Progressive era Genesis: What do I want? (1 Viewer)

[Dave Scarpa]

I'm a Huge Genesis fan especially the Gabriel era. I Have almost all the vinyl but have not bought the CD's, how are they I would imagine they've gone thru various remastering by know. I would recommend Sellng England by the Pound and I love Trick of the Tail

 

[Ryan Spaight]

I heard a radio broadcast of Gabriel doing "Back In NYC" on his first solo tour once -- they tore the roof off with that one.

But no Genesis since, and the chance of hearing Genesis material on the Up tour is about the same as Phil Collins playing drums on said tour.

I Have almost all the vinyl but have not bought the CD's, how are they I would imagine they've gone thru various remastering by know.

They were last re-done in 1993 or thereabouts. I've heard that vintage of "Trespass" and "Lamb," and they sound much better to me than the original CDs from the 80s.

If you've got good vinyl, though, I don't know how much of an improvement the CDs would be.

Ryan

 

[Mike Broadman]

It was quite a sight - Robert Fripp and Tony Levin were in the '76 lineup.

Is this when Fripp was billed as "Dusty Rhoads?"

Isn't Levin in pretty much all the lineups? He plays on most of the studio stuff, at least.

 

[Ryan Spaight]

I wonder if Passion Play has or will come out.

Not sure what the plans are for that one. They seem to have skipped it, at least for the moment.

Ryan

 

[Louis C]

Essential Tull discs (in order)

Aqualung

Thick as a Brick

Passion Play

Songs From the Wood

If you are just starting with Tull, start with these. You can't go wrong. Passion Play is the 'proggiest' of the group.

 

[Louis C]

From "The Genesis Discography" January 1998 Edition

Copyright © 1998 Scott McMahan, All Rights Reserved

"From Jack Beermann's collection of memorabilia comes a very fascinating explanation of Supper's

Ready. The author of this pamphlet is unknown, but from the style of writing it is suspected to be

written by Peter Gabriel.

He says: ``It is a handout that was given out at Genesis shows, I believe on part of the Selling

England tour, but it may have been earlier, on the tour supporting Foxtrot. It is a handbill, done on

one sheet but folded so it has four pages. The front has a picture of the band in Central Park, I

believe, the one with Phil, Mike and Tony seated and Steve and Peter standing behind them on a

rock or tree stump. They are all wearing heavy coats and there are no leaves on the tree. Peter's

coat has a star on it. On top of the photo it says in tiny letters "John & Tony Smith in connection

with Charisma present" above the Genesis Logo from Foxtrot with "On Tour" below the logo.

Under the photo it says "Special Guests String Driven Thing."

``Inside are basically the lyrics to Supper's Ready with some annotations, divided with the same

subtitles (except no. vi) as on the Foxtrot inner fold. I will transcribe the subtitles and the

annotations. ''

The text of the booklet follows:

i. Lover's Leap

In which two lovers are lost in each other's eyes, and found again transformed in the

bodies of another male and female

ii. The Guaranteed Eternal Sanctuary Man

The lovers come across a town dominated by two characters; one a benevolent farmer and

the other the head of a highly disciplined scientific religion. The latter likes to be known

as "The Guaranteed Eternal Sanctuary Man" and claims to contain a secret new ingredient

capable of fighting fire. This is a falsehood, an untruth, a whopper and a taradiddle, or to

put it in clearer terms; a lie.

iii. Ikhnaton and Its-a-con and their band of merry men

Who the lovers see clad in greys and purples, awaiting to be summoned out of the

ground. At the G.E.S.M's command they put forth from the bowels of the earth, to attack

all those without an up-to-date "Eternal Life Licence", which were obtainable at the head

office of the G.E.S.M.'s religion.

iv. How Dare I Be So Beautiful?

