"Don't look at me! I'm not your kind!"
- TRESPASS
- FOXTROT
- LIVE
- SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND Joel's review / Oleg's review
- THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY Joel's review / Richard's review
- A TRICK OF THE TAIL Joel's review / Oleg's review
- DUKE
- GENESIS
I can't deny this one isn't much of an all-time classic, but this is where the "classic" Gabriel-Genesis begins, and I like it! I actually don't know why I like this one so much, perhaps it is fresh-prog (see my reviews of Emerson, Lake & Palmer) and it hardly contains any self-indulgence, except of some too pretentious wanna-be lyrics by Gabriel. Of the first mark, the From Genesis to revelation mark (that consits Peter Gabriel on vocals and flute, Tony Banks on keyboards, Anthony Phillips on guitars and vocals, John Silver on drums and Mike Rutherford on bass and guitars) have Silver left, replaced by John Mayhew and there is the Tresspass mark! Some background for the uninitiated might be required, though, so I will have some space for that here: Genesis was founded at the Charterhouse boarding school 1967, as a cooperation between the scool orchestra, called "The garden wall", and a group called "The Anon". Chris Stewart was the cooperation's drummer until he was replaced by John Silver, who took part of the Revelation album. So after this short introduction I should proceed to the album itself. As with most Gabriel-Genesis albums there are different opinions about this one; some say it's dumb, some say it's okay and some say it's great (I pretend to be one of the latter). This Tresspass sound is not as powerful as the latter "Dancing with the moonlit knight" or "Watcher of the skies" nor is it as pompous or diverse as Selling England by the pound. It is quite smooth and calm, with "The knife" as the only really rocking one. I believe that Gabriel & co tried to make some really powerful ballads, but only to get some muted, but well-written and ear-pleasant songs as a reward for their multiple attempts. But they were probably satisfied with the songs, anyway, otherwise we probably would have get some horribly pompous self-indulgent rip-offs that no-one would get satisfied with, maybe except of some Kansas fans. Instead we have some quite original tunes here, and a Gabriel fan sure would appreciate this one, while the prototypes of more classic Gabriel-poems can be found here. He hadn't really found out his own style on here, but if you want full-blown Gabriel-lyrics, proceed to the latter albums instead of gettin' thru this. Some lyrics, those on "Looking for someone" and "The knife" are masterpieces in themselves, though! The album-opener "Looking for someone" is a piece that displays some rocking talents, altough it's quite a calm song, and if you like "Dancing with the moonlit knight" you should give this one a try! I believe this song is the predecessor of "Dancing...", whilst both songs have an a cappella beginning, continuing with an instrumental part that builds up a rocking melody. I suppose that Steve Hackett would have done the guitar job even better, but Anthony Phillips does his job quite well I admit. The lyrics on "White mountain" is probably a rip-off of Jack London's books about that wolf, "White Fang" or whatever the books are called. The song isn't the best one I've heard but it's not bad at all, but if you're interested in these kinda songs, proceed to The lamb lies down on Broadway, or, if you're interested in this kinda lyrics, go read Jack London's books ! (I've read them myself, and I think they're good) The third song, "Visions of angels", has got cute (not necessarily good) lyrics and a pretty melody, the fourth song, called "Stagnation", displays a Gabriel on his way to be a better textwriter, but actually the song doesn't say me all that much (except for a gorgeous end of the song). It's still very ear-pleasant, though, just as everything on here. "Dusk" is an anonymous song, even together with these others! At last we have "The knife", displaying a Gabriel in great form! "Tell me my life is about to begin, tell me that I'm a hero!" So what do you say? It's simply rocking, too - it is as good as any rocker they made on the coming albums. So this was Tresspass, one of my favourite prog albums. The low overall rating is because it hardly is a classic record, as already mentioned. This one tend to come in through ones ear just to come out in the other, but if you give it a serious try you might find yourself a favourite. But I don't know. I don't care. Now I'm going to eat something and go to sleep.
Send your comments and reviews of "Trespass"
I don't know why this early Genesis charms me so much, but it's a simple fact that early Genesis was kind of interesting band. This time they slowly change into the more classic Genesis, the sound is now more similar to the latter 70's-Genesis. But still traces can head back to Trespass. John Mayhew and Anthony Phillips left the group after recording Trespass, replaced by Phil Collins on percussion and vocals, and Steve Hackett on guitars. Especially Hackett is kind of a favourite for me, think if mr Banks could have given Steve some more space.. Instead, it is Banks that can be heard on too many places of the record. Sure, Banks is a very good keyboard player, but Hackett is a virtuoso! Poor him - I understand he left the group after Wind and wuthering - even Mikey can be heard more than Steve! But besides, Hackett and Collins sure adds something to the sound, there is more pure rock on this one than on the previous, quite calm record. And here is when Peter Gabriel starts writing the kind of lyrics that have made him one of the most acknowledged textwriters in prog's (maybe even rock's) history. Here he produces one clever lyric after another, instead of ripping off others. And - as already mentioned - the whole recoorrd is now more 'classic Genesis'. The band's later-coming production (until Gabriel left) all had a little bit of Nursery cryme - think it over and I'll probably get some support by most people on that point. The songs - three long, three short and one in between - aren't all that good, but most of them are that good! All of them, however, are well though out, and the guys knew exactly what they were doing. 'The musical box' is the most obvious Trespass-ish on here. Some say that 'Harold the barrel' is 'Musical box' in less than 3 minutes, but I'd rather say that 'Musical box' is the whole Trespass album in less than 11 minutes. It contains all musical ideas of Trespass, and the fact that this could be done lowers the overall rating for that album a bit. The Box begins as a ballad, but grows rocking over time. Beginning as 'Dusk' or 'Stagnation' and ending up as 'The knife' with some more or less rocking parts quite similar to the rocking parts of 'Looking for someone'. That's that song. 'For absent friens' is one of the shorty songs, not particuarly good. A ballad sung by Collins, it is. But can you hear Hackett? He is there - but as usual buried deep under Banks' keyboards. 'The return of the giant Hogweed' is beginning as a complex and fast riff played by Banks and Hackett together (!), continuing with more intelligent lyrics, sung by Gabriel, who with his harsh voice grants the song with a feel that makes the listener believe that he has survived and surveyed the Giant's destruction he sings about. No doubt he is one of prog's most resonant singers! The song is actually too long, but Hackett provides us with a guitar solo that saves the instrumental part of the song. The fourth song, the "in between"-song 'Seven stones', isn't exciting at all, until they give us a gorgeous vocal harmony that makes the whole song, even if some parts are good too. 'Harold the barrel' is a short song, but it undoubtly took me very long time to get me into it. It is built around a lot of melodies that are played at the same time, creating a collage of melodies, sounding not very good, but after some serious listenings it suddenly seemed as an excellent song to me. If it is "'The musical box' in 3 minutes" I hardly know, though. 'Harlequin' is as anonymous as 'For absent friends'. Actually, they could have been the same song. The third long song, 'The fountain of Salmacis', is about a Greek myth that I'm not familiar with, but the song is very good! Banks doesn't overhelm the song with his synths this time - instead he plays a gorgeous intro, then he makes the background sounds, letting Collins and Gabriel come to the fore, later even Mike Rutherford and Hackett have some fun parts to play. It's probably the most "democratic" song, on here. And it's good - no dirty Fragile, this! Nursery cryme is the album that started the calssic Genesis-sound, and anyone with some feelings towards prog might appreciate it - but I won't say it loud, though. I love "common" rock, but I think that White is far better than Sgt. Pepper, how could that be???
