Top 10 Genesis tracks

    It’s time to name your number 7


    #7. ‘Mad Man Moon’ from A Trick of the Tail (1976) SILVER

    A couple of weeks ago this track wasn’t even in my top 10 but then, like all Genesis tracks, it suddenly opened like a flower for me. It’s another beautiful Tony Banks ballad and one which uncharacteristically avoids the lame lyricism that dogs most of his compositions. This time he goes to the opposite extreme, yet, despite their obscure surrealism, the lyrics still manage to exude a poetic imagery that he drapes over the melody in sad, tender colours. This track bears some classic Genesis hallmarks; principally a beautiful piano interlude at 2.39 which swirls in intensity before the cymbals crash in at 4.59 to mark the bridge with the breaking wave of ‘Hey man, I’m the sandman’, before it ebbs away to peaceful nothingness at 5.25 with the gentle repetition of the line ‘Sun and sand.’ The delicate opening of the ensuing verse marks a particularly poignant moment.

    I am aware that this is a contentious choice. “Mad Man Moon" is a song that either makes fans swoon or yawn with indifference but that’s not surprising considering that this was the bridge album created in the aftermath of Gabriel’s shock departure from the band. This album attempts to hold onto their old prog rock fans whilst pulling in new fans looking for more readily digestible tracks. Personally, I would have LOVED an entire album of material like this. As it is, I find the album is badly let down by half of its content. Firstly, the jarring time signature of Volcano, that once appealed so much to my teenage ear, I now find grates on me. Also, where ‘Harold the Barrel’ was quaint and excusable in ‘71, the cheeky chappie, ‘Battery’, simply sounds hackneyed by ‘76: likewise, ‘Trick’ is a whimsical sing-a-long ditty that belongs back in the 1960s when it was first penned and the much admired, Los Endos, is simply a medley, re-hashing bits of what has gone before. Yet the album remains one of their most popular and not just with the vast legions of new fans eager for a more consumable product. I can only assume that the band, still heavily in debt (£1.25 million in today’s money) and with their charismatic leader gone, seized their chance to achieve a balance between artistic license and commercialism. This ‘something for everyone’ approach obviously worked. They did finally clear their debts and I’ll admit, I do massively enjoy the other 3 tracks not mentioned here. However, in my opinion, they produced far more inspiring albums than this for those who are prepared to forego swaying along to the iconic ‘Ripples’ with a cigarette lighter held high in the air.

    ~ My talents may not be obvious but they are always...always...delicious! ~

    Edited once, last by Gabble Ratchet ().

    Like 2
    Quote from Gabble Ratchet

    It’s time to name your number 7


    #7. ‘Mad Man Moon’ from A Trick of the Tail (1976) SILVER

    A couple of weeks ago this track wasn’t even in my top 10 but then, like all Genesis tracks, it suddenly opened like a flower for me. It’s another beautiful Tony Banks ballad and one which uncharacteristically avoids the lame lyricism that dogs most of his compositions. This time he goes to the opposite extreme, yet, despite their obscure surrealism, the lyrics still manage to exude a poetic imagery that he drapes over the melody in sad, tender colours. This track bears some classic Genesis hallmarks; principally a beautiful piano interlude at 2.39 which swirls in intensity before the cymbals crash in at 4.59 to mark the bridge with the breaking wave of ‘Hey man, I’m the sandman’, before it ebbs away to peaceful nothingness at 5.25 with the gentle repetition of the line ‘Sun and sand.’ The delicate opening of the ensuing verse marks a particularly poignant moment.

    I am aware that this is a contentious choice. “Mad Man Moon" is a song that either makes fans swoon or yawn with indifference but that’s not surprising considering that this was the bridge album created in the aftermath of Gabriel’s shock departure from the band. This album attempts to hold onto their old prog rock fans whilst pulling in new fans looking for more readily digestible tracks. Personally, I would have LOVED an entire album of material like this. As it is, I find the album is badly let down by half of its content. Firstly, the jarring time signature of Volcano, that once appealed so much to my teenage ear, I now find grates on me. Also, where ‘Harold the Barrel’ was quaint and excusable in ‘71, the cheeky chappie, ‘Battery’, simply sounds hackneyed by ‘76: likewise, ‘Trick’ is a whimsical sing-a-long ditty that belongs back in the 1960s when it was first penned and the much admired, Los Endos, is simply a medley, re-hashing bits of what has gone before. Yet the album remains one of their most popular and not just with the vast legions of new fans eager for a more consumable product. I can only assume that with the band, still heavily in debt (£1.25 million in today’s money) and with their charismatic leader gone, they seized their chance to achieve a balance between artistic license and commercialism. This ‘something for everyone’ approach obviously worked. They did finally clear their debts and I’ll admit, I do massively enjoy the other 3 tracks not mentioned here. However, in my opinion, they produced far more inspiring albums than this for those who are prepared to forego swaying along to the iconic ‘Ripples’ with a cigarette lighter held high in the air.

