"Boris/Merzbow
Rock Dream
Southern Lord
Noise-Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental"

Mr. Saleski, your CD is ready ;&)

Mr. Saleski, your CD is ready ;&)

i know, i know....i almost had that one on my list.

Genesis also put out a new live album from their recent reunion tour called "Live Over Europe," so that's somewhat new. They played a pretty well balanced set list of hits and classics/epics on their tour, so I think even classic fans might want to take a look at it.

Even though those later albums were more accessible, they didn't stop making more adventurous tunes, either. Lots of those songs take on new life in surround sound as well. Many of the fans on the Genesis forum have given these albums a reconsideration and find that they like them more than they did before. Even Calling All Stations is getting new fans who are re-evaluating the album.

Just sayin'

You're right, Hung, each of the albums has at least something adventurous, but they don't hold a candle to what they'd been doing prior to them. The focus was primarily on the pop side of things.

I think Calling All Stations was unfairly maligned for years by fans who wanted what it mostly delivered - harder prog material. I've been seeing more acceptance the past few years than ever before, which is good. Ray Wilson had a very nice voice that suited the material well. Unfortunately, he suffered one problem: he wasn't a particularly charismatic frontman, and fronting a band that previously had two very charming, likable leaders is a bad move.

Great - now I can buy a Zep album I never liked in the first place all over again.

I'm sure the newly remastered versions of the Collins Genesis will bring out the best of songs like "Land of Confusion," which I will readily admit I love. I also kinda liked that "Calling All Stations," album when Genesis were in their death throes.

The bottom line is that although they sold a buttload more records when Collins was driving the boat, nobody gives a shit about those years now -- and I think the tepid response to the reunion tour without Gabriel and Hackett proves that in spades.

Gimme the original band -- with Collins on drums where he belongs -- and I think you will see a far greater interest level.

The Abacab era band onn the other hand might play well sandwiched between Styx and REO on a summer shed tour.

Ya' feel me? It aint the Police, okay?

-Glen

The recent Genesis tour couldn't be classified as anything but a success. As for a Gabriel reunion generating more interest?

Genesis sold out three nights in Chicago and three nights in Philidelphia. I was in Chicago for all three nights (flew in from Austin) and it was pretty stellar. They were also doing open-air stadiums in Europe. Their concert in Dusseldorf was filmed and broadcasted live into theaters in the UK. About half a million showed up at their free concert in Rome. To state that the reunion didn't generate a lot of interest is a tad bit ignorant.

Now, I love the Police. I saw the Police on tour. I enjoyed it, and they rocked. But Genesis simply blew me out of the water with both music and production. Three times, no less.

What is it with people who attack Phil's Genesis reign. This Genesis reunion didn't generated much interest? Just a tepid response? Come on now. Tell me how they were able to get 500,000 people to see them (for free) in Rome in what was the largest concert for Genesis, ever, with such "little interest". I went to the concert in New Jersey and they were as stellar as ever. Genesis did not "devolve" as Mr. Boyd points out. Progressive music is great, but it's but one genre. Great artists are allowed to broaden their horizons in music. Genesis did that when Gabriel left, and Gabriel did it when he left Genesis. Whatever era of Genesis is more "interesting" is a matter of opinion to all. The Prog-heads should learn that there actually is room in the world for other music. If you don't like the pop side of Genesis, fine, but the ignorance of a statement as "they devolved into an MTV driven, hit making machine" is why people should never take their music so seriously so that they can enjoy it for what it is. Good music. Genesis, prog or pop, made good music at every level and were great, if not the best at it. If anything, they EVOLVED by broadening their horizons and showing what great music they were able to make beyond the "progressive" side of things.

If you like your rock Heavy? and Metal? 'Angel Down' does not dissapoint. Nice to see Axl Rose showing on 3 songs of course but this whole album Rocks. The 2 Ballads will have to hit number one on the charts. This man's voice is sent from heaven!

