Genesis Duke (1980)

From prognaut.com

Towards the end of the 1970s, the premiere progressive band was in a state of flux and looking towards a new direction. They had lost their lead singer a few albums previously, but had ably continued with drummer Phil Collins stepping to the mike. They lost their lead guitarist only recently and released an album aptly titled And Then There Were Three. This recording was a dark and moody piece, with very little of the English pastoral sound they had been famous for in the past. They got their first real taste of success here with the single “Follow You, Follow Me.” It was time to make some drastic changes if they wanted to continue in the world of popular music.

Genesis’ Duke is that change. It features a brighter, much poppier sound, most likely due to Tony Banks finding new keyboards and Collins introducing the recently invented drum machine to the band. Bassist Michael Rutherford was also comfortably finding his way to be a better lead player on the guitar.

It begins with the first part of the Duke Suite on “Behind the Lines” which leads to “Duchess” and then “Guide Vocal.” “Behind the Lines” is a bombastic, fast paced slice of progressive rock, paving the way for what might later be called neo-prog. It’s gloriously powerful and heralds this new direction for the band, as if to say: “We are here to stay! We will not be going anywhere soon!” “Duchess” continues with its tale of a popstar rising to fame and then her inevitable fall from grace. It then ends temporarily with “Guide Vocal,” sung so tender and elegantly beautiful by Collins.

This seems to be the first record that songs feel uniquely represented by the three songwriters in the band. Rutherford is represented by the big sounding tunes like “Man of Our Times” and “Alone Tonight.” Collins songs are more lyrically personal and direct. “Misunderstanding” and “Please Don’t Ask” (a heartfelt lament to a loss of family), characterize his writing quite well. This would become much more clear as his solo career took off in the early 80s. Tony Banks sound most effectively represents the classic sound of Genesis with “Heathaze” and “Cul-De-Sac.” These songs are melodic and keyboard driven.

“Turn It On Again” is perhaps the best single ever featuring a 13/4 time signature and is a continuation of the Duke Suite as is the incredible instrumental “Duke’s Travels” and “Duke’s End” that close out the album. I understand that they played the piece as a whole on tour. It would have been nice to hear it that way, but I understand the need to have both sides of the original vinyl LP start and end strong. In the age of CDs we would most likely have heard it played as a whole on Duke. As the Duke Suite winds down in its final minutes, Collins repeats the lyrics from “Guide Vocal” in a more aggressive manner. The whole piece is amazing.

This was the last great progressive album by the band, as they would taste this success and run with it on future records. This is definitely a transition album, as they did not sound like this before, but would take this style and introduce even more pop elements on future recordings. One of my favorite albums by one of my favorite bands, I have no choice but to give this my highest recommendation.

Genesis And Then There Were Three (1978)

From blogcritics.org

A controversial, yet fundamental release, …And Then There Were Three marked a turning point in the Genesis history that would forever change its own landscape as well as the musical landscape of rock music of the time. In a time when the trend was the punk music scene, Genesis, now as a trio, began moving away from their progressive rock roots to a more commercial and radio friendly style.

After the departure of Steve Hackett, the roles of the remaining members became more firmly entrenched with Tony Banks handling all of the keyboard duties, Mike Rutherford all of the guitar/bass work and Phil Collins all of the drums and percussion work as well as the vocals.

To many of the early fans of Genesis, this was the final straw that began with the departure of Peter Gabriel. Many felt that this was a musical crisis that would soon lead to the groups eventual down fall. In fact, this became the most stable version of the Genesis lineup; lasting almost 10 more years.

“Down and Out” begins the track list with its 5/4 time signature and shows what a complex, musically diverse band that Genesis was. “Undertow”; a wistful Banks ballad and “Snowbound”; a spiritual Rutherford ballad are more pop tunes that come across with Collins small voicing. “Many Too Many,” while good, is just a little over string produced.

For those who want to return back to the more progressive days of Genesis, then “Burning Rope” with Collins drum fills and “The Lady Lies”; an epic, are the standouts with “Deep in the Motherlode” and “Ballad of Big” following close behind.

The other songs are OK also with the boozy “Say it’s Alright Joe” and the sprightly “Scenes From A Nights Dream” which sounds like a leftover from the “Wind and Wuthering” album.

The one song that sounds misplaced is the same song that gave Genesis its first hit record; “Follow You, Follow Me.” Perhaps that is the reason it comes at the end of the CD. More prolific is the fact that this would be more of the direction of Genesis in the future within the realm of pop music.

At this point in their career, Genesis was still trying to figure out who they were. They were definitely moving away from their progressive rock sound but they had not made the change over to the pop sound that they would cultivate by the time they hit their true transitional album Duke and subsequently Abacab.

As an added bonus, this release comes with a second disk on DVD which has the album mixed in 5.1 audio, plus the two promomotion videos for the album containing “Follow you, Follow Me” and “Many Too Many”. There are also interviews with Collins, Banks, and Rutherford as well as with Steve Hackett explaining why he left the band. There is also the documentary Three Days with Genesis which covered the 1978 European Tour.

