TotW 6/24/2019 - 6/30/2019: GENESIS - Tonight, Tonight, Tonight

    What do you think about "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight"? 31

    1. 15 points - outstanding (9) 29%
    2. 14 points - very good (6) 19%
    3. 12 points - good + (6) 19%
    4. 11 points - good (3) 10%
    5. 09 points - satisfactory + (3) 10%
    6. 13 points - very good - (2) 6%
    7. 10 points - good - (1) 3%
    8. 08 points - satisfactory (1) 3%
    9. 07 points - satisfactory - (0) 0%
    10. 06 points - sufficient + (0) 0%
    11. 05 points - sufficient (0) 0%
    12. 04 points - sufficient - (0) 0%
    13. 03 points - poor + (0) 0%
    14. 02 points - poor (0) 0%
    15. 01 points - poor - (0) 0%
    16. 00 points - abysmal (0) 0%
    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!
    GENESIS - Tonight, Tonight, Tonight
    Year: 1986
    Album: Invisible Touch
    Working title: Monkey Zulu
    Credits: Banks, Collins, Rutherford
    Lyrics: Yes
    Length: 8:53
    Musicians: Phil Collins, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford
    Played Live: 1985, 1986, 1987, 1992, 2007
    mp3 downloads: iTunes
    Cover versions: (?)



    Notes: It's one of the longtracks of the commercially highly successful album Invisible Touch - and it became a big hit in the charts as well (the single edit). Genesis had a very modern sound back in 1986, the drams were one big bang and Collins' vocal performance was never better. The full version was only performed during the 1986/87 tour, in 1992 and 2007 the band played only the first part of the track. In late 1985, the track was premiered on TV - titled Monkey Zulu.

    cheers

    Christian


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    This is one of my favorite tracks! I also like the extended remix.


    Never really was a fan of the live version, though.


    14 points from me

    ... make tomorrow today!

    A 12 from me, certainly a high point on this album.


    And, as any Scotsman will tell you, ye cannae beat a good dram! ;)

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!

    Original album version: Very good

    Single edit: Good

    Shortened live version: Good

    Extended remix: um, no.

    We can all sleep easy at night knowing that somewhere at any given time, the Foo Fighters are out there fighting Foo.

    -- David Letterman

    For me it’s one of the best tracks they have done as a trio. It probably is a bit too much soundwise, i.e. period piece, hence only 14 points

    A favourite trio track for me. And as opposed to the band, I really like the middle instrumental section. It has a pleasingly trancey feel that they rarely ever had, unfortunately.


    One of the best trio lyrics too, effectively conveying a sense of dependency and desperation. Do we know who wrote the lyric, or if anyone led on the music?


    For me it sits at the darker end of the Genesis spectrum, alongside Mama though it doesn't sound much like it. That's the end of their spectrum I like best to inhabit.

    Abandon all reason

    It's probably my favorite song on the album. I also really like the instrumental section. Yes, there's a lot going on, but it's those layers that make it so compelling.


    This one (like the rest of the songs, really) really benefited from the remix. There are a lot of little bits throughout the song that really pop out now but were buried in the original mix.

    Gave it 9.

    Distinctly remember the day I bought this record on the first day came out.


    Was disappointed with the song till about the 3:20 part when I sort of felt the Genesis of older years I so desperately wanted to hear peeping through a bit.


    Probably didn't help that I was deeply ensconced with Trespass and The Lamb at the same time I bought this album way back in 1986....

    "She looks at me and gently smiles, as if she knew I'd ask her all the time..."

    Quote from Gaz

    Probably didn't help that I was deeply ensconced with Trespass and The Lamb at the same time I bought this album way back in 1986....

    well, that's a tough competition. I always try to avoid later stuff with tracks from their earlier work. It's a different approach and I do like a lot of their later work. Question is: does it make sense to rate something older as "better" in comparison with more recent stuff?


    Anyway, I gave 12 points. Always thought that the sound on IT and this track in particular is very strong, stright forward, direct, a bit aggressive. Love the 5.1 version, too!

    Quote from Harold

    Question is: does it make sense to rate something older as "better" in comparison with more recent stuff?

    And the answer is an unequivocal "no". Why should a band in 1986 be making the same kind of music they did over a decade ago?


    Onto a happier subject, the song itself is outstanding. Phil used to sing the refrain during the jamming of Monkey/Zulu and lines such as "coming down like a monkey" suggested the theme of dependency and desperation. The instrumental section is inspired, the drama building mysteriously until the band turn it up to eleven for a classic, dramatic finale. A real high point of a truly classic Genesis album.

    Just because a track is older than another track does not automatically make it 'better' . I doubt there would be many people who would say that Love Me Do is better than A Day In The Life, for example.

    Quote from FeelItComing

    I doubt there would be many people who would say that Love Me Do is better than A Day In The Life, for example.

    Good point, however, if you have the sort of evolution that spans from A day in the life to get to Love me do, I guess raising eyebrows can't be frowned upon. It makes no sense anyway, to each his own.

    Edited once, last by Fabrizio ().

    The long album version of Tx3 is one of the very highlights of the trio era and maybe doesn't quite get the attention it deserves. It's in the same league as Mama, hypnotic music with great vocals.