Posts by Micklemus

Quote from Mozo

IMO, one of the worst songs on one of the band's worst albums.

This is was the first album I bought actually as a fan, and I spent ages trying to convince myself that I really liked it. But I don't...

I get that it's a catchy, jaunty little number but that's the most positive thing I can say about it

It would appear that most people disagree with me, at least so far in the poll....

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No you’re not alone. It’s not a bad song, in the sense that if, say, it came from Keane (who I know covered it) then you’d say it’s alright. It’s well assembled and catchy to a degree. But compared with the rich tapestry produced by Genesis it’s not great. Not for me (and sorry to those who think it’s excellent).

I was a few years into Genesis when this album came out. It was the first album I bought, as previously I just listened to my brother’s Genesis albums. But I suppose there lies the rub for me because the earlier material (plus Duke) really caught my attention whereas this album felt too simple and formulaic (apart from Mama and HBTS). I wasn’t struck on the album and this track plus most of side 2 is why I didn’t like it. For me it’s just not Genesis, not what made them special. Too shallow.

Yes the level of airplay has almost detracted from the song. It's a well-packaged pop tune though with nice guitar work and a lovely vocal performance.

14

S'alright. I can't wax lyrical about it though. Yes, Phil puts on a fine vocal performance etc etc but for me it's below any that found their way onto Abacab (I believe it originates from the same sessions) and the reason for that is it doesn't quite go anywhere. It plods along nicely and has a chorus that almost soars but doesn't quite. Perhaps it's the fact that it goes from a nice chorus back to the same plod.

It's a strong B-side, definitely one of their better ones, but I'd be lying to myself if I labelled it outstanding. I can appreciate why people like Beef Wellington, and I do as well, but it's not the finest cuisine on the planet. Better than a Bernard Matthews Turkey Roll for sure (The Day The Light Went Out) but it's not Michelin Star prepared Wagyu beef (e.g. take Blood on the Rooftops as a similar length and vibe song).

11

Good call. Saw them at the O2 and it was fantastic.

I didn't know they were down this way. I'd have been interested in seeing them. Last time I saw them was Wembley Stadium in, I think, 1989, somewhere around then anyway. Belfast Child - that tour. Unfortunately the stadium rock star thing had gone to Jim Kerr's head at this point; he was really OTT and expecting to be worshipped. However he's mellowed over the years and some of the recent footage of them live has been very impressive. A really tight band with no egos getting in the way.

Down and Out live was rough round the edges when they played it on the first leg of the 78 tour(s). Hardly surprising as there's a ferocious pace to it.

Keep it Dark from the 83/84 tour would also be on my list of substandard live versions.

Also there would be Fly On A Windshield. A 15++ track for me on the Lamb, but played live it never had the same impact and Steve nearly always seemed to be totally at sea until the close of his solo shortly before it went into Broadway Melody.

It's a good song, I just don't think of it as a Genesis song. It would have worked perfectly on Face Value - and could have ended up there of course - but for me it's too straight down the line for the Genesis moniker. Definitely a good pop song though. I also agree that the vocal gymnastics of the live version left a bit to be desired. The studio version is best.

10

Wow, just watched the most recent YT uploads of this band and they really put some energy into the songs. Shame they only tour the US really.

Quote from Backdrifter

A few things on the stats, because that's the kind of guy I am, and one further observation although Micklemus might not see this having exited!

At the 2019 GE the registered electorate was 47m, and the 67% turnout = 31.5m. The Electoral Commission estimates around 8m eligible voters are not registered. I don't know how many disqualified adult voters there are, but as there are around 13m children and the eligible voting population is 55m it seems it must be around 2 million. That means 15m people effectively have to have decisions taken for them by 55m, but in 2019 it was 31.5m, or 57% of the eligible voting population.

Re who we vote for and whether to spoil or abstain, there's another consideration which doesn't often get discussed but was touched on earlier here. We vote for our constituency MPs, and for some people the key thing is how good the sitting MP is. There are even supporters of an opposing party who nevertheless vote for their incumbent MP despite their being from a different party, because they recognise they are a good and effective local representative. There are genuinely good MPs you never hear about because they are committed to their constituency, aren't ministers and just get on with their job with no desire to seek higher office. Some will scoff at this idea, believing all MPs are conniving self-serving shysters but there are effective ones who simply do the job.

I've seen it and I'm back again! I'm a danger to myself!

Good and sensible points as far as I am concerned - thank you for your input. I also think your stats reinforce my point.

Sadly my constituency MP is one of the bottom feeders who need culling but unfortunately return every five years with the regularity and joy of a bad dose of clap. Apt also that I should refer to my MP returning "every five years" as she is startingly absent for the rest of her time.

If it wasn't obvious already, I'm about as far removed from party politics as you can possibly imagine. It's a cesspit and a charade. For me, a vote cast in that direction is a vote to stay on the same path to oblivion, just looking left or right along the way (or perhaps varying degrees of left now) depending on which puppets are in government at any particular time. It astounds me that educated adults have not noticed that things are getting progressively worse across the board irrespective of which colour rosette is on the door. Einstein had a famous quote for those who keep doing the same thing and expecting different outcomes.

