OK, after consuming eleventeen beers last night, I spun a couple of albums I haven't played in ages - Duke, followed by Wind and Wuthering. Duke, despite the poor recording quality, is one of the bands most underated albums....sure it's a little glimpse of things to come as far as Phil Collins' dominating influence, but it's still an incredible album, and probably the last 'real' Genesis work before they became too commercial. What are your top 3 Genesis albums and when was the last time you played one of them?....
I'd have to suggest some of the older, *better* Genesis recodings such as Tresspass (their first and my favorite), Selling England by the Pound, Foxtrot and Nursery Crimes - all are great. The post Peter Gabriel era recordings are good (but not quite as good) up to And Then There Were Three, and I'd certainly recommend any of them. Trick of the Tail and Wind and Wuthering would be my top picks.
As for Duke and the rest....well, only the name seems to have lived on ;-P.
I've been a huge Genesis fan since college and still enjoy spinning their LPs after many decades. I'm sure you'll find some recordings of theirs that will give you the same pleasure.
Oops. My apologies. I misread your post and didn't understand the actual context of your question.
My top 3 recordings are Tresspass, Selling England and Trick of the Tail. I've listened to all of them within the past 2 months, and Tresspass just this past week.
My comments on the later works still stand however ;-).
The best album by far and away is "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway". Nothing comes even close to this milestone recording.
The best Phil Collins Genesis album is "Trick of the Tail".
The magic of Genesis left after the departure of Steve Hackett. His last album with the band was "Wind and Wuthering". Genesis was never quite the same after this very important contributor left the band. I seldom ever play any of the post-Steve Hackett era lps.
I tend to think with bands with big back catalogues it depends on when exactly you discovered them that how well you react to the later periods of their career.
I like Genesis a lot and saw them live on the Duke tour in 1980-arguably their last great album as Phil Collins solo success drove the band in a different direction and despite the odd subsequent interesting track (Home By The Sea,Mama)the Genesis sound of old was gone forever.
My own personal favourites are Selling England By The Pound,The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway and it's a toss up between Wind & Wuthering and A Trick Of The Tail.
I once read that in the UK up until their final album Calling All Stations which was the exception that each subsequent album outsold it's predecessor which is quite an unusual feat.
I still listen to them a lot although I need to pick up Duke and Genesis on CD.
Finally on a related Progressive Rock theme just to say that the whole series of Rhino Yes remasters will be reviewed and presented very shortly on the "Audiogon" reviews-that's 11 albums with umpteen bonus tracks and opinions to argue over.
I really enjoy parts of The Wind and The Wuthering, but my favorite has been (since the late 70's) The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.
After not listening to this for a long time I got it again a couple of years ago. Try as I might, too much of it unlistenable. TLLDOB from side one is really good, and most of side two is really good, but I'm not sure I could force myself to sit through sides 3 & 4 again. This would have made a good single LP, or even EP. Some of the stuff is really good, and it is my fave, but the rest it...
selling england is considered the better disc in the rock progresive scene.(y am agree).but all genesis peter gabriel era are a masterpieces records.in november you can get the lambs in SACD.
My top 3 would be Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Foxtrot, Selling England by the Pound. Though Tresspass and Nursery Cryme are also hard to beat. I'm less fond of the post-Gabriel recordings, but it's still among my favorite bands. I would pick Wind and Wuthering, Trick of the Tail, And Then There Were Three . . . Duke is ok, but I find a few of the tracks on it pretty weak (or too pop?). I have all of them and still play them all frequently.
Top 3? Selling England By The Pound takes #s 1, 2, & 3 on my list. I've listened to it fairly regularly since I first bought the album, later the CD, and now on vinyl again. Lamb, Trick, and whatever else could be used to fill out the list, but over the years they have all dropped off in listening time but Selling England is still one of the all-time favorites (and not just from Genesis albums) and one that I still listen to kinda regularly.
"Foxtrot" gets my vote as the best one. I like "Duke" the best from the PC era. The "Lamb" used to be my favorite, but you definitely have to be in the right frame of mind to listen to that one. If in the wrong frame of mind, you might not hear the music on account of all the laughing you are doing. I still like "Abacab", too. Not too many mentions of that one on the thread. I still have to pull that one out every now and again to listen to "Me and Sarah Jane". Great song.
Another vote for Labm Lies Down on Broadway then Selling England By The Pound. I like Gabriel-era Genesis bettwer than Collins-era Genesis. But then some recent Gabriel solo was not that great.
