SPOT THE PIGEON

After years of searching, i stumbled across this record and immediately purchased it. Maybe my expectations for this rare EP were too lofty, but given the quality of Genesis music in the mid-late 70's, i felt that this would be close to the feel of those masterpieces.

Unfortunately, these are outtakes for a reason...they're just not developed enough for album-release. "Match of the Day", while a fun and novel song, is not exactly brilliant, and the soccer match subject matter seems a stretch for a band used to singing about more otherworldly battles. "Pigeons" has a nice feel and paints a good picture of contemporary England, but the one-note lead (the whole idea of the track, revealed Mike Rutherford later) is pretty annoying, actually.

The saving grace is the last cut, "Inside and Out". A slow-burner, it has sort of a "Wind and Wuthering" atmosphere during the lyrical segment. But wait till the outro...some of Steve Hackett's best guitarwork! Hackett has said he wishes this track was included on W&W instead of "Wot Gorilla?"...well, he has a point!