Genesis started life as a progressive rock band, in the manner of Yes and King Crimson, before a series of membership changes brought about a transformation in their sound, into one of the most successful pop/rock bands of the 1980s and 1990s. In addition, the group has provided a launching pad for the superstardom of members Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, and star solo careers for members Tony Banks, Michael Rutherford, and Steve Hackett.
In December of 1967 the group had their first formal recording sessions. Their debut single, "The Silent Sun," was released in February of 1968 without attracting much notice from the public. A second single, "A Winter's Tale," followed just about the time that Dave Stewart quit -- his replacement, John Silver, joined just in time to participate in the group's first LP sessions that summer. King later added orchestral accompaniment to the band's tracks, in order to make them sound even more like the Moody Blues, and the resulting album, entitled From Genesis to Revelation, was released in March of 1969. Music seemed to be shaping up as a brief digression in the lives of the members as they graduated from Charterhouse that summer. The group felt strongly enough about their work, however, that they decided to try it as a professional band; it was around this time that Silver exited, replaced by John Mayhew. They got their first paying gig in September of 1969, and spent the next several months working out new material.
Genesis soon became one of the first groups signed to the fledgling Charisma label, and they recorded their second album Trespass that spring; following its completion, the unit went through major personnel changes -- Phillips, who had developed crippling stage fright, was forced to leave the line-up in July of 1970, followed by Mayhew. Enter Phil Collins, a onetime child actor turned drummer and former member of Hickory and Flaming Youth. The group's line-up was completed with the addition of guitarist Steve Hackett, a former member of Quiet World; his presence and that of Collins toughened up the group's sound, which became apparent immediately upon the release of their next album, Nursery Cryme.
The theatrical attributes of Gabriel's singing fit in well with he group's live performances during this period as he began to make ever more extensive use of masks, make-up, and props in concert, telling framing stories in order to set up their increasingly complicated songs. When presented amid the group's very strong playing, this aspect of Gabriel's work turned Genesis's performances into multi-media events.Foxtrot, issued in the fall of 1972, was the flashpoint in Genesis's history, and not just on commercial terms. The writing, especially on "Supper's Ready," was as sophisticated as anything in progressive rock, and the lyrics were complex, serious and clever, a far cry from the usual overblown words attached to most prog-rock. Genesis's live performances by now were practically legend, and in response to the demand, in August of 1973 Charisma released Genesis Live, an album assembled from shows in Leicester and Manchester originally taped for an American radio broadcast. 1973 also saw the release of Selling England by the Pound, the group's most sophisticated album to date.
The release of the ambitious double LP The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway in late 1974 marked the culmination of the group's early history; in May of 1975, following a show in France, Gabriel announced that he was leaving Genesis, owing to personal reasons. The group tried auditioning potential replacements, but it became clear that the remaining members all preferred that drummer Collins take over the role of lead singer. The band returned to the studio as an official quartet in October of 1975 to begin work on their new album: the resulting Trick of the Tail made number three in England and number 31 in America, the best chart showing up to that time for a Genesis album, its success completely confounded critics and fans who'd been unable to conceive of Genesis without Peter Gabriel.
The group seemed to be on its way to bigger success than it ever had during Gabriel's tenure as 1977's Wind and Wuthering became another smash. But then Hackett announced that he was leaving on the eve of the release of a new double live album, Seconds Out; he was replaced on the subsequent American and European tours by Daryl Steurmer, but there was no permanent replacement in the studio.
In 1978, Genesis released And Then There Were Three, which abandoned any efforts at progressive rock in favor of a softer, much more accessible and less ambitious pop sound. After a flurry of solo projects, the group reconvened for 1980's Duke, which became their first chart-topper in England while rising to number 11 in America. The continued changes in their sound helped turn Genesis into an arena-scale act: Abacab, released in late 1981, was another smash, and 1983's self-titled Genesis furthered the group's record of British chart-toppers and American top 10 hits, becoming their second million-selling U.S. album while also yielding their first American Top Ten single, "That's All." Two years later, the group outdid themselves with the release of their most commercially successful album to date, Invisible Touch, which went platinum several times over in America. Its release coincided with the biggest tour in their history, a string of sold out arena shows that cast the group in the same league as concert stalwarts like the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead.
