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GenesisAlbums ReviewedFrom Genesis To Revelation (1969)Trespass (1970) Nursery Cryme (1971) Foxtrot (1972) Live (1973) Selling England By The Pound (1973) The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (1974) "A Trick Of The Tail (1976) Wind and Wuthering (1976) Genesis (1983) From Genesis To Revelation(1969)Appreciation of Genesis' debut album, recorded during the group's school holidays, depends on perception. On one hand From Genesis To Revelation is a collection of simple and syrupy sixties pop songs, dominated by orchestration which the group obviously had little control over. On the other hand it's perfectly listenable, but it's just as interesting as a fascinating insight into the group's early years. Genesis sound like teenagers on From Genesis To Revelation, slightly awkward and yet to establish their own distinct identity, but it's quite astounding to think that they were only in their early twenties when they recorded masterpieces like Foxtrot and The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. Peter Gabriel's voice is also markedly different; clearer and less husky than on later recordings. From Genesis To Revelation was produced by young pop svengali Jonathan King, a former student at their school who had already had a worldwide hit with 'Everyone's Gone To The Moon'. King plasters the album with orchestration, which dominates the group's basic instrumentation (acoustic guitars, group egotist Tony Banks manages to limit his contribution to one piano track per song, while the drummer is largely limited to insipid percussion) although it's difficult to imagine how interesting this album would be without it. King also claims responsibility for the concept, which was intended to be a musical version of The Bible from Genesis to Revelation. The Genesis part is evident in the creation references in the first few songs, but the concept rapidly devolves into generic love songs. Meanwhile, Gabriel's reference to his "guardian goddess" in 'A Place To Call My Own' isn't particularly consistent with my understanding of Christian theology, while the line "God created womankind/The vessel of Satan's hold" isn't going to go down well with most people. Amusingly, the album ended up in the religious section of record stores and sold a ridiculously small number of copies. Most of the songs are cut from the same cloth; the album would be monotonous without the group's strong melodic sense (Banks and bassist Mike Rutherford were the only constant members of the group, and were responsible for composing a lot of their music). 'One Day' stands out with a soaring chorus, despite its sentimentality, while closer 'A Place To Call My Own' has a higher degree of resonance than anything else on the disc. The Music Club release appends the group's two 1968 singles, which are on a slightly higher level than the album itself; the b-side 'One Eyed Hound' is about as raw and funky as Genesis ever got (although they're certainly not going to be confused with James Brown), while 'A Winter's Tale' has another big catchy chorus. The cover photo is amusingly revealing; Rutherford looks stoned, Gabriel is trying hard to look mystical while Banks reveals his intentions to assert control of the group. King's liner notes are brimming with egotism, although his tales of Gabriel taking a cold shower before every take and having to trim down Banks' keyboard solos are humourous. From Genesis To Revelation isn't a great album, but it's pleasant and, furthermore it's a revelation to witness the group's genesis. 
Trespass(1970)After finishing school, Gabriel, Banks, Rutherford, Phillips, and new drummer John Mayhew retreated to a remote college for 5 months, where they rehearsed for 15 hours per day, living off Red Cross parcels from their parents, particularly Rutherford's who presented them with boxes of groceries each week, worried that they'd starve to death. While in the cottage, the group listened constantly to King Crimson's In The Court Of The Crimson King, influencing them to expand from two minute pop songs to a more progressive style. While it's possible to draw parallels with contemporaries like Pink Floyd or Yes, Genesis had their own style pretty much figured out here despite only having three members of the classic quintet on board, relying on gentle 12-string acoustic guitars, prominent organ parts, Gabriel's croaky emotional vocals, and creative but not entirely serious lyrics based on mythology and Anglicana. Trespass was the last album for both Phillips who's an excellent guitarist, if not quite as unconventional as Steve Hackett, and Mayhew, who's not even in the same ballpark as Phil Collins. In terms of song writing and arrangement, the group aren't as advanced here; the first side maintains a pleasant sound but tends to run together, especially in the lengthy instrumental passages, although the second half is more accomplished. The group showed melodic sense right from the start, as their debut showed, but they still hadn't learned to use dynamics effectively at this stage, and the best songs are accordingly the short sweet 'Dusk' and the long, aggressive 'The Knife'. It's even possible to argue that Trespass is not worse than the other Gabriel-era Genesis albums; it's just subtler and harder to follow. 'White Mountain' is the most problematic track, with distractingly naive lyrics and random subject matter; possibly the only song in the recorded popular music canon featuring a ritual fight between two wolves. 'Looking For Someone' and 'Visions Of Angels' both have their pretty moments, but wander on past their optimum running times; on the other hand, 'Stagnation' climaxes effectively with its "I want a drink" refrain. The funereal 'Dusk' achieves an almost hymn like atmosphere with its pretty harmonies and slow feel. The only real classic on the album, however, and the only song to remain a live standard for the group, is the closing 'The Knife', with its uncharacteristically aggressive sound from Philips guitar runs, Gabriel's violent lyrics, Rutherford's busy basslines, and Banks' cutting organ. Trespass is a step below from the albums that follow it and it's not the ideal place to start in the Genesis catalogue, but it's very much cut from the same cloth, so if you've interested in exploring the group's work further, Trespass is definitely worth picking up at some point.
