Sorry not a big forum guy so I don’t know the etiquette just wanted to talk about a couple songs that I completely dismissed for years and then one day last year it clicked these are great effing songs they have moved up to the top echelon for me for Genesis
EntangledSnowbound
done ranting my wake and bake has settled in nicely back to bed sweet dreams everybody and remember if we can help you we will
2 great tracks.
I don't play 'Then There Were Three' that often. 'Snowbound' is a beautiful song and feel that album still had some prog in it, despite the 3 members remaining.
An album that does not get played that often is CD2 of the Lambs. I like CD1 a lot.
Keep It Dark -
At first it sounds just ok and maybe even a little monotonous. But then I realized what happens with the timing in this song (It's either in 6/4 or 3/2, still not even really sure). It utilizes a little trick that I recently noticed Genesis employs quite frequently: I call it a false start, when you hear the beginning of the song and start counting the beat and then - Bam! The beat totally changes when the drums come in. The guitar riff that repeats throughout starts off, it seems, on the downbeat or first beat. But when the drums and synth suddenly come in, it can catch you by surprise and the guitar riff ends up starting syncopated, in between two beats! And that's just the first few seconds. I could go on for a while on this one, but probably shouldn't.
The Lamia -
I, too, admittedly do not listen to disc 2 of The Lamb as often as 1, but I always loved riding the scree (in a tricky, almost funky 9/4!) - but for a long time overlooked The Lamia. I originally thought it was a bit of a snoozer until I noticed the guitar solo at the end. Very powerful. I realized that the rest of the song was pretty awesome, too , and the rest is history!
Keep It Dark -
At first it sounds just ok and maybe even a little monotonous. But then I realized what happens with the timing in this song (It's either in 6/4 or 3/2, still not even really sure). It utilizes a little trick that I recently noticed Genesis employs quite frequently: I call it a false start, when you hear the beginning of the song and start counting the beat and then - Bam! The beat totally changes when the drums come in. The guitar riff that repeats throughout starts off, it seems, on the downbeat or first beat. But when the drums and synth suddenly come in, it can catch you by surprise and the guitar riff ends up starting syncopated, in between two beats! And that's just the first few seconds. I could go on for a while on this one, but probably shouldn't.
Yes it's 6/4, deceptively so. I love this song, always have. I agree about how the main backing track entry wrong-foots the listener. It changes the whole shape of the riff - it's kind of like realising the vase is two faces in profile, or vice-versa. It's similar on Man On The Corner - even Banks and Rutherford joked about that one, saying they couldn't figure out "where 1 was" (ie where to start counting it out). Which other ones do this?
Also in KID I always think there are rhythmic background voices in the second percussive breakdown but I think it's an aural illusion.
Keep It Dark too. For the exact same reason.
I like songs that nobody talks about...
Please Don't Ask for example. Great song. Weird and sudden chord changes, quite unusual for Collins, because he usually does much simpler things, and the bass part is amazing.
Vancouver. I love that one.
Tricky or "false" starts in Genesis songs:
...similar on Man On The Corner - even Banks and Rutherford joked about that one, saying they couldn't figure out "where 1 was" (ie where to start counting it out). Which other ones do this?
Man On the Corner is 1 and we already discussed Keep It Dark (2).
3. Jesus He knows Me
4. Home By The Sea
5. Scenes From a Night's Dream (!)
...I thought there were more
Vancouver. I love that one.
I have a real soft spot for this song.
Two songs that I have really grown to appreciate and impressed with the writing of them is Dreaming While You Sleep and Driving The Last Spike. Even though I understood Mike wrote Dreaming While You Sleep, I feel like the song has a very In the Air Tonight feel behind it with drum fills and electric guitar. I saw they did this a few times on the Way We Walk Tour and it was dropped. it seemed like it fit well in the set but not sure why it was dropped?
Driving the Last Spike
Heathaze
Like It or Not
You Might Recall
I've even grown to like Never a Time a bit more these days.
Stagnation. It’s not that I didn’t appreciate it at all, but seeing The Musical Box perform it a couple of weeks I was reminded of just what a great song it is. My partner has started getting into the older stuff since we met. Her personal favorites are Supper’s Ready and Ripples. After TMB show she was thrilled they had played both SR and Ripples, but was really enchanted by “that Stag-something” song (as she called it). When we watched When in Rome on public television last weekend she instantly recognized the riff during IKWIL, saying “Oh, this is from that stag-something song” lol.
Can-Utility and the Coastliners - I love the instrumental break in the middle of the song that has so much power to it! It's a preview of what will be coming up on the next album (i.e. The Cinema Show instrumental).
Entangled - This is has to be one of the best acoustic songs Genesis ever wrote! Those harmonizing vocals are some of the best they have done.
Blood On The Rooftops - The acoustic intro is one of the best things Hackett has written with the band! I wish Genesis would have played it live. Glad I got to see Hackett play it with his band.
Deep In The Motherlode - The live Archive 2 version of this song brings it to life! One of those examples of Genesis live being better than the studio version.
Naminanu - I don't know why I love this song, but it's one of my favorite songs that got left off an album.
Just a Job to Do - I love how this song grooves! It could have been a single.
Do The Neurotic - This song shows an edgier side of Genesis. I think it's better than The Brazilian and should have been on the album.
