GENESIS

I was thinking about giving a 2 star rating for this album, because I like Domino. Anyway, I thought better about it and many fans do like another tracks. I know it is pop, but Land of Confusion and Throwing it all away are also reasonable tracks and I reallu like this album when I was a kid!!! Most people know: by this time, without GABRIEL and KACKETT, the band is fully comercial and the sound is directed to the pop-rock genre. There are radio hits here, most of us who had listened to the radio probably sang along some of the tracks (except those who really hate this album). At last, this is no prog music, but deserves a 2 stars based on the ratings COLLECTORS AND FANS ONLY.

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.

What to say? To write about the value of Selling England By The Pound is as superfluous as to write about the brilliance of Mozart and Beethoven. Or ingenuity of Leonardo and Einstein. If there is a perfect reason why I like progressive rock music then it is Genesis' Selling England By The Pound. This album has everything - an excellent balance between music and poetry, powerful and dynamic playing and epic depiction, notes which provoke the deepest sentiments and those inducing laughter. Even a hit - the irresistible I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) - a link between older and newer Genesis music. If Selling England By The Pound had been constituted by The Cinema Show, with the rest of the material with average quality, or by Firth of Fifth and a couple of passable songs - it would have still been an unforgettable album. Four years after their first release, the Genesis' five definitely reached the peak of their artistic and musical skillfulness. This fact plus a sort of unexplainable inspiration - that was the formula of magic beauty and attractiveness of this album. My personal jewel within the album is The Battle of Epping Forrest. It is probably the most English song ever made in progressive rock. Nothing could be compared to the eleven minutes of almost continuous, full of unexpected alterations, singing-narration of Peter Gabriel telling us about the ways of solving disagreements "on a gangland boundary". Maybe Supper's Ready, but that is also sung by Gabriel. The part of the song when Peter sings: " ... When poor, 'twas salvation from door to door / But now with a pin-up guru every week / It was Love, Peace & Truth incorporated for all who seek", from my perspective, is probably the most freakish and the most exciting moment of the whole album. I recommend to all who like Selling England By The Pound to get its newest 2008. remastered edition - the excitement will be even bigger. And I think that all those who are fond of this album should put their signature on a petition to initiate Gabriel, Hackett, Collins, Rutherford and Banks to make a reunion tour in 2013. devoted to Selling England By The Pound, with the appropriate dvd as the final seal on their brilliant career in the seventies.

A definite improvement over the "Silent Sun" single but still not as good as the best tracks from the debut. "A Winter's Tale" is easily the better track. Beginning and closing with piano there is a rather odd sounding organ holding the background throughout. Two part vocals and reasonably good (though still pretty amateur) song development in this song that reminds me a bit of early Badfinger's "Carry On till Tomorrow," at least in the quieter sections. There is a subdued section and a swelling heartfelt louder one which alternate back and forth. The flip side "One Eyed Hound" opens with a cool lead riff with acoustic backing and some saturated bass. There are some heavy effects on the chorus vocals too as Pete wails about the hound. Still forgettable but a hair better than the other single, so we'll round this up to 2 stars. Not recommended unless you can hear it on the reissue CD for the first album.

"The Silent Sun" is one of the lamest tracks on the Genesis debut, pure pop drivel with heavy strings adding nothing but cheesiness. Sounding like a Spinal Tap "Flower People" parody the track offers up the most sappy, pleading "baby baby" chorus. Flip side "That's Me" certainly doesn't save it although it does rock a bit more and features a nice, sloppy little guitar solo and a certain Stones inspired coolness. Completely forgettable material for completists only, unless you can hear it as bonus tracks on some "Revelation" CD issues. The debut album has plenty of period charm but virtually none was apparent on this single.

In the beginning, schoolmates create a band...

One could be forgiven for thinking this must be a great relic. After all, the first Yes album is dated but good and rocking, and the first Floyd album is a masterpiece. Certainly Genesis' debut had to be as great too? Many proggers hunted down this collection hoping such logic would pay off, only to be disappointed to varying degrees. For the Genesis debut is nowhere near the otherworldly genius of Piper or the already formidable chops of Yes. Long before names like Phil Collins or Steve Hackett were but a glimmer in the eye of Genesis lore, school mates Peter Gabriel and Tony Banks (of a band called Garden Wall) were collaborating with Ant Phillips and Mike Rutherford (of Anon.) The resulting music caught the ear of rising musical man Jonathan King who got the lads into the studio in the summer of 1968. Upon completion and apparently without permission King took the new material and layered it with strings and horns making what could have possessed more original personality into a finished product that sounded a bit commercial and ordinary. Phillips was the most openly critical of what King saw as the chance to get the band viable:

