Posts by Thelawnmower

Quote from Witchwood

I think it makes complete sense for the artist to try to match the feel of the music with the lyrics.

There are plenty of songs about battles or fighting that have a highly frenetic quality.

A prime example is Gates of Delerium by Yes, which is thematically about war and peace, and has this stretch of musical madness that eventually winds down and brings the listener back to a place of serenity.

Do I believe Genesis had this approach in mind when they created TBOEF?

No, because from what I recall reading in Gallo's book, the band members concurred that the battle between the music and lyrics heard in this song was completely unintentional..

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I agree, It could be argued the music and words suit the theme but my reading has always been that it got away from them when they put Peter's words to the band's backing tracks and they couldn't find a way out of it. As I've said, I like it and I agree with Backdrifter that the volume of the words is good. Some band members have suggested that the music before the lyrics were added sounded really strong- it's undoubtedly good, but I have tried to imagine it as an instrumental and then how it would sound with less cluttered lyrics and I cant see it. It either needed a completed re-think or its pretty good as it is, which seems to be how it was left.

They are all pretty much classics, I’d have to choose between Watcher, Mar and Dance. Watcher could have been produced a bit better, Dance opens up a new era but the second half doesn’t live up to the first so maybe 11th Earl of Mar. It has such grandeur and power that it sets up the album beautifully, even if not everything that follows matches up to it. But. Then there’s Moonlit Knight, Mama, Abacab and Behind the Lines. Doh!

And Looking for Someone. Double Doh!

And then one of my very top tracks - Musical Box. So I’m going with that. I think.

Quote from Henry Hamilton-Smythe

Did he really do a lot or research? I thought I remembered Gabriel saying it was based on a newspaper article that he had read, but then was unable to find the article when writing the song.

Anyway, I gave the song an 8. Some good playing and an interesting story, but there's just way too much going on.

I think he tried hard and took out adverts in newspapers to get more information. How far he got I don’t know but at least he tried.

Not the best and one of the weaker songs on my favourite album but I like it. It’s a bit long and it’s a bit cluttered, as others have said, and the silly voices have dated, but it contains a lot of great ideas and fantastic backing track. The Reverend is one of my favourite bits of Genesis music. I like the idea that Gabriel played it live with a stocking mask on and I like that he did a fair bit of research into the story that inspired it - before turning it all into Gabrielese. It’s a bit of fun and they’ve thrown the kitchen sink at it but so what? It’s still good to listen to.

Thanks for that. Looking forward to this one.

Indeed, Christian, I know you will not want to say much until you do a proper review, but can you say if your advance copy of the album is a physical one and, if so, is there more artwork than just the cover picture? Is all the artwork by the same artist?

Thanks

Quote from thewatcher

I think we should pause and a take a moment to reflect on the profound genius of this piece of work. It's Sistine chapel-esque in its ambition.

It's a shocker. ironically, if he had just used the picture with the long fingers, it would have been better, although he'd have been accused of ripping off a Gabriel-esque idea. We can only imagine what any rejected covers might have looked like....

I've just checked and he did use that image on the single, it's not much better.

[Blocked Image: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61xg9TvivFL._UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg]

Hackett - like Voyage, Spectral, Darktown, Wild Orchids and the the first Genesis Revisited. Don’t like Cured, Highly Strung

Gabriel - first three excellent plus Us and Passion. Don’t like Security

Collins - all pretty good

Banks - don’t like any of them but first two ok. Don’t like Still

Rutherford Smallcreep’s quite good - ACV dire can take or leave the rest

Phillips - really like most of them, especially Geese and Wise. Not keen on Slowdance or Invisible men

Not quite sure where to out this as the solo section is for each member and this covers them all.

A place to discuss solo album covers, triggered by the debate over Steve’s latest. I’ll have to contribute properly later on as I have to go out now - off the top of my head Steve’s Voyage is a favourite, as is Gabriel’s second and third. Ant has quite a few really good covers. Amongst the clunkers, Acting Very Strange, Still and I’m sure others but I need to think a bit more. I’m more than happy for this thread to be moved if it’s in the wrong place or duplicated elsewhere in some way.

Have already contributed to the album cover thread but I agree, Genesis album covers were never a strength. I’ll reserve judgment on this new Steve one until I see it and how it relates to the album. Of his, I quite liked Voyage, nothing else stands out, (Wolflight does but it’s not great) Gabriel has the most striking covers generally speaking and Ant has some great ones. Probably a rich alternate thread here in solo album covers.

Quote from Witchwood

Steve should hire you to write promotional releases for him.

While, I know it's just speculation and wishful thinking at this point, the prospect of an organic-sounding, electric album where concisely constructed tracks are broken up by brief interludes of acoustic guitar and flute would certainly raise my hopes for an album offering, as you put it, "much needed light and shade."

thanks, I probably should have added that I’m not holding my breath…

Had a dig around about this. There seems to be two aspects to this Lennon/Genesis tale. An interview with a radio station, (WNEW 1973) which is probably accurate and uncontroversial, when Lennon said he had been listening to some stuff and Genesis were named.