There's a handful of songs that fit in this group, or into a list of songs that I've always liked, but I think are often overlooked.
Back in NYC is one that I overlooked for a long time, but it's become one of the highlights for me. And Hairless Heart is, I think, really fantastic. And then someone earlier mentioned The Lamia. I think with all three of them, it took the first box set, and that live version of them, for me to really latch on. I was so used to live versions of In The Cage (3SL was what finally got me into the band), that the rest of the album didn't really resonate. But once I heard live versions of each of those; man, I love them. The Lamia in particular is a great live track. And I get it; I know that the second half of the Lamb isn't as respected at the first half. And I know that it comes to a "conclusion" somewhat abruptly. But I really like the second half.
Many Too Many is one that it took a while for me to find; one of my least favorite of their albums, so it wasn't in regular rotation. But I've grown to really love that track. Like it or Not is another late cut from an album that I think is really strong. I think either of them would have made a great addition to the '07 or '21 tours, but I knew there was no way.
Other folks have mentioned Keep it Dark, and I echo their sentiments. Great track!
It's Gonna Get Better is one that I've known for ages, but never really card about. My buddy and I wore out his copy of The Mama Tour on VHS. But we never paid much attention to this one, because we knew that the Cage Medley was coming up, and that's what we were waiting for. But it's a really great song. And especially the last couple years, I have to keep reminding myself that, indeed, It's Gonna Get Better (at least I hope so).
The last I'll mention is Anything She does. When I was younger, I hated that song, I think mostly because I liked the radio hits, and wanted to hear The Brazilian. I also never understood Benny Hill, so that song was never in the rotation. And then I started to really get into the older stuff, and I poo-pooed IT as a whole; I was too cool for that radio-friendly crap! Foxtrot or Die, man! (Ahh, the arrogance of a teenager) But at some point, something with it clicked with me, and I really like it. I love the addition of the harpsichord-ish sound in the last verse after the break. It's nothing more than a silly little pop song. But I think it's a great silly little pop song.
Display MoreCan-Utility and the Coastliners - I love the instrumental break in the middle of the song that has so much power to it! It's a preview of what will be coming up on the next album (i.e. The Cinema Show instrumental).
Entangled - This is has to be one of the best acoustic songs Genesis ever wrote! Those harmonizing vocals are some of the best they have done.
Blood On The Rooftops - The acoustic intro is one of the best things Hackett has written with the band! I wish Genesis would have played it live. Glad I got to see Hackett play it with his band.
Deep In The Motherlode - The live Archive 2 version of this song brings it to life! One of those examples of Genesis live being better than the studio version.
Naminanu - I don't know why I love this song, but it's one of my favorite songs that got left off an album.
Just a Job to Do - I love how this song grooves! It could have been a single.
Do The Neurotic - This song shows an edgier side of Genesis. I think it's better than The Brazilian and should have been on the album.
I agree 100% about Do the Neurotic. It definitely is a much edgier song than The Brazilian. And the end is pure joy—rather like that soaring part of Cinema Show that always causes an eruption of cheers and applause from the audience.
Display MoreThere's a handful of songs that fit in this group, or into a list of songs that I've always liked, but I think are often overlooked.
Back in NYC is one that I overlooked for a long time, but it's become one of the highlights for me. And Hairless Heart is, I think, really fantastic. And then someone earlier mentioned The Lamia. I think with all three of them, it took the first box set, and that live version of them, for me to really latch on. I was so used to live versions of In The Cage (3SL was what finally got me into the band), that the rest of the album didn't really resonate. But once I heard live versions of each of those; man, I love them. The Lamia in particular is a great live track. And I get it; I know that the second half of the Lamb isn't as respected at the first half. And I know that it comes to a "conclusion" somewhat abruptly. But I really like the second half.
Many Too Many is one that it took a while for me to find; one of my least favorite of their albums, so it wasn't in regular rotation. But I've grown to really love that track. Like it or Not is another late cut from an album that I think is really strong. I think either of them would have made a great addition to the '07 or '21 tours, but I knew there was no way.
Other folks have mentioned Keep it Dark, and I echo their sentiments. Great track!
It's Gonna Get Better is one that I've known for ages, but never really card about. My buddy and I wore out his copy of The Mama Tour on VHS. But we never paid much attention to this one, because we knew that the Cage Medley was coming up, and that's what we were waiting for. But it's a really great song. And especially the last couple years, I have to keep reminding myself that, indeed, It's Gonna Get Better (at least I hope so).
The last I'll mention is Anything She does. When I was younger, I hated that song, I think mostly because I liked the radio hits, and wanted to hear The Brazilian. I also never understood Benny Hill, so that song was never in the rotation. And then I started to really get into the older stuff, and I poo-pooed IT as a whole; I was too cool for that radio-friendly crap! Foxtrot or Die, man! (Ahh, the arrogance of a teenager) But at some point, something with it clicked with me, and I really like it. I love the addition of the harpsichord-ish sound in the last verse after the break. It's nothing more than a silly little pop song. But I think it's a great silly little pop song.
Many Too Many - best song on the album!
I also think Please Don't Ask Me is a great song that seems overrated as well.
I also think Please Don't Ask Me is a great song that seems overrated as well.
You mean overlooked, surely?
Living Forever is mine. Although I wouldn't necessarily say I overlooked it, I am a much bigger fan of it than the majority of people here, so it counts.