In which our intrepid heroes invesitigate the aftermath of the battle and discover a

solitary figure, obsessed by his own image. They witness an unusual transmutation, and

are pulled into their own reflections in the water.

v Willow Farm

Climbing out of the pool, they are once again in a different existence. They're right in the

middle of a myriad of bright colours, filled with all manner of objects, plants, animals and

humans. Life flows freely and everything is mindlessly busy. At random, a whistle blows

and every single thing is instantly changed into another.

vi Apocalypse in 9/8 (Co-starring the delicious talents of wild geese)

At one whistle the lovers become seeds in the soil, where they recognise other seeds to be

people from the world in which they had originated. While they wait for Spring, they are

returned to their old world to see Apocalypse of St John in full progress. The seven

trumpeteers cause a sensation, the fox keeps throwing sixes, and Pythagoras (a Greek

extra) is deliriously happy as he manages to put exactly the right amount of milk and

honey on his corn flakes.

vii As sure as eggs is eggs (aching mens' feet)

Above all else an egg is an egg

'And did those feet ............' making ends meet.

(then after all the lyrics)

Jerusalem= place of peace.

 

[Jim_C]

Thanks Louis, very cool.

 

[Mike Broadman]

Thanks, Louis.
Now, no one can complain that Genesis' lyrics are weird.

 

[Vickie_M]

``Inside are basically the lyrics to Supper's Ready with some annotations, divided with the same

Fascinating! Thank you Louis.

You know, back then, they had really, really good drugs.

 

[David Tolsky]

I was just going through my video archives and came across a Genesis video bootleg concert (sorry Ron and Parker, again

:b ) of a Belgium show from 1971. Wow, the band performed about 5 cuts from Nursery Cryme, including Fountain of Salmasas, The Musical Box, For Absent Friends, and Return of the Giant Hogweed. They were on a stage of just pure white background and man, they were young. Peter Gabriel looked to be about 18 or 19. Jeez, I was only 11 when these guys did this.

The other part of the tape is from the theatrical release of the Seconds Out tour, Genesis in Concert. This is great stuff!

 

[Parker Clack]

Jack rabbit mister spawn a new breed of love-hungry pilgrims

(no bodies to feed).

Show me a good man.

I'll show you the door.

The last hymn is sung and the devil cries ``More.''

Well, I'm all for leaving and that being done, I've put in a request to take up my turn in that forsaken paradise that calls itself ``Hell'' --

Where no-one has nothing and nothing is

well meaning fool, pick up thy bed and rise up from your gloom smiling.

Give me your hate and do as the loving heathen do.

Colors I've none -- dark or light, red, white or blue.

Cold is my touch (freezing).

Summoned by name -- I am the overseer over you.

Given this command to watch o'er our miserable sphere.

Fallen from grace / called on to bring sun or rain.

Occasional corn from my oversight grew.

Fell with mine angels from a far better place, offering services for the saving of face.

Now you're here, you may as well admire all whom living has retired from the benign reconciliation.

Legends were born surrounding mysterious lights seen in the sky (flashing).

I just / lit a fag then / took my leave in the blink of an eye.

Passionate play -- join round the maypole in dance (primitive rite) (wrongly).

Summoned by name / I am the overseer / over you.

 

[Mike Broadman]

Vickie, I've read that Gabriel claims that he wasn't into drugs.
I don't believe him. The idea of someone coming up with this stuff clean is just too frightening.

iii. Ikhnaton and Its-a-con and their band of merry men
Who the lovers see clad in greys and purples, awaiting to be summoned out of the
ground. At the G.E.S.M's command they put forth from the bowels of the earth, to attack
all those without an up-to-date "Eternal Life Licence", which were obtainable at the head
office of the G.E.S.M.'s religion.

Uh, yeah, sure...

 

[Parker Clack]

Mike:

Yep Skating Away is one of all time favs. His acoustic work on that piece is unbelievable. Kind of reminds me of:

As the Baker Street train spills your pain all over your new dress,

and the symphony sounds underground put you under duress,

well don't you squeal as the heel grinds you under the wheel.

