Genesis in the media

  • In a recent-ish episode of Guy Garvey's TV series From The Vaults, in which each episode focuses on TV music archive material from a particular year, he looked at 1980 and it included part of the Duke Tour footage from Liverpool Empire. It featured dressing room footage (PC and MR, DS and CT all laughing and joking, TB stone-faced), interviews with the trio, and snippets from TIOA and Duchess. At the end of the feature Garvey's voiceover said "In all their incarnations, I love Genesis", a sentiment he's often expressed on his 6Music show.

    Abandon all reason

  • In a recent-ish episode of Guy Garvey's TV series From The Vaults, in which each episode focuses on TV music archive material from a particular year, he looked at 1980 and it included part of the Duke Tour footage from Liverpool Empire. It featured dressing room footage (PC and MR, DS and CT all laughing and joking, TB stone-faced), interviews with the trio, and snippets from TIOA and Duchess. At the end of the feature Garvey's voiceover said "In all their incarnations, I love Genesis", a sentiment he's often expressed on his 6Music show.

    Yet until a listener to his show put him straight a few years ago, he'd never heard of Ant. Now, I have no particular difficulty with (the concept of) people who haven't, but methinks Mr Garvey overplays his supposed adoration of Genesis. As he does for many other artists. (Incidentally, I speak as a fan of Elbow since 2001 who enjoys much of the music Garvey plays on his programme.)

  • Yet until a listener to his show put him straight a few years ago, he'd never heard of Ant. Now, I have no particular difficulty with (the concept of) people who haven't, but methinks Mr Garvey overplays his supposed adoration of Genesis. As he does for many other artists. (Incidentally, I speak as a fan of Elbow since 2001 who enjoys much of the music Garvey plays on his programme.)

    I get what you mean but I don't share your scepticism of his love for their work, and feel it's harsh to relegate it to "supposed". I also don't pick up on any overplaying of his love of the many other artists you refer to, certainly not from my regular viewing of Vaults and listening to his radio show, which you clearly also do so we're obviously getting very different signals. From his presenting, his manner in interviews and his conduct on stage he comes across as a decent charming bloke. I can't imagine what he'd gain from exaggerating his regard for Genesis or anyone else. It's not incomprehensible to me that someone could love the music while not being aware of AP.

    Abandon all reason

  • Mark Riley on 6radio also a big fan of early Genesis, despite his left field music tastes...one of the only times have heard Happy the Man on radio,,was on his show.....anyway, last week he played FOF and said how he loved it, although he did give a pre warning for all prog haters to turn away for the next 10 minutes! 🤣

  • Mark Riley on 6radio also a big fan of early Genesis, despite his left field music tastes...one of the only times have heard Happy the Man on radio,,was on his show.....anyway, last week he played FOF and said how he loved it, although he did give a pre warning for all prog haters to turn away for the next 10 minutes! 🤣

    Not the first time he's played that but it's a pity he prefaced it with that remark, as lighthearted as I'm sure he meant it. I'd go with, you probably won't like it but give it a go.

    Abandon all reason

  • Mark Riley on 6radio also a big fan of early Genesis, despite his left field music tastes...one of the only times have heard Happy the Man on radio,,was on his show.....anyway, last week he played FOF and said how he loved it, although he did give a pre warning for all prog haters to turn away for the next 10 minutes! 🤣


    This sort of thing really annoys me. I don't think there is another type of popular music where fans are almost expected to be apologetic, or at least embarrassed, for liking prog.


    When anyone makes a documentary about prog, there always has to be at least one dissenting voice. "oh yeah, prog's rubbish isn't it? It's just 50 minute songs and capes isn't it? This is why punk happened"


    When it's about prog, why does there have to be someone whose sole purpose is to slag it off?


    Funny, I don't see that with other forms of music. "Tonight on BBC4 we present a profile of Delius, with interviews with some performers, admirers of his career, and with the lead singer from the UK Subs, who will tell us why classical music is rubbish."

  • Agree. The haters can fuck right off. They don't know anything! It perpetuates the idea that people can be judged negatively for what music they like, a ludicrously dumb concept to begin with, but harmful for kids. I liked Genesis when I was a teenager in school and would have been quite self conscious about the perception. What a stupid, shitty thing to be a thing at all.

  • in defence, my comment didn't mean to offend. Mark Riley was a one time member of The Fall...who probably at their time were pretty opposites to Genesis, but he is still a fan and was acknowledging that not all his listeners were old prog fans!...at least he was playing a classic and if you know his show, sarcasm rules

  • in defence, my comment didn't mean to offend. Mark Riley was a one time member of The Fall...who probably at their time were pretty opposites to Genesis, but he is still a fan and was acknowledging that not all his listeners were old prog fans!...at least he was playing a classic and if you know his show, sarcasm rules

    And you did already say you were probably paraphrasing his comment anyway.


    This goes to the thing I've mentioned before, that the antipathy to prog has always been mainly from certain sections of the media, and members of the public springboarding off that. People actually in the industry tend to be relaxed about "genres" and will like what they like without any dragging any baggage along. Many from the punk/new wave movement grew up listening to prog among other things and a few have been happy to voice their liking for such bands. No question though that some "hid" it no doubt in fear of their credibility taking a knock, seeing as punk was supposed to have "replaced" the likes of prog.

    Abandon all reason

  • It's always gratifying to hear someone from one of those genres champion Genesis or compliment, for example, Mike's bass playing (someone did that specifically, I forget who). Not because it validates how good they are, but because it's a break from the more typical approach of hiding it away or being somehow afraid of admitting to liking Genesis.

  • in defence, my comment didn't mean to offend. Mark Riley was a one time member of The Fall...who probably at their time were pretty opposites to Genesis, but he is still a fan and was acknowledging that not all his listeners were old prog fans!...at least he was playing a classic and if you know his show, sarcasm rules


    Absolutely nothing I said was aimed at you, and I apologise if it came across that way. I'm glad you posted your point.


    I was just having a general moan about the way prog is presented in the media. :)

  • It strikes me that this whole “Punk vs Prog” thing is mainly a British (perhaps more broadly European?) phenomenon. I graduated from high school in the US in 1979 and can say that right up until the end of the 70s at my school there were at least a decent amount of prog fans. I remember quite clearly receiving ATTWT for my birthday and some of my classmates bemoaning the fact that they thought Genesis was beginning to move away from their classic prog period.