1998–2005: Partial reunions and hiatus
In 1998, the group gathered for a photo session and dinner to celebrate the release of the box set, Genesis Archive 1967–75. In 1999, the 1971–75 lineup of Banks, Collins, Gabriel, Hackett and Rutherford recorded a new version of "The Carpet Crawlers" for the Turn It On Again: The Hits compilation. In 2000, Collins, Banks, and Rutherford along with Daryl Stuermer performed acoustic renditions of "I Can't Dance", "Invisible Touch", "Follow You, Follow Me," and "Turn It On Again" at the Music Managers Forum, in honour of their manager Tony Smith. Most of the original members were involved in compiling the two Archive boxed-sets. Acoustic versions of "Afterglow", "No Son of Mine" and "Follow You, Follow Me" were recorded for a documentary film about the band's history at this time.
2006–present: Reunion and future
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After much speculation regarding a reunion, Banks, Collins and Rutherford announced Turn It On Again: The Tour on 7 November 2006; nearly 40 years after the band first formed. The tour took place during summer 2007, and played twelve countries across Europe, followed by a second leg in North America. The trio had wanted to reunite as a five-piece with Gabriel and Hackett for a live performance of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. While Gabriel reportedly agreed in principle to perform, he was unable to commit to a date. Collins later observed that "Peter is a little over-cautious about going back to something which fundamentally is just fun". Hackett agreed to participation, but without Peter joining in on the tour, Phil, Tony and Mike thought that it would be more appropriate to bring back Chester Thompson and Daryl Stuermer. Hackett, however still maintains good relations with the rest of the band. A short note expressing his good wishes for the reunion tour currently appears on his Web site.
The band and producer since 1991, Nick Davis, remixed their back catalogue (into 5.1 and new stereo mixes) for release in three batches over the course of 2007 and 2008, each comprising a third of the band's albums (from Trespass to Calling All Stations) in a boxset-style release. Each album is presented as a double-disc set containing a multi-channel hybrid Super Audio CD, as well as a DVD-Video with DTS 24bit/96K and Dolby Digital 24bit/48K 5.1 tracks. The DVDs also include extras such as promo videos, live performances, TV appearances, tour programmes and new interviews in which the band discuss the period surrounding each album. (For the US and Canada pressings, the audio discs are regular CDs and not SACD hybrids.)
These remasters were released in three box sets: Genesis 1976–1982 in May 2007, Genesis 1983–1998 in October 2007, and Genesis 1970–1975 in November 2008, in addition to each album being released individually. Each box set contains the albums from its designated time period, as well as a bonus CD/DVD-A of non-album tracks.
On 12 May 2007, the band was an honouree at the second annual VH1 Rock Honors, along with Ozzy Osbourne, Heart and ZZ Top. Genesis performed "Turn It On Again", "No Son of Mine" and "Los Endos", which later was broadcast on VH1 in the U.S. on 25 May 2007.
On 11 June 2007 Genesis officially kicked off their 2007 Turn It On Again World Tour in Helsinki, Finland. The band performed over 50 shows in several countries including Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Poland, France, Italy, Great Britain, the United States and Canada. The German show was broadcast live to several cinemas across the UK and Europe.
On 7 July 2007, Genesis participated at Live Earth, a series of concerts to promote action to confront global climate change at the new Wembley Stadium in London, along with other artists including Madonna, Duran Duran and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
In an August 2007 interview, Collins has stated that the recording of a new album is currently "very, I repeat, very unlikely" [emphasis in original], citing a lack of both time and inspiration. However, Banks, on 22 August, stated "The three of us would be quite keen to have a go and see what happens."
On 2 October, Starbucks released the CD Sampler Genesis: 14 From Our Past. The track list is: "The Knife", "Happy The Man", "Watcher of the Skies", "I Know What I Like", "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway", "Squonk", "Your Own Special Way", "Follow You, Follow Me", "Turn It On Again", "Abacab", "That's All", "Land of Confusion", "Hold on My Heart" and "Congo" (one song from each studio album from Trespass on, except that Nursery Cryme is represented by the b-side "Happy the Man" rather than an actual track from the album)..
An album of the reunion tour, entitled Live Over Europe 2007 was released in November of that year. The tracklist features a balanced set list covering most of their career. None of the songs recorded during Ray Wilson's time with the band were featured. In addition to the aforementioned album, sound deck recordings of each show were released by "The Music" A DVD of the concert on 14 July 2007 in Rome's Circo Massimo, When in Rome 2007 was released on 26 May. A microsite has been launched to accompany the release: www.wheninromedvd.com.