 Nursery Cryme(1971)Although it was Genesis' third album, Nursery Cryme was the first to feature the classic quintet; Gabriel, Banks and Rutherford were joined by guitarist Steve Hackett and drummer Phil Collins. While Genesis are justifiably criticised for their lack of instrumental skills in comparison to their progressive rock contemporaries, their albums through the early 1970s are among the finest committed to vinyl; Gabriel's lyrical themes are consistently intriguing, often giving the albums a tinge of spirituality, while the group are consistently tasteful and melodic. While there are plenty of positive and distinctive elements of early Genesis apparent in Nursery Cryme, there's also a sense that the group are still learning their craft, a process that would come into fruition with the following year's Foxtrot. Out of the three epic songs on Nursery Cryme, only the moderately funky (at least by Genesis standards, courtesy of Rutherford's prominent bassline) 'The Fountain Of Salmacis' is an unquestionable classic, presumably the best song ever written about hermaphrodites. 'The Musical Box' and 'The Return Of The Giant Hogweed' both have plenty of fine moments, but don't demand attention like Foxtrot's 'Watcher Of The Skies' or 'Supper's Ready'. Nursery Cryme is filled out by four shorter songs, of which 'Harold The Barrel' is the highlight, compressing a mini-opera into three frenetic piano driven minutes. 'For Absent Friends' is so short and mellow that it doesn't demand much attention, simply acting as a buffer between two epics, but 'Seven Stones' and 'Harlequin' are two of the most overlooked tracks in the Genesis canon; they're both pretty and succinct. 'Harlequin' features Phil Collins' vocal debut, singing a charming co-lead with Gabriel, while Gabriel contributes a lovely flute riff. When taken as a whole, Nursery Cryme isn't as consistently enthralling or thematically coherent as Genesis' following albums with Gabriel, but on a song by song basis it is still an excellent effort. If you are interested in prog-era Genesis, you may as well start here and work your way through the groups following four albums.
Foxtrot(1972)I think that I am slowly coming out of the closet as a progressive rock fan; previously as a Clash devotee I felt obliged to maintain a ignorant distaste for the genre. However, King Crimson's Discipline provided an excellent stepping stone for me, combining the urgency of the new wave with the proficiency and artiness of prog, while Foxtrot has completed my perspective shift. Foxtrot is thematically entrancing; 'Can-Utility and the Coastliners' is about King Canute, while an epic about the apocalypse ('Supper's Ready') is the icing on the cake. Gabriel is the focal point, delivering his ambitious themes with mysticism and emotiveness, while the group evoke appropriate musical backdrops to complete the experience. Tony Banks' keyboards dominate Foxtrot; while Banks isn't technically amazing, his organ and mellotron tones are effective. However, the climax of 'Supper's Ready' doesn't take off until Hackett assumes a prominent position in the mix. The first four songs are all very nice, 'Watcher of the Skies' and 'Can-Utility and the Coastliners' are my favourites, but they pale in significance compared to the 23 minute 'Supper's Ready'. Inspired by a demonic attack on Gabriel's wife, 'Supper's Ready' combines their relationship and the Biblical account of the apocalypse, and compresses them into an expressive and accessible masterpiece. The evocative imagery of "Can't you feel our souls ignite?" propels the song into an exhilarating climax, as God leads his children to a new Jerusalem. The culmination of 'Supper's Ready' is alone enough to make Foxtrot a worthwhile album; the excellent remainder establishes it as a classic.
