Does Genesis have a signature song?

Originally posted by King By-Tor No one has said Firth of Fifth? What's wrong with you people?

Moogtron  good point well said  about different periods my main one is musical box  but thats my fav period Genesis

Originally posted by Moogtron III There are different "Genesises". To built further on what Tamijo's division in three eras: Early: The Musical Box (Iván explained that well) Mid-period: Firth Of Fifth (also an example of where the group performance is much more important than egos; the abundant solos serve the song and not the other way around; here the band have ripened in their epics: less fragmentary, more seamless, but also less radically different and powerful) Early modern age (And Then There Were Three - Three Sides Live): too diverse to have a signature song, though Behind The Lines comes close; songs more composed out of group jams; almost no epic material, but when it's there, it's much more simplified (Behind The Lines being part of an original big epic, but not recognisable as such) Late modern age: Tonight Tonight Tonight, which is both very commercial, commercial enough to be a hit single, but they have regained some of their earlier tendency to write epics again; they are much more simpler though, like the signature song I mentioned, Second Home By The Sea, Domino, Fading Lights etc.

  I like this. You're probably right about mid-period Genesis: very well composed, strong playing, some of the best epics in prog history, yet somehow a bit less exciting than the earlier, more fragmentary Genesis. The Musical Box makes me haul out my air guitar and organ. Firth Of Fifth moves me...in a less exciting way.  I'd actually have to say the early modern age song that seems to be the "signature" i.e. most recognized song would be Misunderstanding. I'd also say that their late period signature song would be Invisible Touch. These aren't their BEST songs but just the songs that people from that period can grasp onto the easiest and which people know more.

Originally posted by SonicDeath10 Originally posted by Moogtron III There are different "Genesises". To built further on what Tamijo's division in three eras: Early: The Musical Box (Iván explained that well) Mid-period: Firth Of Fifth (also an example of where the group performance is much more important than egos; the abundant solos serve the song and not the other way around; here the band have ripened in their epics: less fragmentary, more seamless, but also less radically different and powerful) Early modern age (And Then There Were Three - Three Sides Live): too diverse to have a signature song, though Behind The Lines comes close; songs more composed out of group jams; almost no epic material, but when it's there, it's much more simplified (Behind The Lines being part of an original big epic, but not recognisable as such) Late modern age: Tonight Tonight Tonight, which is both very commercial, commercial enough to be a hit single, but they have regained some of their earlier tendency to write epics again; they are much more simpler though, like the signature song I mentioned, Second Home By The Sea, Domino, Fading Lights etc.   I like this. You're probably right about mid-period Genesis: very well composed, strong playing, some of the best epics in prog history, yet somehow a bit less exciting than the earlier, more fragmentary Genesis. The Musical Box makes me haul out my air guitar and organ. Firth Of Fifth moves me...in a less exciting way.  I'd actually have to say the early modern age song that seems to be the "signature" i.e. most recognized song would be Misunderstanding. I'd also say that their late period signature song would be Invisible Touch. These aren't their BEST songs but just the songs that people from that period can grasp onto the easiest and which people know more.

Well said!

Just one thing and that's personal: you know, the thing is, I personally prefer Firth Of Fifth and Selling England as a whole to the Nursery Cryme and Foxtrot epics. Still, I know that Genesis has definitely lost something: something dangerous as it were, something that really grabs you by the lapels or some body parts which I will not mention here . I do remember, though, being not as enthusiastic about Selling England / Firth Of Fifth / Cinema Show as some of my friends were when I heard it for the first time. I remember that Armando Gallo, who made a book about Genesis, wrote that when Selling England was being made, for the first time some people around the band were not enthusiastic, for the first time! But Selling England / Firth Of Fifth really grew on me during the years. And I play along with Phil, Steve and Tony on air instruments, listening to Selling England . Nevertheless, I understand your preferences and I like the early epics a lot too. Listening to the newly remixed version of for instance The Musical Box is really amazing, because I heard a lot of details I never heard before

About Misunderstanding and Invisible Touch: you're probably right. My own examples were a bit more wishful thinking. I was looking for some music with a bit more progressiveness, but to be honest... your songs are more like the signature tunes of that era, especially Invisible Touch, with the modern production and the... erm... interesting lyrics




Edited by Moogtron III - November 04 2009 at 14:53

Moonlit Knight with its iconic first line is the signature song, looking back.

Dancing with the Moonlit Knight and the 2nd half of Cinema Show.

Signature Genesis Song?

For me would have to be Dance on a Volcano