Steve has repeatedly mentioned this. More recently (Oct 9th 2023) in an interview for Killer Guitar Rigs, he said

'“John Lennon very kindly said at one point that he considered us to be ‘true sons of The Beatles’. So there’s an interview with The Sun that I’ve been told about by a friend or two, and I’m very proud of that.”

In September 2023, for Ultimate Guitar .com, already quoted above - Steve said

"I think Nigel Pierce, in Norfolk, who's the DJ there, who's said to me that he's got a tape of Lennon talking to - I'm not sure who he was talking to - but saying that [there were] two bands who were true sons of the Beatles. And he said, one was ELO, and one was Genesis."

"And it's quite subtle, I think, the influence of the Beatles on Genesis. But I gather that he said also that he got all the Genesis records from 'Nursery Crime' [1971] onwards, sent over to him in New York. So whether it was a connection to all things British - because, don't forget, there's the storytelling aspect, and the Jabberwocky aspect, and the wordplay that I think that both Peter Gabriel and John Lennon shared. There is that.


So, he may be claiming to remember the original radio interview with Lennon, but the 'sons of Beatles' bit has been told to him by others. From what I can gather, but I can't find the source, someone on a Genesis-related facebook page has claimed that 'someone' has been going through Lennon's archive notes and discovered this. Having spent my working life teaching kids, we are now in 'I got told' territory, the origins of many a social media spat and accompanying playground scuffle, so unlikely to get any further, unless of course someone is going to publish Lennon's archives at some point.

From memory he hasn’t done a Nursery Cryme tour yet and I’m sure he’d be up for that. There’s probably enough singers on stage to have a go at Harlequin.

I agree. He has developed a lifestyle where touring is his life. His family, friends and professional life are all bound up in it, he travels the world catching up with friends and sightseeing and it seems to be keeping him young and happy. As long as his fingers are moving freely and he’s enjoying it I could see him doing another few years yet. I certainly hope so, I am one of those who would love to see him do more solo stuff but I fully understand the reasons why he doesn’t and his gigs are amazing. If he does a few more years and we look back over the years of recent tours I imagine he will have covered a lot of his solo stuff, although he does have an over-reliance on Spectral, Everyday and Hierophant.
I’m just really pleased I can still go out with my family and watch this stuff after forty three years of following them.

I like the idea of a concept album and the title is intriguing. I'm hoping the scaffolding of a concept and the shorter songs might lead to more light and shade and more space for the music to breathe than we have had in recent offerings. I like to think he's got at least one more cracking album in him. I'll wait to see the cover properly but at first sight it reminded me of the style of 'Til We Have Faces and some of the Julia Donaldson books I read with my Grandchildren. It may be that the whole package, especially if it is a gatefold, suits the material. I prefer it to some of his more recent album covers but it is a bit literal as Backdrifter says. Lots of tracks on a short album, I'm guessing some very short connecting instrumentals, which will leave a few longer tracks and that might mean we get some much needed light and shade and room to breathe. I just hope he takes a leaf out of his earlier books and allows for some natural sounding instrumentation, without clattery metally drums all over the place and the same keyboard wash with a few 'world' sounds flown in. This is a food chance to blend the best of his later stuff (rough and loud guitar shredding, good vocals and harmonies and some genuine incorporation of international music) with the best of his earlier music (contrasting dynamics, a romantic sweep, prog elements and ethereal passages with flutes and a sense of unhurried development). Oh and bit of mellotron wouldn't go amiss! If it's good I'd love to see him play the whole lot as a set one, followed by Genesis and solo classics, but I think he has such a successful formula now to the live shows I can undertstand how that's not going to change much. He now has a lot of folk relying for a living on the size of shows he is generating, it's a lot to risk.

Quote from Backdrifter

Why would it fit with that?

Because I can imagine Lennon talking about bands who perhaps he was enjoying listening to at the time or that he felt maybe carried something of the Beatles forwards. We know that he, and by the look of it George, felt that about ELO and as Genesis have an orchestral, romantic sweep and proggy elements, it's not too much of a leap to think he could have lumped them in. But again, the fact I can imagine it doesn't make it so! I was just meaning that I can imagine how someone might over-egg that particular pudding, whether Steve, or someone who told him, is beyond our ken.

I've read a few discussions about this. I don't think its particularly important either way. The consensus would appear to be, in the face of a lack of evidence, that Lennon probably said he'd listened to the band and probably Selling England, it would be a fair assumption that this is positive on some level. Beyond that it seems to me that Steve probably believes it, or else why risk looking foolish when you don't need to? But that doesn't make it true and he doesn't say where he has this information from, presumably a source he trusts. I think it would fit with the positive things Lennon did say about ELO around that time, (supported by George's admiration for Jeff Lynne) and maybe that's how it's been amplified. We can't prove Lennon didn't say it so I suppose the best response is to be dubious until evidence arises, if it ever does. I don't think that's the same as Steve being a liar, but maybe he'd be wiser toning it down a bit.

It also has a very positive four star review of i/o

January 24 issue of Mojo out now Trevor Horn is asked what he sings in the shower

‘Ripples by Genesis. I love the way it goes ‘sail away, away…’

So an ex-singer of Yes sings Genesis!

Not for me, I thought it very average and lacking the real drama of the original. Of the three endings I really like the live one. But good luck to him