And Then There Were Three vs Tormato

Genesis 

iluvmarillion wrote: Neither are very good in my view. Both have their moments but neither are in the same league as their other albums. <snip>

+1. Well put.

ATTWT by a mile. It's one of my favourite Genesis albums.

I've never enjoyed Tormato. After GFTO, it's a massive disappointment, plus Circus of Heaven is among the worst songs ever written.

digdug wrote: not sure why so many people love  'And Then There Were Three'. I find both of these albums to be a major step down from the bands best. Both albums have some good songs and are not terrible....  So I would vote.... both equally.... except for Yes is getting slammed in this poll and I don't believe they deserve that .... so voted Yes

ATTWT is a polarising album, that's for sure.

I love it, partly for sentimental reasons, and I heard it some time before I got to hear better, earlier albums by the band, so it made a bigger impression on me.

However, I think Genesis made more of an effort with this album, than Yes did with Tormato. Having lost Hackett, they were trying to fill a hole in their sound, and I don't they fully understood how big that hole was until Rutherford tried to fill it. I'm sure they would never admit that (if it is true) I think Rutherford did an ok job, but for Genesis it was a breakthrough album. It may have paved the way for weaker offerings than before, but tracks like Down & Out, Burning Rope, Deep in the Motherlode and The Lady Lies were really strong songs, and displayed an ability, by the band to 'condense' their formula, without losing the Genesis feel and sound, or compromising on musicianship. It didn't work on every track of course.

Tormato sounded, to me, more like an album Yes had to put out for contractual reasons, and they hadn't put the effort into the songwriting. It has moments, but when you compare any track against any track (bar the title track perhaps) from GFTO, they don't really stand up IMO.

Edited by Blacksword - August 12 2019 at 08:10

I don't think that Tormato is actually as weak as an album as people think it is. "Future Times / Rejoice" is a pretty good song, and "On the Silent Wings of Freedom" is one of the stronger songs from their catalogue imo.

Edited by tempest_77 - August 12 2019 at 11:31

tempest_77 wrote: I don't think that Tormato is actually as weak as an album as people think it is. "Future Times / Rejoice" is a pretty good song, and "On the Silent Wings of Freedom" is one of the stronger songs from their catalogue imo.

^
This

Although I much prefer ATTTW over Tormato ( and agree with Blackswords excellent comments in general) I do think the main issue with Tormato is that it just sounds so fractured. It gives a terrible impression that was really not a band that was 'together' at all. Some good ideas and playing certainly. Alan White gets a lot of 'bad press' mainly for not being Bruford but he plays his socks off on this album. Release Release and even the ridiculously cheesey Arrive UFO are saved by some superb Alan White drumming. He rides the snare really well on Future Times and gets that bass drum moving very pleasurably on On The Silent Wings Of Freedom. I do remember vaguel a review at the time that bemoaned Steve Howe's almost banishment to the fringes of the band or so it seems. he just noodles away most of the time in a world of his own. Definitely not Rick's finest moment and a massive come down from his superb work on GFTO. Squire is okay and solid as ever. Onward is a high point for him on this album. Overall I can only see it as a '3 stars' album but at least it is much better than ELP's Love Beach!!

Two fairly different albums, as Genesis was starting its new life and Yes was ending its first one

And Then There Were Three - no doubt!  I met the three the day after their show in San Diego back in 1978 and in response to what in retrospect was a bit of a dubious question on my part, they all took the company line and replied that their then current release was the finest of the bands career to date.  They were trying to sell records, at a record store after all so I can't blame them for the less than realistic reply.
I saw the Tormoto tour by Yes that year as well, maybe it was 1979 "In The Round"; it was fairly bleak - a fitting reflection of that disastrous offering and year for Prog Rock fans, but of the two albums I still occasionally listen to And Then There Were Three.