The River of Constant Change: The Genesis Album-by-Album Thread

Bah, my bad. Wrong thread!!!!

 

There are songs from Revelation on the Genesis Archive, Vol. 1: 1967-1975 [BOX SET] that have the strings removed, right? I'll have to check tonight.

 

I seem to recall that it might contain a few tracks sans strings, but I've always wanted to hear the entire album that way. The orchestral backing just really ruins this record for me, especially the two somewhat aggressive tracks, "In the Beginning" and "The Serpent"; without it I'd likely listen to this one more. I think the Bee Gees comparison is on the nose.

 

I'm not crazy about this one. For me the real Genesis starts with Trespass. This is Genesis-lite. I don't mind that it's not progressive, and I have nothing against this style of music, it's just not that good IMO. Like somebody said earlier, I've never made it through the whole album.

 

The album as a whole is OK, quite tentative-sounding in the main, although I do love "In The Wilderness" and think it's one of the band's finest songs from any era.

I also recall hearing that part of the reason for the minimalist cover design was that there was a band called Genesis active in the US at the time, and King figured that they could go by the name Genesis in the UK, Revelation in the States, and use the same cover design in both markets.

 

I think that reasoning was urban myth as the old band Genesis had already broken up by that point. Plus, King himself has never said that I don't believe.

 

I've often wondered how FGTR would have been if they had used the Mellotron in place of those strings with perhaps a bit different arrangement. That would have made it a bit more "proto-prog" perhaps and maybe a little more acceptable to those who dislike this album. It pales in comparison to those that follow, but I still enjoy listening to it.

 

I think those might be different versions though, not just the LP tracks sans strings - can anyone confirm?

And IIRC, the mastering on them is not so great - it could be a source issue, but they sounded really flat and 'boxy' to me.

 

I must add that i'd choose this album over some of the later Collins ones - notably We can't Dance!

 

The arrangements don't place this album in the best light, but to me this album demonstrates that these guys were brilliant songwriters. Had they not pursued a more progressive direction, I think they could have had a very successful run as a more pop-oriented group. The songs on this album, as well as other songs from this era that are represented on the box set (Pacidy, Let Us Now Make Love) really demonstrate an inventive sense of melody. Of course, I dig the later stuff even more, but they in no way embarrassed themselves on this album.

 

I did a quick run though of two songs, Where The Sour Turns to Sweet and In The Beginning. They are on FGTR and on the Genesis Archive 1967-75. They sound like different takes. The missing strings (and horns) on the Archive versions are not a problem at all because the songs hold up on their own. I prefer the Archive versions. The sound quality is very good for 1968 demos made by teenagers. Amazing really.

 

Hey Old John- thanks for starting this up!

 

They did!

 

OJR: thanks for starting this up!

I really like this album for what it is: end of the 60s pop music. Yes if you're looking for Progressive Genesis, you're not going to find it here. I really like "In the Wilderness" and also the one-two opening punch of "Where the Sour Turns to Sweet" and then the phasing effects of "In The Beginning". In Hiding" sounds a little like a lost Moody Blues track. Now that I listened to it again, I really like this: sure, it sounds dated and doesn't reach the heights of their later career but it is really fun to listen to, especially an embryonic Peter Gabriel and his voice right on the verge of blossoming.

PS- in case any is interested in acquiring the DCC of the first album, I'm selling it in forum classifieds http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=134915

 

Big thanks for starting this thread. I'll be able to jump in a few albums from now but it will be a fun read all the way through!

 

Weren't the boys more interested in being songwriters than performers at this point? With that in mind, I like the album. The songs are solidly written and interestingly arranged (although I hate the orchestral bits that King tacked on). There's a lot of raw talent in this record, which would become very apparent on the next release.

A very ambitions beginning.

 

From Genesis To Revelation?
I'm sure if I had seen that album back in the day, I probably wouldn't have dared...

But it turns out it's nothing to be afraid of!
The record has a lot, A LOT of songs... which is not necessarily a good thing, but in this case it doesn't matter, because the weak are well mixed with the strong so that it flows easily and one doesn't really notice... I reckon they managed to come up with a clever sequence that doesn't get boring...

These songs are all very simple, but almost all have one strength that ultimately saves them: the melodies! Most songs here are catchy, and if the record manages to slip into your player a couple times it is likely you'll find yourself humming some tune or other from it...

Musically, it's nothing to write home about, one couldn't be convinced by this record that Banks or Rutherford are great musicians... but there's one talent that shines through here, and that's Peter Gabriel... Peter's voice, melodies and delivery are the saving grace of this album, and I'd dare say it's worth listening just for him...

But overall it has a good few nice tunes: Where The Sour Turns To Sweet, The Serpent, Am I very Wrong, In The Wilderness, In Hiding, One Day, The Silent Sun, A Place To Call My Own... all of them are nice stuff, melodic and catchy...

At this point in time they are writing many more songs than what appears on FGTR (maybe another album's worth) and that fact, coupled with the cool little links that appear in between songs here, are hints that they are taking their songwriting seriously and that they might be willing to explore and stretch some more, musically...

 

what does the cover look like for the UK DECCA stereo SKL 4990 vinyl pressing? are they hard to find? there are so many issues/covers of this record.

