Genesis-Calling All Stations.
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=103545
Printed Date: April 30 2024 at 03:22
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Topic: Genesis-Calling All Stations.
Posted By: the lighthouse keepe
Subject: Genesis-Calling All Stations.
Date Posted: August 04 2015 at 06:52
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When Calling All Stations was released in 1997,i was mightily worried that Genesis had made the wrong call,and should have called it a day when Phil Collins left the band.On first listenings my fears were confirmed,and i put the album away,and didn't listen to it for years.I returned to it last year after hearing Small Talk on the radio.You know what I really enjoy it now.Alien Afternoon,Not About Us,The Dividing Line,One Man's Fool are all very good with that traditional G sound.Ray Wilson did a decent vocal on this,and its a pity Banks and Rutherford didn't give the band one more album with Wilson on board.I actually now prefer CAS to We Can't Dance,which had some good tracks,but had plenty of filler too! Are they're any other supporters of CAS? Or should Genesis have ended when PC left the band? ------------- "Hello sun.Hello bird. Hello my lady. Hello breakfast.May I buy you again tomorrow?" |
Replies:
Posted By: GKR
Date Posted: August 04 2015 at 07:31
Genesis should have ended when PG left the band.  ------------- - From each according to his ability, to each according to his need. |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: August 04 2015 at 07:33
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I like the title track and Congo, and I thought the rest was sub-par. I must admit, though, that I didn't try the album out long enough. Maybe I should try it again.
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Posted By: Flight123
Date Posted: August 04 2015 at 10:26
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I stopped buying Genesis albums after 'Duke' but one thing disturbed me when I read about this era in 'Chapter and Verse' - Ray Wilson was wondering where the big hit single was on this album and I thought such an attitude was all wrong... |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: August 04 2015 at 15:30
I stopped buying after Wind and Wuthering....though GKR makes a decent point about stopping after PG left. ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: August 04 2015 at 15:48
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Not a bad album, poor editing in parts especially the end fade on the title track CAS and the fade out of Congo. I think the album is musically very good. Although Ray Wilson is a unique vocalist, he was not really a ' Genesis' sounding voice albeit a bit Gabriel like at times. He contributed handsomely to the album and Rutherford and Banks worked wonders without Collins. I often wonder what the album would have sounded like with Collins at the helm. I am glad for the archives and posterity this was released as it is an important juncture in their history. ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: August 04 2015 at 16:25
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dr wu23 wrote:Posted By: t d wombat
Date Posted: August 04 2015 at 21:56
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I kept buying after Duke but for me that was the end of it. Damn glad they kept going post Lamb cos Trick, W&W and Duke are three of my favourites. I admit I also dismissed CAS intially but had another listen to it the other week and thought it actually held up rather well. Probably would have been worth trying for a follow up but I'm guessing those guys knew their real money making days were behind them so they slipped into oh bugger it mode and decided to milk the reissue cow for all she was worth. Shame really but such it is. I also think the degree of selfishness in not making Thompson and Steumer full time members went against them. ------------- Andrew B “Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” ― Julius Henry Marx |
Posted By: Skalla-Grim
Date Posted: August 05 2015 at 00:57
| I like the title track and "Uncertain Weather". |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: August 05 2015 at 06:48
| This album really, REALLY lost me. Some tracks are longer, but I e always thought We Can't Dance to be a lot more Prog. I only liked Alien Afternoon, and I haven't listened to CaS for at least 15 years ! |
Posted By: Kirillov
Date Posted: August 05 2015 at 07:30
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I remember liking 'One Man's Fool', although that may have been because it is the last track! I'll have to listen again, although I'm not even sure I still have the CD. |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: August 05 2015 at 13:42
Heh...Trick and Wind are good albums , I even have the ones with the extra dvd disc...but when I want a Genesis fix I play one of the Gabriel ones. ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: Rando
Date Posted: August 07 2015 at 18:08
I was very happy when Banks and Rutherford decided to pursue and carry on with CAS - It's a shame that it wasn't well received; I just wonder was it just because Collins wasn't there anymore? A new lead singer? Genesis has always been a band in transition, musically and personnel-wise - When Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett, and eventually Phil Collins all departed, it became more clear that Banks & Rutherford were always the nucleus, the core writing team in Genesis. Always a band that never looked back and always surged forward its a shame they eventually did call it a day after CAS - I wish they had not - Like any album CAS certainly had its highs and lows - Alien Afternoon and If That's What You Need were some of the highs for me - I don't think CAS comes anywhere near the brilliant We Can't Dance; and if it had plenty of "filler" it certainly filled up all the sold-out venues on their world tour! Maybe it wasn't by accident or chance that the last track on We Can't Dance was Fading Lights  ------------- - Music is Life, that's why our hearts have beats - |
Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: August 07 2015 at 18:33
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It's quite an intriguing piece of history and definitely entertaining at points. ------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: Rednight
Date Posted: August 07 2015 at 19:57
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After all the bad remarks I've heard from others about CAS, I've never been even the slightest bit tempted to see if they were true. ------------- "It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno |
