45 years of A Curious Feeling

  • Oct 5th, 45 years ago...


    I *think* I listened to this album a couple of times back when I was deep in the weeds with Genesis, maybe 25 years ago. It obviously never made the slightest impression. I never knew Chester played on it. I'm planning a dive back into Genesis however, as it's a been a while since I did more than dabble and now I have a proper place to listen at home, and I have four of the five reissue boxes repatriated to me. Which don't include ACF obviously, but I'm going to give it a listen and see what I think. I gather it's well received here in general, though The Fugitive made a much bigger impression on me.


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  • I really like the three instrumentals which are classic late 1970s Genesis/Banks but I've never got on with Kim Beacon's voice, try as I might.


    I much prefer Noel Mcalla on Smallcreep's Day.

    I'm pretty much the opposite, I find the 3 instrumentals to be little more than filler, the rest though is some of Tony's best work. Noel and Kim don't sound so different to me either.

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!

  • I've made two or three attempts to listen to it over the decades and each time it raised very little interest. I can barely ever remember any of it and each revisit left me with an impression of insipid late 70s Genesis cast-offs sung in a generic voice. I've always found The Fugitive much better and a preferable example of what a solo album should be, ie the artist's own voice and music that has the "host" band's DNA but also sounds distinct. When people say they like ACF because "it sounds the most like Genesis" I understand that but don't share it.

    Abandon all reason

  • Oct 5th, 45 years ago...


    I *think* I listened to this album a couple of times back when I was deep in the weeds with Genesis, maybe 25 years ago. It obviously never made the slightest impression. I never knew Chester played on it. I'm planning a dive back into Genesis however, as it's a been a while since I did more than dabble and now I have a proper place to listen at home, and I have four of the five reissue boxes repatriated to me. Which don't include ACF obviously, but I'm going to give it a listen and see what I think. I gather it's well received here in general, though The Fugitive made a much bigger impression on me.


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    This is WRONG: A Curious Feeling was released on 12 October. The single For A While first came out on 5th October, apparently.

    They have also chosen the later album cover from the Esoteric re-issue. which I always found sort of strange.


    About those release dates: The official sites habe improved over the years, but still they are not accurate a lot of times. This is one of the examples.


    About your impressions: I can understand that, I also listen to The Fugitive more often. Maybe it's due to the vocals ... not sure really.

    cheers

    Christian


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  • I know it's a typo: you just need to add a 2 to your first date. ;)

    I always put typos in my posts for someone to find them ;)

    thanks!

    cheers

    Christian


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  • I still listen to this from time to time. I really liked it when it came out because I was disappointed with ATTWT and this seemed to have more of the spirit of Wind and Wuthering, although not as good obviously. I liked all of it, the long instrumentals and the shorter songs with vocals. As a teenager who had recently discovered the band it was an exciting time. When I listen now I still find much to enjoy and still like all of the tracks, but it sounds a little dated now and the slightly bonkers storyline intrudes a bit more. But still one of his best.

  • The single For A While first came out on 5th October

    Today, 6th October is 46 years since Sham 69 released their single Hurry Up Harry. Altogether now - WE'RE GOING DOWN THE PUB!


    Anyway, A Curious Feeling etc.

    the slightly bonkers storyline intrudes a bit more

    I had no idea there was a 'storyline'. But I suppose, of course there was. 🙄


    EDIT - just looked it up and realise I already did know it was loosely based on a novel but had obviously forgotten.

    Abandon all reason

    Edited once, last by Backdrifter ().

  • Today, 6th October is 46 years since Sham 69 released their single Hurry Up Harry. Altogether now - WE'RE GOING DOWN THE PUB!

    A few years back I taught a lad called Harry, cracking kid who was the slowest thing on two legs. He was delighted when I used that phrase to gee him up and it introduced him to a great bit of music

  • It holds massive sentimental value to me; I still listen to it and there's a lot of nostalgia involved but of course with the years the cracks became more evident. I was never crazy about the singer, and I've always thought it was a mistake not to have session musicians, apart from Kim and Chester, also the tunes on the album are probably not amongst Tony's strongest. It confirms what I've always thought about Tony, he's brilliant, he has the chords, the melodies, the harmonies and the lyrics but he needs people around him, mainly to edit him and secondly to provide a different, edgier and fresher input, I feel his inability to acknowledge that really hindered his solo career.

  • I find this album fascinating in a way. I bought in the early 80s and tried to love it, but I don't think it has aged well.


    For me it sums Tony's solo work up perfectly. All the ingredients are there. The beautiful chords, dynamics, instrumental pieces, thoughtful lyrics.


    But the album leaves me cold, like nearly all of Tony's solo stuff.


    We all know the massive part Tony played the Genesis sound from day one. Phil and Mike managed to turn their skills/talent/approach into solo success.


    But I'm a massive Genesis fan and even I don't get Tony's solo work. Whatever he brought to Genesis (which is a huge amount) he couldn't seem to make it work for himself commercially or artistically (IMO).


