Your favorite tracks on ... "Genesis"

    Mama

    Second Home By The Sea

    That's



    If fairness, I like this whole album, played this album 3 times now last night =O, 8):thumbup:


    Probably their best album after they left the proggier roots. Phil Collins was at his peak exploring different drumming styles.

    Quote from Liquid Len

    I think Illegal Alien is supposed to be “tongue in cheek”. It’s probably even less PC today than it was in 1983, but it still sounds good.

    I'm married to a Latina, I exposed to the song and she wasn't offended, she didn't find it particularly humorous either. I would agree, as a song per se, again imo, northing special.

    My vote goes to Home & Second Home. I had not bought their 1983 album when I attended their show in Hannover, Germany, on the WCD or WWW tour. In fact, I distinctly remember hearing a song I did not know and thinking "huh, that must be Home By The Sea".


    The only songs I knew from the album until then were Mama and That's All. While Mama has all the sweltering, ponderous heat of the big Genesis song treatment, its magic has worn off for me. I enjoy listening to it from time to time, but I don't feel the emotion in it anymore, I just remember feeling it.


    That's All is a nice pop tune (and that's about all I could say against it).


    The Oscar for the Song That Has Aged Worst Of All goes to Illegal Alien. Yeah, they were poking fun at something, and yeah, in the early 80s you could get away with jokes you couldn't get away with today (remember the film Soul Man? That came out in 1986, and it was successful at the box office, but its blackfacing was criticised and demonstrated against even then). I won't hold Illegal Alien against Genesis for its contents (they were okay at the time, they aren't not, and it's probably the same with Tom Sawyer) *), but for its annoying music. Yes, I do prefer Whodunnit to Illegal Alien because Whodunnit is over sooner.


    Then there is the second side of the album. If we were still in the age of vinyl records, you would recognize it right away: It's the album side without any wear. That Danish prince would describe it as "Illegal Alien? Aye, there's the rub ... The rest oughta have been silence."


    I am noticing a pattern in what I say in many of my posts in "Your favourite tracks on ..." polls: There are few songs I like, and many songs I don't particularly enjoy... Where does that leave me as a Genesis fan? Hmhhh... something to think about this weekend.

    ...cried a voice in the crowd.


    It leaves you being a true fan. Wouldn’t it be boring if we all adored every single song they created, without criticism? We all have Genesis songs we just can’t get into. One that comes to mind for me is One for The Vine. I try to like it, but I just can’t find anything in it that does anything for me. Another one is Back in NYC. I love the way the song sounds, but can’t stand the lyrics. Rape really, did we have to go there? Couldn’t you have told Rael’s story in this song without referring to sexual assault? Just my opinion. Ultimately, differing opinions make this forum interesting.

    For me, it's all the songs on Side 1. There's nothing on Side 2 that I'd add to my play list. I don't hate the songs, but I've got 25,000-30,000 songs, and not all of them can make the list.


    I know a lot of people seem to really like 'It's Gonna Get Better', but the song does absolutely nothing for me. I remember hearing it before the album came out (flip side of the 'Mama' single). I was intrigued by the introduction, but once the song itself started, it completely lost me. I've certainly tried, but just can't get into it all. I'd rather listen to Who Dunnit.

    Quote from thewatcher

    Hmm. I like the tune, but I don't think the lyrics are ok. I thought initially it might have been more PC at the time and it just aged badly, but I was 2 when it came out, and a more seasoned fan here recently pointed out that it wasn't really ok even back then.


    I'd compare it to how they satirized hypocritical tele-evangelists in Jesus He Knows Me perfectly. That was cool. Illegal Alien, much as I enjoy the tune, is not. It is tongue in cheek, but lay off the illegal aliens Phil.

    I still think it's tongue in cheek, and I still can't help but like it.

    Quote from FeelItComing

    I still think it's tongue in cheek, and I still can't help but like it.

