GENESIS

Really good concert compilation. To me, as a fan of Gabriel era Genesis, it was a surprise how much I actually liked Phil Collins as a singer in live situation. Sound quality varies from earlier beginning of 70´s live gigs to early 90´s concerts, but all performances (also earliest) are very enjoyable to listen. Quality of songs and performances are really good. If you have hi-fi -system at home, you may get quite a lot detail and sonic enjoyment out of this set. I got both 3 vinyl version and 5cd version. If I had to choose, I quite defenitely would choose cd box set version, because of much more tracks included on that (especially cd disc 1 early gems, which are almost necessary to have). Also mastering of cd is good, quite loud but still very airy (not brickwalled feeling). For harcore 70´ s progressive rock fan, cd disc 1 (out of five cd:s of this box set) itself is worth the price.

BBC Broadcasts is what it says on the tin - a collection of Genesis recordings originally broadcast on BBC radio, both in-studio sessions and live recordings. There's been plenty of bootlegs using such source material in the past, but this is a bit more official, since the set has been carefully curated by Tony Banks, allowing listeners to pick it up with a bit more confidence that some of their hard-earned money might actually be going to the performers rather than lining the pockets of bootleggers.

Before I get into this, I should clarify that I'm reviewing the 5CD version of this boxed set. There's also a vinyl version, but it's on a mere 3LPs - and many of you will have already spotted there, because 5CDs of music simply won't fit on three standard-size vinyl discs. Sure enough, the track listing on the vinyl version is absolutely, comprehensively massacred - to the point where some live sets represented on the CD version are removed entirely, and more or less all that remain get songs roughly trimmed from them.

In fact, the vinyl version of this set has less than half the tracks of the CD version - a trimback so severe that it isn't really correct to call the vinyl release a "version" of the CD set at all; it's more of a sampler, with more than half the material reserved for CD. I cannot for the life of me see how, if you're keen enough on Genesis to want to get this many radio broadcasts from them all in one set, you would ever be satisfied with the vinyl version; releasing it seems to have been a near-total waste of time.

First up is a disc or so of Peter Gabriel-era BBC sessions, many of which have been widely bootlegged over the years - as, for that matter, has much of the collection. The collection here is not complete - anyone who's looked into those bootlegs will see that quite quickly - the intention seems to have been to avoid redundant presentations of the same song and to keep the set down to a manageable size, though I'm sure the market would have been more than happy with a more complete Peter Gabriel era set and then a subsequent set or two for the Collins-fronted era.

The only track which was particularly new to me here was a version of Watcher of the Skies from an encore to a 1975 Lamb Lies Down On Broadway gig. It's mildly infuriating that the entire concert isn't on here - but this is specifically a "Broadcasts" box, and apparently only Watcher got broadcast, so there you go. The rest of the Gabriel-fronted material here consists of solid renditions of familiar songs from the 1971-1972 era, plus some non-album rarities like the 1970 tracks Shepherd, Picady, and Let Us Now Make Love and the 1972 piece Twilight Alehouse. Let's slap four stars on that - the sound quality is patchy enough, especially on the earliest tracks, to hold it back from more than that, and some may lament the lack of a more complete set (or any Lamb material!), but it's not half bad either.

For the remaining four discs, there's no more Peel Sessions or the like - instead it's all live recordings, most of which present more complete versions of the relevant live sets than the 1975 snippet on the Gabriel disk. There remains some editing here and there - some more complete versions of these gigs have circulated on bootlegs for donkey's years - but the aim here may be for quality over quantity, or it might be another attempt to avoid redundancy or pack a wider range of material onto the set by trimming redundant tracks.

First up is a 1978 appearance at the Knebworth Festival, with the band offering Burning Rope from ?.And Then There Were Three but otherwise largely concentrating on Trick of the Tail material. This includes one of the legendary Drum Duet segments the band would start incorporating into their live sets once Phil ended up on lead vocals, but hey - it's under two minutes long and, thanks to there being two drummers performing for the price of one, it's actually much more vibrant and exciting than your typical 1970s rock drum solo, and it makes for a fine bridge from Dance On a Volcano to Los Endos. There's some significant sound issues here and there - as is often the case when recording from a festival stage - but the band's ability to execute Trick-era material perfectly despite the lack of Steve Hackett is noteworthy. Call it four and a half stars, the sound issues meaning that a five-star rating would be inappropriate. The setlist has been fairly extensively cut back from what was played on the day, though the aforementioned sound issues may have something to do with that.

