The Guitar and Genesis

  • One of the casualties of the new course launched with Abacab was the acoustic guitar and I don't mean necessarily the 12-strings but acoustic in general. I will probably stand corrected but I don't think there is any trace of it on Abacab, Shapes, IT or WCD, it resurfaces on CAS. A pity actually.

  • One of the casualties of the new course launched with Abacab was the acoustic guitar and I don't mean necessarily the 12-strings but acoustic in general. I will probably stand corrected but I don't think there is any trace of it on Abacab, Shapes, IT or WCD, it resurfaces on CAS. A pity actually.

    I'm struggling to think of any acoustic guitar on those albums you listed, I think you're right but likewise stand to be corrected by any musos more knowledgeable about such things.


    Off topic of guitar but I think the mellotron made its final appearance on Duke too? I'm sure that in itself is probably taken as a sort of death knell by some. I'm not so fussed about that though, but it would've been interesting if they'd found a way of incorporating acoustic guitar into their post-Duke sound at some stage, without compromising the leaner sound.

    Abandon all reason

  • I'm struggling to think of any acoustic guitar on those albums you listed, I think you're right but likewise stand to be corrected by any musos more knowledgeable about such things.


    Off topic of guitar but I think the mellotron made its final appearance on Duke too? I'm sure that in itself is probably taken as a sort of death knell by some. I'm not so fussed about that though, but it would've been interesting if they'd found a way of incorporating acoustic guitar into their post-Duke sound at some stage, without compromising the leaner sound.

    Well, the Mellotron, like a the Moog perhaps were sort of era instruments, they were victims of the next techno keyboards. They were then rediscovered by the neo-prog bands who were trying to channel a specific sound and era. Evidently though, there was not much space for acoustics instruments in the 80s. We could argue that apart from the 12-strings sound and that became outmoded, Mike had little to offer in that department, although I sort of liked what he did on Open Door but it seems to me that even Tony gave the piano altogether.

  • Era instruments like the Simmonds drums and the Fairlight. („There is no Fairlight on this record.“ - Liner note on No Jacket Required)

    First we learned to walk on water.

    Then we tried something harder.

    - Red Seven -

  • Era instruments like the Simmonds drums and the Fairlight. („There is no Fairlight on this record.“ - Liner note on No Jacket Required)

    Well yes, of course, some instruments and respective sound mark an era but acoustic instruments are sort of timeless, it is remarkable there's a 17 years gap in Genesis without a single acoustic guitar.

  • They were then rediscovered by the neo-prog bands who were trying to channel a specific sound and era.

    Yeah, I occasionally listen to some of these bands when I see a mention or recommendation - always with trepidation as I don't usually like them - and find they often smother their stuff with big mellotron choir chords. It's a sound I loved in Genesis as Banks used it well, and sparingly but some of these prog bands devalue it by slapping it liberally all over the place.

    Abandon all reason

  • It doesn't sound as bad when you consider it as 4 albums.

    Actually I think there was no piano either, 4 album and almost two decades without any acoustic instruments whatsoever. I guess they were out of fashion and it makes sense, electronic music took over. It couldn't be helped, I assume, the new, leaner material didn't lend itself to any acoustic sound. I remember listening to CAS and thinking:'' Wow, acoustic guitar! Drums and even a drum solo!''

  • I might be wrong but I think the rhythm guitar in Illegal Alien is acoustic. Even if so, it speaks for itself Mike would only ever use it in that one song in the background in this period. And for 12-string, well, Tell Me Why has a very prominent 12-string guitar, one of the reasons I always loved that song. It reappeard then in Congo, though not as prominent.