"Ah, the strings on "From Genesis to Revelation." I was the one who really blew my top about it....the originals were rough but at least they had some power....in those days you couldn't get back to a previous version, it was too late, there was no undo button. And I completely freaked out. I can only quote all my other friends saying 'He's butchered it.'" [Anthony Phillips]

"The part that the band really didn't like was that I added the strings....I think they work terribly well, actually. It gives the songs a sweetness that wasn't there in the original thing and covers up some of the slight amateurishness of the basic tracks." [Jonathan King]

And yet it has its moments. The music is 60s pop to an extent, sometimes sounding a bit like the Moodies "Go Now" or The Hollies, maybe a bit of Cat Stevens' "Mona Bone Jakon", etc. But there was more depth and a trace of that English & dark folk/rock vibe underneath that Genesis fans will recognize as the foundational sounds of the later group. Gabriel's warm and soulful voice is already a showcase. The acoustic guitars have a briskly strummed pace, controlled, with Ant peeling off a modest solo here or there. Tony has some lovely piano episodes. But the band's talents are certainly modest, as is the sound and production which are pretty weak, to be expected as this was recorded in about 3 days. I can see what excited King however as the songwriting shows some real potential. Especially cool is the fantasy vibe of "The Serpent" and the foreboding piano lines of "Am I Very Wrong" which also sports Gabriel's flute playing. Tony plays a minute long piano solo to introduce "Fireside Song" which is rather somber and yet hopeful, quite lovely. Other tracks sport short piano ballads with a bit of folk influence, a dramatic young Gabriel, some "la la" backing vocals, occasionally a bit of light rock and soul. But these short tracks never develop to the point of any interesting instrumental jamming that would become commonplace later. The best moments sounds like simplistic and shortened demos from Trespass, far below that level of execution, yet with some of the same naïve wonder and innocence.

This debut is mostly for fans of Genesis and/or 60s pop and there is surely enough little bits of the future here to please them. But the overall performance and sound are fairly weak and there are some duds as well. I think 2 ½ stars is probably the most accurate rating and yet it is a very affectionate 2 stars I give. I enjoy this music quite a lot despite the strikes against it. What a leap they would take on the next album!

On Nursery Cryme, Genesis's best-loved lineup was together, and while they haven't quite perfected their sound, they still manage to make a very good album with interesting, powerful songs. The Musical Box comes right out of the gate with one of the kind of songs Genesis would later achieve notoriety for making; long, theatrical pieces, with good use of soft, quiet parts built around vocals, and hard, climatic guitar-led parts. For Absent Friends isn't much, less than two minutes and not all that good, but that's forgivable. After that is one of the best Genesis songs ever, Return of the Giant Hogweed. It's got power and energy, and hiding behind the silly-looking lyrics is actually a nice metaphorical description of invasive species, highlighting the Giant Hogweed, which came into Britain from Russia and grew uncontrollably. Seven Stones is a nice, catchy song, enjoyable but not particularly amazing. After that is Harold the Barrel, a short (by Genesis standards), lighthearted story, which is probably Genesis's best song under 4 minutes. Harlequin is, like For Absent Friends, not all that great, but not particularly nad- just overshadowed by the rest of the music here. Fountain of Salamacis concludes the album, and I think this is a very nice song, it reminds me of a shorter version of Supper's Ready, in that the lyrics seem to have a message but they're too abstract for one to be pulled out easily, and that there are many changes and shifts going on. So, Nursery Cryme is a very good album, probably my second favorite from Genesis. If you are interested in them and want to get some of their music, start with Foxtrot and SEBTP, then Nursery Cryme, and then Lamb. For Nursery Cryme, 4 stars- excellent addition to any collection.

This album does not receive the kudos it should for the two now usual reasons. First, Peter Gabriel is gone, and now so is Steve Hackett. For people with the too common belief that Phil Collins killed the band and couldn't do justice to PG led songs ought to have a listen to In The Cage/ Slipperman/Cinema Show/ Afterglow Medley. Stunning! There really is no other way to describe it. The pace is picked up, the band adds muscle to the originals and PC sings it with pure emotion. This version of Afterglow is head and shoulders above the original or the one on Seconds Out.