Send your comments and reviews of "Nursery Cryme"
More new ideas here, and it also contains the all-time fan-favourite "Supper's ready"! So what could be wrong? The diversity! This one isn't more diverse than Trespass, if that could be. I admit the songs are good, though, and that indiversity on here might be for the best as well as for the worst. I mean, I like all the songs because they are quite similar to each other. Some might think that "Supper's ready" overshadows the other, but it simply doesn't. Some (me) might think that they go a little self-indulgent. And some think it's the best record ever recorded by Genesis. It's probably just the fact that Genesis' concerts were built around that song and "The musical box". Which makes those two songs fan-favourites. Simple, but probably true. The lyrics are good, as always since the Cryme. And this album is heaven for a Gabriel-fan, only one short intsrumental song is on here. The album opener "Watcher of the skies" is a gorgeous song that displays Rutherford at his best. Rocking is it, too - and I've hardly got anything to complain about on the next song, "Time table", except that it sometimes is too lame, but it has got a very good chorus, though. The third song "Get'em out by Friday" is a song full of syncopes, and it petends to be a masterpiece, though it's too chaotic for my tastes. "Can - Utility and the coastliners" is a minor masterpiece, though. Beginning as a harmonic tune, dominated by Gabriel's voice, later to let the other guys be heard, they even capture the whole song and makes an instrumental passage that's very good. Hackett plays acoustic guitar as well as electric guitar. Mike gets a cool riff to play before Tony and Pete makes a duet together. The ugly sound of Banks' keyboards together with Pete's great vocals makes a good feel, it does. The song ends up in a powerful thing that moves over into another piece where Hackett plays acoustic guitar, called "Horizons". The fun thing is that Steve plays solo here, not even Pete or Tony don't have a thing with the song to do! The second side is took up by but one song, the 23-minute "Supper's ready". It is their answer to Jethro Tulls Thick as a brick, King Crimson's "Lizard", Van der Graaf Generator and especially Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "Tarkus". As most of these hyper-longwinded songs is "Supper's ready" divided into different parts, seven are there this time. The first, "Lover's leap", is a ballad, but quite different from other Genesis ballads in style, it's more like pop (how dare I say) this time. The 2nd, "The guaranteed eternal sanctuary man", is a more rocking tune that moves over into "Ikhnaton and Itsacon and their band of merry men", another rocking tune. The fourth part, "How dare I be so beautiful", is a quite long part that isn't really rocking, but it has got a good melody as well. The 5th part, "The willow farm", is hard to separate from the previous part, but I've found out that it's instrumental and short. "Apocalypse in 9/8" is supposed to display "the delicious talents of Gable Ratchet", but I hardly know who he is. But, as the name implies, it's a tune in 9/8 of all weird rythms. It's a heavy tune, which I like very much. It moves over into "As sure as eggs is eggs (aching's men's feet)" is a reprise of the first part, but with more instrumentation. The whole song is an epic of high class, but with it's up and downs, mostly up, though. I really like it. And if you want more of this stuff go further to The lamb lies down on Broadway, where you'll get four sides of theatratical intelligent music instead of one. The whole album leaves some things still to be done, but go listen to Selling England by the pound and the already mentioned Broadway and you'll get satisfied. These Genesis albums completes each other in some way. A thing that I have recognized about this one is that I always change my opinions about it. I wrote a little bit'o this review at different times of this day, and it's been hard to continue where I stopped before.
Footnote : Oleg later have told me that Gable Rachet is the wild goose before the second verse in "Apocalypse in 9/8".
Send your comments and reviews of "Foxtrot"
Written by Joel Larsson
Yeah, I think I've got it. Every song here, maybe with exception
of "The Knife", are almost exact copies of the studio versions. These
guys obviously don't even need a studio, 'cos even the sound is similar to the
studio versions - so similar that in fact there's not much of a "live"
touch to this album. It's just as I said; you could just as well go listen
to the studio versions instead, there's not much of a difference.
When looked at the year of release, 1973, almost every major prog
band of the time had a live album about to be released, if it hadn't already
been. King Crimson had Earthbound, Caravan had Caravan
& The New Symphonia, and so on, and there were also the (even
in this pretty pretentious genre) exceptionally pretentious dudes
like Yes and ELP, who both were about to release triple live albums. Genesis
of course had to follow the fashion, but in lack of songs to put on a double
or triple live album, they got satisfied with this single live album. The original
LP version is supposed to include a version of "Supper's Ready", though,
but by some reason it wasn't put on this "definitive edition remaster" CD
I've got. Too bad, I'd like to hear it...
Anyways, the album is consisting of "Watcher Of The Skies", "Get 'Em Out By Friday", "The Return Of The Giant Hogweed", "Musical Box" and "The Knife". The first four needs no closer introduction, they're just very well-performed, and as usual I hold "Get 'Em Out By Friday" as the worst song, I've never really got it, by some reason, while other people love it. "The Knife", though, is a major improvement from the studio version. Steve Hackett is a MUCH better guitarist than Anthony Phillips, in case you didn't know it already. The song us now adorned with one impressive guitar line after another, and amn, this dude knows how to make his guitar CRUNCH. I've never noticed how much of the song which actually was consisting of different guitar noises, and I've never figured out before how much better Hackett is that Phillips, and how much better he does the job. And I who loved the song in the first place!
