GENESIS - “Mama”-Album (40th anniversary)

  • Bought it on vinyl when it came out, then later on CD then the SACD box set and then again on heavyweight vinyl. Always liked it, especially Mama, That’s All and Silver Rainbow. And of course Home and Second Home are brilliant. But actually liked it all, even the weaker tracks. I do now have to cringe my way through the lyrics and singing on Illegal Alien, but thank God we’ve moved on and it wouldn’t be done like that today. I did always feel it was a little lightweight compared to Abacab, because of side two, but better than the albums that followed. Mama is one of my top Genesis tracks from any era. Fantastic tour to follow albeit I would have preferred another 15 mins of Genesis to the silly encore.

    Ditto. I could have written that!

  • For some reason I've seen some Genesis albums as being in pairs. NC & Foxtrot, ATOTT & WAW. Also, Abacab & Genesis. For me these albums have similar feels both musically and visually.My first reaction to this album was what a terrible cover!!! All albums prior to Abacab had a certain concept to them, even if no more than the cover . I felt that Abacab was a determined effort to move away from any kind of concept, so the concept became abstract! This applies to the cover and title with Abacab itself being an Abstract song. The cover / covers was/were terrific . I felt that calling this album Genesis was a statement. To me it meant "this is us and up yours" to those who criticised them for not doing what they were doing 10 years earlier. They kept the cover abstract but it didn't work. IMO, awful. I However, I prefer the album to Abacab. I think HBTS is better than anything on Abacab and Mama is better than anything apart from Dodo. I never liked NRAA and all the last four tracks on Genesis are better then all the last four on Abacab . Its easily my 10th favourite Genesis album and probably my most played.

  • Its easily my 10th favourite Genesis album and probably my most played.

    Sorry, I'm struggling with this bit. Don't mean to be rude, but why do you play your 10th favourite Genesis album more than the nine you prefer? :/

  • Sorry, I'm struggling with this bit. Don't mean to be rude, but why do you play your 10th favourite Genesis album more than the nine you prefer? :/

    I love all the Genesis albums they're my favourite band , so my 10th favourite Genesis album rates highly amongst all time favourite albums. Most played artist is probably Bowie. I don't like.playimg anything too often as I like to keep what I listen to fresh. There's just something about some music that I never really tire of and the Genesis album falls into category. There are so many Genesis classics on live , archive stuff , Steve Hackett live and revisited albums and tribute live stuff etc that I tend not put the main albums on as often . Genesis only has a couple of classics mama and HBTS but I don't hear them so often and I don't tire of them. The other stuff that's on the album I really like so the album tends to get an airing more often than most.

  • I love all the Genesis albums they're my favourite band , so my 10th favourite Genesis album rates highly amongst all time favourite albums. Most played artist is probably Bowie. I don't like.playimg anything too often as I like to keep what I listen to fresh. There's just something about some music that I never really tire of and the Genesis album falls into category. There are so many Genesis classics on live , archive stuff , Steve Hackett live and revisited albums and tribute live stuff etc that I tend not put the main albums on as often . Genesis only has a couple of classics mama and HBTS but I don't hear them so often and I don't tire of them. The other stuff that's on the album I really like so the album tends to get an airing more often than most.

    That all makes sense - thanks for taking the time to explain! :)