The first album or sides 1 & 2, contains songs from the last three Genesis albums and they are And Then There Were Three, Duke and Abacab. The set starts with Turn It On Again, which is a very good way to open a concert. I have to say that all of the songs on the first album except Follow You Follow Me benefit greatly from being live as opposed to the studio recordings. The playing gains energy live. The musicianship and production are excellent for the entire set.

Side Three starts with Misunderstanding and it is a serviceable rendition of the song, but I usually skipped thru to the above mentioned In The Cage.

The fourth side is were the confusion kicks in. The American release contained the 3 live sides above (hence the album title) and one side of cuts that did not make Duke / Abacab. That in itself is a bit of a mistake as I could easily find a place for them on those two albums. They may have been out takes, but they certainly pass quality control. Paperlate was a hit, You Might Recall a minor hit and the other three songs all had the Genesis short story songs going for them. There are some who believe these should remain out takes but I'm not one of them. The closing 3 songs are wistfully done, they leave you thinking after the songs are over. The tone and production perfectly fit these songs in an understated way. A great way to slow down after the mighty In the Cage medley. These 5 songs previously had an English release as an EP. Therefore the fourth side outside of the US has 4 vintage Genesis songs from prior tours. The fourth live side is also excellent. This version is what was released worldwide when the CD was remastered. Since there are only pros to both versions, one has to keep both!!

I don't take the 5 star lightly and latter day Genesis is not heavy with prog, but the pure enjoyment that I got over the years with Three Sides Live pushes it to that level. As the Alan Parsons Projects "Sirius" is played before many sporting events across the country, Abacab, Dodo/ Lurker,and In the Cage were played before any event I was playing in or went to. For Genesis fans not enamored with Genesis after the personnel changes and may have jumped ship during this period, they may want to dig out 3 Sides Live again for another spin.

In my list of favourite Classic Prog, Genesis sits comfortably in third position after VDGG and King Crimson. (Pink Floyd plays in another league really and Wilson hadn't evolved much beyond talking his first words) Basically, everything Genesis released from 1970 till 1974 had that perfect balance between musicianship, composition and passion: Collins and Rutherford made it rock, Banks added texture, Hacket lyricism and Gabriel gave it meaning.

Foxtrot is Genesis' finest hour. About every track is a prog classic, also the often overlooked Can-Utility and the Coastliners. All musicians were at their prime and operated as a tight unit. It were the days before Banks lost his focus to expensive new synth toys. Here he dashes through the album with tasty organs and mellotrons. Hackett is marvellous as always, but the most eye-catching feature would be the prominence of the drums and the bass that create a very powerful sound.

Foxtrot was the last Genesis album that still had that rough edge. From Selling onwards Genesis gradually mellowed out till they finally digressed into the sticky smoothness of A trick of the Tail. Of course Foxtrot is not entirely perfect. Perfection is boring, this album isn't. It's exciting, daring and bold and a deserved PA top 10 album.

Foxtrot is often held up as either the best Genesis album, or one of them, but I personally prefer it SEBTP and Nursery Cryme. Foxtrot isn't bad at all, I just think it's a bit overrated, especially the nearly side-long Supper's Ready. I understand that it's one of the definitive records of prog and whatnot, but everyone's gonna have albums that just don't appeal to them like they appeal to others. Watcher of the Skies is a very nice song, but I don't think it's exactly great. Time Table is okay, but not really all that special. Get 'Em Out By Friday is again quite good, but it's not as great as similar songs like Return of the Giant Hogweed before it and Firth of Fifth after it. Can-Utility and the Coastliners is also a good song, but it's not great. And then, after a short guitar piece called Horizons, comes Supper's ready, the centerpiece. This song has been praised endlessly by fans of prog rock, as an epic masterpiece and one of the better stories ever made, but I think that this song has a bit of, not exactly filler- however, there's not enough really good, meaty material to fill 23 minutes of music- while parts 3, 5, 6, and 7 are very good, part 1 is only okay to me- however, I don't usually like soft, love-oriented songs, so your mileage may vary. Part 2 is good, but not as good as the rest of the song. Part 3 is a very good, energetic piece, but part 4 is one of the things that I simply don't understand- it's a soft, quiet piece, that I don't find all that interesting. Willow Farm (part 5) is a quirky, very good part, followed by the great Apocalypse in 9/8 (part 6) and it's legendary organ solo. Part 7 concludes the song well, with some great vocals from Gabriel. So, for the most part, Supper's Ready is good, but not excellent- 3.5 stars, rounded down to three.