In an interview to celebrate the release of the Genesis: 1970–1975 boxset, Tony Banks revealed that it is a possibility that the band may reunite with Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett. He said: "We've never said 'never' about it, you know. I know Phil (Collins) would be quite happy with the idea of just playing the drums; it would be quite fun for him. Mike (Rutherford) and I are certainly happy to do it. I know Steve (Hackett) is keen as well. I think it'd be down to Peter (Gabriel) more than anyone else." However, Collins has stated in various interviews that he is unable to play the drums due to a medical ailment. "After playing drums for 50 years, I've had to stop. My vertebrae have been crushing my spinal cord because of the position I drum in. It comes from years of playing. I can't even hold the sticks properly without it being painful, I even used to tape the sticks to my hands to get through."
On 10 September 2009, Collins revealed in a post on the official Genesis website that during the 2007 Turn It On Again tour, he dislocated a vertebra in his neck which has required surgery to repair. The injury and resulting recovery has made it "impossible to play the drums or piano" according to the article. However, Collins states that in a year's time or more this situation could change. Future plans for any Genesis reunion could hinge on Collins' ability to recover and play the drums again.
On 21 September 2009, Genesis released Genesis Live 1973–2007, a box set containing remixed and remastered editions of the band's first four live albums. The box includes Genesis Live andSeconds Out in both stereo and 5.1 surround sound versions, and Three Sides Live and The Way We Walk in stereo-only editions. On 23 November 2009, the band released a box set of live concert videos filmed between 1981 and 1992.
On 15 March 2010, Genesis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band was inducted by Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio. Collins, Banks, Rutherford and Steve Hackett appeared at the ceremony, but Peter Gabriel did not appear due to rehearsals for his solo tour to support his new solo album Scratch My Back. Genesis did not perform at the ceremony. Phish paid tribute to them by opening the show with "Watcher of the Skies" and then followed Anastasio's speech with a version of "No Reply at All.
In a September 2010 interview with Billboard, Collins was less than optimistic about the future of Genesis, stating "I think Genesis are no longer. I don't foresee me doing any more Genesis shows. Not because I don't like it or don't want to. But it doesn't fit in with my life and wanting to be with the boys, and taking onboard [my other interests like] the Alamo and writing a book about that. And the other stuff that I'd like to do-and that includes doing nothing as well. But also, I can't physically play the drums. I don't want to sound like a spoiled kid, like I've had my stuff and I don't want to do it anymore. But I have done it all my life, and now I'm enjoying another side of life."Citing health problems and other concerns, Collins announced on 4 March 2011 that he ended his music career.
In an interview with Rolling Stone on 27 September 2011, Peter Gabriel said that a reunion with the classic lineup is still a possibility, but hopes remain very slim, stating "I won't say never ever, but it's in the outside department of the betting shop...if you stick with the stuff that nourishes you the most then you'll probably be the happiest".
Inspiration and influences
Genesis has taken influence from a wide range of music, ranging from classical music to mainstream rock and jazz. Banks drew influence from Alan Price of The Animals, whom he regarded as "[t]he first person who made me aware of the organ in a rock context". Collins has cited Buddy Rich and the jazz-rock outfits The Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report, while Gabriel's early career with Genesis took influence from Nina Simone and King Crimson.
Legacy
As a group that influenced the growth of the progressive rock genre, Genesis has been cited by a number of progressive rock groups, including Rush, Marillion, IQ, Pendragon, Pallas and Dream Theater. They have also been cited as an influence by alternative rock bands Elbow and Coheed and Cambria. Several Genesis tribute bands, including ReGenesis and The Musical Box routinely perform material from the Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins eras.
Collins became the first artist to cover a Genesis song in a studio release—"Behind the Lines"—which he included on Face Value one year after the original's release. Other former members previously and subsequently performed the band's material live during their solo shows—Gabriel played "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" and "Back in NYC", while Hackett has performed "In That Quiet Earth", "Los Endos", "Horizons", "Firth of Fifth" and "Blood on the Rooftops", among others. Hackett has performed "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" on his own solo tours, and on a 1986 tour with his short lived supergroup GTR. Rutherford has performed "I Can't Dance" during his tours with the Mechanics. Collins also later formed The Phil Collins Big Band, which played jazz arrangements of Genesis songs, which were "That's All", "Invisible Touch", "Hold On My Heart" and "Los Endos" (renamed "The Los Endos Suite"), during its 1998 world tour. Ray Wilson has covered the most Genesis songs during his solo concerts. His two solo live albums, Live and Life and Acoustic, feature the Genesis songs "The Carpet Crawlers", "Follow You Follow Me", "I Can't Dance", "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway", "No Son of Mine", "Shipwrecked", and "Mama". He has interpreted two songs from the solo careers of his two predecessors—"In the Air Tonight" (Collins) and "Biko" (Gabriel).