    I've never thought it was intended as anything other than a jokey tongue-in-cheek thing, I don't think that's under debate but it's a question of what you choose to be tongue-in-cheek and lighthearted about, and how well you do it. In this case they chose the touchy subject of desperate immigrants and did a rotten cringey clodhopping ham-fisted job of trying to be amusing about it. I believe that as with comedy, music can take anything as its subject and even aim to be comedic about it as long as it handles the subject well. There may well be a song somewhere out there that does a fine skilfully amusing take on someone offering up their own sister as a sexual bribe, but this isn't it.


    Musically it's catchy though. But I really, really hope they look back at it now and shudder with embarrassment at the lyrics, accent, video and live performance of it. If not, they should.

    Abandon all reason

    Quote from Backdrifter

    I've never thought it was intended as anything other than a jokey tongue-in-cheek thing, I don't think that's under debate but it's a question of what you choose to be tongue-in-cheek and lighthearted about, and how well you do it. In this case they chose the touchy subject of desperate immigrants and did a rotten cringey clodhopping ham-fisted job of trying to be amusing about it. I believe that as with comedy, music can take anything as its subject and even aim to be comedic about it as long as it handles the subject well. There may well be a song somewhere out there that does a fine skilfully amusing take on someone offering up their own sister as a sexual bribe, but this isn't it.


    Musically it's catchy though. But I really, really hope they look back at it now and shudder with embarrassment at the lyrics, accent, video and live performance of it. If not, they should.

    Exactly it. I have a problem with the target. Sure, go to town on evil corporations genetically modifying humans to be shorter as a means of getting around rent control. Not a large group of struggling people.


    Edit: it is a catchy tune, there's nothing wrong with the music. I enjoy the song on a lot of levels, I think the sound fits in well with the album. But it's otherwise what my friends and I used to call in college "a clanger".

    Though much could be said about the previous couple of posts,if everybody could return to and stay on the subject of this thread that would certainly be appreciated, thank you.

    ...cried a voice in the crowd.


    Quote from Henry Hamilton-Smythe

    I know a lot of people seem to really like 'It's Gonna Get Better', but the song does absolutely nothing for me. I remember hearing it before the album came out (flip side of the 'Mama' single). I was intrigued by the introduction, but once the song itself started, it completely lost me. I've certainly tried, but just can't get into it all. I'd rather listen to Who Dunnit.

    I'm always a bit surprised when I see song like It's gonna get better being highly praised or fans lamenting the fact that it's underrated. Don't get me wrong, I don't skip it, it's a nice listen but it's really not much more than that.

    For me, It's Gonna Get Better is not only my favourite track on the album, it's among my top 5 - maybe even top 3 tracks of the post-Duke albums.


    Why do I like it so much? I love the sound of the merging bass synth that takes over from the intro; it's the most flowing song on the album; it's uplifting and I really like Phil's vocal performance.


    There are other songs on this album I like a lot as well, and I rate several of them as close but none of them as highly as IGGB.

    I'm... and I'm an IGGB fan as well. I've always been kind of disappointed the band themselves don't seem to rate that one much. Same goes for another of my faves, Down and Out.


    BTW, does anybody else hear similarities between IGGB and Darkness by The Police?

    Sometimes I feel like the most generic Genesis fan... The first side might be second best a Genesis album has had, but the b-side just leaves me cold. And since I also consider Homes to be one tune, choosing the best three was an easy task.

    Quote from Liquid Len

    We all have Genesis songs we just can’t get into. One that comes to mind for me is Back in NYC. I love the way the song sounds, but can’t stand the lyrics. Rape really, did we have to go there? Couldn’t you have told Rael’s story in this song without referring to sexual assault?

    But you know the song isn't specifically referring to sexual assault? I've never understood what that convoluted imagery means, a hairy heart being shaved while a porcupine is being cuddled. Frankly I don't care. One of my top 10 Genesis songs.


    IGGB isn't, but I like it a lot and thought it a shame they didn't keep it in their live set longer.

    Abandon all reason