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With the lone exception of Follow You, Follow Me, I don’t think any track from ATTW3 would have sounded out of place on Wind & Wuthering.
I also think Evidence of Autumn, Duchess or Heathaze - any of those songs - could have fit in with either of the four-man era albums without creating a stir or raising eyebrows.
Yes it’s very much in the vein of Tony’s comment at the reunion of ex-Genesis members: “Well we managed to sack the whole lot of you!”. Most British people get the humour but it sometimes perplexes others
People of many nationalities appreciate dry humour.
It just struck me as odd appearing in a printed press release sent out to media outlets where intonation is more likely to be lost and editors are more likely to read the words and take them literally.
I don't think I had ever seen the official press release that was issued by the band — until moments ago.
If I had, I'm sure I would have found the headline very odd and disingenous, referring to Phil taking over vocal duties as a "20-year experiment" and the band now seeking a full-time replacement for Gabriel.
I heard the announcement on the radio at the time.
My heart sunk but I wasn't shocked and, in fact, felt it was something that was bound to happen eventually in light of how monstrously popular Phil had become as a solo artist.
I remember talk of that at the time, but I think it was pure speculation from fans online. I don't think there was any basis for the rumors.
Ray Wilson stated in a 2001 interview that he was initially invited to sing on Carpet Crawlers 99 but then at some point he got a call from Tony Smith and was told he wouldn't be involved.
Always struck me as an attempt to add bells and whistles to a song that was beautiful in its original simplicity.
Compared to the studio version or any live performance of this song I've heard from any era, this is easily my least favourite.
I don't believe I have ever heard this song until now.
During the first part I was thinking Mike seemed to be making a conscious effort to stay within his range, and then we got to the chorus...
The main problem I have with most of AVS and with the chorus of this track, is that Mike tries singing a little too raucously for his vocal capabilities.
Not sure what he is going for with that cover. I feel like he is a teacher at Hogwarts in that picture.
It conveys music that is the product of wizardry, bringing to life creatures of flight from a prehistoric era, couched in a classical setting.
That might draw in some prog fans. 
Thanks for sharing that.
I found it interesting as well.
I wonder if I am the only one who doesn't like medleys of old Genesis songs? Those songs told stories, and performing just one verse or half a song means the story isn't told. I do like how they did just instrumental sections of FoF and Cinema Show in 07, rather than shoehorn partial songs into a medley. I still find the 1992 "Old medley" jarring when they stop part way through Dance On A Volcano.
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I don’t mind the medleys, even if there are brief excerpts of songs, as long as it flows and seems well-crafted.
I love the I Know What I Like medleys from the mid-70s to 1980, and I think all the In The Cage medleys were great. I thought The Lamb-Watcher transition worked really well though that probably doesn’t qualify as a medley.
And then in complete contrast, we have the 92 medley which I thought was a horrible mess. It lacked flow; inserting one or two vocal lines from various songs — the whole piece just seemed like it was thrown together with little thought, care or creativity.
These days Mike seems to disregard anything that predates the Mama album, be it Genesis or solo.
I like Smallcreep's Day a lot and think it's one of the best solo releases by any Genesis member...
Mike is another prime example of artists being the worst judges of their own material.
I share the love and enthusiasm of those who herald Smallcreep's Day as one of the best solo albums to come out of the Genesis camp - it would probably be in my Top 5 or 6.
I was always quite puzzled by Mike's dismissal of it as "not very good" when I think it outshines everything he has done on his own since.
This is possibly psychological, but I've noticed huge differences in the "feels like" temperature depending on where I am. In the US or Canada, -10 might feel like -10 (or -15 or whatever if it's windy). You can bundle up and tolerate it just fine. In Ireland, -1 might feel like -30 and be impossible to dress against. I suspect it's the damp but I have no evidence to back this up. The old "gets into your bones" thing.
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I think moisture in the air does have an impact on your comfort level.
I find here in Northern Ontario, as long as you're dressed properly, nobody complains about it being -25 C.
People here refer to it as a "dry cold."
But if I travel 7 hours south of here to Toronto where I grew up, I find even at -7 C, walking in the downtown with the wind blowing can be unpleasant. It's almost like there is a dampness in the air that seeps into your clothes and crystalizes against your skin. That's how it feels to me.
So my -2 to -4 is tropical in comparison!
-2 C wouldn't be tropical, but certainly spring-like.
I've been working from home since last March. Here's the view from my current office window.
It's one of those lovely winter days we get in my neck of the woods where it's clear blue skies and sunshine but extremely cold.
It's -20 C this morning and the forecast is calling for temperatures to drop to -34 C overnight.
I had a very similar experience.
They were my first “favourite band,” discovered them when I was about 12, shortly after the release of ATWAS, and to this day I list them among my favourites.
But like you, I went through a 12-year stretch where I stopped buying their albums, declaring their last worthwhile album to be Grace Under Pressure – dismissing all subsequent releases as synth heavy, light on guitar and pop leaning.
Then in the late 90s, on a Genesis forum, of all places, I was chatting with a fellow Rush fan and after expressing my passion for the band's early output, he encouraged me to give Counterparts a try.
And so I did, not expecting to be impressed, and was completely taken aback.
It made me realize at that point, I hadn’t really given the albums after GUP a proper chance. Instead, judging them largely based on individual tracks that seemed to support my previous dismissal.
So I bought the missing albums and went through a period of discovery and grew to appreciate this previously maligned group of albums.
I also share the view Rush went out on a high.
Their last three studio albums I thought were great.
Among the hardcore Tull fans, I think there is a fair share who are discontent about one thing or another.
On social media I’ve seen a lot of griping amongst Tull fans, complaining about Anderson’s persistence in touring despite the deteriorating condition of his voice, and then many further angered by his split with guitarist Martin Barre.
Interesting insights, not only about his time with Genesis and Phil, but with Zappa and Weather Report.
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In Firth, after the line "...his symphony" do both PG on the original and PC on Seconds Out sing "No, not now, not now" or is it a generalised "na-na-na-na" vocalising (as one lyric site suggests)? On SO it sounds like a very definite "not now". Other live versions sound like this too, while Sylvan reverts to a softer less obvious naa-naa-naa sound on a couple of Hackett gig videos I've seen.
One thing is for sure - the album lyric sheet shows nothing there, going straight from 'symphony' to 'undinal'. If it is a definite "not now" why isn't it stated? My guess is PG 'naa-naaed' it and PC turned it into "no not now" (and Sylvan then re-naa-naaed).
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I couldn't tell for sure on the studio recording, but I cross-referenced with a live recording from 74 (Montreal) and to my ears it clearly sounds like Peter sings "No, not now, not now. Na-aaa-uah."
The disc arrived earlier this week and after several listens, I don’t think I’ve been this happy about a new Hackett release since To Watch The Storms.
I think the style of compositions combined with the contributions of Roger King and others make this distinctive enough that I could probably play Bay of Kings and Mediterranean Sky back to back and still have an appetite to put on Momentum or Metamorpheus.
Really enjoying it. At this moment, I’d list this among my Top 10 Hackett albums – something I haven’t been able to say about a new release of his in over a decade.
I went the Amazon route thinking it would arrive sooner with domestic shipping.
When I ordered, the indication was it would be shipped on the date of release but then I received an email on Friday pushing that shipping date to mid February.
Oh well. Good things come to those who wait.
With the snow-covered trees, the spirit of Christmas and tradition in the air, there something about the music of Jethro Tull that always just feels so appropriate for me at this time of year.