Cuke's right - Seconds Out is great album - it has something for both factions. It's a live set from concerts shortly after Gabriel left the band. It includes a monster liver version of Supper's Ready and other great PG erra songs - with Phil Collins on vocals. It also has a few cuts off od Trick of the Tail. I saw them in concert during this tour and the album does it justice.
Nursery Cryme is my favorite from the early years. The Definitive Edition Remaster sounds close to the vinyl from the 70's. On topic FYI: Genesis re-recorded "The Carpet Crawlers" in 1999 for their box set. Peter and Phil share the vocals. Worth a listen.
Selling England by Pound, an incredible piece of work, some of the best flute solo guitar work I have ever heared , very melodic, great work by steve hacket , remindes me of andy lattimer of camel. The other two are trespass and nursery cryme.
I'm not surprised that Selling England BTP seems to be high on most peoples list, it's a sublime work that seems to capture the very best of the band. It's rare to find a recording where each track is of the highest standard, and I think that is where the Lamb falls down, there are some exceptional pieces but just too much mediocrity in between. Genesis and Pink Floyd were my favorite bands through the late 70's and 80's, and it pained me each time Genesis released a new recording, to see the change in direction, and their promoting Collins as the main contributor. I disliked much of PC's whining about his marital problems through Face Value, and when he brought that into Genesis, it spelled the end of an era for me.
It seems that most band's first few albums are their best. I'll go with... 1.) The lamb lies down on broadway 2.)Selling England by the pound 3.) Nursery Crimes. I saw the lamb lies down on broadway concert in two different cities. Peter Gabriel at his best! He kicked his way out of an egg, as a slipperman. He was as good a costumed actor as he was a singer.Good stuff! I miss the 70's, for all the great music---1968-1975.
Selling England By The Pound, in my opinion is by far the best recording done by this great band. Perhaps influenced by the fact that it was the first tour that I saw. I still play this at least once a month.
After that, I would list Foxtrot, Lamb Lies Down, and Trespass as the next 3.
I saw Genesis live with Gabriel 4 times and twice afterward. Once you experienced the former, the latter just didn't work. There are certainly some good post Gabriel recordings, but nothing that has the Magic they created in the early years.
i guess i'm the odd man, my favorite by far would be the later genesis album abacab, and second would probably be the self titled genesis, you know the one with the big plastic stars all over the cover, anyway, just wanted to throw mine in.
Tough one for me simply because I saw them in 1974 at the Music Hall in Boston for the Lamb tour. I had only heard Selling and Musical Box by that concert. I too have all the Classic reissues having worn out all my original pressings. I gues in the final analysis for me it's a tie for first between Lamb and Selling: 1. Lamb/Selling 2. 3. Foxtrot 4. Trespass (I wish they would remaster this one on high quality vinyl) 5. Musical Box
BTW if anyone ever gets a chance to see Montreal-based "Musical Box" (more-than-just-a-tribute band), run do not walk for tix. They play it album perfect note for note with the original equipment, sets (approved by the boys), lighting, sound and mannerisms. From the tenth row, you cannot tell that is isn't the real thing. They only do Gabriel era Genesis.
Steve, do 'Musical Box' ever tour in the US?...that would be a lot of fun. Has anyone heard Steve Hackett's 'Genesis Revisited'?...it's not a bad album for those that liked the Gabriel era better. It doesn't have Gabriels voice, but has some of the classics like Watcher of the Skies, Firth of Fith, I know what I like etc....all done with some unique twists. It's not great but it's worth a listen.
Rooze-I like that SH reinterpretation as well. Another suggestion is the new Naxos modern classics release composed by Tony Bank (Seven-A Suite for Orchestra, London Phil.).
Gee-where are all the people that purchased Invisible Touch? While I can respect Phil Collins' R&B style and songwriting, he should have remained solo after his first album. Genesis became just an extension of his solo work anyway. Good drummer, though.
1) the lamb-genius or pompous depending on which side of fence. 2) trick of the tale-best overall music/arrangements 3) selling england-best guitar solo (Firth)
Wow, just played Seconds Out for the first time in ages...I'd forgotten just how good that is, although I got a little fidgety half way though Suppers Ready!
Excellent work on this on folks...I agree with The Lamb as #1...I saw them perform this live in 1974 here in Rochester and I just saw Musical Box present it again with all the Genesis instruments and props this past winter again in Rochester....We were in the 5th row and they were excellent...Like a 31 year deja-vu....next up would be Selling England by the Pound...and Fox Trot.....What an awesomely talented band
None. I have never forgiven them for their dreadful concert at Veterans' Stadium in Philly (1989?). Awful, awful, awful. Absolutely no excuse for that; I saw McCartney there the year before and his sound system was spot on.
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