I think there was a thread like this on another, long-ago message board; but I'd like to start a new one.
What Genesis songs can you think of that (intentionally or not) happen to have other songs' titles in their lyrics?
Here's what I know of off the top:
The Magic Of Time: Silent Sun
Supper's Ready: Like It Or Not
Firth Of Fifth: Shepherd
The Lamia: Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats
A Trick Of The Tail: That's All
Alone Tonight: Tonight, Tonight, Tonight
Tonight, Tonight, Tonight: In Too Deep
Do we know who wrote the lyric...?
Phil.
I note that he mentions the STRICTLY INC. leftover "Back to You," saying he didn't think it was worth including as a bonus track. He talks about it like it was never released, but actually it's available on the "Walls of Sound" single. It's not that bad of a song either.
Original album version: Very good
Single edit: Good
Shortened live version: Good
Extended remix: um, no.
Thanks.
In the credits for GUITAR NOIR (I only have the original U.S. version), Steve is credited on several tracks as playing "Stepp." What is this?
Thoughts on the review:
"Charisma met with criticism from many fans who demanded that Kim Poor’s paintings continue to be used for the cover artwork." -- I've never been a big fan of Kim Poor's paintings for Steve's albums (although there a couple I like). I actually like the CURED cover (front & back).
"Picture Postcard / Steve sings in a high falsetto" -- He doesn't sing falsetto here, but just sings at the (apparent) top of his natural vocal range.
"Steve Hackett showed courage when he decided to sing all songs himself. Unfortunately, he sings in a high pitched voice that sounds forced and soon tires the listener." -- I have to agree. He especially sounds strained on "Turn Back Time." He would sound much better on later albums.
Additional observation about the album: This is Steve's shortest album (in its original form), and may even be the shortest Genesis-related album overall. (I haven't done the math, but I think Side 2 of Ant's TWELVE album is longer than all of CURED. At any rate, I know Ant's song "The Meadows of Englewood" is!)
Did anyone else notice that the picture illustrates both sides of the record with the same set of physical grooves -- a two-track vinyl side that is clearly neither of the actual NOTTINGHAM 1990 sides? I guess the actual record isn't available to be photographed yet!
Thoughts on the album (and review):
I'm a big fan of this album and listen to it often. My main complaint is that it's so short.
The very first time I ever heard of Steve was when I saw a poster for this album in a record store. At the time I'd barely even heard of Genesis.
I never cared much for the front cover. As for the "two ladies" on the back: are we sure that isn't just one lady and a mirror?
"Slogans" -- I totally could not understand what the vocoder voice was saying until someone explained it to me.
While "Steppes" is the obvious favorite, I've always preferred "Hammer In The Sand" and "The Toast."
Did you know this is the only Steve album with vocals where he doesn't sing lead on at least one song?
I can't say I agree totally with the review. For one thing, "Par Avion" is actually one of my favorite songs on the album. I agree that the other Kirby track, "You Are The One," isn't anything special, but my main problem with it is one shared by "All I Need Is A Miracle": an underwritten chorus that just repeats a couple of lines and doesn't go anywhere.
My favorite song on the album is "Hanging By A Thread," although I find the beginning confusing rhythmically, and also would have liked for the chorus to be repeated one more time at the end.
BTW, "A Call To Arms" is actually sung by both Carrack and Young, with Stashuck providing the female-sounding vocal part that's somewhere between backing and lead.
This is one of those albums that originally didn't grab me enough for me to keep it, but which I later returned to. When I listen to it in the car, I have the song order changed to a custom one that I prefer over the actual order.
I don't believe they 'sacrificed' anything. They retained their musical integrity, but just applied it differently and in a way that, as you say, many didn't like.
I basically agree with this. While Genesis's albums from the "pop" era (ABACAB thru WCD) aren't my favorites by any means, there are a number of songs from that period that I like just as much as any earlier material -- and hardly any songs that I actually dislike.
There's a reason why Genesis is the only long-lasting band that I'm an "all eras" fan of.
Other favorite bands have lost my interest by losing too much of what I liked about them, and going "pop" has sometimes been part of that. But, to my ears at least, there's a world of difference between the 1980s "pop" of Genesis and that of, say, Chicago (one band that really lost me in that decade).
Sorry Christian, what albums did Ant ever do pop.
INVISIBLE MEN, of course. There's a little of it on SIDES as well.
Steve does prog, but has also experience in classical music, blues etc
Shoot, Steve can cover more stylistic territory in a single album than some artists do in their entire careers. Look at TO WATCH THE STORMS or WILD ORCHIDS, for example (particularly the Special Editions).
Halfway There....
Ah, OK. Actually a pretty good song in itself, but toward the end Mike's singing gets really strained and IMO he ends up hitting his worst point vocally on the album.
Bought the single..... Loved it.
Which one?
As I said on another thread: "Not only are the songs mostly nothing special to begin with, but poor Mike doesn't manage even one passable lead vocal here. (I'd say he comes closest on 'A Day To Remember.')"
Additional thoughts:
(1) I think "Who's Fooling Who" is the best song overall. (BTW, the lyrics as published online don't ever seem to be correct. It's "they trot out some pocketbook psychology." It's not "tried out.")
(2) The outtake "Calypso" has an even worse vocal than any of the songs on the album.
(3) "Making a Big Mistake" does not sound like it was recorded during the AVS sessions. Mike's vocal on this track (while still not perfect) is much better than anything he did on AVS.
The figure on the far left: Harlequin
OK, but now it says "The Wicked Lady remained unreleased until 2013 (see below)."
It didn't remain unreleased until 2013; it just remained unavailable on CD.
Looks like one update is still needed. It says: "The Wicked Lady is one of the few albums from the Genesis camp that have not yet been re-released on CD." This, of course, changed several years ago.
For example "She'll be waiting". Or most of Wise After The Event. I can only speak for myself but those are examples I like his voice a lot better than on the majority of Invisible Men.
Interesting how different people hear things differently. I've always considered WISE to have been seriously brought down by Ant's vocals as they were at the time (particularly his habit of lapsing into a "creaking" sound), and wished the album could have been sung in his INVISIBLE MEN voice! Oh well.
At any rate, I can't argue with the idea that Richard Scott could have sung more on INVISIBLE MEN. As I mentioned, there's no doubt that he was a more conventionally strong singer.