Tony Banks drove the Genesis boat when they were producing their best music (up to about 1980), not Gabriel, not Hackett. When Phil took the wheel, yeah, sales went up, and he showed that he was quite adept at selling albums as a solo artist in the '80s, as did Gabriel and Rutherford.

After leaving Genesis, Gabriel, a musical genius in his own right, continued to produce challenging music (e.g., Security). I think Gabriel was ready to assume total control of his product, and he made the right decision. I don't know the actual circumstances leading to his departure, but I'm guessing that it had to do with the struggle with Banks for creative control.

Now, look at Collins. His solo efforts, by contrast to Gabriel's, were emulations of his R&B heroes, and I think it's inarguable that this exemplifies musical de-evolution.

We "prog-heads" don't presume to deny Collins' 'right' to broaden his horizons and make a little money. We lament it nevertheless. We admired Phil for his Brand X extracurricular activity, where he showed his near-virtuoso drumming talent. But we see that his inherent musical tastes began to dilute Genesis music right around the Duke/Abacab era (if we disregard Rutherford's Your own Special Way from Wind and Wuthering).

How Collins gained control, I don't know. Maybe the other guys were getting old and tired. Maybe they didn't mind the extra money. Maybe the well ran dry. Maybe Phil himself was getting burned out on the complex music. No doubt, something happened when Phil came out from behind his kit and became the performance centerpiece. Maybe it was just human nature. The Phil era albums were charting in the Top 10, including five at #1 in the U.K. Compare that with the fact that Lamb peaked at #41 in the U.S.

Wind and Wuthering and Seconds Out were the last truly great Genesis albums. I think the latter, in particular, represents the culmination and synposis of a stunning body of work.

I think it's offensively simple-minded to label admirers of such beauties as Afterglow, Supper's Ready, Entangled, and many others with the dismissive term "prog-heads."

Duayne, I wasn't shooting off the "prog-heads" as a way to be dismissive towards them. I like The Gabriel era Genesis as much as anyone else out there. But I also like the Collins era just as much. And it is only opinion, and a very dismissive one at that, that Genesis' last great album were Wind and Wuthering and Seconds Out. That is only a matter of opinion as many other's who follow the band will say that "Genesis" or "Duke" or "Invisible Touch" were there last great albums. But that too is a matter of opinion. Either way, they all were succesful for a very good reason. To state that Phil's emulations of his R&B heroes exemplified the de-volution in his musical tastes is exactly why I use the term "prog-heads." There is too much of a superiority complex in musical tastes now-a-days, not just from the "prog-heads, but from many other lovers of different genres and it's pretty ridiculous. "Complex" music is no better than any other form music out there. Music itself comes in many different forms and just because any one (or several) given forms doesn't suit your tastes doesn't mean it is de-evolutionized. Every member who's been apart of Genesis is a well respected musician. Together they've made great music in all facets. And whether it's Afterglow, Supper's Ready, Entangled, or Home By The Sea, Mama, or No Son Of Mine, good music is good music. And that's what Genesis has always been about.

Tell me how they were able to get 500,000 people to see them (for free)

I hate to point out the obvious . . . but . . .

nobody gives a shit about those years now

i would rather listen to Abacab, Genesis, or Duke than The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.

...but i'm weird like that.

(p.s. just here to provide a fun counterexample)

OK, Piller (#12), fair enough. It is just my opinion, nothing more.

"There is too much of a superiority complex in musical tastes now-a-days."

Well, yeah, maybe. When I used the term "de-evolution," I don't mean to imply that R&B is inferior music. But at the time Phil started doing R&B, it was old hat, that is to say, firmly established, or non-experimental. Genesis was one of the few popular bands that was pushing the envelope, and they did it well. It was complex at times, but powerfully so, with moments of beauty mixed in. It was more than just showing off, more than complexity for its own sake. But you know this.

Mark (#14), obviously preferring Duke doesn't constitute weirdness, since you're in the majority.