Jeff Buckley reworked "Back in NYC" for the posthumously released 1998 Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk; And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead also covered "Back in NYC" as a B-side in 2005. The Brazilian power metal band Angra covered "Mama" in 2002. The Swedish death metal band In Flames covered "Land of Confusion" on Trigger, as did Disturbed on their 2005 album Ten Thousand Fists. Disco-pop band Alcazar, also from Sweden, has covered parts of "Land of Confusion" on their song "This is the World We Live In". Dream Theater covered "Turn It On Again" as part of their song "The Big Medley". In 2007, Simon Collins recorded his own version of "Keep It Dark" as a tribute to the 40th anniversary of his father's band.
Inducting the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010, Trey Anastasio of Phish acclaimed Genesis as "rebellious, restless and constantly striving for something more … Every musical rule and boundary was questioned and broken … It's impossible to overstate what impact this band and musical philosophy had on me as a young musician. I'm forever in their debt."
Beyond purely musical ventures, the theatrical style of Genesis's 1970s concerts with Gabriel and advanced lighting of their 1980s shows have provided inspiration for Cirque du Soleil's productions: the 2004 anniversary show Midnight Sun and the arena-based touring show Delirium trace their musical and multimedia elements back to these concerts. According to Victor Pilon, co-creator and co-director of both shows, "We're not inventing anything. Genesis did it years ago. We're just using new technology."
Album cover art
The band's album covers often incorporate complex and intricate art intended to reflect the themes explored in the music. The initial release of the band's first album, From Genesis to Revelation, used a plain black sleeve with Genesis written in a green gothic typeface. The three subsequent album covers were developed by the popular Charisma Records graphic artist Paul Whitehead. The Foxtrotsleeve depicts a feminine figure in a red dress with the head of a fox. Whitehead has said in an interview that Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady" was an inspiration for the character.
The cover for Selling England by the Pound was painted by Betty Swanwick. Peter Gabriel saw the original drawing, called The Dream, at an exhibition and asked Swanwick to modify it for use as the album cover. Most notably, Swanwick added a lawnmower to the image in order to tie the painting to the lyrics of I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe).
After Whitehead moved to Los Angeles, Genesis signed with the art collective Hipgnosis, whose artists had created high profile album covers for Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon and Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy. Hipgnosis's first Genesis album cover was for The Lamb, which featured a male model, credited simply as "Omar", portraying the album's protagonist "Rael".
Through the rest of the 1970s, various Hipgnosis artists heavily—designed all Genesis studio albums. The Trick of the Tail cover depicts the characters from the album songs, including the robber from "Robbery, Assault and Battery", the beast from the title track, and a metaphoric image of old age reminiscing on youth from the song "Ripples". Beginning with Duke, Genesis albums have featured artwork designed by Bill Smith Studios. The band's highest-selling album Invisible Touch, features the artwork of Assorted Images, which had previously designed sleeves for Simple Minds, Duran Duran and Culture Club. The We Can't Dance cover art features the work of Felicity Roma Bowers, and is reminiscent of Wind & Wuthering, now presented in hazy watercolour. The Calling All Stationsand the compilation Turn It On Again: The Hits sleeves were designed by Wherefore Art?.
Criticism
Early incarnations of Genesis were often targets for criticism during the 1970s. An article in Q Magazine describes a 1977 Ray Lowry cartoon which depicted an arena of "either asleep, moribund, [or] comatose" fans watching a live Genesis performance, with the band's name emblazoned on a banner above the stage reading "GENESNOOZE".
More specifically, some in Britain—especially supporters of the punk movement—regarded Genesis in particular, but also the genre more generally, as overtly middle class (paying particular attention to Gabriel, Banks and Rutherford's private education), and claimed that rock music was being taken away from the working class, whom they regarded as its core audience. But Peter Gabriel claimed that their audience was a "mixture of social classes" and that accusation was a fabrication of the critics.
Gabriel's theatrics were unpalatable to some of the mainstream rock audience, resulting in a cult following rather than mainstream. This was exemplified during live performances of Gabriel's last Genesis album, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, during which he appeared on stage as various characters in the album's lyrics. The elaborate storyline for The Lamb proved difficult to understand and accept, and caused a bit of friction within the band. Collins later recalled that Gabriel would "be in a Slipperman costume trying to get a mic anywhere near his throat, and be out of breath—all twisted up. Towards the end I felt the singing wasn't really being heard; the songs weren't really being heard".
