rock influences, and with "Heathaze" (also composed by Banks but in this case included in "Duke") is one of the best songs recorded by Genesis during the "Duke" sessions, and both songs are maybe the last to be more Progressive. So, "Duke" represents, in my opinion, a Farewell to the Genesis ` Prog Rock style of the seventies and more solid steps in the Rock Pop musical direction that they had in the next years.

Genesis' Misunderstanding / Evidence of Autumn is one of those singles where the B-side is better than the A-side, although my friends interested in pop music would vigorously disagree. Misunderstanding could be considered the culmination of years of leaning more and more into radio-friendly pop music. This all started with The Lamb Lies Down in Broadway (Counting Out Time for instance) and steadily grew to become more and more prevalent with future releases. Unfortunately for most us, Misunderstanding was just the tip of the iceberg headed our way. I'll admit it's a catchy song, but try listening to it after listening to Supper's Ready or even the Eleventh Earl of Mar.

Evidence of Autumn is a Banks number that sounds like it would fit nicely on And Then There Were Three. In the States it would find it's way onto side 4 of the Three Sides Live release and later on some Genesis box sets. It should have been on Duke in place of Misunderstanding.

Clearly for collectors, die-hard fans that collect everything, and completionists. Two stars.