Next up is the 1980 concert from the Lyceum, on the Duke tour. It's a legendary gig, and some fans may be frustrated that the presentation here isn't necessarily all that complete - in particular, there's versions of Squonk, Dance of a Volcano, Drum Duet, and Los Endos which were performed, but don't appear here, possibly because they were performed at the Knebworth set. This doesn't help the sense that this is a slightly awkward presentation of it, since the gig starts partway through disc 2 and finishes partway through disc 3; it feels like it could have happily been put out as a complete two-disc release, either by itself as an official offering to displace the various third party releases of the same material or in the context of this set.

One wonders whether Banks and company were told they had to stick to a five-disc budget, and were trying to incorporate as wide and varied a spread as they could manage within that - which in turn makes me wonder if we'll see an even more expanded version of this material coming out later on.

Still, what we do get of the Lyceum concert is ample, taking in picks from albums ranging from Trespass to Duke - the latter including a full performance of the "Duke suite" (Behind the Lines/Duchess/Guide Vocal/Turn It On Again/Duke's Travels/Duke's End) which was disguised on the album but hangs together nicely as a cohesive piece of work here. The picks from ?And Then There Were Three work somewhat better here than they do on that album, suggesting that really the problem with that release is that the band didn't give themselves enough time to polish the material and recalibrate for the loss of Steve Hackett.

Though the balance of the material here is from Trick of the Tail onwards - as you would expect - the Gabriel-era choices are an interesting selection, with a medley of Dancing With the Moonlit Night with The Carpet Crawlers working particularly well, finding Phil putting his own emotional mark on those songs.

The sound quality on the Lyceum songs here is quite excellent too - a quantum leap beyond the Gabriel-era cuts or the 1978 Knebworth recording - which will only increase the sense that this is really the crown jewel of the boxed set. Were it a separate release, I'd be giving it five stars.

Next up there's a 1987 appearance at Wembley from the tail end of the Invisible Touch tour. Aside from another Drum Duet leading into Los Endos capping off the set, the songs here are all from that album or their 1983 self-titled release - after all, this is Genesis after their transformation into 1980s art pop giants, so you'd rather expect that. This has been subject to more trimming than the Lyceum show, mind - a medley of older material from the middle of the show, renditions of Land of Confusion, Abacab, and Tonight, Tonight, Tonight, and the closing medley of Turn It On Again with classic rock and roll tunes have all been cut away.

These cuts may well reflect the original form of the broadcasts, or may be motivated by cutting out redundant tracks or substandard performances. Nonetheless, they do have the effect of distorting the setlist and not really giving a true picture of the concert, and risks affecting the flow.

The sound quality on the Wembley tracks is alright for the most part, but perhaps a notch down from the Lyceum - no doubt a by-product of the technical challenges involved in going from a theatre setting to a stadium show. You can very much tell - especially on the vocals - that the sound's going out on a big 1980s PA system, and it loses some subtleties as a result, though admittedly it's an approach which the new material lends itself well to. I'd rate this material a tentative four stars - or rather, extracts from something which could have been four stars had it been presented in a more complete form.

Disc five takes us back to Knebworth, in the band's 1992 appearance at the festival in the wake of We Can't Dance. Five of the six tracks here are from that album, but there's also an "Old Medley" of material ranging from Nursery Cryme to the 1983 self-titled album. Again, the actual setlist on the day is more extensive, but has been rather harshly cut back.

As with the earlier Knebworth tracks, there's significant sound quality issues here - it's not as bad as in 1978, but you can definitely tell this was recorded at a festival, put it that way. If you don't like We Can't Dance, this might not offer loads to you, but I think the cuts from the album make a good showing here - and the Old Medley here is an intriguing blending of Genesis sounds from a vast range of eras into one 20-minute epic which makes the case of the band's later era not being so incompatible with its earlier as some believe. Again, call it a four-star performance, albeit one only heard in extracts.

Oh, and there's a couple of Calling All Stations-era tracks tucked onto the end of disc four, but let's face it, the bulk of the people interested in this set aren't here for that. Good on Tony for finding a little space to whack those on so that Ray Wilson can get a chunk of change from the royalties, but be honest: their presence or absence was never going to make or break anyone's decision to get this collection.