Well, this is, as you've probably understood, a very good live album whose only weakness is that it's too similar to the studio versions of the songs! But whadda f...., how come that this review is so dang short? Heck, I use to write reviews which are twice as long as this one! But it did feel good to write it, maybe I should shorten down my reviewing style...That'd shorten down the time it takes to write a review from one and a half hour to less than one. That'd rule, especially since it's soon time for me to take over the webmaster post, and I'll need a lot of time then.
Send your comments and reviews of this album!
The year is 1973, the year in which the prog prepared for the great year of '74 (I mostly have Red and The lamb lies down on Broadway in my mind). After 1974, only a few albums were up to the standards of the golden age, 69-74. But I'll have to remain on this one, Klaatu and Camel will I have to review later. And perhaps I should mention that 1973 also was a very good year for prog, Welcome back my friends, Lark's tongues in aspic, Yessongs to mention some. The lineup has remained. About the rating; well what can I do? If I like The lamb a bit more than this, and yet this is better than the previous 9/9 albums... I don't know how to judge it, and this seemed to be the easiest way. On this album Peter Gabriel went deeper into the fairy-tale prog, with lyrics that is referenced to today, or medieval Robin Hood, or the humble-servant-and-humble-young-master theme, or anything else.. Tony Banks also added some pretentious lyrics in "Firth of fifth", but I'm not very familiar with that song's lyric... Oh, there's also a more "poppy" tune here that has got a bit more "poppy" lyrics, if you know what I mean. The whole album is, as already mentioned, an improvement of the previous albums. Where those albums were weak or bleak is this album intelligently and tastefully filled up with music that has got approximately the double number of diverseness than before, and this album is also one of the most diverse prog albums of all times, making it a classic, but it also contains some of the most tasteful prog of all times. Gabriel is a tasteful guy, I suppose. Ah, yes, the music... Well, the album takes off with "Dancing with the moonlit knight", beginning with Pete singing a cappella, with the lyrics about a unifaun who asks the "Queen of Maybe" where his country lies. She tells him it lies with her, and the unifaun then pays England to find his country, and the rest of the song is about what happens with England when it's sold... A rousing tale, it is. The music is some of the most beautiful ever written in the 20th century, at least that's my opinion. The song is harmonic and engaging, and sooth to say, it's a real beuty, even "Epitaph" and "Take a pebble" can go to the hotter place below... (I thought it would be unfair to compare it with non-prog songs, who can judge between a prog tune or "Eleanor Rigby" or anything by Wagner?) The second song, called "I know what I like (in your wardrobe)", is the "humble-servant-and-humble-young-master" song. It begins with some noises making me feel that they live in a haunted house. Suddenly "the servant" says "It's twelve o'clock and time for lunch. Bam-di-dam-di-da" and then the song starts. It first sounds a bit chaotic, but as usual when we deal with that kind of Genesis, it's carefully structured and made into a good song. "Harold the barrel" and "Get'em out by Friday" are other examples. "Firth of fifth" is a 10-minute tune, as mentioned did Tony write the lyrics. The song is good, and Steve Hackett has got some really gorgeous tunes to play. This album is probably the one on which he can be heard most times, he nearly plays as much as Tony! In "More fool me" comes Phil and takes over the vocals. He probably wrote the song, too, but I'm not familiar with the details about this album. The song sounds poppy, and that's why I believe he's the songwriter, but I'm far, far from being certain. The song is acoustic and short, and it's the only song that I don't like. A fortune it is short... "The battle of Epping forest" is the Robin Hood-song, therefore a bit medieval. In that song they really catches a feeling of Hood, green forests and crusaders (not sure if any knights are included in the song, though). It's a 12-minute tune, which means there are a bit of filler in it, but they really could write good fillers, so I don't care much. After the chorus plays Tony a jolly piano tune, which gives me the feel of Wild Western, by any reason... "After the ordeal" continues "Firth of fifth" with its similar melody. But "After the ordeal" is instrumental, and it has got another heavenly guitar tune, delievered by Hackett, God bless him! The last "song" is called "The cinema show", and is the beginning to The lamb lies down on Broadway, perhaps is the show in the "Movie Palace"? Well, the song could have placed on the Broadway album, and that says it all if you've heard it. But if you haven't, I'm sorry to tell you that I'm too tired to give a more detailed introduction to the song. As a short and precise summary: This album is a must for Hackett-lovers, while he plays most of the things Tony should have played if he would have get his intentions through. The songwriting is as good as ever, and the song arrangements is the best Genesis ever put out.
Written by Oleg Sobolev
It’s easy to write a review on this album. In fact, I could
write something like: "Perfect album - buy it now", but I won’t. And do you
know why? Because I do all of my best for you and I really hope you read my
reviews.
Genesis was on their peak that time. After a huge sucess of Foxtrot and
their theatrical shows they decided to return to the Nursery Crime-like
world-mystical, half-fantasy, English to the core, not such weird sci-fi stories
on Foxtrot. Pete and Tony did their best to write main song structures
and did their best with the lyrics. The other members of the band are present
too - in fact, they continue to write songs together (it was maybe the last
time Genesis wrote songs together) and got some timeless masterpieces. Such
as "Dancing With The Moonlit Knight" - the opener. Great beautiful vocal part
with absolutely great Gabriel vocals (EAT THAT, JON ANDERSON FANS!) turn into
the heavy chours, really angry, but not loosy (EAT THAT, HAMMILL FANS!). Then
goes A majestic little jam with clever and beautiful guitar (EAT THAT, FRIPP
FANS!). Then goes some vocal parts again, then jam again and beautiful ending
part. It’s going to be acoustic, but Tony make it as his background benefit-keyboard
and Mellotron noises are just great (EAT THAT, EMERSON FANS!).
Another side of work together is "The Cinema Show", which headline part is a
good long jam. And I don’t mention these great vocals, when Peter cries "...her
chocolate surpriiiiiiiise!" I just jump. By the way, that jam section is really
solid, with fat guitar, fat keyboards... fat everything.
Main songwriters of the band (Tony and Mike) made some great songs too. Tony
got "Firth Of Fifth" and "After The Ordeal". The first is the famous epic, usually
called "masterpiece" by almost everyone. And I agree! Great piano introduction
(one of the best Tony pieces!), then some vocals and slightly instrumental flute
and synth, great Collins’ drumming, amazing melody and of course great Steve
solo - three minutes of guitar paradise. "After The Ordeal" is the great instrumental
- I don’t want to describe it - to understand the poetry of this music you must
listen it.