"I'll vote for the other lot this time, it has to be better, and they say nice things about the NHS and stuff"

"Really mate, does that stack up? What about after the last time you voted? Or the time before that?"

"Oh stop being so negative. This is democracy"

"Sheesh. OK stay on the hamster wheel, I'm sure you'll be much more fulfilled if you ride it in the opposite direction for 5 years"

If I have a position, it's probably somewhere between anarchist and extreme libertarian. If however a good independent candidate becomes available (not the case at present in my constituency) then he or she will have my support. Failing that, I have my marker pen ready to express my disgust at this foul system!

I promise to try watching only from here on (again)!

I told myself I wouldn't comment further on this thread. Damn it, I've gone against my own directive. Just one more time.

With apologies, I'm not following the importance of voting these days, unless of course you are a dyed in the wool card carrying member of the usual AC/DC main parties. In the UK we will probably get something in the region of 60% voter turnout if the wind blows in the right direction. We have a population of circa 70m and I'm unsure of the voting population number but let's say it's 60m (I could be generous here). So, on a very rough and ready basis, about 36m will vote. Of that 36m roughly 42% will vote for the "winning" party, so we're down to around 15m. This means that about 21% of the UK population actually votes for the government. Let that sink in. This is not democracy; it's a travesty. And in the absence of credible alternatives it's absolutely disgusting.

Consequently, for me and I'm sure many of the majority who won't vote for the next government, or see that there is no difference between the 'opposame' parties on anything that really matters, the only sensible thing to do is speak to the complete farce that this is and spoil my ballot (unless there is a credible independent - which looks unlikely in my constituency). These ballots are still counted by the way. I rather wish more would do the same (unless interested in the usual charade parties of course) as I have a strong feeling that the silent majority would then get noticed.

I'm definitely out of this thread now!

Very good it was too, like all of your documentaries.

Quote from Backdrifter

Other possible album options:

Coming Apart Suddenly (what happened after the album & tour)

Confused, Angry, Shrugging (some fans' reactions)

C'mon, Actually Satisfying (other fans' reactions)

Completely Atrophied Synths (what might have happened to Banks's keyboards)

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Yes! Except the “satisfying” one in my case!

Quote from DecomposingMan

Hmm, interesting nickname for the album.

And, while we're at it, I guess we can refer to the CAS tour as "Canceling American Shows."

I can’t hide it (and never have on this forum): I think that album is a musical travesty and a stain on the band’s great history. The failures to (a) properly integrate Ray, (b) show some musical bravery for a new beginning, (c) lower Tony’s uncharacteristically bad keyboard sounds in the mix and (d) give the whole thing more time and a second album were huge mistakes to me. Marillion reinvented themselves in the 90s but Genesis became caricatures; lost in some no man’s land where they wanted to show they were fine without Phil and could be ballsier, but failing at both. This is off topic though and I won’t say more!

Back on topic, I think this song is a contender for best on the album even if I could be damning with faint praise.

Oh dear. Nordic metal cliches meet a Collins classic. Plenty of effort, some great hair and snarling, dark set, dark clothes, just missed some drum stick twiddling to complete the list. However they needed to be singing about Thor going feral because his missus has run off with a demon (played post midnight on Kerrang! TV) not about Phil's angsty anger towards his estranged wife.

10 for effort. 0 for track choice. 5 for performance. 9 for cliches. 10 for hair and beard quality.

It's one of the best songs on Destroying All Credibility, but nonetheless extremely vanilla. And it's yet another track on this album that is undermined by Tony's uncharacteristically unimaginative keyboards. I'm referring to the 3 minute mark. So many examples of that sort of thing on Destroying.

Our political system is rotten to the core. Corruption everywhere. It doesn’t matter who you vote for (in terms of mainstream parties anyway) you’ll be taken on the same journey, and just invited to look through different windows on way.

Unless there’s an independent in my constituency, I’ll engage in my usual creative ballot-spoiling.

“Albert” would have been hilarious.

Maybe “Malcolm” or “Jeffrey” as alternatives. 🤣

Nope, just many audience bootlegs. Probably the best quality one is the TM Productions version, which you should be able to find on Genesis Movement’s torrent site. It’s not brilliant, none of them are, but he polished up the best sources pretty well.

The band performance was rough round the edges that day. You could tell they didn’t have much rehearsal time. Some good moments though and it must have been a real nostalgia-fest for those who were there.

Lovely track. I particularly like the Lyceum version with the crowd singing along with Phil.

It’s OK but a bit cringe for me. Definitely bottom of the list of Foxtrot tracks. For me it has a strange olde worlde vibe and feels like it could have been played on a harpsichord. Lyrically this wasn’t one of Peter’s finest moments. It’s five young men experimenting, perhaps to transport you to the days of yore after the science fiction of track 1 and before the social commentary of track 3. It feels like it could have almost been on Trespass but here’s the rub for me: I would gravitate towards any track on Trespass over this one.

Just not quite to my taste. Close but no cigar. Or less delicately, the runt of the Foxtrot litter. 10, just about, on a good day with the wind blowing in the right direction.