Posts by Mr.Farmer

The Laughing Gnome - David Bowie

Live In The City Of Light - Simple Minds

Quote from Diogenes

Over the last few months I have been writing an occasional blog about Genesis, based on well-known bootlegs. I don't for a minute claim that the blogs say anything that would be unfamiliar to longtime Genesis fans. The blog about the Duke tour, which I have just uploaded, is a bit different, however. Duke was the first Genesis album to be released when I was actually a fan (I was thirteen at the time). Some of what I have written is therefore a bit more of a personal perspective. Those bits may be of interest to anyone else who was around at the time. I have pasted them below. If you're interested in reading the full thing (as I say, I am not claiming to say anything new), it's here: London 1980: Genesis Bootlegs

What I thought as a young lad ...

Forty years on I look back on these years — 1978 to 1980 — as a time of transition, a staging post on the journey to the brave new world of commercial success. Duke continues along the more accessible path mapped out by And Then There Were Three. But both albums also contain more than a few moments for even the most diehard fan of ‘old’ Genesis to savour — extended instrumental passages, soaring choruses, lyrical references to maidens fair and foul. An alluring mixture of familiar fragrance and flavours strange, you might say.

But it didn’t feel like that at the time — at least, not to this young fan. It actually felt like a huge and hugely unwelcome change of direction. It was as if they were forsaking their roots. Selling out.

Even the artwork — the cartoon figures, the childlike scrawl of the lyrics — reinforced these thoughts. It was all a bit too lightweight, too direct, too commercial. I avoided the new single (Turn It On Again), unlike my friend and fellow compulsive record-buyer Dave. Also a Genesis fan, he was generally more open-minded about chart music than I was. I probably picked up Duke, belatedly and grudgingly, a few weeks after its release.

And then, as Genesis transformed themselves during the early-‘80s, I took refuge in Foxtrot, Wind and Wuthering and the rest, leaving my doubts about Duke to fester and grow. To this day Duke strikes me as the weaker of the two ‘transition’ albums, a judgement more to do with the overall sound than with the quality of particular songs. Where Tony’s lush keyboards on And Then There Were Three wrap the listener in a warm embrace, Duke tracks such as Alone Tonight, Cul-de-sac and Heathaze sound colder and thinner to this (untrained) ear.

On this I am doubtless in a small minority. Genesis fans generally seem to regard Duke with huge affection. It was certainly a big seller at the time. Tony himself describes it in Chapter and Verse as his favourite album. Only relatively recently — perhaps after finally buying a copy of Tony’s A Curious Feeling five or so years ago, perhaps a little earlier — have I really made an effort to listen to Duke with fresh ears.

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I was 18 and a massive Genesis fan since ATOTT I had all their albums and looking forward greatly to the new release. ATTWT was great , I loved it. It was my birthday about two or three weeks after the release of Duke so so was hoping / expecting to get it as a present, which of course I did. . In the meantime another freind of mine bought it on release day. His words were " it's good but it's not Genesis!" I'd heard TIOA on the radio thought it was ok but a bit too poppy. .When I listened to Duke I had similar thoughts to you but there were bits I loved straight away. Duchess, MOOT , Guide Vocal, BTL intro ,Dukes Travels , Dukes End.. It didnt take long to start really liking TIOA but the album stayed hit and miss with me for a quite a while. Never did and still don't care for Misunderstanding. It was the first G song I didn't really like. I also thought PDA and AT should have stayed on PC album. However for some reason I played it quite a bit and it grew on me more and more. It's not right at the top of my list but is probably my second most played album . Really like PDA and AT now. Cul De Sac and Heathaze are the sort of the thing that I like most but have never gotten into them that much , but nice in context.

So although the album was initially a bit of a disappointment to me , I now think it's great. I rank it midway amongst the G albums but still ATTWT edge it between the two. In hindsight It would have been very boring for Genesis to.have continued as they were . I can't see how they could have bettered or kept up with the standard they set in their previous style. Duke was a breath of fresh air. Truly great artists change and develop over time ( The Beatles, David Bowie) and in Genesis's case , it worked.

Brave New World - Hawklords

Quote from SkyWatcher

Vegetable Man - Pink Floyd

I didn't know that one. Just looked it up and played it you tube . Right up there with their best early stuff I think . Also a little disturbing , maybe why it's good.

I'm Only A Poor Little Sparrow - The Ramblers

Get Back - The Beatles

Mr Blue Sky - ELO

All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth - Spike Jones

Love And Affection - Joan Armatrading

Digsy's Dinner - Oasis

Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick - Ian Dury

Suicide Blonde - INXS

The Barry Williams Show - PG

Quote from Simon1967

great quality...i did post this on another site but the same guys have revamped the Lyceum show shown on the old grey whistle test...great sound and quality

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That was great. Only pity is it's not the whole show.

I bought two CDs to go with our brand new CD player bought from Laskys in Coventry in 1987. The players had recently become affordable. One was American English by Wax . The other I think was Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells . It was and still is one of my favourite records.and I wanted to hear how it sounded it on this new format.

Quote from Backdrifter

I'd never thought about what my first live album was but in fact it was Seconds Out, also in 79. But I quickly fell out of love with it and haven't listen to it for over 30 years.

😮 . SO is one of my all time favourites. Whenever play it's my favourite G album. Certainly feel that CS and FOF are the superior versions. Would rank as about 4 on my list when not playing anything. Certainly my choice if I could only have one G album .

Also you have got me thinking now what my first live album was. SO was one of them. I think VIVA ! Roxy Music was my first. I still love that album it has atmosphere like no other and all versions superior to the originals. I used to absolutely love the live albums. Put the headphones on and be transported to a magical place I had never been to , a live show. Bursting Out - JT , Live and Dangerous - Thin Lizzy, Made in Japan DP , Elton John's 17. 11..70 . were amongst the albums I that would send me to somewhere else. I would feel I was there .

I eventually went to my.first gig shortly before my 17th birthday, and they're still my favourite thing.

I then had the brainwave of trying them both at the same time. There was actually some marginal improvement to both but not trying

it again.

Quote from foxfeeder

You definitely should: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therapy%3F

You even got the question mark right!

Well after an argument with Alexa I tried Therapy?. I know of them but never knowingly heard them. Then played Mrsfarmers Abba gold for a minute but I'm afraid I still broke out in a rash!

Mouldy Old Dough - Lieutenant Pigeon