Live(1973)It must have been obligatory for every seventies prog band to create a live album, if only to prove that they were proficient enough to pull off their complex arrangements and ambitious song structures live. Genesis' first of many live albums and the only one to feature Gabriel (although a live recording of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is featured on the Genesis Archive set), Live is pretty much what one would expect. The nature of the live format does predictable things to the Genesis dynamic, as some of the group's folkie mysticism is straightened out into more conventional rock arrangements. And while Banks and Gabriel largely dominate the studio records, the other members are more prominent live, with Collins' sensitive drumming and Hackett's guitar work more apparent. Most disappointingly, the album's only five songs long, and I'm sure that plenty of Genesis fans would appreciate an expanded version with 'Supper's Ready' thrown in, while I'd also be curious to hear less characteristic oddities like 'Dusk' and 'Harold The Barrel' in a live setting. It would be even more interesting if the album was recorded slightly later, and took in material from the last two Gabriel albums. As it stands, Live is basically just five songs, all between eight and eleven minutes long, and this format can become wearisome, as awesome as individual tracks like 'The Knife' and 'Watcher Of The Skies' are. This is just your average proficient live album - if you're enough of a Genesis nerd to want to know what 'The Knife' sounds like with Hackett and Collins instead of Phillips and Mayhew, you'll want this - but more casual fans should feel free to skip it. It's a strong set, but not comprehensive enough to be completely essential.
Selling England By The Pound(1973)For precisely thirteen minutes and twenty seconds, Selling England By The Pound is all but perfect, shaping up as one of the most flawless albums ever made. 'Dancing With The Moonlit Knight' is a dynamic epic, building from an a capella beginning and throwing in some stirring melodies along the way. 'I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)' distills Genesis' eccentricities into an extremely catchy single; it's no surprise that this was the only Gabriel era recording that made the group's recent hits compilation. And Tony Banks' crowning moment in Genesis is his gorgeous piano introduction to 'Firth of Fifth'. Unfortunately, the rest of the song does demonstrate a couple of flaws that do hinder this album: firstly the group do have a tendency to jam for too long on some tracks - although Banks and Hackett both play exceeding well on this record, the results are often pretty more than they are memorable, and the vocal melodies on the record are so strong (and Gabriel's voice is easily the group's most effective instrument) that it seems a pity to dilute them with instrumentals - and secondly the lyrics on the album not by Gabriel aren't particularly strong. While Banks is churning out clichéd prog lyrics like "To see reflected there/The trees, the sky, the lily fair", Gabriel's a guru of pun ridden and literate material like "He employed me as a karmamechanic, with overall charms/His hands were then fit to receive, receive alms." Thematically, Gabriel dwells on the decline of Britain's romantic and mystical past; his lyrics are littered with references to Robin Hood and the Holy Grail, and the album does suffer a lack of cohesion because of the lyrics from other writers and it's no surprise that he insisted on writing all the lyrics for The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. Hackett is more prominent on this record than elsewhere in Genesis' catalogue; he gets an extended solo with a volume pedal in 'Firth of Fifth', and unleashes an impressive barrage of noise at the end of 'The Battle Of Epping Forest'. Collins also gets his first lead vocal on 'More Fool Me', a charmingly low key piece where he's only accompanied by acoustic guitars. The second side's epics are both noteworthy - 'The Battle Of Epping Forest', a romanticised narrative based on a newspaper story about a gang fight, maintains interest by throwing in a separate song into the middle, while 'The Cinema Show' features some of Genesis' most gorgeous melodies, although it has way too much unnecessary jamming. In many ways, Selling England is a significant step up from Foxtrot; it is better produced, more confident and the group have improved as instrumentalists, but I just don't find it as consistently engrossing. But despite the negative comments above, this album's bursting with creative impetuosity and terrific melodies, and for most of its running time it's a great representation of Genesis' unique ability to transport listeners to a different time and place.