On the whole, this box has much which will be of interest to Genesis fans, but some of the edits will frustrate listeners. Frankly, the Lyceum show is far and away the star of the show here, and I wonder if it would not have been more sensible to just release the full, uncut show separately - and then use the space saved in this box to present fuller versions of the other material. One can only hope this is just the start of more deep archival dives into the Genesis vault, now that the Last Domino has fallen and the band have bid adieu to live performance.

Call the whole package a four star piece which could have been pushed to five stars without those edits - and slash half the stars off of the vinyl version, because if the edits here and there somewhat undermine the CD edition of this collection, they absolutely rip the guts out of the vinyl release.

The first true Genesis album "Trespass" is an awesome one. If you had asked me a few years ago what the worst Genesis album was, I probably would have said this after their debut. After listening to it in depth and understanding it, I realized it is by no means a bad album and in fact one of their most important. After acquiring new drummer John Mayhew, Genesis became a professional band and began playing live shows. They headed to Trident Studios in 1970 and recorded the album. This album set them apart immediately from other rock acts, as a band that was willing to push the boundaries and progress the current state of music.

Right from the opener "Looking for Someone," the band proves its progressive virtuosity while showcasing its ability to seamlessly enter and perfectly execute peaceful sections. Anthony Phillip's guitar work and Peter Gabriel's iconic beginning vocals dominate the track. An excellent opener to an excellent album. "White Mountain" is a more folksy tune, that I really enjoy. It has great 12-string guitar work from Phillips and organ work from Tony Banks. Also amazing vocals from Gabriel on this track. As much as I love the slower guitar sections I feel like they should have included more of the faster tempo organ passages that sound so great.

High reverb piano keys open "Visions of Angels," a beautiful song that was originally written by Phillips for their debut but was re-recorded for Trespass. It is the most simple song on the album, featuring far less complex ideas compared to the rest of the album. The middle section of the song goes through a really nice chord progression over a choir. The end of the song is like all of the harder parts of "Looking for Someone" and "White Mountain" but stops less for acoustic sections, even adding some Mellotron. Definitely an underrated highlight. "Stagnation" is a full band workout, contributed to by all the band members. As one of the longer tracks on here, it goes through many movements, and ironically enough it was originally titled "Movement." It includes a very interesting pitch-shifting organ solo from Banks just before picking up the best part of the song dominated by some great Tony Banks organ works, which goes into a soft Gabriel passage. Although it is a bit long-winded, it's still a beautiful song.

"Dusk" is the softest song on the album and serves as a mild prelude to "The Knife" which closes the album. Although it is by no means a bad song, compared to the other cuts it is a little weaker, and is probably the worst song on the album. "The Knife" closes the album in dramatic fashion. This is my favorite song of the album and that's the case for most listeners of this album as well. Filled with amazing distorted Gabriel vocals, an insane Phillips guitar solo, and awesome keys from Banks, the song was written by the entire band. The song is based on the Kent State shootings where protestors chanting freedom were fired upon by police. "The Knife" quickly became a fan favorite, and it was the last song the band ever played together at their "6 of the best" reunion.

A truly wonderful album, and also the album that turned Genesis into Genesis. Although the drumming of Mayhew is nowhere near the drumming of Phill Collins in the future, Anthony Phillip's guitar is almost indiscernible from Hackett's playing on the later albums. Phillips would eventually develop stage fright and quit the band, going on to produce his own solo albums, and Mayhew was fired by the band. One of the most essential albums by Genesis, and it brought them to the next level which we all know and love.

