Genesis

5-4-10 Genesis box

I recently mail-ordered a Genesis CD boxed set from England. The idea was to get the first 5 x Charisma albums as SACD’s.

I first heard Genesis on KPFK-FM about summer / fall of ’72 – probably something from “Foxtrot” (“Watcher Of The Skies”? “Willow Farm”?) and I was impressed – something between The Moody Blues – King Crimson – Procol Harum – hey, they were really using their mellotron!

It was easy enough to find an LP of “Foxtrot” when I went looking – it was at the first hippie record I went to. I poured over the cover…and I liked the label (Charisma UK), which I had not previously encountered. A little digging around proved that the band had other albums – all easy enough to find – back then.

The next blip on the Genesis radar for me might’ve been either “Genesis Live” or “Selling England By The Pound” – both of which got a U.S. release. To be honest, in ’72 / ’73, I didn’t have too many people to discuss music with – maybe just my brother and a friend or two from school. Genesis seemed like a “secret”, I suppose. They certainly weren’t being written about anyplace that I was looking (the U.S. music press) – and I didn’t get to buy Melody Maker / Sounds / N.M.E. every single week, so I would have missed the British press that they were getting.

I never got “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway”, but…I was having a problem with “concept albums” by that time – I also never fully got interested in “Quadrophenia” or “Tales From Topographic Oceans” – double LP’s were too expensive, and “too much info”. Truth is, I had moved on to European music, by the end of ’73 and 1974 – no longer just interested in English-language music exclusively.

I went to work in my first hippie record store in 1976, with a manager who was really into Genesis – “A Trick Of The Tail” was played often, but…I was uneasy about the transition of vocalists that had happened in Genesis. I don’t mind some of the songs on that album, but…I never really got behind Phil Collins as a vocalist.

Flash forward 30+ years – when vinyl died, I got inexpensive UK LP’s of nearly every Charisma label Genesis LP ever issued. I got CD’s of the ones I liked, and then got re-mastered CD’s of 4 of the first 5 x Charisma albums. I got super interested in SACD last summer and so…the first Genesis SACD box seemed a natural purchase for me – of course, the US Rhino copies were not SACD’s. And PAL DVD’s – no problem for the likes of me.

There are certainly bigger Genesis fans than I. I’ve never seen them live. And I still have to work on my appreciation of some of their material. Maybe the SACD format will help this situation.

Genesis / Peter Gabriel

11-13-09 Genesis / Peter Gabriel

I watched some Genesis videos tonight. No, not the DVD’s in the new boxed sets – but a 1991 laser disc called “Genesis – A History”, which has some very neat stuff in it – interviews with Jonathan King, Anthony Philips etc. I really liked “Foxtrot” when I first heard it, on the FM radio, late at night. But I could never quite get into “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway” – just couldn’t see it (literally). So, I “never went there”.

LP ROCK ROOTS (Collection) DECCA UK ROOTS 1

1976 17 TRK Collection (60's recordings – 1^st album + singles)

CD TRESPASS re VIRGIN UK CASCDX 1020

1970 6 TRKS ('94 issue)

LP TRESPASS CHARISMA UK CAS 1020

1970 6 TRKS Phonogram issue

LP NURSERY CRYME CHARISMA UK CAS 1052

1971 7 TRKS

CD NURSERY CRYME re ATLANTIC US 82673.2

1971 7 TRKS ('94 issue, re-mastered)

CD FOXTROT re ATLANTIC US 82674.2

1972 6 TRKS ('94 issue, re-mastered)

LP FOXTROT CHARISMA UK CAS 1058

1972 6 TRKS UK re-issue

LP GENESIS LIVE CHARISMA UK CLASS 1

1973 5 TRKS Live

CD SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND re ATLANTIC US 82675.2

1973 8 TRKS ('94 issue, re-mastered)

LP SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND CHARISMA DE 206.919-610

1973 8 TRKS fold-out cover, re-issue

I have a few 45’s and some later LP’s, but this is all I would ever really consider listening to with any regularity. I also have some Peter Gabriel singles, LP’s & CD’s:

7" MODERN LOVE / SLOWBURN CHARISMA UK CB 302

1977 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, Pic label

7" SOLSBURY HILL / MORIBUND THE BURGERMEISTER CHARISMA UK CB 301

1977 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP PETER GABRIEL (1st album) CHARISMA UK CDS 4006

1977 9 TRKS 1st

CD PETER GABRIEL (1st album) (SACD) GEFFEN US 493620.2

1977 9 TRKS 1st ('03 issue) SACD, non-hybrid

CD PETER GABRIEL (2nd album) re GEFFEN US 493300.2

1978 11 TRKS 2nd ('02 issue) re-mastered

LP PETER GABRIEL (2nd album) CHARISMA UK CDS 4013

1978 11 TRKS 2nd; insert

7" D.I.Y. / PERSPECTIVE CHARISMA IRL CB 311

1978 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" D.I.Y. / MOTHER OF VIOLENCE / TEDDY BEAR CHARISMA UK CB 319

1978 3 TRKS no pic sleeve

LP PETER GABRIEL (3rd album) GEFFEN US GHS 2035

1980 10 TRKS 3rd

CD PETER GABRIEL (3rd album) CHARISMA UK PGCD 3

1980 10 TRKS 3rd - original issue

7" GAMES WITHOUT FRONTIERS / LEAD A NORMAL LIFE MERCURY US 76063

1980 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" BIKO CHARISMA UK CB 370-12