Conversely, the band's transition from lengthy, complex songs to more compact, simplistic, radio-friendly material was not welcomed by critics; Rolling Stone''s review of ...And Then There Were Three... read: "...this contemptible opus is but the palest shadow of the group's earlier accomplishments." "I don't feel we've bastardised the way we were", Collins remarked in an interview with Music Express: "on a generous day I'll blame me for the change, but I just think it is us growing up, listening to different things".
In a 1982 interview in Sounds, Phil Collins talked about the band’s reputation in the music press and claimed that he only knew of one music journalist, Hugh Fielder, who openly liked Genesis.
Reviewing Genesis 1976–1982 in Q, Andy Fyfe wrote: "... in spite of 150 million album sales the bottom line is that little of the band’s output has aged well ... There are moments of impressive songwriting, such as the tender "Many Too Many", the darkly tragic "Duchess" and the epic "One For The Vine", but little of Genesis’s music transcends in the way real classics do, and that is why they will remain perennial whipping boys for decades to come."
Music critic J. D. Considine wrote of the band:
Genesis has had a hard time getting respect. In the early '70s, when the group specialized in ambitious, theatrical story-songs, it attracted an avid cult following but was largely ignored by the rock press and public at large. Later in the decade, lead singer Peter Gabriel was finally recognized as a major talent - but only after he'd left the band, who were at this point being derided as middlebrow throwbacks still in thrall to the pomposities of art rock. Even in the early '80s, when Genesis did finally shed its art-rock inclinations and move toward pop, becoming international stars in the process, the press was unimpressed, dismissing the group as easy-listening lightweights. By the '90s, even the solo success of members Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford was being held against the group, by then one of the best-known rock acts in the world. All of which, to be honest, has been grossly unfair to the group. Granted, Genesis has made its share of mediocre albums - perhaps even more than its share, considering how long the band has been around. But bad albums? None to speak of."
In a 1991 interview with Rolling Stone during the promotion of We Can't Dance, Tony Banks admitted, "Well, we've never been fashionable. We've never been the critics' darlings." Phil Collins summed up in the same interview, "We know that people like us, because our records sell."
Personnel
Main article: List of Genesis band members
Discography
Main article: Genesis discography
Studio albums
- From Genesis to Revelation (1969)
- Trespass (1970)
- Nursery Cryme (1971)
- Foxtrot (1972)
- Selling England by the Pound (1973)
- The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974)
- A Trick of the Tail (1976)
- Wind & Wuthering (1976)
- ...And Then There Were Three... (1978)
- Duke (1980)
- Abacab (1981)
- Genesis (1983)
- Invisible Touch (1986)
- We Can't Dance (1991)
- Calling All Stations (1997)
Live albums
- Live (1973)
- Seconds Out (1977)
- Three Sides Live (1982)
- The Way We Walk, Volume One: The Shorts (1992)
- The Way We Walk, Volume Two: The Longs (1993)
- Live over Europe 2007 (2007)
More detailed information and others about Genesis click http://www.genesis-music.com/
GENESIS / Peter Gabriel Era / All Studio Recordings (1969-1975)
CHAPTER 1: In The Beginning (1967 - 1969)
All began at Chaterhouse School. The group had its roots in the Garden Wall, a band founded by 15-year-olds Peter Gabriel and Tony Banks in 1967 at Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey, where fellow students Michael Rutherford and Anthony Phillips were members of another group called Anon. The two groups initially merged out of expediency as the older members of each graduated; Gabriel, Banks, Rutherford, Phillips, and drummer Chris Stewart soon joined together as the New Anon, and recorded a six-song demo featuring songs primarily written by Rutherford and Phillips.
The Charterhouse connection worked in their favor when an ex-student, recording artist and producer Jonathan King, heard the tape and arranged for the group to continue working in the studio, developing their sound. It was also King who renamed the band Genesis. In December of 1967 the group had their first formal recording sessions. Their debut single, "The Silent Sun," was released in February of 1968 without attracting much notice from the public. A second single, "A Winter's Tale," followed just about the time that Chris Stewart quit -- his replacement, John Silver, joined just in time to participate in the group's first LP sessions that summer. King later added orchestral accompaniment to the band's tracks, in order to make them sound even more like the Moody Blues, and the resulting album, entitled From Genesis to Revelation, was released in March of 1969.
