TotW 03/25/2019 - 03/31/2019: GENESIS - Your Own Special Way

1st Official Post
    • Official Post

    What do you think about "Your Own Special Way"? 23

    1. 13 points - very good - (4) 17%
    2. 11 points - good (4) 17%
    3. 15 points - outstanding (2) 9%
    4. 12 points - good + (2) 9%
    5. 09 points - satisfactory + (2) 9%
    6. 08 points - satisfactory (2) 9%
    7. 05 points - sufficient (2) 9%
    8. 14 points - very good (1) 4%
    9. 10 points - good - (1) 4%
    10. 07 points - satisfactory - (1) 4%
    11. 06 points - sufficient + (1) 4%
    12. 04 points - sufficient - (1) 4%
    13. 03 points - poor + (0) 0%
    14. 02 points - poor (0) 0%
    15. 01 point - poor - (0) 0%
    16. 00 points - abysmal (0) 0%
    GENESIS - Your Own Special Way
    Year: 1976
    Album: Wind & Wuthering [review]
    Working title: unknown
    Credits: Rutherford
    Lyrics: Yes
    Length: 06:18
    Musicians: Banks, Collins, Hackett, Rutherford
    Played Live: 1977, 1986
    Cover versions: Steve Hackett, John Wetton

    Notes: Rutherford created the band's first real love song. But of course they could not do it in four minutes, and the verses had to have an odd time signature. Interestingly, Wind & Wuthering also has a love song penned by Tony Banks, Afterglow. His song has an end of the world feel as opposed to Rutherford's romantic declaration of love.


    We invite you to share interesting facts and tidbits about this track. Let's look at the track in the context of the band's / the artist's history, at the music, the songwriting and all other aspects that are relevant for this track. Please do stick to the discussion of the track above. Comparisons to other tracks are okay, but remember that the other track you may be keen to talk about has or will have its own Track Of The Week thread. If you spot a mistake or if you can close a gap in the fact sheet above please feel free to contact martinus or Christian about it; we will gladly add and improve!

    While some fans seem bothered by it, I embrace uncharacteristic moments of sweetness on progressive rock albums.


    Songs like Harlequin, and particularly More Fool Me and Your Own Special Way tend to be lightning rods for criticism, but to me they are part of the tapestry that made Nursery Cryme, SEBTP and W&W (my three favourite Genesis albums) so great.

    Quote from Witchwood

    While some fans seem bothered by it, I embrace uncharacteristic moments of sweetness on progressive rock albums.


    Songs like Harlequin, and particularly More Fool Me and Your Own Special Way tend to be lightning rods for criticism, but to me they are part of the tapestry that made Nursery Cryme, SEBTP and W&W (my three favourite Genesis albums) so great.

    I'm glad you made this post first; I was going to do the same, but I didn't have time until now.

    You are a person after my own heart because NC, SEBTP, and W&W are my favorite Genesis albums (esp. pre-trio - if we're considering all eras, I'd probably have to put Duke in this group too.)


    I also like this song a lot. It's not an all-time favorite of mine, and yet I think it fits very well on the album. The one thing that does bother me about it is the transition from the verses to the chorus. The first verse is lovely - very classical sounding; however, the chorus switches to this country-type sound. I don't know if Mike or Steve plays that twangy bit on guitar in it - I just know that, to my ears anyway, it just doesn't sound right. The next verse and chorus has the same transition but it doesn't sound quite as harsh (probably because I know it's coming).


    It's a pretty song. A song of this sort was coming on a Genesis album. Even though it didn't make ATOTT, recording "It's Yourself" signaled that they were willing to write songs of this ilk. This continued impetus, of course, led to a song like "Follow You, Follow Me" making it onto their next album.

    Stepping out the back way, hoping nobody sees...

    Like 1
    • Official Post

    I always had an affection for this tune, so 13 points from me.

    I quite like the live version from the Invisible Touch tour as well

    Quote from Witchwood

    While some fans seem bothered by it, I embrace uncharacteristic moments of sweetness on progressive rock albums.


    Songs like Harlequin, and particularly More Fool Me and Your Own Special Way tend to be lightning rods for criticism, but to me they are part of the tapestry that made Nursery Cryme, SEBTP and W&W (my three favourite Genesis albums) so great.

    I agree with the general sentiment of this. Harlequin and MFM are great songs, I like them a lot. But I'm less keen on YOSW. It's quite nice but doesn't do enough to earn the same affection from me as those other two. It might also be affected by it being on an album that is among my least favourite of theirs, as though my general lack of interest in W&W sort of leeches into this song. It follows directly on from two songs I really don't like so by that point I want something to really lift things, and this isn't it. ('Side 1' of W&W is a complete wash-out for me).


    Oddly, I found I quite liked it when I watched the single version being performed on that US chat show. Somehow, it made more sense seeing it that way.

    Abandon all reason

    It's a bit sappy, but then that was the general direction (coughoneforthevine+allfollowingalbumscough). The soft instrumental bridge is a highlight - a dreamy er... musical box that lifts the whole thing up several levels for me.


    Having said that, I can't really be critical - I've loved W&W as a whole for too long, warts and all.


    (I even like Hackett's version!)


    (12)

    Quote from Lazlor

    It's a bit sappy, but then that was the general direction (coughoneforthevine+allfollowingalbumscough).

    I agree about OFTV and yes ATTWT is a bit mired in sappiness bar 2 or 3 tracks but not ALL albums - they steered themselves out of the swamp of tweeness from Duke onwards.

    Abandon all reason

    To my ears, YOSW nicely fits the mood of an album that I find quite evocative overall.


    Trivia: It's the very last Genesis song alphabetically!

    Like 1

    Is this song really about a sailor falling in love with Myrtle the mermaid?


    Personally, I think they did much better love songs than this. And the keyboard solo in the middle does absolutely nothing for me.

    • Official Post

    What do you think about Steve Hackett's version on Genesis Revisited with Paul Carrack on vocals?


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    Even worse. In the liner notes, Hackett seems to take a sideways swipe at the band he left, describing such music as "permissive" as opposed to being "progressive" and then he heaps this steaming pile of dung on the listener. It sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb on the record as the rest of Genesis Revisited is pretty darn good in my opinion.

    11 points. It's an interesting transformation of this song. Time signatures obviously changed. I also like Paul's voice on that one. This is of course not Prog, bit it's a decent pop song. Nothing wrong with that.

    Probably the best Mike & the Mechanics song I've heard :P


    As in the original, the bridge in a different key (and Steve's beautiful solo) opens a window out to different vistas and makes the song in the process.


    Not my favourite track on GR, but quite nice in its own, late nite at the school dance, special way (sorry).

    I like it, it's not their best by a long way but a nice song, that shows an improvement in their ability to write shorter, more accessible music. It sits well on the album, which has a romantic air about it and provides a nice contrast to the high drama around it. Yes the keyboard solo adds little and something more along the lines of sea shanty sound might have improved that little break, but its pleasant enough. I agree with Stillcan'tdance that they wrote better love songs, buts is a very good early example.