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway(1974)For their sixth album, each member of Genesis submitted a potential story for a thematic project. Rutherford came second with his suggestion of a musical based on the story of the Happy Prince, while Gabriel won with his seemingly incomprehensible tale of a New York street kid named Rael. There's plenty of interesing reading on the internet concerning the meaning behind The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway; my favourite is that it is an allegory for Judeo-Christianity concerning God's relationship with Israel. This theory is supported by the penultimate line of the last song, which states that "it is Real/it Is Rael", the Lamb is interpreted as a reference to Jesus, while Rael sacrifices his life to save his brother John who had constantly forsaken him. Reflecting the metropolitan setting, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway has a less pastoral feel than Genesis' previous releases; the dark mood is set by Bank's synthesisers and Rutherford's bass. Yet the reason that The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is such a landmark recording is the poignancy and emotional resonance scattered among its two discs; the moment where the despair of 'In The Rapids' accelerates into the satisfying conclusion of 'It' is simply breathtaking. 'The Carpet Crawlers' and 'The Lamia' are both beautiful, especially the poignant line "silent sorrow in empty boats", while 'In The Cage' and 'Back in N.Y.C.' are contrastingly foreboding. The widest criticisism of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is that the second disc is relatively uninteresting, containing too many boring instrumentals. While the instrumentals are not particularly interesting in themselves, their contribution to the flow and mood of the album shouldn't be overlooked. And the calibre of the actual songs is absolutely staggering; on the second disc the melodic power of 'Lilywhite Lilith' (favourite line: "Then she sat me down on a cold stone throne, made of jade"), the sheer beauty of 'The Lamia', the theatricality of 'The Colony of Slippermen', and the undefinable resonance of 'it' are more than ample compensation for a few uninteresting moments. The first disc is completely song oriented and is far more consistent, although the arguable highlight is the gorgeous 'The Carpet Crawlers' with harmonies between Gabriel and Collins. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway was the last Genesis album to feature Gabriel, whose was inspired to go solo after witnessing a Springsteen concert, and Collins took over on lead vocals only to gradually besmirch the name of Genesis. Notorious conceptual double albums such as The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway tend to produce a polarising effect among listeners, but I'd take this over other seventies efforts with colourless covers, like Pink Floyd's The Wall or The Who's Quadrophenia, any day. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway isn't without flaws, but as a whole it's so captivating, memorable and emotionally resonant that it easily rates as a five star album.
A Trick Of The Tail(1976)Peter Gabriel was always the most talented and engrossing member of Genesis, so I assume that it was primarily inertia that allowed the rest of the group to maintain momentum for an album after he quit. After holding auditions to replace Gabriel, Phil Collins took up lead vocals; he actually does a good job here and it's possible to pretend that Gabriel's singing, particularly when Collins throws his upper register around in 'Squonk' and the chorus of 'Ripples'. Meanwhile, Tony Banks asserts control of Genesis, doing most of the writing and rendering Steve Hackett virtually inaudible. For instance, on a typical A Trick Of The Tail track the most dominant instrument is Tony Banks' piano, followed by Tony Banks' synthesisers, followed by Tony Banks' mellotrons. To add insult to Steve Hackett's injury, Banks also plays some of the guitars on the album. Despite this, the production and sonic palette of A Trick Of The Tail is appealing, like a less claustrophobic version of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. The strength of A Trick Of The Tail is that the song writing is impressive; impressive enough to withstand bloated song lengths and an all round Tony Banks egofest. Some of the lyrics are suspect, 'Robbery, Assault And Battery' fails to recapture the macabreness and eccentricity of a 'Harold The Barrel' or 'Get 'Em Out By Friday' while the fantasy concept of the title track isn't as convincing as Gabriel's Lamia or apocalypse, but these both work musically. Elsewhere, the songs are often flat out wonderful. 'Dance On A Volcano' is an engaging opener with a tension between the taut verses and the spiralling chorus. 'Squonk' is a more convincing faux-mythological lyric, with Collins throwing his voice around like Gabriel, and one of the most convincing rock songs Genesis ever performed. 'Ripples' is a gorgeous ballad, written by Mike Rutherford about ageing, while 'Mad Man Moon' starts off as a pretty piano piece. Despite the absence of Gabriel, A Trick Of The Tail somehow manages to be an engaging record; it's less challenging and rewarding than their earlier albums, but that makes it more pleasant to listen to on a casual basis. As good as this album is, it's not quite the most impressive Trick Of The Tail ever. In 1985 at Carisbrook, the New Zealand cricket team required fifty runs for the final wicket to win the deciding cricket test against Pakistan. While the rest of the country gave up hope, New Zealand's tailender Ewen "Chats" Chatfield batted magnificently, scoring his highest test score of 21* as Jeremy "the Mantis" Coney steered New Zealand to an unlikely victory.