Music seemed to be shaping up as a brief digression in the lives of the members as they graduated from Charterhouse that summer. The group felt strongly enough about their work, however, that they decided to try it as a professional band; it was around this time that Silver exited, replaced by John Mayhew. They got their first paying gig in September of 1969, and spent the next several months working out new material. Genesis soon became one of the first groups signed to the fledgling Charisma label, and they recorded their second album Trespass that spring; following its completion, the unit went through major personnel changes -- During the Trespass tours, guitarist Ant Phillips began experiencing extreme bouts of stage freight which were effecting his health, and was eventually advised by a doctor to leave the group. Genesis was now auditioning for a new guitarist, and, at the same time, for a new drummer who would better match the playing acumen of the other band members.
Enter Phil Collins, a onetime child actor turned drummer and former member of Hickory and Flaming Youth. The group's line-up was completed with the addition of guitarist Steve Hackett, a former member of Quiet World. With their two new members, Genesis went on to release their third album, Nursery Cryme in late 1971. This was the first of their albums to see a nice amount of commercial success. It entered the top 20 in Italy, and thus forged a special relationship between Genesis and their Italian fans which has lasted to this day.
During one of the performances in the Nursery Cryme tours, Peter Gabriel attempted a stage dive and broke his leg. While recovering from this, he began writing Genesis' most ambitious project to date, "Supper's Ready," a 23-minute masterpiece which occupies the entire second side of their fourth album, 1972's Foxtrot. About this time, Peter also began the habit of dressing up in costumes ("Dressing up in costumes/Playing silly games/Hiding out in treetops/Shouting out rude names!" Peter Gabriel, "Games Without Frontiers", 1980) during Genesis live shows, and telling mysterious stories and narratives between songs. This won Genesis a great deal of press.
Foxtrot was quickly followed up by 1973's 'Live', Genesis' first live album and the only one officially released with Gabriel at the helm. Later that same year, Genesis released Selling England by the Pound, their artistically most ambitious work to date. It contained songs like "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" and "Firth of Fifth" which remain popular enough today to have had portions of them performed during Genesis' 1992 tour.
The culmination of the original Genesis came in 1974 with the release of the surrealistic two-disc concept album 'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway'. The Lamb was a continuous story which tracked the adventures of Rael, a striving graffiti artist, through a psychadelic underworld in a journey of self discovery. It was an extremely abstract work. In order to play Rael on stage, Peter Gabriel rendered himself into a much more "normal" look than the one which he'd become used to over the previous years.
During the production of 'The Lamb', Peter Gabriel's first daughter was born, and, originally, some questions were raised as to her health and chances of survival. The stress of coping with this uncertainty, combined with the stress of the ambitious musical project and a number of other factors, brought about Gabriel's decision to leave Genesis at the conclusion of the Lamb tours.
Peter Gabriel Says Odds May Be In Genesis' Favor
November 10, 2005
For years, Peter Gabriel has been the lone holdout in a potential Genesis reunion. But now, Gabriel tells Rolling Stone that a reunion may be imminent. "The odds [of a Genesis reunion] are better now than before," Gabriel said. "We're going to have the conversation."
November 10, 2005
Aside from a one-off concert in 1982, Gabriel has not stood on stage with the classic five-man lineup of Genesis since the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway tour ended in May of 1975. The band finally called it quits in 1998. "When we got back together in 1982, I don't think we rehearsed," Gabriel said. "To really do it properly, we'd have to take more time. It's quite a commitment."
Phil Collins recently expressed his desire to reunite the band at a Tel Aviv press conference. "I'm happy to sit behind the drums and let Peter [Gabriel] be the singer," Collins said. And just last month, guitarist Steve Hackett told the Chicago Sun-Times that he received a phone call from Genesis management. "There's a movement to put us all together again," he said.
6th Legend Albums GENESIS presented by Peter Gabriel (1969-1975)
From
Genesis To Revelation
Released:
March 1969 Players: Tony Banks: Keyboards, vocals
March 1969 Players: Tony Banks: Keyboards, vocals
Peter Gabriel: Lead vocal, flute Ant Phillips:
Guitars, vocals
Mike Rutherford: Bass guitar, vocals
Jonathan Silver: Drums
Tracks:
1. Where the Sour Turns To Sweet (TB, PG) 3:14
2. In the Beginning (AP, PG) 3:43
3. Fireside Song (TB, AP, MR) 4:20
4. The Serpent (TB, PG) 4:39
5. Am I Very Wrong? (PG, TB) 3:30
6. In The Wilderness (AP, PG, TB, MR) 3:31
7. The Conqueror (TB, PG) 3:39
8. In Hiding (AP, PG) 2:41
9. One Day (TB, PG) 3:19
10. Window (AP, MR) 3:34
11. In Limbo 3:06
12. The Silent Sun (TB, PG) 2:13
Trespass
Released:
October 1970
October 1970
Players:
Tony Banks: Organ, piano, mellotron, guitar, vocals
Tony Banks: Organ, piano, mellotron, guitar, vocals
Peter Gabriel: Lead vocal, flute, accordion,
tambourine, bass drum, etc.
