The Good Old Days
Jerry G. | shaker hts, oh United States | 03/31/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Genesis Live is a great consolation prize for those of us who weren't around to see the band during the Peter Gabriel years. This era is remembered by many fans as a classic time for Genesis, during which some of their most interesting progressive music was made. This album is proof of why Genesis concerts have become legendary. The live versions here actually improve on the studio material - a sign of a good band - and convey the energy and spirit of a performance. Anyone expecting to hear We Can't Dance or Mama will be sorely disappointed, or will perhaps have their minds blown. This is some pretty substantial stuff. Complex instrumentation, surrealistic lyrics, and a fusion-like style of drumming is the order of the day. If you are already familiar with this period of Genesis (the albums Trespass, Nursery Crime, and Foxtrot are represented here)then you are in for a treat. If not, then hopefully a pleasant surprise. On the back cover, one of the bizzare stories that Peter Gabriel used to tell the audience while the band tuned their instruments is written out. There's a story that some Hollywood muckety- muck saw this story and was inspired to offer Gabriel a job writting for the movies, which in turn inspired Gabriel to think about leaving the band. But I was reminded by Amazon's rules of review writing to avoid these sorts of anecdotes. Anyway, it's a very good album, so pick up a copy if you want to get progressive. I've got to say, however that unless you have a great affinity for Japanese writing on you cd covers, avoid the overpriced imports."
Fine live recording of early Genesis
woburnmusicfan | Woburn, MA United States | 07/06/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This 1973 live album is compiled from two concerts on the "Foxtrot" tour, and was originally recorded for the US radio show "King Biscuit Flower Hour". The band tackles five of their early songs, each 8 to 11 minutes in length. None of the songs sound much different than the studio versions, but they are played more powerfully here, and the interplay between the musicians is great. "The Knife" in particular stands out; it's harder-edged than the "Trespass" version, especially with Steve Hackett playing the guitar solo instead of Anthony Phillips. Several of the songs contrast loud and quiet passages in a manner similar to classical music. The contribution of Peter Gabriel's flute to the overall early Genesis sound tends to get overlooked, but it stands out here. I've had this album for 20 years, and it was only while listening to it in preparation for writing this review that I realized it's keyboardist Tony Banks trading guitar licks with Hackett on the "I touch the wall" section of "The Musical Box", and not Michael Rutherford (who's playing a fast rhythm strum throughout); at one point, Banks goes right from a guitar lead to an electric piano solo. Because it was originally a radio show, there is no between-song patter except Gabriel's announcement of "an unaccompanied bass pedal solo from Michael Rutherford" -- there are none of the weird stories Gabriel would tell between songs while the guitarists changed tunings. One of these stories IS provided in the CD booklet (I don't know if it's in the Japanese version).(1=poor 2=mediocre 3=pretty good 4=very good 5=phenomenal)"
Track Listings (5) - Disc #1