Was Genesis really that influential?

The fact that an entire genre centered around the behavioral quirks of that "Genesis sound" (neo prog) says a lot.

Yes.   

SteveG wrote: The Doctor wrote: Yes.    Not sure what you're getting at Doc, but what I meant was with only 5 neo prog groups in the '80s with 5 members per band , well lets see, that's... 25 Genesis fans!

Tribute bands should be counted too.

HackettFan wrote: Queen By-Tor wrote: is a retroactive following any less legitimate as influence or fandom as following the band in their peak? That would be impossible for some of us who weren't born yet. I agree. I was in high school in 1980-84. There was a building on school grounds that had "Genesis Rael" spray painted on it large enough to cover one whole side. I didn't do it. It was another Genesis fan, necessarily a fan of old Genesis. Old Genesis fans were well represented in the 80s in the region I grew up in. True I remember I had to explain the "Rael" reference to a friend of mine who was mainly into Yes, Floyd, Zappa, and Tull. Buffalo NY, being two hours from Toronto, suffered no shortage of Rush fans either.

I'm not sure if I agree HF, that's why I posted the question. Did these retro fans, as I call them, really listen to Genesis or did they listen to peer groups like Judas Priest or Iron Maiden and then claim Genesis influence later on?

Edited by SteveG - June 25 2014 at 16:30

Go Mo 

HackettFan wrote: SteveG wrote: HackettFan wrote: Queen By-Tor wrote: is a retroactive following any less legitimate as influence or fandom as following the band in their peak? That would be impossible for some of us who weren't born yet. I agree. I was in high school in 1980-84. There was a building on school grounds that had "Genesis Rael" spray painted on it large enough to cover one whole side. I didn't do it. It was another Genesis fan, necessarily a fan of old Genesis. Old Genesis fans were well represented in the 80s in the region I grew up in. True I remember I had to explain the "Rael" reference to a friend of mine who was mainly into Yes, Floyd, Zappa, and Tull. Buffalo NY, being two hours from Toronto, suffered no shortage of Rush fans either. I'm not sure if I agree HF, that's why I posted the question. Did these retro fans, as I call them, really listen to Genesis or did they listen to peer groups like Judas Priest or Iron Maiden and then claim Genesis influence later on? The Genesis fans I new listened to Genesis. They might have gotten started on an 80s album and worked back. I never new anyone who was a Judas Priest or Iron Maiden fan that moved to Genesis. Genesis was not a cool band to heavy metal fans, so if a metal band claimed influence from them, it seems to me fairly honest. The only claim of influence I came across from Iron Maiden was from an interview in the 80s in which they raved about Steve Hackett's Voyage of the Acolyte. I bought my only Iron Maiden album after reading that. Though not obscure on PA, this is quite obscure for a mainstream audience, so what laurel's would they have gained? What would have been the motive?

I can see no sinister motive for this HF as A Tower Struck Down was a song that metal heads could get into. I know, I was one of them. I think that a  lot of the retro appeal is down to the fact that PROG was just a dirty word to many metal heads in the 80's and with the deminishment of the that pejurative phrase, many probably started listing to Genesis later on and went the backwards route I.E, Collins led Genesis back to the Gabrial era band. Aside from the progressive metal stylings of Sabbath and similiar metal bands, I would think that some of these later Gabrial era Genesis ackowledgers are seeking the credability that Prog metal acts like Rush are finally getting. To me, I take the retro appreciation as a compliment and vindication of the Prog rock genre and early Genesis in particular but; I still find that isolated stoner parties in the late seventies that revolved arond Lamb era Genesis or DSOTM Pink Floyd were far from influential to '80s metal groups.



Edited by SteveG - July 07 2014 at 16:39

Sinful wrote: They were also influential to the industry of music as pioneers of technology. Peter Gabriel used Phil Collins on drums for his second solo album after leaving Genesis, and asked him not to use any cymbals on the album, which is what caused Phil and producer Hugh Padgham to invent the gated reverb, which is now an industry standard effect that is found in every studio and musicians effects. It  became widely known and was called the Phil Collins drum sound in the 80s. Then there is the Lighting which they pioneered with Showco in texas, The Vari-lite in 1980, which is also now an industry standard. They were the first band to have intelligent lighting in the world, and for many years afterward everyone else rented them from them. It took until 2000 for the industry to catch up with the vari-lite, which now you will never see a show without moving intelligent computer controlled lights, but for ten years they were the only ones in the world who had them in large amounts.

I agree that Collins and Padgham did come up with Gated reverb drum sound which has, like most other 80's recording sounds, has worn out it's welcome. (thank the gods)

Edited by SteveG - July 21 2014 at 15:53

^Agreed. It's rattling intensity has been toned way down when it is used (thank the gods)

prog4evr wrote: HemispheresOfXanadu wrote: HemispheresOfXanadu wrote: Ask Eddie Van Halen.  Logged out too early last night to explain. Referring to Hackett influencing Eddie to tap. Exactly.  Most, if not all of the great tappers (Steve Vai, for another one) look back to Hackett as a great innovator and one to imitate and expand on...

LSDisease wrote: No it wasn't, it was f**king Porcupine Tree who influenced Marillion