Jonathan Mayhew: Drums, percussion, vocals
Ant Phillips: Lead guitar, acoustic 12-string,
dulcimer, vocals
Mike Rutherford: Bass guitar, acoustic
12-string, cello, vocals
Tracks:
1. Looking For Someone 7:00
1. Looking For Someone 7:00
2. White Mountain 7:00
3. Visions of Angels / 7:00
4. Stagnation 8:45
5. Dusk 4:15
6. The Knife 8:55
Nursery
Cryme
Released:
November 1971
November 1971
Players:
Steve Hackett: Electric Guitar, 12-String
Guitar
Peter Gabriel: Lead Voice, Flute, Bass Drum,
Tambourine
Tony Banks: Organ, Mellotron, Piano, 12-String
Guitar, Voices
Phil Collins: Drums, Voices, Percussion [Lead
Vocal on (2)]
Mike Rutherford: Bass, Bass Pedals, 12-String
Guitar, Voices
Tracks:
1. The Musical Box 10:26
1. The Musical Box 10:26
2. For Absent Friends 1:45
3. The Return Of The Giant Hogweed / 8:15
4. Seven Stones 5:10
5. Harold The Barrel 2:59
6. Harlequin 2:55
7. The Fountain Of Salmacis 7:53
Foxtrot
Released:
October 1972
October 1972
Players:
Steve Hackett: Electric Guitar, 12-String Guitar, 6-String Guitar
Steve Hackett: Electric Guitar, 12-String Guitar, 6-String Guitar
Peter Gabriel: Lead Voice, Flute, Bass Drum,
Tambourine, Oboe
Tony Banks:Organ,Mellotron,Piano, Electric
Piano, 12-String Guitar, Voices
Phil Collins: Drums, Voices, Assorted
Percussion
Mike Rutherford: Bass, Bass Pedals, 12-String
Guitar, Voices, Cello
Richard MacPhail: Equipment and Stage Sound
(sound friend)
Tracks:
1. Watcher Of The Skies 7:19
1. Watcher Of The Skies 7:19
2. Time Table 4:40
3. Get 'Em Out By Friday 8:35
4. Can-Utility And The Coastliners / 5:43
5. Horizons 1:38
6. Supper's Ready 22:58
i. Lover's Leap
ii. The Guaranteed Eternal Sanctuary Man
iii. Ikhnaton and Itsacon and Their Band of
Merry Men
iv. How Dare I Be So Beautiful?
v. Willow Farm
vi. Apocalypse in9/8 (featuring the
delicioustalents of Gabble Ratchet)
vii. As Sure as Eggs is Eggs (Aching Men's
Feet)
Selling
England By The Pound
Released:
September 1973
September 1973
Players:
Steve Hackett: Electric Guitar, Nylon Guitar.
Steve Hackett: Electric Guitar, Nylon Guitar.
Peter Gabriel: Vocals, Flute, Percussion,
Oboe.
Tony Banks: Keyboards, 12-String Guitar.
Phil Collins: Drums, Percussion, Vocal, Lead
Vocals on (4)
Mike Rutherford: Bass, 12-String Guitar,
Electric Sitar.
Tracks:
1. Dancing With The Moonlit Knight 8:03
1. Dancing With The Moonlit Knight 8:03
2. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) 4:09
3. Firth Of Fifth (MR, TB) [WT: from 'The
Block'] 9:37
4. More Fool Me / 3:12
5. The Battle Of Epping Forest [WT: from 'The
Block'] 11:04
6. After The Ordeal 4:15
7. The Cinema Show 12:41
8. Aisle Of Plenty ^
The
Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
Released:
November 1974
November 1974
Players:
Steve Hackett: Guitars.
Peter Gabriel: Voices and Flute, with
variations on the above and experiments with foreign sounds.
Tony Banks: Keyboards.
Phil Collins: Percussion, Vibing &
Voicing.
Mike Rutherford: Bass and 12-String Guitar.
