TotW 11/7/2022 - 11/13/2022: GENESIS - Dodo

    • Official Post

    Your rating for "Dodo" by GENESIS 25

    1. 15 points - outstanding (5) 20%
    2. 14 points - very good (5) 20%
    3. 13 points - very good - (6) 24%
    4. 12 points - good + (3) 12%
    5. 11 points - good (3) 12%
    6. 10 points - good - (3) 12%
    7. 09 points - satisfactory + (0) 0%
    8. 08 points - satisfactory (0) 0%
    9. 07 points - satisfactory - (0) 0%
    10. 06 points - sufficient + (0) 0%
    11. 05 points - sufficient (0) 0%
    12. 04 points - sufficient - (0) 0%
    13. 03 points - poor + (0) 0%
    14. 02 points - poor (0) 0%
    15. 01 point - poor - (0) 0%
    16. 00 points - abysmal (0) (0) 0%

    We invite you to share interesting facts and tidbits about this track. Let's look at the track in the context of the band's / the artist's history, at the music, the songwriting and all other aspects that are relevant for this track. Please do stick to the discussion of the track above. Comparisons to other tracks are okay, but remember that the other track you may be keen to talk about has or will have its own Track Of The Week thread. If you spot a mistake or if you can close a gap in the fact sheet above please feel free to contact martinus or Christian about it; we will gladly add and improve!


    GENESIS - Dodo / Lurker
    Year: 1981
    Album: Abacab
    Working title: ?
    Credits: Banks, Collins, Rutherford
    Lyrics: Yes
    Length: 7:32
    Musicians: Phil Collins, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford
    Played Live: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984
    Cover versions: ?

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    Notes: In his review of the album, Christian Gerhardts finds that Dodo [could be] the prototype of the 80s variant of Genesis: The complexity of the song is remarkable with its simultaneous straightforwardness. It is different from Me And Sarah Jane, more ironic, more subtle, somehow more to the point. Dodo is Abacab's living room, this track is where all the others are docked in some way. And it's a signal to the fans: Look, we used to do a Firth Of Fifth and now we do a Dodo - both are Genesis, both are unique in their own way, both are not pop and both are a matter of taste.
  • A great example of the harder 80s sound of Genesis. Fantastic drumming from Collins and enough twists and turns to keep interest, with enough hooks to be easy to remember. I like the obscure lyrics. One of the best from the trio in my opinion

  • Best track on ABACAB in my opinion.


    Listed as 2 separate tracks on ABACAB even though it's really one track.

    Listed as simply "Dodo" on THREE SIDES LIVE even though both parts are included.

    Sorry, but I don't have a signature at the moment.

  • A fantastic song live. Lucky to see it with Genesis on the Abacab tour. Wonderful show opener on next tour as well. Also saw it played this year by the Visible touch tribute band in Brighton. They did a fine job. Catch them if you can.

  • I really like Dodo. Lurker is a bit meh but they are a piece obviously. I love the darker edge to Dodo compared to a lot of non-CAS Genesis. The band sound great but none more so than Phil.

  • This is my favourite song created by the trio. From the first listen I was amazed, the composition, the sound, the drumming, the lyrics (story of snowman and fish is my favourite part). My nickname on this group speaks for itself - this song is in my top 5 of all Genesis songs.

    As we know, the Dodo/Lurker suite was also supposed to consist of Naminanu and Submariner (the latter title, some say, was supposed to be an answer to Lurker-Riddle, although I think Tony Banks said he wasn't thinking of any specific answer). There is someone's attempt on YouTube to combine all four pieces into one suite. In my opinion, however, Dodo/Lurker, the two-part version, is the best; the other two parts add little to the whole, and probably even dilute its impact. As for the Lurker part itself - in my opinion it is superb, doing an excellent job as a coda to the whole piece. Then there's the matter of Tony's odd solo in Lurker - I know many people don't like it. For me it's perfect, considering it's lurker's speaking, quite funny.

  • This is my favourite song created by the trio. From the first listen I was amazed, the composition, the sound, the drumming, the lyrics (story of snowman and fish is my favourite part). My nickname on this group speaks for itself - this song is in my top 5 of all Genesis songs.

    As we know, the Dodo/Lurker suite was also supposed to consist of Naminanu and Submariner (the latter title, some say, was supposed to be an answer to Lurker-Riddle, although I think Tony Banks said he wasn't thinking of any specific answer). There is someone's attempt on YouTube to combine all four pieces into one suite. In my opinion, however, Dodo/Lurker, the two-part version, is the best; the other two parts add little to the whole, and probably even dilute its impact. As for the Lurker part itself - in my opinion it is superb, doing an excellent job as a coda to the whole piece. Then there's the matter of Tony's odd solo in Lurker - I know many people don't like it. For me it's perfect, considering it's lurker's speaking, quite funny.

    Funnily enough, for me, Submarine is the only really good part of it all, though the Lurker keyboard solo is good, mainly as it sounds like something from the second half of the Lamb album.

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!

  • I share the generally positive thoughts about Dodo/Lurker already expressed, and that it was a nice one to see being played live. As mentioned elsewhere, it has a special place in my Genesis gig-going experience partly because of that stunning moment of seeing the varilites sweep in one collective move for the first time - as was their wont with the visuals, very cleverly kept until a few songs into the show.


    As far as listening to it is concerned though I always default to the original as I feel it's better served by the taut, sharp drumming rather than Thompson's looser style. Overall it's a good balancing of the newer 'spacier' sound and their earlier textures.


    I too like the keyboard line in Lurker, and the switch to the big chords of the 'clothes of brass' bit. Never thought of it in terms of similarities to 2nd half of The Lamb - a bit like Scree perhaps?


    Re the proposed 'suite', as with Duke and the Moonlit/Cinema Show ones it's as well they abandoned it. They were wise to avoid suites post-Suppers - it's one of the things I always admired about them among the prog bands, that they didn't go down that road again. I suppose they sort of nudged towards it with Domino but only really by giving the two parts names. I like both Naminanu and Submarine, they're very different from each other and both in line with the newer, fresher approach they were taking at the time. Naminanu sounds a bit Brand X-ish which makes me think it might've been PC-led, while Submarine is something of a personal favourite of mine - I like its simplicity and it has a nice atmosphere, with a dreamy feel yet there's also a bit of tension in there too, an interesting mix.

    Abandon all reason

  • Absolutely my favorite song on Abacab, and maybe in my top 10 all-time for Genesis songs. A perfect mix of prog and rock. And as others have mentioned, the light show at the live performances was astounding. If you listen to recordings on YouTube from the 1981-84 era you can hear audible gasps and loud cheers from the audience in response to the vari-lites.

  • For me, this is one of their standout stracks from the trio period. It has power, edge, atmosphere, it's somewhat aggressive, strange, different. Just wonderful! They should have done that during their last tour ...

    some are wise ... and some otherwise