Its always hard when you love a band, know their material off by heart, and are personally invested to write an objective review of their material. Very few can do that, its either love (because its Genesis 'at' that time) or loathe, because they'd completely sold out. But how does it hang as an album in its own right? I remember when it was released, waiting in trepidation as I hated (and still do) Duke, and wasn't that keen on its follow up, Abacab, although rather bizarrely, as its widely disliked by Genesis fans, I preferred it to Duke. So, what did I think of this when it hit the turntable mat? If I'm honest, absolute rubbish. Cheesy poppy, synth playing, overuse of the boring drum machine, weedy 1980's recessed guitar work, and awful poptastic lyrics made it a tedious listen. It hasn't got better over time. Mama, the most beloved single of the coffee table set Genesis fans, sounds like an early Collins solo 'belter', lots of noise, not a lot of do. And it goes downhill from there.. Some people talk of a 'prog' edge. But where? There is stretching it, and then there's really stretching it to hear any even vaguely prog tinge to what is essentially classic 1980's pop. What's interesting is people's 'so what' if Genesis have gone overboard with the commercial aspect of the music. Interesting because they seem to casually forget what Genesis are capable of, and yet chose to serve up this, 'any band' 1980's dross. How can a band go from such majestic heights as Suppers Ready, Squonk, Afterglow, firth of fifth, cinema show, to turgid rubbish like 'that's all', 'Illegal Alien' ('shudder'..), 'just a job to do' and so on? Alas, this wasn't even the nadir, worse, in the form of 'Invisible Touch' and 'We can't dance' was yet to come.

Review Nº 604

"The Greatest" is a compilation of Genesis and was released in 1998. As the name indicates, it intended to be a greatest hits compilation. So, it's based on the 80's Genesis' era and basically comprises their less prog phase. The exceptions are three: "Watcher Of The Skies", "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" and "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway".

"The Greatest" has sixteen tracks. The tracks are: "Watcher Of The Skies" from "Foxtrot", "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" from "Selling England By The Pound", "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" from "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway", "Follow You, Follow Me" from "...And Then There Were Three?", "Turn It On Again" and "Misunderstanding" from "Duke", "Abacab" from "Abacab", "Mama" and "That's All" from "Genesis", "Invisible Touch", "Land Of Confusion" and "Throwing It All Away" from "Invisible Touch", "I Can't Dance" and "No Son Of Mine" from "We Can't Dance", "Congo" from "Calling All Stations" and "Paperlate" which is a non-album's track.

"Watcher Of The Skies" is one of the most popular and beloved songs by their fans with a sense of majesty and power. It's one of the most played live songs by the band. "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" is a funny song with some characteristics of a pop song. Still, it's a great song. "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" is one of the most accessible songs on the early Genesis' catalogue. It revolves around piano, synthesizer and Mellotron with great lyrics too. "Follow You Follow Me" was released for a single with the intention to be a hit and achieved the top sales. It's a good pop song that should never have been recorded by Genesis, but recorded by Collins on his solo albums. "Turn It On Again" is a good pop rock song, one of their greatest successes and one of the most played live songs by the band. "Misunderstanding" is a good pop song which may be part of a hit parade chart. As happened with many other songs in this Genesis' era, it's more a song for Collins than for Genesis. "Abacab" is a very good song that I like very much. I really think that we are in presence of one of the best songs on "Abacab" album. It's a song with a simple structure that progresses in a modern way. "Paperlate" was never released on any studio album of the band. It was released as the lead song of an EP of Genesis, also with "You Might Recall" on the A side and "Me And Virgil" on the B side of the EP named "3x3". "3x3" was released in 1982 and its three songs were recorded during the recording sessions of their eleventh studio album "Abacab". It was also released as a standard single, backed by "You Might Recall", and it was also featured on the American version of their "Three Sides Live" album, of which all the three tracks from the "3x3" EP were included on the side four of the album. "Paperlate" is similar to "No Reply At All" of "Abacab". The song's title comes from the song "Dancing With The Moonlit Knight" from "Selling England By the Pound". It's not bad. I think it's cheerful and catchy without being unoriginal. With its poppy rhythms and horn blasts it does sounds like a leftover from either of Mr Collins' first two solo albums. "Mama" is a great song with quality and credibility enough. It's one of my favourite songs in their pop phase. It's easy recognizable for its harsh drum machine introduction which leads into synthesizer lines and to Collins' leaden voice. "That's All" is a simple song with a catchy tune that remains nice to hear from the beginning to its ending. It's a Collins' song with all the ingredients to be a successful pop song. "Invisible Touch" is a typical pure pop song made to be a greatest hit. As a pop song, it's a great song. Still, it has nothing to do with prog. "Land Of Confusion" became a Genesis' classic song. It's a great pop rock song with a catchy rhythm and a beautiful melody, nice and pleasant to hear. "Throwing It All Away" is a soft rock ballad structured around the guitar riff of Rutherford. It's a decent song and a successful song with nothing progressive on it. "I Can't Dance" is another song influenced by Collins that was written to be a commercial pop hit. It's nice but hasn't anything new and exciting to offer. "No Son Of Mine" tells the story of a boy who runs way from his abusive home and that later returns to see his violent father. It's a great remarkable song with great feeling. "Congo" marked the debut of Ray Wilson as vocalist of Genesis. It's a song with a pop tune with an African style drum beat. It isn't a bad song, but it sounds too much to a pop song.