Peter got "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" and "The Battle Of Epping
Forest". Both are timeless classics... Oh, no - I was wrong. These songs ARE
NOT timeless classics - they are timeless masterpieces. First is a pop-song
with weird lyrics and great drumming (Phil Collins rules extremely on here...
he rules extremely, anyway). It was quite a big hit - it reached the 14th place
in the English charts and was even included in the Turn It On Again Greatest
Hits compilation!
And "The Battle Of Epping Forest"... What can I say here? This song is usually
underrated by almost everyone, usually claimed to be "meaningless", "overlong"
and such... But I say "THIS SONG ROCKS! IT IS THE BEST GENESIS SONG EVER, IT
HAS ABSOLUTELY GREAT HuMOR AND IT IS NOT OVERLONG!!! AND I CAN SAY THAT ALMOST
12 MINUTES OF IT HAVE MORE IDEAS THAT ALL OF YES, KING CRIMSON AND JETHRO TULL
CREATIONS! MOREOVER - IT IS THE MOST ORIGINAL PROG SONG, EXCEPT "SUPPER’S READY",
"A PLAGUE OF LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS" AND MAYBE TEN OR FIFTEEN GENTLE GIANT SONGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Phil Collins made a song too, "More Fool Me". It is a good ballad, with a big
Beatles influence. Actually, it is sometimes boring and Phil’s voice is really
grating, but it’s just a good spot on this album.
Perfect album - buy it now.
P.S. I almost forgot about the small reprise at the end - "Aisle Of Plenty".
Don’t miss it! It is a "Dancing With..." reprise, but it is so nice...
Send your comments and reviews of "Selling England By The Pound"
This time they got everything on one album! Oh, I know, I admit the previous SEBTP is more diverse. Still this has got a solid concept about a problem guy called Rael from Manhattan, and here we follow him when he flies on airshields, when he gets trapped into a cage, visit his brother's work, we watches him walk through crowded chambers, we follows him through a slippermen colony... and much more. Peter Gabriel has never wrote better lyrics, he has never sung better, Tony doesn't get many chances to destroy the songs, instead he plays some terrific tunes, without overarching the others. Even Steve manages to play some crunchy tunes. There are all of prog's trademarks here (except for any King Crimson jams, but we don't need that); technical virtuosity, new ideas, ear-challenges, pure entertainment, pure boredom, too I admit, the already mentioned fantasy-lyrics, well, no violins, but pedal-guitars and mellotrons, catchy melodies as well as complicated melodies... I suppose I've included everything now. On the first disc, they provides us with efforts after efforts, masterpieces after masterpieces. On the second, though, there are less masterpieces but more instrumental jams, and as a whole, the second disc is worse than the first, but it is like a movie! Yes, I'm serious! And they also built their concerts around this album, which wasn't a bad decide. The album opens with the first of all the masterpieces (I've counted them - 13 ones! Not all of them are major, though), and the title track as well: "The lamb lies down on Broadway" introduces us to the life Rael lives, ("They call me the trail blazer - Rael electric razor" says a lot) and one of the most powerful vocal harmonies through the rock era is also included. It moves over into "Fly on a windshield", where Rael watches a cloud forming over Times Square, which carry him through the air. But next there are "Broadway melody of 1974" in which Pete complains about some important persons. A good song, it is. In "Cuckoo cocoon" have Rael now being in "nowhere". "In the cage" displays Rael now being quite insane, getting mad about this cage he got into in the previous song. It is beginning as a ballad, and some thinks that that beautiful intro overshadows the rest of the song, but I rather say the opposed thing: the rocking part of the song is great! In the end of the song, the cage disappears, and Rael suddenly is at "The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging", where his brother John works. It is a place of capitalism, and Rael gets out of the place as soon as possible. The chorus is one of the catchiest melodies ever wrote by any band! "Back in N.Y.C." is a song where Rael's former life plays a huge role, and Rael is getting sad about his life. How gorgeous Pete's vocals is! The whole song is powerful! "When I take out my bottle/Filled up high with gasoline/You can tell by the night fires where Rael has been" is one of the most memorable phrases, and Rael wants to "shave the hair off his heart", probably meaning that he wants to clean himself from the one he was. And the following song is called "Hairless heart", a terrific instrumental tune delivering us Tony at his best. So beautiful... "Counting out time" displays Rael in love, and before his first date he buys a "How to date"-book, which he studies very close, and he does just as the book says, but for his own worst! The girl was disappointed! It's got a very good melody, that song. "Carpet crawlers" is a very smooth song very smooth, but not cheesy at all, instead it's a minor masterpiece! In that song, Rael walks through a corridor that leads to a chamber, "The chamber of 32 doors". There are lots of other people that runs to and fro, tryin' to find a way back, but not very successful. But it's the phrases "I need someone to believe in, someone to trust/I rather trust a countryman than a townman/You can judge by his eyes, you know he understands/He'll smile through his guard/Survival trains hard" that makes the song unforgettable. Except that it ends up the first disc, maybe. Disc 2 begins with a rocker, "Lilywhite Lilith", where Rael gets help by a blind woman to find the right way out of the chamber. Hackett plays like hell! The continuing song, "The waiting room", is a boring instrumental jam that goes nowhere in the first three minutes just to end up in an okayish tune. The next "Anyway" is very good, though! It's a ballad where Rael thinks his on his way to die in this waiting room he's put in. But suddenly, a person tells Rael that he is very sorry that he had to wait. Then Rael is welcome in (...). "The supernatural anaestethist" is the most ear-pleasant filler on here. In "The Lamia", Rael walks through a candelit passageway to enter a room with a rose-water pool, containing three female snakes with human faces, "the Lamias of the pool", who lets Rael taste love for his first time, but then the Lamias die, and Rael isn't too happy with that. "Silent sorrow in empty boats" is totally boring and useless, and you'll probably think the same. "The colony of slippermen" is good, though. Rael walks out from the Lamia's quarters, and so he suddenly meets some slippermen and John. Rael and John walks to "the doktor" to be castrated, but a huge raven comes down from the sky, and Rael has to follow it, leaving John behind. The raven and Rael comes to a ravine, where another boring instrumental filler called "Ravine" begins. Then, while Rael walks through the ravine, a gate back to New York opens, but then Rael watches John float away with the river, so he has to choose (which he does in "Riding the scree", a whole song displaying Rael diving) between NYC or John, he chooses to save John, which he does in "In the rapids", a calm, ear-pleasant song, continuing into "It", a rocker about "it", whatever it is... "It" ends up the whole album, anyway. And it's sure a worthy end for one of the best and well-known albums in prog's history. 2½ pure bad songs is on here, but after all, it is two whole CD's, and any group has to do some bad songs sometimes! The whole album is based on a short book, written by Gabriel, which can be found in the booklet. The book and the album completes each other, you'll hardly understand the book or the album alone. After this album, Gabriel left the group to begin a solo career, which I don't like very much, but that's another story... Phil Collins became the band's new singer from A trick of the tail and on.