Life's a long song.

Life's a long song.

Life's a long song.

But the tune ends too soon for us all.

You know the great thing about all of these groups and artists is that not only were they all great musicians but great lyricists too.

Parker

 

[Mike Broadman]

"As you're falling awake..."

Parker, have you heard the latest version of that song with strings? Usually throwing strings in with a "rock" song is dreadful, but it sounds really cool. It's on the new CD and DVD Living With the Past.

That's also another song I started to learn to play. Anderson's writing for and playing guitar is criminally underrated. He was extremely clever.

 

[Louis C]

Parker,

...and let's not forget "The Hare who lost his specatacacacacacales!!!!!!"

 

[Parker Clack]

Or something to go with this time of year....

Now is the solstice of the year,

winter is the glad song that you hear.

Seven maids move in seven time.

Have the lads up ready in a line.

Ring out these bells.

Ring out, ring solstice bells.

Ring solstice bells.

Join together beneath the mistletoe.

by the holy oak whereon it grows.

Seven druids dance in seven time.

Sing the song the bells call, loudly chiming.

Ring out these bells.

Ring out, ring solstice bells.

Ring solstice bells.

Praise be to the distant sister sun,

joyful as the silver planets run.

Seven maids move in seven time.

Sing the song the bells call, loudly chiming.

Ring out those bells.

Ring out, ring solstice bells.

Ring solstice bells.

Ring on, ring out.

Ring on, ring out.

 

[Parker Clack]

Mike:

You have to admire his guitar and flute work with:

Really don't mind if you sit this one out.

My words but a whisper -- your deafness a SHOUT.

I may make you feel but I can't make you think.

Your sperm's in the gutter -- your love's in the sink.

I can hear that opening medley just by thinking of these simple lines. I think Anderson's true genius is in taking the same lyrics that he sets to almost a hymn and then he turns those same lyrics into Rock and Roll.

Parker

 

[Parker Clack]

While I was sitting here thinking of progressive rock it suddenly occurred to me to remember Renaissance and Midas Man.

Parker

 

[Andrew 'Ange Hamm' Hamm]

Holy cow, Renaissance. What a cool band. Too bad all their albums were recorded so badly. But my wife and I have a couple imports of Scheherezade and Other Stories, Ashes Are Burning, and some other classics. Annie Haslam: what a voice! She actually sings "Turn of the Century" with Steve Howe on guitar for a Yes tribute album called Tales From Yesterday.

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the Genesis thread. Spencer Bright's biography of Peter Gabriel says that PG tried a couple hallucinatory drugs and they scared the shit out of him. He also had a transcendental vision of evil (described in "Lover's Leap") that scared him even more, and he didn't want his "consciousness" opened to that kind of thing ever again. To the best of my knowledge, he was clean--just weird.

 

[Scott Genualdi]

Rhino featured a Renaissance song, "Kings and Queens", on its Supernatural Fairy Tales compilation released in 1996. What a song! As a fan of the bigger progressive rock bands, I found this set very helpful to hear and explore music I had never heard before. Van Der Graaf Generator's "Killer", Caravan's "In the Land of Grey and Pink," and Wigwam's "Prophet/Marvelry Skimmer" resonated with me the most. Premiata Forneria Marconi is also represented here with "Celebration." My (minor) complaints with this set: King Crimson, Pink Floyd, and a couple of others were not included due to rights issues and on my copy "Siberian Khatru" is actually "And You and I." Since I own Close to the Edge that's less of a concern.

Parker definitely got me singing with the lyrics. "Skating Away" and "Life Is a Long Song" are among my favorite Tull tunes. Much of the original Living in the Past album featured accoustic gems like "Up the 'Pool" I need to check out some of the remasters.

Vickie, what an astute analysis of Part 2 of The Lamb. I totally forgot about the genius of "Riding the Scree".

Were there other prog bands that had flute performers besides Peter Gabriel and Ian Anderson? Those two stand out the most.