Nothing from Abacab again

  • I know they rehearsed the song Abacab but ultimately it wasn’t played. It is now three straight tours now without any songs from that album. Is that the bands least favorite album? In my opinion it was a pretty important album in Genesis history since it was a transitional album to their more pop era. Curious what everyone thinks about this omission?

  • They cut it because they could only play so many instrumental pieces, otherwise Phil would be doing nothing for most of the show.


    But, we have it in their prime in live form and that's good enough for me.

  • I love Abacab too. I think Mike isn't that keen on it ad a whole, but I maintain the title track, Me and Sara Jane, Dodo, and Keep It Dark are very good progressive songs, just shorter.

  • Abacab has to be the one song that constantly seemed to almost make it into set lists but turned out every time. Hasn't Phil said he had always problems to memorize its lyrics?

    That's most songs thesedays.


    But, Phil said, he never really understood the song / lyrics so I guess he doesn't have the motivation to sing it.

  • Christ, these whiny post-tour threads are dispiriting.

    I apologize that truly wasn’t my intent but I can see how it came across that way. I loved every tour that I’ve seen. I was really just curious to hear peoples perspective as to why they think the band might not want to play songs from this album. I meant no offense

  • I apologize that truly wasn’t my intent but I can see how it came across that way. I loved every tour that I’ve seen. I was really just curious to hear peoples perspective as to why they think the band might not want to play songs from this album. I meant no offense

    Mate, no offence taken and no need to apologise but thanks anyway. I'm being moany in my own way. The final shows were an emotional experience that I really enjoyed and am coming down from, as I slowly absorb that I'll never again see this band who've played such a large part in my life.


    Meanwhile, there are all these threads full of "why didn't they play..." and "surely they could've dropped this and substituted that" which come across as so nitpicking combined with such pie-in-the-sky pontificating about songs they were obviously not going to play. I kind of get it; it's a different manifestation of the pre-tour setlist speculation which was silly but enjoyable, and maybe it's also people's way of dealing with the 'It's All Over' syndrome. But I'm finding it really tiresome so I should probably just try to ignore it, avoid it, rather than post snarky comments - thank you for at least being gracious about it, you're a bigger person than I am.


    As it happens I'd have loved them to do the title track or something else off Abacab but it was what it was.

    Abandon all reason

  • I was really just curious to hear peoples perspective as to why they think the band might not want to play songs from this album.

    I think there were 3 major factors affecting the song choices. Firstly they had to be songs that they liked to play. That does not necessarily match what we on this forum most want to hear. Secondly they wanted to cover songs that they felt the attendees would enjoy. This always involves a balance of their popular songs, which is what the majority of the crowd wants, and the older songs, which is what a vocal minority wants. Thirdly, they had to take into account Phil's current limitations, both as a vocalist and because he can't drum. So they limited songs that have long instrumentals (I was a bit surprised they kept Firth of Fifth) and likely never considered or quickly got rid of songs Phil can no longer sing, regardless of the key.

  • You have reminded me that there was a post by Christian I believe toward the end of the European leg where he says "it seems they'll play <spoiler> in the US". I avoided the spoiler thinking they were swapping a song out for Abacab, as it's still heard on the radio here with some regularity. I avoided all the US setlists until I saw them.


    Oh well.


    It was still a brilliant, mind altering experience I'll have with me to the day I die.


    I wasn't able to find the spoiler after the gig - I assume it was misunderstanding for those shows they swapped it in for Duchess?

  • Mate, no offence taken and no need to apologise but thanks anyway. I'm being moany in my own way.

    The irony is not lost . . . . But hey, it’s great that you own it and give a nod to the nes75. One thing I love about this board is that folks disagree without being disagreeable.

  • I know they rehearsed the song Abacab but ultimately it wasn’t played. It is now three straight tours now without any songs from that album. Is that the bands least favorite album? In my opinion it was a pretty important album in Genesis history since it was a transitional album to their more pop era. Curious what everyone thinks about this omission?

    Wasn't it par for course though? I don't exactly know the reasons why but if I'm not mistaken that album was dropped entirely live by the WCD tour never to be resurrected again. I'm not sure they played anything on the IT tour, perhaps only the title track. It wasn't considered in 2007 and with that in mind, it wasn't a shocking omission now.

    It was an important album, a weak one imo and they are probably no longer behind it, as simple as that, Phil's current limitations cannot possibly be reason enough, he had to tackle far more taxing songs. The album seems to have disappeared from radios too, you are more likely to hear Misunderstanding, That's all and obviously several IT tracks than anything from Abacab.

  • I never bought Abacab (no idea what the title means) and listened to a friend's copy. I played it on YouTube this week, it hasn't improved.

    I did buy it, in fact it was the first Genesis album I bought upon release, up until that point I had catching up, in random order. I'd agree, it hasn't improved, even the best songs don't have imo a relevant position in the Genesis songbook. Let's just say it served a purpose.

  • I did buy it, in fact it was the first Genesis album I bought upon release, up until that point I had catching up, in random order. I'd agree, it hasn't improved, even the best songs don't have imo a relevant position in the Genesis songbook. Let's just say it served a purpose.

    As someone who loves Abacab, I'm afraid I have no idea what that means. The album is as 'relevant' as any other album. If they played nothing from it on the last few tours, that does not necessarily mean the band shared your dismissive opinon of it. .