Send your comments and reviews of this album
It's hard to me to divide this album on separate songs and also I never divide it on two individual discs as some commentators do. This album contains the most impressive images, the greatest ALTER EGO of frontman (I’ve never heard that someone had played his role so sincere as Gabriel on "The Lamb"), the most thoughtful sense and the greatest musical material (excellent polyphonic sound, exquisite melodies, fantastic arrangement and crystally clear sound).
Also this album is complicated. Unfortunately, but it is too complicated for many our commentators of George Starostin's Site, those cannot conceive “The Lamb” as it is (they say that disc-2 is worse, and consider, that album has unnecessary songs (Back in NYC, The Waiting Room and others), but without these compositions the album loses it’s sense and became discompleted).
My review can take too much megabytes if I will describe the sense of album lyrics. That’ why I won’t make such description. It is another theme for long-time talking.
I’m fell in love in “The Lamb” since 1st listening, and the more I listen it – the more I like it. I never tired from this record for almost seven years.
About “discrimination” of Steve Hackett: sometimes his guitars sound like synthesizers, and you can hear a lot of pseudo-keyboards playing by Hackett’s guitar on the album. That’s why there’s no absolutism of Banks. Though Banks determines the sound of “The Lamb” (and makes it excellent!). His solos on “In the Cage”, “Riding the Screen” and others are my favorite moments on album, also some other moments too.
I give this album the highest rating. I think this album was ahead of it’s time, even ahead of nowadays.
Send your comments and reviews of The Lamb!
Tony's album, indeed. Peter Gabriel have left, and then Tony is the general composer, resulting in something like a Banks solo album. Behead him! This album could have been a masterpiece! Why didn't the other guys do something to prevent Tony from going overboard again and again and again... Phil was probably satisfied, while he took over the singing after Pete (400 singers were tested, before the band chose Phil, what a waste of time, don't you think?), and therefore he can be heard singing on every song except one, "Los endos". And he can be heard drumming at every song except "Entangled". But Mike and Steve has got only one song each where they can be heard before Tony. I mean, what is the meaning of being a member of a band in which you don't have anything to play? Steve left later, though Mike still is a member after all these years. The songs are often very pretentious, but that's probably because Tony wrote most of them. He isn't a bad songwriter, rather a very good one, but he seems to be quite egoistic. Tony is Genesis nowadays. Mike and Steve are only filler-guys, it seems. These proggers are a strange bunch'o fellas, they are. Some are egocentric, bringing out themselves, while some guys are timid as chameleons. Or why does Steve use a pedal that makes his guitar sound as a Banksynth, while he gets a chance to show us his delicious talent? But after all, he's not to blame, he had a solo carreer to work with at this time. Now I'm tired of writing about this self-indulgence caused by this mr Banks. And I suppose you too are quite bored. "What's the matter with this guy, up to the point some day!" you may think. OK, here you are: "Dance on a volcano" is a strong album opener, it's quite loud and catchy. Tony is, as usual, the dominating element, but this time I can live through it, because this song heads back to the earlier days and is quite fresh in its sound. "Entangled" is where Steve can be heard best, but it sadly is an aqoustic guitar and some simple chords he has to play. The song is pretentious and cheesy, even if some moments are very good. But that's just the usual with pretentious songs, they all have a good melody hidden somewhere deep in the chorus. Or am I wrong? "Squonk" is where Mike can be heard. But it's no heavy "Watcher of the skies" riff he has to play, rather the same tone one time after another. Even I could have played these simple bass notes. But I do doubt that Banks wrote "Watcher of the skies". It must have been Gabriel that time. Anyway, "Squonk" is a good song that could have been one of Genesis' best songs (just as any of these songs on here) if Steve had some crunchy riffs to play. "Mad man moon" is a pure Banks-composition, pretentious as any old Bach or Beethoven symphony. It may have a good melody, but it's a rip-off of some old classic (I don't really remember the name of the "original" composer or the name of the melody, but I think that the composer's name was something like Eric Satie). And rip-offs aren't the thing for me. The song can be overlistened, which also makes it a little worse, a really good song won't get boring after four listenings. Instead, "Robbery, assault and battery" is a very good rocker, perhaps a little calm, but "Dance on a volcano" is the only song on this album that isn't calm and/or lame. "Robbery..." has got a very strong refrain, which makes the song better. "Ripples" is another boring, long-winded, calm ballad with a good melody (that hardly makes the song better) and that isn't much better than neither "Mad man moon" or "Entangled". The title track is a little bit jazzy if you listen careful, but is quite anonymous. Why that track became the title of the whole album, I'll never know. "Squonk" or "Robbery, assault and battery" could have been better titles, while those songs are somewhat better. "Los endos" is, as the name implies, the end of the album, and mostly a reprise of especially "Dance on a volcano". This was A trick of the tail, a somewhat disappointing album, destroyed by Tony Banks. The next, Wind and wuthering, is said to be even worse, but I haven't got it yet, so I cannot tell you if the rumours speak true. But if you like pretentious and pompous dudes like Kansas, this might work for you. Whilst we Gabriel-Genesis lovers should move away. The album isn't bad, though, even the Banksballads have their moments, and I suppose some people says this is a masterpiece. But they don't know what they're talkin' 'bout!
Send your comments and reviews of "A Trick Of The Tail"
Well,Peter Gabriel exit the band and Phil Collins became the band singer.Tony Banks became main composer.And this formula works!!!"A Trick..." is album that sounds better then Gabrielness Genesis sometimes.
From this album Genesis started to go pop."A Trick Of The Tail" is pop-ballad with Hackett/Collins rythm that could be easily hit-single,but...This way songs like "Anything She Does" exist."Sqounk" is also pop,but what pop!Bass lines are cool,lyrics are interesting story about squonk,who is a small animal lived(unfortunately..)in Pensylvania.It is story about how someone hunts on him,but some kind of friend defend the hunters to help squonk.
"Dance On A Volcano"..."Dance On A Volcano"!Great song,Rutherford's riff is simple,my friend who only start to learn how to plasy guitar,can play this riff yet!The only minus is the stupid lyrics,which are about...dance ona volcano.