    I have no prob with the time sig on Dance on a Volcano. You get another one on Down and Out, two albums later. I think they had a phase of opening albums like this because 11th Earl on W&W is also rather jarring. But all three tracks have a certain freshness, an "album opening" quality.


    Agree with everything else you say about Trick. I don't know why Los Endos enjoys such status in fanlore. It's a wind-down, and rather a lame one to my ear. Robbery is unlistenable.


    But this leaves four classics and you've picked the best here. On a first stab at my top ten it was behind Ripples and Entangled but I've reassessed and it's now my favourite on the album. The work that went into it must have been immense. The intricacies and multiphasing you describe elevate it above its stablemates.

    At #7 Ripples from Trick of the Tail.


    This is an album I have always loved, aside from the ugly mess of RAB. But how much better it could have been if Steve Hackett hadn't just pissed all his ideas onto his Acolyte solo album. My feeling is that Gabriel put the nail into Genesis' coffin, not by leaving but by dithering about it so long. Hackett expected the group to break up and thought he needed to branch off, leaving him dry of ideas when Trick rolled round. If Hackett could have established himself as Banks' and Rutherford's creative equal who knows what wonders could have followed? As it is he is only credited with Entangled on this album.


    Ripples is obviously a fan favourite and deserves its status. Is it a bit too sugary? Not for me. And that instrumental bridge as we discussed last week..


    Where's me cigarette lighter?

    It’s hard to argue with Ripples. It is such a good track though I would say its highlight is that delightful chorus and the slow trickle of verse that feeds it. The bridge swirls around in a delightful eddy but, at 2.5 minutes, it’s simply too long. After the first minute I find myself craving the current again and am more than happy to be swept over that waterfall of a chorus when it eventually happens.

    ~ My talents may not be obvious but they are always...always...delicious! ~

    Edited 2 times, last by Gabble Ratchet ().

    No. 7

    Entangled


    Several of my favourite tracks in Genesis are ones where Steve Hackett either co-wrote with one other person, or made a suggestion that resulted in a monumental musical highlight.

    "Entangled" causes me to imagine what ethereal magic Banks and Hackett could create if they agreed to collaborate and release an album together. If I could choose a duo in Genesis to work together, that would be it.

    I am quite shocked to read all the negative responses to A Trick of the Tail!!:DOf course I vehemently disagree with any negative criticisms laid at this wonderful album. However, I do agree with the positive comments made about the 3 tracks nominated so far - all among my favourite Genesis tracks, although only one of those has made it into my top 10 list for the purposes of this thread (more on that later...).


    My choice today is not actually from that album. For my #7, I nominate The Musical Box. This is a really exciting and special moment from the band, and while I absolutely adore Trespass, and especially "Stagnation", they really broke through into another dimension with this piece. While the first few minutes naturally have Ant Phillips' fingerprints all over them, at the same time the unmistakable characters of Phil and Steve already have a chance to shine through. I find the whole thing much more convincing than anything on Trespass. The ending in particular is so much better than the ending to "Stagnation", which I find to be the weak part of the song - rather than ending with a somewhat bland major key plod and what feels like an almost trite resolution, the climax to "The Musical Box" has a rhythmic, dynamic and harmonic excitement which I think is a lot more mature and accomplished than anything the band did previously. It gets the adrenaline pumping!

    Was it you or was it me? Or was it he, or she?

    Like 1
    Quote from Merryman

    For my #7, I nominate The Musical Box. the climax to "The Musical Box" has a rhythmic, dynamic and harmonic excitement which I think is a lot more mature and accomplished than anything the band did previously.

    A great track which has already been mentioned and I suspect will crop up again as the countdown continues.

    ~ My talents may not be obvious but they are always...always...delicious! ~

    Quote from Merryman

    For my #7, I nominate The Musical Box.

    Only one problem my side with that choice..


    Only #7 ??


    Like saying Maradona's dribble against England in 86 is the seventh best goal in WC history!


    But hey respect anyway. I just look forward to finding out which six tracks can possibly be better!

    Number 7 - Entangled.


    I just love the drifty dreamy nature of the music, created by that that wonderful 3/4 guitar part set against Tony Bank's etheral keyboards. That heavenly outro is classic mid period Genesis. There's likely to be a few from ATOTT in my top 10. It's a pretty special album for me.

    Quote from Blacksword

    Number 7 - Entangled.


