TotW 08/07/2023 - 08/13/2023: GENESIS - Undertow

1st Official Post
    • Official Post

    Your rating for "Undertow" by GENESIS 27

    1. 15 points - outstanding (6) 22%
    2. 14 points - very good (3) 11%
    3. 13 points - very good - (10) 37%
    4. 12 points - good + (2) 7%
    5. 11 points - good (2) 7%
    6. 10 points - good - (2) 7%
    7. 09 points - satisfactory + (0) 0%
    8. 08 points - satisfactory (2) 7%
    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 points - poor - (0) 0%
    16. 00 points - abysmal (0) 0%

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    GENESIS - Undertow
    Year: 1978
    Album: And Then There Were Three
    Working title: ?
    Credits: Banks
    Lyrics: Yes
    Length: 4:44
    Musicians: Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford
    Played live: --
    Cover versions: ?

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    Notes: Genesis usually performed as an equal trio after 1980. This was not the case in 1978, at least as far as songwriting was concerned. And Then There Were Three gave the impression of a Bank/Rutherford project in places. Many songs were written by Tony and Mike - like Undertow, which Tony contributed.

    A strong track from an underpowered album. Tony is all over it but Phil sings well, especially as the lyrics- which I like a lot- are a bit of a mouthful at times. I miss Steve’s guitar on this but at the same time the band do sound well balanced and the dynamics shift nicely with the pace and mood of the song. So a good solid effort, with a melancholy, wintery, feel.

    I love that song. It has feeling, it has the classic rise and fall of Genesis at their best and it's served up in a very compact package. If Hackett was still in the band he could have added something extra and it would have benefited from backing singers instead of multitracking Phil's voice so for those reasons it's a 14 from me. However I think it's easily the best track on ATTWT.

    Not Tony's best. Too simplistic, shallow and corny. If Tony wanted to create a soft rock ballad he did a good job but after the genius he showed on the preceding two albums this is a disappointment.

    This is an album I generally dislike but with 4 strong songs, this being one. I'm not keen on the lyrics which are Banks on his way to being his most overbaked but it doesn't really matter when the music, the playing, the vocal melody are all so good and it's so well sung.


    Elsewhere on the board I disagreed with someone saying the intended intro should have been included, which I think is what ended up as From The Undertow on TB's album. If that's really the case, I'm glad it was left off.

    Abandon all reason

    I've always like this album, but as I get older I find myself listening to ATTW3 more and more, so I'm slightly sad that it is not particularly popular with fans.


    Having said that...


    Undertow is probably one of my least favourite songs on the album. Only because it feels slightly less memorable than many of the others. I'm not overly fond of Tony's Curious Feeling era, so it's probably why I'm less attracted to this song.


    I think I gave it 10, but this is all relative of course. A Genesis 10/15 is a 14/15 for most other artists.

    Outstanding. I love this track, it's overwrought in the best way, surgically controlled abundance of emotion. The soft, unfocused production works in its favor as it sounds sonically abandoned which - I believe unintentionally - resonates positively with the intended mood. If it were made today it would probably not be as impactful at all. 15.

    • Official Post
    Quote from Henry Hamilton-Smythe

    No Track of the Week for 8/14-8/20?

    I am on holiday ;)

    Next week back to normal