Posted By: t d wombat
Date Posted: August 07 2015 at 20:40
Whoa .... OK , to be clear, I have pretty much everything Genesis have done from Trespass on , hell I've even got a copy of Spot the Pigeon and most of their solo efforts. They are for me my all time favourite band and my favourite Genesis albums range from Selling England to Duke, but We Can't Dance brilliant ? Not in my book. It's even less appealing than Invisible Touch and going by my recent listen I'm thinking CAS is better than either of its predecessors. Indeed CAS is probably better than Genesis the album. "Better" in this context means of course only that my ears think so but to me those albums simply lack depth. ------------- Andrew B “Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” ― Julius Henry Marx |
Posted By: Rando
Date Posted: August 08 2015 at 01:05
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[/QUOTE] Whoa .... OK , to be clear, I have pretty much everything Genesis have done from Trespass on , hell I've even got a copy of Spot the Pigeon and most of their solo efforts. They are for me my all time favourite band and my favourite Genesis albums range from Selling England to Duke, but We Can't Dance brilliant ? Not in my book. It's even less appealing than Invisible Touch and going by my recent listen I'm thinking CAS is better than either of its predecessors. Indeed CAS is probably better than Genesis the album. "Better" in this context means of course only that my ears think so but to me those albums simply lack depth. [/QUOTE] Well I suppose it can be said that 'music is in the ear of the beholder (or listener). So I stand my ground with We Can't Dance because I still heard all the classic Genesis elements in this album; "Fading Lights," "Spike," or "Living Forever." But that's my ear, as we all have them to enjoy this great historical parade of music from a 'brilliant' band. ------------- - Music is Life, that's why our hearts have beats - |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: August 08 2015 at 06:37
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It's not a terrible album, but I don;t recognise it as Genesis. Without PC or PG singing, it's just a Banks/Rutherford project. I've heard it about three times, but never bothered parting with cash for it. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: O666
Date Posted: August 08 2015 at 11:45
| I like CAS and IMO this is a "Underrated" Album. There are some weak point in it but CAS better than "Dance" of Genesis specially Bank Dance! |
Posted By: RockHound
Date Posted: August 08 2015 at 16:14
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When CAS came out, I was completely underwhelmed. I shuffled to it a few years later during a long train ride across India, and that's when I realized that there is some very nice stuff in the album. Perhaps it was the boat ride down the Ganges that morning that made me meditative enough to dig the music. I think the album is too subtle to connect with people the way other Genesis albums did. I find Banks and Rutherford's playing to be subdued, but I like Wilson's singing. Perhaps the album would have fared better if they produced something a bit more challenging.
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Posted By: t d wombat
Date Posted: August 08 2015 at 17:58
[/QUOTE] Well I suppose it can be said that 'music is in the ear of the beholder (or listener). So I stand my ground with We Can't Dance because I still heard all the classic Genesis elements in this album; "Fading Lights," "Spike," or "Living Forever." But that's my ear, as we all have them to enjoy this great historical parade of music from a 'brilliant' band. [/QUOTE] ..... and so you should stand mate, so you should. The older I get the more I believe that in the ear of the beholder it is. Hell, I think much of modern pop is complete rubbish yet I can do no better, indeed I can do no. After your post appeared last evening my time, I lined up the supposed Duke Suite tracks and let 'em roll. Now while I'll admit Fading lights e.g is not bad there is , imo, nothing on We Can't Dance to match Duke. ------------- Andrew B “Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” ― Julius Henry Marx |
Posted By: t d wombat
Date Posted: August 08 2015 at 18:06
' Thoroughly agree. I wonder with CAS if the problem was that in fact it harked too far back in the history of Genesis and in fact sounds too much like pre Invisible Touch Genesis when the Genesis public had grown used to the idea of Genesis being, rightly or wrongly, PC's backing band. Does anyone really believe that the Genesis of even W&W era would have gone on to become the phenomenon of We Can't Dance without Collins' solo success ? ------------- Andrew B “Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” ― Julius Henry Marx |
Posted By: Necrotica
Date Posted: August 08 2015 at 19:36
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Calling All Stations is definitely my least favorite, but I still stand by my opinion that there was no truly awful Genesis album; I mean, there's nothing by them that I could give a straight-up 1/5. In fact, I enjoy some of Phil Collins' later records such as Invisible Touch. Yeah, it's cheesy pop, but at least it's pretty fun to listen to. ------------- Take me down, to the underground Won't you take me down, to the underground Why oh why, there is no light And if I can't sleep, can you hold my life https://www.youtube.com/@CocoonMasterBrendan-wh3sd |
Posted By: Necrotica
Date Posted: August 08 2015 at 19:37
Plus, I love Land of Confusion  ------------- Take me down, to the underground Won't you take me down, to the underground Why oh why, there is no light And if I can't sleep, can you hold my life https://www.youtube.com/@CocoonMasterBrendan-wh3sd |
Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: August 08 2015 at 19:44
I definitely think Trick is a more focused and better sounding album than the muddled Lamb. ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: Formentera Lady
Date Posted: August 08 2015 at 21:44
 . I did not like We Can't Dance at all  . So I was quite relieved with CAS. Only thing is, that really EVERY song is faded out...bah! But at least, I wished they'd tried another album with Ray Wilson. I also like, how Ray Wilson interpretes classic Genesis with band and small orchestra. I was at the concert and it was superb! E.g keyboard solos of Follow You, Follow Me played by violins sounded great!------------- http://theprogressiveweb.blogspot.de" rel="nofollow - Visit me in Second Life to talk about music. |
Posted By: O666
Date Posted: August 09 2015 at 01:26
Me too.