    I just love the drifty dreamy nature of the music, created by that that wonderful 3/4 guitar part set against Tony Bank's etheral keyboards. That heavenly outro is classic mid period Genesis. There's likely to be a few from ATOTT in my top 10. It's a pretty special album for me.

    Nice one! Good choice.

    2 votes for Moon and 2 for Entangled simultaneously. How likely is that?

    ~ My talents may not be obvious but they are always...always...delicious! ~

    It’s time to name your #6.

    Firth Of Fifth from Selling England by the Pound (1973) SILVER-GILT


    It’s time now for a further jump up in quality to the Silver-gilt category of tracks.

    Who would have thought that this largely instrumental masterpiece was actually made up of 3 musical snippets that Banks had previously written and stitched together? Hackett states that it's basically the same melody played three times with improvisation. As a result, the guitar solo has previously been heard in the flute solo that precedes it and although this makes for easier assimilation by the listener, it detracts somewhat from the complexity of the composition and shies away from the bold steps they took elsewhere in their catalogue, where they resist the temptation to wallow in beautiful refrains in order to move the song forward in deference to the march of time. Having said that, this dispersed repetition and foreshadowing of other parts of the song is handled beautifully.

    The obvious highlight to the song is the Hackett guitar solo which he claims he wanted to keep romantic and imaginative. "I visualised a bird hovering high above the ocean at the beginning of the solo," he says before emphasising that this was no scripted piece. Be that as it may, the solo still retains structure with its five sections of intro, main melody, exploratory flight, refrain, and close.

    A rarely acknowledged feature of Genesis as a band, which also applies here, is their willingness to embrace uncluttered soundscapes. Prog rockers are known to be forever fiddling with their synthesiser buttons to create layer upon layer of musical excess. Not so with Genesis, and particularly early Genesis, where the blending of folk arrangements with contemporary rock gives rise to a cleaner, less cluttered sound (at least until Hackett left when they embraced wall-to-wall synths on Attw3). For instance, during the synth solo here there is no virtuosic guitar. Similarly, the keyboard is restrained to a role of harmonic backing during both the flute and guitar solos. Even Hackett’s guitar solo respects the power inherent in a dramatic pause and a solitary sustained note. This is no band to hide behind a barrage of electronic noise. This understated virtuosity is what marks them out from the prog crowd as a whole.

    I still find it astonishing that despite Bank's blossoming piano prelude and Hackett's superlative guitar solo, that this track was rejected from Foxtrot. Despite the obvious weakness of its over-reliance on repetition and improvisation, the piece remains a masterpiece. It sits comfortably within the silver-gilt category and illustrates perfectly how Genesis were that rare band amongst proggers: a band that never allowed their musical proficiency to smother their sense of song and overflow into rambling excess.

    ~ My talents may not be obvious but they are always...always...delicious! ~

    Like 1

    I’m behind sorry.


    Number Seven: The Lady Lies


    Classic Banks tune. Rutherford steals the show with his fantastic bass playing. Love the way Phil sings this too.


    Number Six: Blood on the Rooftops


    Everyone is on for this one. One of theirs most beautiful tunes.

    We've been ODing on Trick, now it looks like England will get a look-in.


    At #6 I have Dancing with the Moonlit Knight from the same album.


    Genesis seem to have a particular genius for starting albums strongly, and for picking a track which "heralds" what is to follow. Volcano, Mar and Down and Out provide that strong opening statement on their mid era trio. Here the acapello opening is a clarion call, opening up what many consider to be their strongest album. The title itself is an unforgettable choice, inspired by a reference to a Labour Party campaigning slogan, though I've never been able to get closer to the source of that story.


    The theme of the song is a nostalgic harkback to an England disappearing under the avalanche of modernism and Americanism. According to the Wiki resource on this album, Genesis were already conscious of criticism from the music press that they were trying too hard to appeal to an American audience, and this work, with its references to Green Shield stamps and Wimpey is an attempt to counter this. Did Genesis themselves "sell England by the pound" by abandoning the theme for a totally American based one in the Lamb, their next album?


    The lyrics are complex and inspire some in the fanbase to great feats of analysis, such as this one:

    http://starling.rinet.ru/music/song1.htm


    In such a poetically rich piece we should guard perhaps against projecting more meaning into the lyrics than the author intended at the time or can remember now. Sometimes I feel that PG disappeared a little up his own rear end, but I'd say the same too about Leonard Cohen, and even Roger Waters, also lyric-led artists and favourites of mine. The music is stupendous and that's what counts.

    Hi - great to have you back! Rooftops is a fan fave so I was expecting that at some point. Interesting choice from Attw3.

    ~ My talents may not be obvious but they are always...always...delicious! ~