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Genesis - Archive 1967-1975 CD (album) cover

ARCHIVE 1967-1975

Genesis

 

Symphonic Prog

4.28 | 302 ratings

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Rune2000
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
4 stars I got my copy of Archive - Volume 1: 1967-1975 around 2004 which was pretty late considering its 1998 release. My main interest of this box was sparked by the entire live performance of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway and, if I recall correctly, it was also here that I got to hear this performance in its entirety for the first time. You see, the CD version of the studio album was released around 1994 and was had to come by at this point. This was why I got myself a used vinyl copy of the original release and it was far from a perfect experience for me.

The two CD performance of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway recorded at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles in the early 1975 was just an amazing experience for me and I'm pretty sure that this is the Genesis live album that I've heard most times so far. I know that this recording was criticized for Peter Gabriel's and Steve Hackett's partial re-recording of their parts but I really can't complain much about it since it only enhances the original performances that would otherwise have sounded barely audible in some sections. Unlike the studio version, where the second half of the performance looses some of its energy, I really can't say the same about this live counterpart. If anything, the intensity of the performance actually thickens with time and bring out an extraordinary Genesis live show that is of worth to both existing fans and absolute beginners.

Not only do we get a complete recording of the 1974 masterpiece but also an expansion of the Genesis Live release with over 50 minutes of live material from Rainbow Theatre from 1973. We finally get those beloved classics like Dancing With The Moonlit Knight, Firth Of Fifth and Suppers Ready in unforgettable live renditions that is guaranteed to make any fan jump in complete joy. I especially love the story sections in between the songs the intros to Dancing With The Moonlit Knight and Suppers Ready feature some of the most classic tales that have been uttered by Gabriel back in those days.

The final CD consists of demos and other unreleased material from the band's early period between 1967-69 and it might not be as excellent as the three CD's before it. Still, there are a few nice surprises even here which begin with the stripped down version of In The Wilderness that really brings out the core of this wonderful tune. I was also completely blown away when I heard Shepherd, a song where Tony Banks sings backing vocals, and realizing that Banks could indeed give Gabriel a run for his money in the vocal department. It made me even more confused why Tony didn't sing on his solo albums since his delicate voice would have added so much to, say, his debut album!

It's obvious that I'm a huge fan of Genesis which makes Archive - Volume 1: 1967-1975 an automatic must-have compilation for me. But I would actually go further and proclaim it too be an excellent addition to any prog rock collection just for the first three CD's. Genesis was a great live band and I'm sure that their live enthusiasm will make anyone fall in love with this quintets history!

***** star songs: The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (6:31) Fly On A Windshield (4:38) Broadway Melody Of 1974 (0:34) In The Cage (7:56) Hairless Heart (2:22) Counting Out Time (3:59) The Carpet Crawlers (3:59) The Chamber Of 32 Doors (5:52) Anyway (3:29) The Lamia (7:12) The Light Lies Down On Broadway (3:37) Dancing With The Moonlit Knight (7:05) Firth Of Fifth (8:29) In The Wilderness (3:00) Shepherd (4:00) Dusk (6:14)

**** star songs: Cuckoo Cocoon (2:17) The Grand Parade Of Lifeless Packaging (4:25) Back In N.Y.C. (6:19) Lillywhite Lilith (3:04) The Waiting Room (6:15) The Supernatural Anesthetist (3:57) Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats (3:15) The Colony Of Slippermen (8:46) Ravine (1:39) Riding The Scree (4:30) In The Rapids (2:25) It (4:20) More Fool Me (4:02) Suppers Ready (26:34) I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) (5:36) Stagnation (8:54) Twilight Alehouse (7:48) Happy The Man (2:54) Watcher Of The Skies (3:42) Pacidy (5:42) Build Me A Mountain (4:12) Where The Sour Turns To Sweet (3:15) The Magic Of Time (2:01) Hey! (2:28) Sea Bee (3:05) She Is Beautiful (3:47)

*** star songs: Let Us Now Make Love (6:14) Going Out To Get You (4:54) Image Blown Out (2:12) One Day (3:08) In The Beginning (3:31) Hidden In The World Of Dawn (3:10) The Mystery Of The Flannan Isle Lighthouse (2:36) Hair On The Arms And Legs (2:41) Try A Little Sadness (3:21) Particia (3:05)

Rune2000 | 4/5 |

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