Conclusion: As happened with many other compilations of Genesis, "The Greatest" is another compilation focused essentially in the less progressive phase of the band, the more commercial tracks, and skipping almost all the tracks that belong to their most progressive phase. So, as a consequence of that option, it could never be a well balanced compilation. Practically, half of the studio albums of their career aren't represented or are poorly represented. As I mentioned above, only three tracks that belong to those albums are represented, "Watcher Of The Skies", "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" and "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway". So, some of their best works "Trespass", "Nursery Cryme", "A Trick Of The Tail" and "Wind And Wuthering" aren't represented. Even from "...And Then There Were Three?" it was chosen the weakest and most commercial track of that album. So, it's only for collectors and fans.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Review Nº 600

'Genesis' is a compilation album of Genesis that was released in 1989. It's a compilation that covers tracks that belong to very different phases of Genesis' career. It has tracks from their early days, the days of the 60's, a track when Hackett was still member of the band and tracks that belong to their most pop phase, which are the most of them, actually.

'Genesis' is a compilation album with nine tracks. The tracks chosen to be part of this compilation album are: 'Where The Sour Turns To Sweet' and 'The Serpent' are from their debut studio album 'From Genesis To Revelation' released in 1969. 'Afterglow' is from their eighth studio album 'Wind And Wuthering' released in 1976. 'Follow You Follow Me' is from their ninth studio album '...And Then There Were Three...' released in 1978. 'Behind The Lines' is from their tenth studio album 'Duke' released in 1980. 'No Reply At All' and 'Abacab' are from their eleventh studio album 'Abacab' released in 1981. 'Illegal Alien' and 'Mama' are from their twelfth studio album 'Genesis' released in 1983.

'Where The Sour Turns To Sweet' has a fairly nice melody and vocals. It's a very interesting song and is one of the best songs written in their earlier days. We can even say that this song has the seeds of what will be the future of their musical sound. 'The Serpent' starts quiet and very well with its bass line, good drumming and beautiful acoustic parts. However, it sounds too much to the 60's and makes me remember strongly The Beatles and The Doors. It's not a bad song but I can't see anything special on it. Besides, in general, I'm not a big fan of the music of the 60's, really. 'Illegal Alien' is a very weak song, written in the reggae musical style. It's one of the worst and silly songs ever written by the band, justifying perfectly its name. This is with 'Who Dunnit?' of 'Abacab', the two worst songs of Genesis. I cannot understand how was possible it has been chosen for this compilation. 'Mama' was released as a single on their studio album 'Genesis' and remains the band's most successful single in UK. It's easily recognizable for its harsh drum machine introduction which leads into synthesizer musical lines and finally it follows to the Phil Collins' leaden voice. This is an excellent song that retains sufficient quality and credibility, for me, to stands in one of the highlights of that album. 'No Reply At All' was the song released as the first single from 'Abacab'. This song marks clearly a step towards the mainstream pop direction that Genesis was taking at the time, and shows perfectly well the main influence of Phil Collins in the song writing of the group. It's a nice and typical pop song in the same vein of Collins' solo studio albums. See the inclusion of horns on it which is one example of that. 'Abacab' was also released as a single on their studio album 'Abacab'. This time it was the second single of that album. The title of the album was taken from the structure of an earlier version of the song, which no longer followed that format. I like very much of this song and I sincerely think we are in presence of one of the best songs on that album. This is a song with a very simple structure but that progress in a modern sound. 'Behind The Lines' is upbeat tempo music. It has a great progressive start with about two minutes, full of energy, but after that, the song enters on a pop rhythm. It has really a nice moment guided by Banks' keyboards and some creative guitar/bass from Rutherford, but it never reaches the stellar heights it hints at. It's an interesting song with some nice musical moments, but it fades all over the time. 'Afterglow' represents the grand final for their fantastic and unforgettable musical work, their studio album 'Wind And Wuthering'. This is one of the most majestic themes ever composed by Banks, and so, no wonders that this is for him one of his favourite Genesis' songs. We can consider that 'Afterglow' is the atmospheric, relaxing and magical moment of that great album. It's the third and final part of the three fantastic suite pieces of music that closes that album with a great musical atmosphere. 'Follow You Follow Me' is clearly a song released for a single with the intention to be a big hit and that achieved the top sales. It's a good pop song, but sincerely, it should never have been part of their album '...And Then There Were Three...'. I really think that it should never have been recorded by Genesis, but recorded by Collins on one of his solo albums. Unfortunately, this is the song that would make the definitive turning point in the Genesis' musical career.