    Others will disagree, but his lack of solo success is pretty much fact at this point.


    (PS like someone mentioned above, this album is also ruined for me by the vocals. I just don't get on with his voice).


    Conversely I was disappointed by The Fugitive at the time, but that's my favourite solo TB now.

  • It confirms what I've always thought about Tony, he's brilliant, he has the chords, the melodies, the harmonies and the lyrics but he needs people around him, mainly to edit him and secondly to provide a different, edgier and fresher input, I feel his inability to acknowledge that really hindered his solo career.

    For me it sums Tony's solo work up perfectly. All the ingredients are there. The beautiful chords, dynamics, instrumental pieces, thoughtful lyrics. But the album leaves me cold, like nearly all of Tony's solo stuff.


    We all know the massive part Tony played the Genesis sound from day one. Phil and Mike managed to turn their skills/talent/approach into solo success.


    I'm a massive Genesis fan and even I don't get Tony's solo work. Whatever he brought to Genesis (which is a huge amount) he couldn't seem to make it work for himself commercially or artistically (IMO). Others will disagree, but his lack of solo success is pretty much fact at this point.

    Both spot-on comments.


    TB and MR initially followed the same pattern: first solo album with bland guest vocalist, second self-sung. Then MR hit on a sustained winning writing partnership/singing team formula, which TB never managed for some of the above reasons.


    I think MR also has an edge being a guitarist. Not that he's a showy performer but I think there's a more 'dynamic' perception of guitarists. Keyboardists somehow seem less exciting or interesting, which combined with Banks's self-confessed lack of visual appeal creates an additional drag factor.

    Abandon all reason

  • I’m pretty much of the same frame of mind. I listened to ACF a few times when I first purchased the album, but have had no desire to listen to it since. I definitely prefer The Fugituve.

  • Re the above comments about TBs solo career, I agree completely also about the reasons he basically failed. I do find it interesting that it wasn't for lack of trying with collaborators but those efforts never seemed to find the secret sauce that makes for success (outside Genesis obviously). I personally like the one where he tried it alone (The Fugitive) more than any of the others. So should he have tried that more, or tried with yet more collaborators?

  • Re the above comments about TBs solo career, I agree completely also about the reasons he basically failed. I do find it interesting that it wasn't for lack of trying with collaborators but those efforts never seemed to find the secret sauce that makes for success (outside Genesis obviously). I personally like the one where he tried it alone (The Fugitive) more than any of the others. So should he have tried that more, or tried with yet more collaborators?

    Personally, I think it would have helped to find ONE good, recognizable singer, the way Mike did with Paul Carrack for instance, a singer is always the key to success and Tony's voice wasn't really success material. I assume he would have opposed lyrics by someone else, but I think it would have helped too, I like Tony's lyrics, and they were great...For Genesis....in the 70s....With the new decade and his inability to adapt, they were unnecessary weight. Tony is deep, too much for the 80s. Ultimately, as brilliant as he is and he really, really is, I don't think it's a matter of talent, rather personality, he probably wasn't good collaborating, as shown in the band and he needed to be.

  • Personally, I think it would have helped to find ONE good, recognizable singer, the way Mike did with Paul Carrack for instance, a singer is always the key to success and Tony's voice wasn't really success material. I assume he would have opposed lyrics by someone else, but I think it would have helped too, I like Tony's lyrics, and they were great...For Genesis....in the 70s....With the new decade and his inability to adapt, they were unnecessary weight. Tony is deep, too much for the 80s. Ultimately, as brilliant as he is and he really, really is, I don't think it's a matter of talent, rather personality, he probably wasn't good collaborating, as shown in the band and he needed to be.

    he did bring Fish in for Bank Statement...probably the most recognised singer.

    I actually like ACF...well some of the tracks anyway...maybe the impression that some of the tracks were highlighted to the band..but went , no thanks Tony!

    As others have mentioned, with no one to curtail his keyboards, some of the tracks can seem ovet complicated

  • he did bring Fish in for Bank Statement

    That would be STILL, not BANKSTATEMENT.


    As for ACF, I've probably mentioned before that it took longer for me to start liking this album than any other album I listen to -- like about 30 years from my first hearing it.

  • he did bring Fish in for Bank Statement...probably the most recognised singer.

    I actually like ACF...well some of the tracks anyway...maybe the impression that some of the tracks were highlighted to the band..but went , no thanks Tony!

    As others have mentioned, with no one to curtail his keyboards, some of the tracks can seem ovet complicated

    He kept changing singers, it didn't help, I believe.

  • That would be STILL, not BANKSTATEMENT.


    As for ACF, I've probably mentioned before that it took longer for me to start liking this album than any other album I listen to -- like about 30 years from my first hearing it.

    Or even Soundtracks, along with Toyah and Jim Diamond, all of whose songs were good.

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!