Wind and Wuthering(1976)After an excellent sequence of albums, the wheels started to fall off with Wind And Wuthering, causing Genesis to abandon progressive rock and Hackett to leave the group. Neither The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (a whole lot of pop songs with an extremely challenging theme and a few linking instrumentals) nor A Trick Of The Tail (straightforward pop songs with long running times) were progressive rock in its purest form, and therefore the retrenchment of Genesis as a full scale progressive rock band on Wind and Wuthering is questionably ambitious without Gabriel's lyrical genius and the lack of a common theme. Banks' lyrics here are particularly wooden ("Come up close to me you'll soon be warm/Hold me tightly like we're sheltering from a storm"), while his thematic ambitions run the gamut from The Messiah ('One For The Vine') to Stuart Little ('All In A Mouse's Night'). While his synth-fests were tolerable with good material on The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway and A Trick Of The Tail, they become irksome on boring instrumentals 'Wot Gorilla?' and 'Unquiet Slumbers For Sleepers....'/'In That Quiet Earth'. While Wind and Wuthering is highly flawed, it isn't a total washout. 'The Eleventh Earl Of Mar', about the 1715 Scottish uprising, gets the album off to an excellent start, although it goes on for twice as long as it needs to. It's revealing that Rutherford's 'Your Own Special Way?' and Hackett and Collins' 'Blood On The Rooftops' are the two most successful songs on Wind and Wuthering; both are relatively straightforward pop songs with audible guitar parts. The former is a pleasantly countryish love song with a hook that suddenly squeezes lots of words into a small space, while the latter plays up Genesis as a quintessentially English band. I have mixed feelings about Banks' messianic epic 'One For The Vine'; it's not without its share of interesting ideas, but is rambling and incoherent. Banks does manage to write a succinct and compact lyric ('Afterglow') to finish the album, but the song lacks the melody and context to make an impact. The progressive rock era of Genesis ends with a whimper, but how else would we have been blessed with Mike And The Mechanics' 'The Living Years' or Phil Collins' 'You'll Be In My Heart'?
Feedback: from Andy Genesis(1983)I enjoy the progressive rock era of Genesis so much that it's only fair to review some of their later pop albums too. Hackett jumped ship after 1976's Wind And Wuthering, and Rutherford played all of the guitar parts on subsequent albums. While Banks dominated the albums directly after Gabriel left, Collins is starting to become the dominant force by this point. While Gabriel's lyrical vision was the most innovative aspect of Genesis at its peak, Banks and Rutherford always wrote most of the music, and their knack for melodies and catchy hooks is able to sustain the band past its prime. The group's sound is more streamlined than earlier, an indication that they're still in touch with the wider music scene and aware of the the impact of punk and new wave. Furthermore, someone's actually managed to turn down Banks far enough so that some guitar actually sneaks through occasionally. Most importantly, their songwriting is still very good. The first side is fantastic, with a catchy pair of opening singles, 'Mama' (psychotic laughing from Collins) and 'That's All' (nice catchy groove), and a slight concession to progressive fans with the haunting 'Home By The Sea'/'Second Home By The Sea'. What's even more surprising is that they maintain the momentum though the second half as well; 'Taking It All Too Hard' is actually a good Phil Collins adult contemporary ballad, 'Illegal Alien' and 'Just A Job To Do' are bouncy and fun, while the last two songs are nice and uplifting. If you like early eighties synth-pop, all these songs are good, and you might like to award Genesis five stars. Still, I have reservations. If I was a proper critic I'd be able to express my prejudices in a less transparent manner, like "while their material is catchy, so is the flu, and their light-hearted ditties about rainbows, optimism and Oedipus contribute nothing innovative to the genre of pop music." A) This is an early eighties synth-pop album by a band that was already terminally uncool. I am a music critic (kind of) and have a reputation to uphold. Subtract half a star. B) It has Phil Collins in a prominent role. Subtract half a star. C) When all is said and done, I'd still rather listen to Nursery Cryme. Subtract half a star.
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Written 2001-2009, Graham Fyfe