Conclusion: 'Genesis' is in reality a very strange compilation of the band. As happened with many other compilations of Genesis, I can't a see a clear guided line in the choice of the tracks to be part of them. But, in this case, this is even much more evident to me. It's very hard to understand why were chosen two of the tracks from their first studio album, which is really a rarity, and the almost complete absence of the tracks that belong to their best and most progressive phase. Only one track was chosen of that phase, and that track doesn't belong to an album when Gabriel was a member of Genesis. This is a huge mystery to me. Even if we see the choice by a mere commercial light, it's hard to understand too. Why choose two songs from their initial phase, which isn't properly commercial? Besides, why choose some songs that are clearly weak points in their amazing career, such as 'Illegal Alien'? So, it's only for collectors and fans.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Although not a favorite Genesis album by any means I find it fortunate to have been my introduction to classic Genesis. The opening track "The Musical Box" was a life-changing experience when I discovered it in my mid 20's. It was the track that is very responsible for turning me away from classic rock and just about everything else I don't listen to anymore and searching for more experiences like I had with this one. It remains one of the most intriguing tracks I've ever heard in my entire life.

Acoustic/12 strings and a classical/folk sounding introduction. Flute solo and the voice of Peter Gabriel. Going into some awesome Iron Maiden-like electric guitar solos. Insane lyrics about the afterlife and being trapped in another world inside a music box. "The Musical Box" is a timeless gem. While the other tracks have plenty to offer the opening track is as good as it gets and an unforgettable memory never to be forgotten.

"Return of the Giant Hogweed" is a menacing track. The guitar driven intro mirrored by keyboards and intense drums and angry vocals. Starts out quite a bit metallic sounding. Next thing you know is the classically driven piano solos. Unconventional and original.

Some slower folk sounding songs dominate in between that are not too far different than the previous album Trespass. But the musicianship is far superior. Worth hearing but not anything memorable or groundbreaking. "Seven Stones" is perhaps the most compelling and most worth mentioning of those tracks.

"The Fountain of Salmacis" is a wonderfully crafted song. A Prog rockers dream in just about every way possible. It's biggest problem is sounds very dated. The guitar solo at the end really gives it some wind.

This is definitely the beginning of something great. While Genesis would become the cream of the crop of Progressive Rock bands this album is an impressive introduction. It would only get better. And what a great way to start especially with "The Musical Box" being the epic to start it all.

This album might not be for anyone, but this is in my honest opinion one of Genesis' finest records yet.

The production is one of the best ever since Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, and everyone is at their max today! Mainly after their break when they finished the tour of And Then There Were Three if i recall correctly.

Behind the Lines has an amazing intro of 2 minutes that goes really well with the main section of the song (both this and Phil Collins' version on Face Value are great). Then it fades out and fades in the enigmatic intro of Duchess, which is also the first time Genesis uses a drum machine too. Duchess is the defining moment where Phil finally finds his voice. Once again, Duchess fades out and fades in Guide Vocal, the shortest song that Genesis has done. But its packed with a lot of emotion, in general these three songs already give a really good impression of this album.

Man of our Times is a bombastic song, very reminiscing of Back in NYC but in 4/4 instead of 7/8. A really solid spiritual successor of that song. The Beach Boys-esque sound of Misunderstanding is a really good break after Man of our times, its also a pretty good single. Heathaze is a breathtaking song, the lyrics are really well written in here. A worthy ending to the first side.