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Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: August 10 2015 at 04:23
I actually prefer metal band Disturbed's version.. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: O666
Date Posted: August 10 2015 at 04:39
YEAH. 100% AGREE. I listened and watched their video in my friend's place but I don't know anything about them. Can you give me some information about this metal band?
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Posted By: Aussie-Byrd-Brother
Date Posted: August 10 2015 at 04:43
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OK, so it's probably too long, it's a shame that all the tracks end on a lazy fadeout and the promise of Spock's Beard's Nick D'Virgilio playing drums on a few tracks really didn't amount to much (if only because he wasn't given anything adventurous to play!), but `Calling All Stations' was always a rather decent album. There was a darker sound trying to creep back into much of the music, Ray Wilson had a huskier tone that was a nice break from the previous few poppier albums with Phil, and - the main reason I love it - Tony Banks' keyboards are front and center and plied over every bit of it. Definitely his best performance on a Genesis disc since...I don't know, `Duke' or `Abacab'? It's depressing that in a lot of ways the band seems to dismiss it altogether now. Not fair to Wilson, who had the dismal task of trying to take on the HUGE personality, charisma and attention that Phil Collins brought to the band. |
Posted By: Xonty
Date Posted: August 10 2015 at 05:10
| I've only ever managed to sit through the whole thing once, and it's the only Genesis studio album I don't own so I guess that makes it my least favourite of theirs by default. It's probably more consistent than We Can't Dance, but WCD still seems to go by much quicker where CAS drags on. Also, being a more arty pop record than rock, it should have some kind of hit material, but nothing jumps out at me from it. The whole thing's mediocre to me, and at least WCD has "No Son Of Mine", "I Can't Dance", and my personal favourite "Jesus He Knows Me". I need to give it another listen in case I missed something big, but it's never gripped me. This isn't purely down to the fact that there was a change in personnel, as Tony and Mike aren't exactly on form and the chemistry between them is much more inferior to the earlier stuff. Almost taints the Genesis name, and should have been a separate side project, but it's better than nothing and it seems more of as a swan song than We Can't Dance would be. |
Posted By: Intruder
Date Posted: August 16 2015 at 04:53
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Had CAS in the "play" stack for about a week.....thought it was waaaay too long -can't process it all in one sitting; thought it lacked a Genesis soul - it didn't sound like them in parts but in others it sounded like outtakes from WCD; thought it a bit schizoid - they tried for hits and for a proggier feel with Wilson on board; thought the best Banks moments were the weakest on any of the Genesis records; still think it's not a total failure, but it's a sh*tty way to go out - not that WCD was a peak, but I feel it's far better than CAS. I agree with a lot of others in wishing they hadn't used the Genesis name. ------------- I like to feel the suspense when you're certain you know I am there..... |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: August 16 2015 at 06:05
To be honest I don't know much about them, apart from the fact that they're form Chicago and have put out about 9 albums. I only have Ten Thousand Fists, which is the album with Land of Confusion on it. I bought it some years ao after I heard that version on the radio. The rest of the album is ok. Good solid 'modern' heavy metal with not much in the way of lead guitar heroics. Good riffs though. Most of their albums are up on TY I think. Have a listen.. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: O666
Date Posted: August 16 2015 at 10:17
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Thanks so much. You answer my question before I asked!! about the rest of the album.
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Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: August 16 2015 at 10:43
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You're welcome! TY = YT (Youtube) by the way. I'm sure you worked that out, but I'm the worlds worst typist!!  ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: August 16 2015 at 11:08
Nope, Gabriel's departure was a good uppercut, Hackett's departure was KO ------------- 
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Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: August 16 2015 at 13:52
True, but some albums during the Collins era weren't bad. ------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: August 16 2015 at 16:26
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Ray Wilson still plays some great live stuff of all Genesis era's. BTW CAS failed to sell for one major reason IMHO....it was released the same day Princess Diana and Dodi were tragically killed in Paris. I was in the UK at the time and a major portion of the populace entered about two weeks of mourning. Just bad luck if you wanted to release something on the 31st August 1997. I was lucky to seem them live in the October just before they pulled the touring gigs in the USA. ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: Imperial Zeppelin
Date Posted: August 16 2015 at 17:46
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Their worst album, no doubt. ------------- "Hey there, Dog Man, now I drink from your bowl." |