"Entangled"-Hackett's acoustic riff that rip-offing one moment in "Horizon's" and Tony's Mellotron solo that rip-offing "Stagnation" Mellotron.That's all what I can say abot this boring song.
"Mad Man Moon" is quite normal,but too stupid.Piano dominate,Banks dominate,Steve didn't played.They never did that song live.
"Robbery,Assault And Battery" is truly Collins' masterpiece.The lyrics continuing story of "Harold The Barrell".Chours with this "Rob-bery,as-sault and bat-tery" is finest moment of album.By the way,this song introduced me into the rockworld.
Mike's "Ripples" has Steve.I fact,it rules by Steve,with his great guitar noises.Lyrics are sad,it's usual fo Mr.bassist.Seems Mike has a very poor fate if he write that kind of song.Anthony Phillips,by the way,too(someday I will review his solo-albums and rate them very high!).
"Los Endos" reprising "Dance","Squonk","The Lamb" moments and "Supper's Ready" lyrics..."There's an angel standing at the sun..."Great,great song.Phil use drum machine at first time(it was the first song that Genesis recorded without Peter and took it for "Dance' and "Squonk',as I said before).
Buy it now,enjoy it no,throw it in a bin tomorrow???Oh no,buy it now,enjoy it every time you listen it.
P.S.The cover is one of the best covers ever.
P.P.S.On the "A Trick Of The Tail Tour" Bill Bruford played on drums (he played it also in Phil's project Brand X).Just imagine-he played in all three best prog-bands ever(Yes,King Crimson and Genesis,for dummies)!
Joel's note: What about Klaatu?
The last studio Genesis album with Steve Hackett-the guy will leave the band just after W&W-tour...It’s pity,because Steve’s guitar always sounded so emotional-just what Genesis’ music always need.
The album is dominated by Tony Banks’ synthes and dominated by himself,but not just how it was dominated on A Trick Of The Tail.I mean,it’s FULLY dominated by synth.No,some guitar or other instruments are here,but on the most of album you can hear only Tony synth,Tony synth and Tony synth again,though you can also hear sometimes his organ,piano and Mellotron.Steve Hackett absent on some songs at all(check “One For The Vine”,”Afterglow”),but...Genesis always was a keys-dominated band,and there’s nothing unsual in it.As for Tony-he wrote or co-wrote 6 of 9 songs on this album.
The album is damn sad...Oh,by the way,have you noticed that all of Genesis albums are followed the line “funny-sad”(I mean,after funny Abacab there is a sad self-titled album,for example),except all of the albums from 71-74 epoch(they all are 50%-funny and 50%-sad)and We Can’t Dance-Calling All Station line(those two albums are the saddest albums in Genesis catalog)...But now about,W&W,OK?It is a sad album,and I can’t really understand why.Such tunes as “Afterglow” makes anybody cry..
...Though the album opens with a funny tune-“Eleventh Earl Of Mar”.It is so synthful,that I just can’t understand what Hackett(he is credited for work on this track)did.Lyrics are meaningless,about some kind of daddy,who promised to his son...BUT WHAT THE HELL DID HE PROMISE TO HIS SON???Maybe some kind of new motobike,on wich his son was able to “run in the direction of Perth” with some kind of girlfriend,and then they both crashed in London???
“One For The Vine” is a half-historical,half-Tolkien-influnced 10-minute fable,rip-offing “Mad Man Moon” from A Trick Of The Tail.Anyway,it is the best song on here-Phil sings like God,Tony plays like God...The funny part in the middle fulled by great groovy sounds(“drumming on bycicles”,as Ben Greenstein in his W&W-review on Mark Prindle site said).Tony used every keyboard instrument he used to play that time on this song.Piano closing part is so great!
“Your Own Special Way” was a single(I wanted to write “hit-single”,but how can you name “hit” a song,that only reached 63rd place in the English charts?).It is a simple sad ballad,written by Rutherford and,as every sad-ballad that was written by Rutherford(and opposite to sad ballads,written by Collins,by the way)it’s extremly rules.It is pop,but very solid pop with great acoustic-guitar riff and synth section in the middle makes me crying.
Then goes quite funny instrumental with an idiotic name-“Wot Gorrila?”It’s nice,with some famous Tony experiments with synth(he will borrow some of them later in “Second Home By The Sea”).And what a great sounds of ringing bells in the beginning!Wounderful instrumental,but so underrated by almost everyone.
Then we go towards to the most strange number on here-“All In A Mouse’s Night”.Enjoyable pop-melody,driving guitar solo,great vocals,funny lyrics(it is the most funniest album,in fact)-Banks did all right,but on the other side...The song has one of the worst outros I’ve ever heard,it has degeneratic “aaaaaaaaaaaaah-aaaaaaaaaaaaah” vocals line and stupid rythm...No,the song isn’t bad-it’s still as good as it can be,but quite strange,you know...
After some synth nooding of “All In A Mouse’s Night” outro,we immediatly gets in a load of gentle acoustic guitar sound-it’s “Blood On The Rooftops”-an Hackett/Collins compositions,showing us how good can be Steve as a lyricst-the lyrics were so actuall,and still actual today(“Arabs and Jews”,man...).The sound is gentle,even there’s some bunch of noisy Tony synth.I love that song!
Then goes the ending mini-suite:”Unquiet Slumbers For The Sleepers.../...In That Quiet Earth/Afterglow”.First two was one composition on the original LP,but rematred copy(which I own)divides it on two instrumental pieces-and it’s damn right!First of all,the name of the whole track is just a piece of shit-can you imagine something as “Unquiet Slumbers For The Sleepers In That Quiet Earth”?Weird,yeah?The first part is a short synth nooding even it is written by Steve and Mike,but the second part is just a jamming masterpiece-it is jam,and really great jam!Steve and Tony fights just like their guitar and synth!Mike and Phil are getting the finest rythm possible to a fast jam.And then it turns in really great hard-rockin’ composition,with a long,Arabian-influnced Tony’s solo.Really great instrumental piece-must-have for anybody,who says that Genesis were always so silly,naive and idiotic in their instrumentals.
As for final “Afterglow”-it is just the most touchful song Tony ever write.It’s just base on two notes,but it is still great!The lyrics is about some kind of homeless man,as far as I understand it-and it’s much better(as lyrically,and as musically)than the later Collins’ “Another Day In Paradise”.The song was another single,but it had never climbed to the charts...Pity-the song may really be the anthem of all homeless.Phil’s singing is powerfull,he sung that kind only at “Colours” and “The Roof Is Leaking”.Anyway,the song is great.