 

It should pretty much match the one posted at the start of this thread.

If I recall correctly, they only started reissuing the album with the original cover recently. I remember in the '80s I found at least 5 or 6 different releases, all with different covers, and none that matched the description that I had heard got it mixed in with the "religious records" upon its release.

 

Agreed. He already has the "it" factor.

 

In the Wilderness - rough mix without strings 1968
In the Beginning - demo 1968
Where the Sour Turns to Sweet - demo 1968
She is Beautiful (later The Serpent) - demo 1967


These tracks are characterized by Tony Banks in his essay in the book accompanying 'Genesis Archive 1967-1975' as demos and rough mixes before the addition of strings. "At the time we were not too happy with the added arrangements feeling, they made the album sound weaker." These and the other songs on this disc of the set sound very good in this incarnation, I've always like Where the Sour Turns to Sweet since hearing it the History of Genesis documentary.

It's interesting that within months of the release of FGTR they had completed demos for the next album, among which were 'Dusk' and 'Going Out to Get You' (an early, lush version of the former and jamming latter are included on Archive). By early 1970 they were performing songs live that would later find their way, altered, onto not only 'Trespass,' but also 'Nursery Cryme' and even the Lamb.

 

Tony Banks: "In Genesis we have always seen ourselves first and foremost as songwriters.
We originally started playing only because we could not find anyone else to record our music."

Add to above post:

Patricia (demo 1967... later In Hiding).
"'Patricia was on the very first tape we made together.
This was the tape we gave to Jonathan [King] and which made him decide to give us a chance."

 

FYI, we'll be moving to Trespass tomorrow. I'm working on the write-up now but probably won't be done until tomorrow.

 

Trespass
Released October 23, 1970 as Charisma CAS-1020 (UK) and ABC/Impulse! AS-9205 (US)

1. "Looking for Someone"
2. "White Mountain"
3. "Visions of Angels"
4. "Stagnation"
5. "Dusk"
6. "The Knife"

Is this the same band that made From Genesis to Revelation? The answer is yes; at least 4/5 of it. After the dismal failure of From Genesis to Revelation the band was dropped from Decca Records and subsequently producer Jonathan King cut ties with them as well. At this point, the band were torn between continuing on or just going on about their lives in alternate careers.

Says King (paraphrase), "I had a conversation with them and their parents; something I'd normally never do. I told them that 99% of the time, I tell bands to not continue because it never goes anywhere, but this is the one time where I think you should. You've all got a lot of talent. They then told me well yes, we've decided we are going to continue, at which point I told them they were going to do it without me. I have a terrible fault in that I love starting something, but once it becomes a day job, I get bored."

Around this time, a man named Tony Stratton Smith, a well known name in British horseracing circles, decided to start a record label. Says King (paraphrase), "I put them in touch with a man who had an office a floor above mine, a man called Tony Stratton Smith, who had started Charisma Records. He went down and heard them and decided to sign them."

Trespass was the band's label debut. Besides being a commercial failure, what was curious about it is that it showed just what a stranglehold King had on the band on the first album. Trespass is a long, sprawling, artsy prog rock album featuring fantastical lyrics, awesome melody throughout, and very tight musicianship. Once the band was dropped by Decca, drummer John Silver left the band and was replaced by John Mayhew, who is featured on all tracks here. His drumming is competent, but it sounds like he's trying a bit too hard in some spots. Of course, he redeems himself with some brilliant drumming on "The Knife" and "White Mountain".

Trespass seems to be the point of most contention among Gabriel-era fans as to its merits. There is very little middle ground with this one, as most either love it or hate it. It's my own personal favorite of the Peter Gabriel-era albums though your mileage may vary. While it is probably true that Genesis created better art than this on subsequent albums, I think that the "ride" that Trespass takes you for is its beauty. It starts with "Looking for Someone" and "White Mountain" (a story of a wolf pack and a fight for power) which are both mid-tempo songs with interesting lyrics and cool melody. From there, you get lulled down with the shockingly beautiful "Visions of Angels", "Stagnation", and "Dusk". Then once you've been mellowed out sufficiently, the album comes to a close with an @$$-kicker. "The Knife" is nothing short of an epic and probably the hardest Genesis ever rocked on any of their albums from any era.

If you've never heard Trespass, you owe it to yourself to listen to it. Myself and many other fans love it, though your mileage may vary. Upon its release, it bombed commercially but it set the foundation for things to come. It's also worth noting that Trespass was the band's first album to be released in the US. Somehow Charisma managed to secure a short-term US distribution deal with ABC Records' Impulse! label (oddly enough, a jazz label). This deal didn't last long however, and subsequent Genesis releases would be distributed in the USA on Buddah Records, a small New York independent known primarily for Buzzy Lindhardt and other local bands popular in the NYC area.

Rating: 4/5

 

Trespass was the last Genesis album I laid my hands on, having heard bad things about it and not being able to find it at any local CD shops. What a surprise it was for me to find something on par with Nursery Cryme and Foxtrot! I love this album, especially for the tracks "White Mountain" and "The Knife."

Of course, "The Knife" would get its definite treatment a few years later on Genesis Live. This version still rocks, though.