INSIDE GENESIS 1975-1980

This is the second of the "Inside" DVD rockumentary series dedicated to Genesis. It picks up the story after Peter Gabriel's departure and takes us through to the release of Duke in 1980. This was of course a period of great change for the band which included the leaving of Steve Hackett (which for many fans was far more significant than that of PG) and the start of their abandonment of prog.

The format for the programme is the familiar one of wonderful live footage being interspersed with expert comments. The usual suspects of journalists, critics and members of Mostly Autumn(!) are rolled out, their contribution varying from the interesting (if already known) to the blindingly obvious. Michael Heatley for example tells us that the track "A trick of the tail" was important because the band named the album after it. He also has to be corrected when he suggests that Gabriel was the band's (sole) lyricist, and tells us that we had to turn LP's over to hear the second side. If the first track on side two did not hook us, we would "go off for a cup of tea or a beer" (did we?).

Iain Jennings, keyboard player with Mostly Autumn, provides some technical detail of the chords and keys used on some of the songs over the period, and while at times this can seem like a draconian music lesson, it will probably be of interest to those with a bent for music structure.

Unlike some other programmes in this series, the live clips are actually of a decent length here, although occasionally the producer has to revert to ambient pictures of clouds etc. where footage is unavailable. Film of a Steve Hackett gig is also included, with him playing "In that quiet earth" (from "Wind and Wuthering") and "Please don't touch". Genesis rejection of the latter (reportedly Phil Collins simply gave up on it) is cited as contributing to Hackett's leaving and using the piece as the title track for his second solo album. The two Hackett clips are added as bonus features where the songs can be heard in full.

Among the highlights of the programme are extracts from archive interviews with the band during the period. The same interviews are cleverly used to cover various periods, the answers being suitably generic.

With just 5 albums ("A Trick of the tail", "Wind and Wuthering", "Seconds out", "And then there were three" and "Duke") being covered, adequate room is available for each album to be discussed at length, and unlike the Gabriel era programme, each album receives a rough equal time.

In all, a reasonable entry in the "Inside series" marred only slightly by some of the choices of pundit (was Heather Findlay even alive in 1975?). I think we can safely assume that this is as far is it goes for Genesis in this series.

Before start writing about this DVD, I'm going to write something about the story of Genesis. When Peter Gabriel during the 'The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway' live tour announced to the band that he had decided to leave Genesis in the end of that tour, it was really a shock for all Genesis' fans and critics. Many immediately thought that Genesis' road had come to an end. At the time it was unthinkable that Genesis could proceed without their lyricist and charismatic front man. So, it was a huge surprise when we known that after the remaining members auditioned reportedly over 400 lead singers they choose Phil Collins to replace Gabriel. With 'A Trick Of The Tail' and 'Wind And Wuthering', Genesis demonstrated that they made the right decision. However, it still lacked the real proof, the live performance. That was proved with their next live album. Collins on 'Seconds Out' definitely buried the ghost of Gabriel. Despite some similarities, Collins never searched to be a new Gabriel. He showed that he could sing like Gabriel but in a different way.

'Inside Genesis 1975-1980' is a DVD of Genesis and that was released in 2003. It only covers the era of Genesis after Gabriel left the band. It's the twin brother of 'Inside Genesis The Gabriel Years 1970-1975', a DVD that comprises only the first era of Genesis, the Gabriel's era, which was released in 2004. Anyway, 'Inside Genesis 1975-1980' and 'Inside Genesis The Gabriel Years 1970-1975', aren't really two ordinary DVD's of Genesis. Both aren't DVD's with recordings from some live tours of the band or two compilation live albums with some live material recorded in different times. Instead of that, 'Inside Genesis 1975-1980' and 'Inside Genesis The Gabriel Years 1970-1975', are really two documentaries about Genesis during a decade between 1970 and 1980. The first part of the documentary, 'Inside Genesis The Gabriel Years 1970-1975' covers de period between 1970 and 1975, when Gabriel was in Genesis and the second part, 'Inside Genesis 1975-1980' covers the period between 1975 and 1980, the period without Gabriel on board. So, 'Inside Genesis 1975-1980' covers the story of Genesis after 'The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway' to the release of 'Duke', included. Thus it covers the period of five albums, four studio albums, 'A Trick Of The Tail' and 'Wind And Wuthering', both released in 1976, 'And Then There Were Three'' released in 1978, 'Duke' released in 1980, and the live album 'Seconds Out' released in 1977. Those were troubled times for Genesis including the departure of Hackett.

This isn't properly an official Genesis' release. Classic Rock Productions openly admited that. They simply declare the film 'for student purposes', as an educational film for 'Popular Music' classes in colleges. Still, I really dare to say that this is a very interesting DVD release about Genesis. In principle, the whole film is based on a 1980 British television documentary about the 'Duke' live tour, which is circulating in miserable quality in trade circles. Here, however, the excerpts are excellent. So, there must still be a master tape or at least a very good copy. That's the real reason for Genesis' fans get this DVD with previously and virtually unseen live material and interviews with the band's members.

'Inside Genesis 1975-1980' has a familiar format documentary with live footage from the group interspersed with expert comments made by several journalists, critics and musicians. The participants here are James Gambold, Hugh Fielder, Michael Heatley, John Mackenzie and three Mostly Autumn members Heather Findlay, Bryan Josh and Iain Jennings. So, the DVD features rare extracts of concert performances from the 'Duke' live tour, previously unreleased interviews with the band's members, Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks, extracts from live performances of 'Dance On A Volcano', 'Los Endos', 'Entangled', 'Squonk', 'A Trick Of The Tail', 'Ripples', 'Eleventh Earl Of Mar', 'One For The Vine', 'Afterglow', 'Deep In The Moderlode', 'Follow You Follow Me', 'Behind The Lines', 'Duchess', 'Turn It On Again' and 'Duke's End'. It also features two Hackett's live clips as a bonus tracks, 'In That Quiet Earth' and 'Please Don't Touch', where the songs can be heard in full and that were taken from his DVD 'Live Legends' released in 2004.

Conclusion: 'Inside Genesis 1975-1980' is a very interesting DVD, with some clarifications by Genesis' members. But, I think that it's more appropriated to Genesis fans and for student use. The importance of the contribution of journalists and critics is varied and goes from the interesting to the obvious, especially for those like me who knows very well the story of Genesis. Relatively to the opinion of the three Mostly Autumn's musicians involved, their opinions are personal and count as much as anyone else. However, the participation of Iain Jennings is very interesting because provides some technical details of the chords and keys used on some of the songs over this musical period by the band. Still, they are so technical that they are more appropriated for musicians or for those who are interested in musical structure.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)