Turn it On Again, what can i say? The best single that they have ever done! A fantastic progressive pop song about... televisions. But either way, the way Genesis used the odd 11/8 and made it into a hit is an outstanding achievement that's worth to be admired. Alone Tonight is another amazing ballad with some crisp production, and some more great lyricism too! Here's kind of a hot take, but Cul-de-Sac is really [%*!#]ing fantastic. It feels like its from And Then There Were Three in some parts, but it fits really well in this album in my personal opinion.

Please Don't Ask on the other hand kind of feels out of place, but at the same time it fits. Its a really strange thing to be honest. Either way, its another emotion hitter. But then comes the big one, Duke's Travels/Duke's End, the grand finale of this album. A hypnotic intro that sounds like someone trying to start up a car and failing multiple times, then fading in the fantastic drumming of Phil Collins (double track too!). Following on we get some fantastic jamming from these three guys, all climaxing into an epic reprise of Guide Vocal. This is one of the few times i tear up at music too, so its another plus! After that Duke's End starts, which is a Behind the Lines/Turn it On Again reprise, a perfect way to bookend the album.

I highly recommend to anyone that you should give this album a try. If you didn't like it, my words is that you listen to this album with a different mindset. If you still didn't like it, its alright. But personally, this is an easy 5-star album.

I'm going to attempt to do something shocking - defend a Genesis compilation album featuring none of their great albums before Selling England, and focusing on their 80s content which is... erm... mixed. Why am I doing this against my own better judgement you might ask? Well, because it does need the context of why it exists.

A couple of years ago, Collins, Banks and Rutherford announced something of a last hurrah, a tour of the USA, UK, and Western Europe over two years which ended this March. They did this against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, the fact that all 3 would be in their early seventies by the end of the tour, and Phil Collins' own ill-health meaning he can barely stand, and that drumming was out of the question. His son Nic would take up the sticks having previously done so on Papa Phil's solo tour.

The age and health of the trio, the fact Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett were obviously not involved, and the fact that Nic hadn't really played the Genesis discography before meant that the more complex and lengthy progressive tracks were out of the question. Los Endos and Supper's Ready were both rehearsed at times, but deemed too much for a live show which for obvious reasons could only really be a couple of hours long.

Despite all the difficulties above, the tour was a hit, even notably seeing tickets bought by fans who weren't alive even when We Can't Dance was released in 1991. The set list contained what I would generously describe as the best of the worst - commercial hits from the 80s, but also a selection from Selling England, Lamb, Wind & Wuthering which were still accessible to the aging group. These though were either played as a medley, shortened, or acoustically.

It was successful, but quite rightly rather than release a live album, they opted for a compilation album matching the set list. Happily though, they included the full versions of those bigger 70s tracks, and in 2021 the album sent Genesis high in the charts once again.

Should it be a must-buy for a long-time Genesis fan or prog-afficionado? Not in the slightest.

But as a way of slowly introducing a newer Genesis fan to the earlier, better Genesis by carefully mixing some 'accessible' prog in with the moderately acceptable commercialised stuff? Might someone buy this album for someone as an introduction, which then makes them check out the whole of Selling England, and lead them on to Foxtrot, Nursery Cryme and Trespass? Will someone listen to this album and then within a few years be playing Supper's Ready on repeat? Who knows. But it might work.

Yes they could have just tacked The Knife or Watcher of the Skies, or even Suppers Ready on to the end of this album. But there's other ways.

Not essential for any existing Genesis / Prog fan. But could be for someone new to the world.

Genesis demonstrated with "A Trick of the Tail" that they were much more than a group at the service of Peter Gabriel.

In fact, for my taste this first album with Phil Collins on vocals is perhaps my favorite of the group, undoubtedly surpassing the sometimes irregular "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway", and equaling in quality to sacred cows like "Foxtrot" and "Selling England by the Pound", but with the difference of having a superior singer.

Listening to "A Trick of the Tail" you can sort of guess some of the pop influences that would predominate on later records, but the mix of this accessibility with a still very progressive style had an absolutely wonderful result.

Very very recommended for any music fan!

Best Tracks: there's not a single song on the record that's less than great, but Squonk is one of my favorites from the entire Genesis catalogue, and I also love the infectious energy of Robbery, Assault and Battery.

My Rating: *****