Brian Eno: Enossification. [sound effects for
voice on Grand Parade, etc.
CD1 Tracks:
1. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 4:55
2. Fly On A Windshield 2:47
3. Broadway Melody Of 1974 1:58
4. Cuckoo Cocoon 2:14
5. In The Cage 8:15
6. The Grand Parade Of Lifeless Packaging 2:45
7. Back In N.Y.C. 5:49 8. Hairless Heart 2:25
9. Counting Out Time 3:45
10. Carpet Crawlers 5:16
11. The Chamber Of 32 Doors / 5:40
CD2 Tracks:
1. Lilywhite Lilith 2:40
2. The Waiting Room 5:28
3. Anyway 3:18
4. The Supernatural Anaesthetist 2:50
5. The Lamia 6:57
6. Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats / 3:06
7. The Colony Of Slippermen 8:14 The Arrival ^
A Visit to the Doktor ^ The Raven ^
8. Ravine 2:05
9. The Light Dies Down On Broadway 3:32
10. Riding The Scree 3:56
11. In The Rapids 2:24 12. It 4:58
Notes:
One of the all time favorites of Genesis and progressive fans
alike. Although Gabriel is gone by this time the band still adheres to the
original feeling by propelling along the stories within by bringing music that
can grow from a crawling whisper to a roar of majestic proportions within the
same song. The Squonk alone is worth the cover price. The gatefold cover
includes all of the lyrics and assorted illustrations taken from the subject
matter itself.
Artist: Genesis
Title: A Trick of the Tail
Released:
20 February 1976
Recorded:
October-November 1975
Length:
51:11
Label: Atco Records SD 36-129
Sleeve Design: Hipgnosis / Colin Elgie
Line Up:
Mike Rutherford: 12 string guitar, basses, bass pedals
Tony Banks: pianos, synthesizers, organ, mellotron, 12 string
guitar, backing vocals
Phil Collins: drums, percussion, lead & backing vocals
Steve Hackett: electric guitar, 12 string guitars
Track Listing
Side 1
Dance on a Volcano
Entangled
Squonk
Mad Man Moon
Squonk
Mad Man Moon
Side 2
Robbery, Assault & Battery
Ripples
A Trick of the Tail
A Trick of the Tail
Los Endos.
GENESIS : The Knife (1970)
R.I.P. John Mayhew (1947 - Mar. 26. 2009)
R.I.P. John Mayhew (1947 - Mar. 26. 2009)
The elusive former Genesis drummer, John Mayhew, has passed away of a heart condition. He was in fact the THIRD drummer for the band, and his spot was in turn filled by none other than Phil Collins. His musical contribution was only on their second album, TRESPASS. After the band, he pretty much disappeared from sight (even from his family), until he showed up at a Genesis convention in the UK in 2006! This track represents the growth of the band, plugging in their instruments, and bridging rock music from the hippy-60s to the progressive-70s. This song is quite heavy, even for Genesis standards, and also represents guitarist Anthony Phillips last recording with the group. This is the remixed/remastered version from 2008, which completely updates and refreshes the sound of the track!
Here's the wiki blurb:
The Knife is a song by progressive rock band Genesis from their second album "Trespass" from 1970. In some ways it is the first "classic" Genesis song as it was performed live often in the band's early days (a live version appears on the "Genesis Live" album from 1973) and has appeared sporadically in the band's setlists all the way up through 1982 (after 1975, however, they performed an edited four-minute version of the song). It was released as a two-part single in May of 1971, but it did not chart.
The song was unusually aggressive for Genesis at the time, as most of their work consisted of soft, pastoral acoustic textures and poetic lyrics. It features a bouncy, march-like organ riff, heavily distorted guitars and bass, and chaotic drumming. Peter Gabriel said he wanted to write something that had the excitement of "Rondo" by The Nice.) The song's lyrics concern Gabriel's reflections on violent revolutions, showing how those who use violence in the name of freedom are often only interested in establishing their own dictatorship.
"The Knife" was the most popular stage song from Trespass, usually being performed as an encore. During one performance in 1970, Peter Gabriel became so carried away at the end of the song that he jumped off the stage into the audience and landed on his foot, breaking his ankle as a result.
Song : "The Knife" by Genesis
From the LP "TRESPASS" (Charisma) Oct. 23, 1970
LINEUP :
Peter Gabriel : vocals, flute, bass drum
Anthony Phillips : guitar
Mike Rutherford : bass
Tony Banks : keyboards
John Mayhew : drums
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