Must-have for everyone!
Like King Crimson had "Red' between two their periods,Genesis had "Duke" between two their.And they did wounderful prog-pop record with 12-string guitar and woundeful prog instrumental suite.And this is the concept album!I don't know exactly WHAT is in concept,but I found that it has two concepts:about Phil(and his ex-wife) and about some character,named Duke.On one site he is a writer,on second is a pop-star. It opens with a very funny song-"Behind The Lines".Funny synth lines,strange lyrics(about some kind of book),and great pop atmosphere.It could be a great hit,but for some strange reasons Mike,Tony and Phil didn't do this song a hit.Hey,if they do this we could forever lost this stupid "In Too Deep" and its' stupid rip-off "Hold On My Heart". Without a pause,it turns into "Duchess"-great Banksish song about Duke.Again great synth lines,and it has some good old guitar sound.Goo.And it also without a pause turns int "Guide Vocal",which is....guide vocal!Good melody and absolutely meaningless,but pleasent lyrics....Same Banks formula! Than goes absolutely strange Rutherford's "moderate rip-off" of "Your Own Special Way",named "Man Of Our Times".Good melody,but back-vocals is disaster.I sing in my bath better,than this girls.By the way,Rutherford produced another strange song-"Alone Tonight",which is vry Rutherfordish,but goes into Phil's concept. Than goes your favourite pop song of all time-"Misunderstanding",of course.It usually calls by somebody "dumb,tasteless,etc.",but for me it still good.Great rythm!But another Phil song(one trully Phil's concept song) "Please Don't Ask" is dumb,tastless,etc. Hey,there is Banks on there(well,he is on every Genesis album)!!!And he wrote two best songs on here-"Cul-De-Sac" and "Heatheaze".I like this songs.Piano and synth lines,pop-prog atmosphere and great Phil's singing.Love this two! And I almost forgot about the biggest hit on here-"Turn It On Again".Great melody and lyrics(turn TV-show and radio again,Phil!).Goood song,and the biggest hit on here. But,of course the main highlight on here is "Duke Suite",which contains two arts.One("Duke's Travels") is boring jam with "Guide Vocal" reprise,and next("Duke's End") is reprise of the album best melodycal moments.For me,it's overrated(just because it reminds for some people magical word "progressive"...or "regressive",what can I call Genesis in 1980),but still sounds good. Buy this album,if you are a Genesis fan,because it's as "prog",as "pop".How we call this thing in Russia:"It's not meat,and it's not fish".
When Phil Collins replaced Peter Gabriel as lead singer, Genesis’ music began to stagnate. Gabriel took some part of his heart and put it into his voice, while Collins just sang. But something happened when Genesis metamorphosed into a pop band – as soon as they began with the pop, Collins put some feeling in his vocals, and Jesus, he sings like a god! If he had sung A trick of the tail in the same way, it’d become one of Genesis’ finest albums.
I don’t know where, but Phil also picked up some drum machines and became a very innovative drum machine-programmer, leaving his old percussion behind. This might be a shame as well as a blessing, while this album probably wouldn’t have seen the dawn if he (Phil) had continued with his fine, old percussion. But on the other hand, he sometimes go overboard with his machines, and a problem with the drum machines is that they sounds quite the same through a whole song, which sometimes causes the song to be a bit monotonous. And of course a machine cannot fully replace a human. Enough of that!
The album opens with “Mama”, one of the most powerful pop tunes ever, believe me. Some drum machine sounds opens the song, and some moody keyboards fades in after a while. Then comes another keyboard riff... and then comes the gorgeous vocals – I don’t think I’ve ever heard a pop singer singing with that much feeling! Phil really strains, and it really sounds as if he gave us a part of his soul. And the song, which is about the dilemma a child has while separating from his mother, then just goes on, becoming more and more powerful for each verse, only sometimes cut off by Phil singing, or rather yells, some “HEH heh... HEH heh... ewww...”, well I suppose it’s quite hard to imagine if you haven’t heard the song, but it touches me just as much as... as... you know, Nationalteatern? An English opposite to Nationalteatern, hmm... Well, John Lennon. Lennon’s “Mother” and this song might be some sort of relatives.. YES! I’ve got it – imagine a “Mother” in the 80’s style and you’ve got “Mama” in a nutshell.
Unfortunately, the rest of the songs aren’t far as breathtaking as “Mama”, even if the guys did their best... “That’s all” is a catchy 80’s piece, opening with a piano melody, then Phil adds some vocals to the piano theme, and that’s quite the whole song. I like it a bit, ‘cuz its melody is a catchy, simple one, and that kinda makes a whole song.
“Home by the sea” is a little closer to “Mama” in its style, opening with some dark, mood-setting synth tones to a background of some drum machines, and the song is built around these simple things. Phil’s vocals seems to have recovered since the outburst of “Mama”, and when he shouts “Help me someone” and “Sit down – SIT DO-O-OWN!”... Well, in Collins, Genesis had one of the finest pop singers.
“Second home by the sea” is a lengthy piece of different synth themes, mostly instrumental. It’s actually quite interesting, even if Tony Banks sometimes go overboard with his synth.
“Illegal alien” is far more unserious, probably played for fun, and it IS fun! Banks plays his keyboards in a way that makes me feel that he has alot of fun, and Phil sings with a weird dialect. Mike Rutherford actually has some fun bass lines to play, too.
“Taking it all too hard” is rather a soft ballad. I can nearly hear any of the modern boy-bands sing it. But I must admit that this song has its qualities, especially the chorus is a fine piece o’ music.
“Just a job to do” is a more spacey tune, with some synth noises thought to add some kind of atmosphere. Myself I think that they go overboard with those synth-noises, but the chorus is actually quite awesome, with Phil shouting that he has got a name, a number and a line on you. I belive the song is thought to be about two gangsters, “I” and “you”, where the latter kills someone and where “I” later kills “you”. It sounds quite cheesy, actually, but that chorus makes the whole song.
“Silver rainbow” has got a horrible name, if you didn’t realise that. But again there’s a mighty chorus, some vocals and a pompous synth theme, which together becomes the ultimate pop tune, well-suited to fit today’s commercial music fans. Heck, that song would become #1 all over the world if re-released!
“It’s gonna get better” is another rather soft pop tune, with another good, catchy chorus. And another good song to cover, of course.
OK, so this was one of the best pop albums ever to be released in the 80’s, and if we compare it with the poor HM that Yes did in the 80’s, this is like a dream.
Send your thoughts! Or your reviews! Or Comments! Whatever!