1980 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP EIN DEUTSCHES ALBUM CHARISMA DE 6302 035

1980 9 TRKS insert

12" SHOCK THE MONKEY CHARISMA UK SHOCK 12

1982 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP PETER GABRIEL (4th album; aka 'Security') GEFFEN US GHS 2011

1982 8 TRKS 4th

CD PETER GABRIEL (4th album; aka 'Security') (SACD) GEFFEN US 493623.2

1982 8 TRKS 4th ('03 issue; SACD – non-hybrid)

LPx2 PLAYS LIVE GEFFEN US 2GHS 4012

1983 16 TRKS Live

12" I DON'T REMEMBER CHARISMA UK GAB 12

1983 3 TRKS with pic sleeve, 812833.1

CD BIRDY (O.S.T.) GEFFEN US GEFD-24070

1985 12 TRKS O.S.T.

7" SLEDGEHAMMER / DON'T BREAK THIS RHYTHM VIRGIN JPN 07VA-1039

1986 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" DON'T GIVE UP (w/ Kate Bush) CHARISMA UK PGS 212

1986 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD SHAKING THE TREE - 16 GOLDEN GREATS (Collection) GEFFEN US 24326.2

1990 16 TRK Collection

But this is really as far as I get with this train of thought. I have CD’s of some of PG’s 90’s albums, too (“Us”, “Up”. “Ovo” etc.) – I am a fan of his Realworld label, I have about 50 or so of those CD’s. I wouldn’t mind finding SACD’s of PG albums #2 & #3 – I wonder if they’re multi-channel or merely stereo, as the debut is?

I recently found an SACD of his collection album “Shaking The Tree – Sixteen Golden Greats”. Looks like it’s merely stereo and not multi-channel. So, why was this made into an SACD? And PG’s solo SACD’s (in the US) are all “Non-hybrid” – as in, you need as SACD player to get any sound off of this disc – it will not play in a CD player!

G: Genesis

10-9-09 G: Genesis

I am fairly lukewarm on Genesis. I heard “Foxtrot” when it came out and was very impressed. But that’s where I started; I also like the album after it “Selling England By The Pound”. Then I lost the plot. I only keep a “Hits” CD for any post-’74 Genesis needs.

LP FOXTROT CHARISMA UK CAS 1058

1972 6 TRKS UK re-issue

CD FOXTROT re ATLANTIC US 82674.2

1972 6 TRKS ('94 issue, re-mastered)

LP GENESIS LIVE CHARISMA UK CLASS 1

1973 5 TRKS Live

7" I KNOW WHAT I LIKE / COUNTING OUT TIME OLD GOLD UK OG 9263

1982 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" I KNOW WHAT I LIKE / TWILIGHT ALE HOUSE CHARISMA US FC 26002

1974 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" I KNOW WHAT I LIKE promo CHARISMA US FC 26002

1974 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo

LP NURSERY CRYME CHARISMA UK CAS 1052

1971 7 TRKS

CD NURSERY CRYME re ATLANTIC US 82673.2

1971 7 TRKS ('94 issue, re-mastered)

LP ROCK ROOTS (Collection) DECCA UK ROOTS 1

1976 17 TRK Collection (60's recordings)

CD SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND re ATLANTIC US 82675.2

1973 8 TRKS ('94 issue, re-mastered)

LP SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND CHARISMA DE 206.919-610

1973 8 TRKS fold-out cover, re-issue

LP TRESPASS CHARISMA UK CAS 1020

1970 6 TRKS Phonogram issue

CD TRESPASS re VIRGIN UK CASCDX 1020

1970 6 TRKS ('94 issue, re-mastered)

CD TURN IT ON AGAIN…THE HITS ATLANTIC US 83244.2

1999 18 TRK Collection

Despite my protesting that I am “lukewarm” on Genesis, I recently tried to get a copy for $150, of the UK CD boxed set #1, ostensibly to get SACD’s of the first 5 x Charisma albums. When / if I get the UK CD box, I’ll have some re-mastered CD’s to sell off! But amazon.com lied to me, and the UK box was out of stock. Drat!

(Sound of ringing bell) – I was never much of a fan of “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway”. Just couldn’t wrap my head around it. Still can’t, really. I feel the ame way about it that I felt about “Quadrophenia” by The Who – Uh, expensive double album. What’s this about? Ugh, this is too much to try and digest. Better play the Faust LP’s some more.