"She seems to have an invisible touch,yeah"...Now Genesis goes completely pop,but still good pop.Yes,sometimes Banks write prog songs with some good dose of pop,but it was...not very good.Ecept maybe "Domino",which is the best song on here.It based on two parts-one is strong melodical,second stron lyrically."Beautiful river of blood",he-he..The song about two lovers and their love story in atom war.Collins' singing is VERY GOOD,Banks playing' is too...And I still can't forget this majetic and powerful "You're the next in line..." lines.Well...Very good song,one of the best in pop-Genesis history. The title song is also very good pop song,written by Phil(all songs on here is written "offically" by Banks/Collins/Rutherford,but we know the truth).Chours is easyly can named the best pop-Genesis chours and of course it has favourite Collins thing-back vocals in the end. "Tonight Tonight Tonight" is very interesting "Mama" rip-off with unforgetable atmosphere and fantastic "Get me out of here" lines...And it's along with "Driving The Last Spike" is only prog-pop Collins song. "Land Of Confusion" is maybe the most-most hit on here and one of this Rutherford's pop-rockers.Really god rockers,but this "gospel-pop" lines(how George named them(George Starostin,of course,who else?))is disaster.But it still good. Another songs are....BAD."In Too Deep" is melancholycal and tasteless Collins love songs with nightmare Banks background.....OOOOhhhhhh..... "The Brazilian" is BAD BAD BAD instrumental....If I be musician,I can write better lines for all instruments. Another hit,"Throwing It All Away" is neither god nor bad,but too weak for Rutherford. But "Anything She Does" does(ha-ha) them all!Absolutely forgetable love son with the weakest Genesis melody. But this songs can't destroy another...They are still good and blow me every time I listne this album.Buy it now and enjoy it.
If I ain't wrong, this is their first studio album since We
Can't Dance, i.e. 6 year ago. Since that time has Phil Collins left
the group, he finally realised that he had more to gain within his solo career.
Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks also had solo careers to care about, but by some
strange reason, they continued the band. They brought Ray Wilson (ex-Stiltskin)
into the group, proclaimed him to be the new Peter Gabriel, announced that they
were going to make an artsy record again, and the released this...
First of all, Ray Wilson DOES NOT sound like Peter Gabriel, fuck you Tony Banks!
Ray Wilson sounds like, err, well, he sounds like a 15-year old trying to sound
mature, got it? Heck, I sing much better! Not a fair comparison, I
agree, since I sing quite good (...), but it's actually an objective statement
- this Wilson guy sings completely without feeling (Peter Gabriel, love ya!),
neither does he have anything like a technically good voice, no nice little
vibratos or anything. And hey - when he sings "foreeever" in "There Must be
Some other Way", he sounds like a zombie; no feeling, rotten vocal cords, so
darn dull...
They really intended to make a good album, that's obvious: The songs are well-worked
and suited so that they'll attract both their pop and their prog audience, though
landing somewhere in between - there are some people who likes it, but those
gotta be insane diehards or unexperienced pop fanatics. Banks & Rutherford really
said that they were going to make an artsy album again, which surely would cause
some thousands of old fans to buy it just to see if they were sincere. Unfortunately,
the old chaps hadn't written an arty tune since Wind And Wuthering
or somewhere around, and they obviously lost the capability to do it somewhere
during the 20 years which had passed. Add to the incapability of writing an
rtsy tune a desire not to lose their pop fans, and we have a horrible art-pop
album sounding dull, melody-lacking, ear-screeching, mechanic, unresonantic,
unoriginal, commercial, ill-arranged, deadly boring, and IT SOUNDS THE SAME
DURING ONE WHOLE HOUR! This is indeed worse than my biology-lessons in school!
It's really useless to introduce you to every single song on the album, since none of them contains interesting vocals, an interesting guitar or synth solo, all drums are mechanic and even duller than before...Heck, this album almost completely lacks melody! And it's one hour long! Every song is longer than 5 horrible minutes! This album sucks so badly!! I'd gladly give it a negative rating, -5 as record rating and a 0 as overall or something, but I suppose that there's not a great difference between the lower ratings. Anyways, "Calling All Stations" kicks off really cool with some heavy, though generic guitars. The riff lasts for about 15 seconds, and then comes five more minutes of deadly dull, "spacey", "atmospheric" (did you get the sarcasm?), melody-less machine-pop. Not even Tony, who uses to be quite egoistic when it comes to performing solos and such, stands out with any good melody, he only hands out some background stuff. Quite the same goes for "Congo", which opens with some marimbas, and aspire to be a great Afro-ifluenced pop tune à la Peter Gabriel, but no - the guys of course changes the song into another dull pop tune. "Shipwrecked" at least has a synth which might have been good in the 80's or so, but it doesn't work here. Dull pop again. Hey I think I'll skip saying when a song is dull - EVERY song is dull, and now you know it. "Alien Afternoon" is even duller than "Congo" or "Shipwrecked", though. And hey - this one's 8 minutes long! "Not About us" is a cute (sarcasm! sarcasm!) pop tune, where Ray Wilson describes himself as the perfect gentleman who's something superior to each other man. The worst thing is that he's really serious, the poor little boaster. "If That's What you need" is even worse, makes me really wanna throw up. "The Dividing line" is rather like the title track - pretending to be a heavy machine-rocker, but it's almost as dull as the title track, and again, the intro sounds good but is soon replaced by the same shitty "atmospheric" pop-noodlings as before. "Uncertain Weather" is as bad as "If that's What you need", while "Small talk" pretends to be a catchy, funky little tune, but funk shouldn't be played on synths, should it? The chorus is unimaginably ugly, too, and it's as bad as anything else. "There Must Be Some Other Way" has got a chorus which could have been good if Phil Collins had sung it - now it just sounds as dull as the verses. "One Man's Fool" is - imagine it, if you can - almost NINE minutes of the same horror as before. Again, it has a chorus which would have been good with Phil at the microphone.
Summary, then: Unimaginably bad. Very effective as emetics. The music really stinks. I REALLY hope that this will be their last Genesis album, 'cos I'd die if they released another, similar album. Eek, I almost die just at the thought... I paid only 90 cent for a CD-r to burn this album on, but it feels as if I overpaid...Think what I could have burnt on the CD-r instead - Jaco Pastorius, Captain Beefheart, Dead Kennedys, maybe even King Crimson or a Beatles album... Ooh, I think I'm gonna go and chainlisten at Pet Sounds. If there's any one record which can raise my mood after this one brought it down, it must be that one...