…And Then There Were Three is a good album in the sense that it shows the direction that Collins and company will eventually take the Genesis, while still remaining closer to their original roots on this one. It is a little uneven at times, but still has a lot of the progressive rock that was Genesis. With the add-on DVD, it makes it worth owning regardless of which Genesis you liked. There is a lot to like here and in many ways …And Then There Were Three is an unsung classic.

Genesis And Then There Were Three (1978)

From sputnikmusic.com

Following the respective departures of Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett in ’75 and ’77, Genesis entered into what was to be their longest and most successful period as a trio. Tony Banks, Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford signified this second rearrangement with …And Then There Were Three…, which served as the transition from Wind & Wuthering’s fading progressive wanderings to the pop-infested Duke. Essentially, this means that the band’s final 70’s recording still seems a little unsure about accepting the popular breakthrough that beckoned. It’s an unsteady merger of Genesis’ artistic and commercial sides, one that ultimately allowed the fan-hated pop to sneak in.

Divided as it is, there are plenty of parts to the album that manage to appease the progressive crowd, even if the average song length is shortened. Collins is coming into his own as a vocalist at this point, seeming more confident and having a far larger presence than before, although the sound still relies heavily on Banks’ keyboards. Rutherford took over as lead guitarist when Hackett’s position wasn’t filled, keeping his bass duties the same way Collins kept his drumming. Obviously, tour musicians were added, but the remaining Genesis core continued to be fully responsible for their output.

During the record’s strongest moments, the pop/prog mix works out well. Burning Rope balances the two nicely, revealing some classic Genesis passages among catchy melodies. The band’s characteristic storytelling is still upheld with The Lady Lies, though the narrative is much more straightforward. Accessibility does persist even within the prog-oriented material, and the muddy production doesn’t do much to add some punch to the songs. The positively chaotic rhythm of Down and Out makes it a misleading opener, which ever so slightly recalls the more intense sections of The Lamb; references to the past are generally a good thing here.

When the band truly ventures into pop territory, the results are uneven. The oddly placed Follow You Follow Me is the unavoidable hit, catchy and cleverly written, but lacking in substance. For those who believe the group ever sold their soul for success, this is a particularly great track to blame. Ballad of Big is their first attempt at a simple rocker, which really fails to make an impression, and the equally unremarkable Many Too Many finds itself a throwaway among too many (no pun intended) other ballads. Despite the overall inconsistency, there are gems to be found, particularly the Afterglow-esque Undertow and the quiet Snowbound. Genesis clearly went downhill after the losses of two crucial members, but …And Then There Were Three… is just interesting enough to look into.

Genesis The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (1974)

From sputnikmusic.com

Forty to fifty percent of marriages end in divorce in the US. And even though they didn’t get married in the US, progressive Genesis and pop Genesis got divorced. Pop Genesis got the better deal, getting to Genesis’ “The Lamb Lies Down Broadway” is essentially one of the most complex concept albums ever written, and has been interpreted differently for decades. The story refers to a half-Puerto Rican boy named Rael living in New York City. At the beginning of the story, Rael is described as a “punk,” and a troubled boy to say the least. Throughout the two-disc record, Rael encounters and battles creatures that seem like something out of a fantasy novel. With that said, what appears to be a conventional concept album virtually develops into a mythological and truly intriguing story. Peter Gabriel’s obsession with fanaticism becomes very clear here, and is accentuated not only through Rael’s journey, but also the music. The obscurity and wonder that “The Lamb Lies Down Broadway” provides defines the band with tremendous precision; it’s quirky, strange, beautiful, and terrifying at all different points, with the music and lyrics being a testament to this.

Often with concept albums, a certain member appears to be responsible for the bulk of the record, or the release in its entirety, and this is no different. Like Pete Townsend with “Quadrophenia” and Roger Waters with “The Wall,” “The Lamb Lies Down Broadway” was the vision of frontman Peter Gabriel. With the exception of a few tracks, Gabriel is the lone faciliator of the album’s lyrics, with the rest of the band members delivering the record’s obscure music. In the early 1970’s, Genesis displayed their ability to produce unique and consistently outstanding albums, for “Nursery Cryme” “Foxtrot,” especially “Selling England by the Pound” were critically praised. “The Lamb Lies Down Broadway” is no different in this respect, but is much more ambitious and on a grander scale than any of its predecessors.

The record opens with Rael committing acts of mischief in order to maintain his reputation with his Puerto Rican mob, spray painting his name on the subway walls. Attempting to dodge policemen to avoid getting into any trouble, Rael walks by as if he hasn’t done anything wrong. This is essentially when, the “lamb” lies down on Broadway. The “lamb” is not elaborated on by Gabriel’s lyrics, and is rather open to interpretation like much of the album is. The purpose of the opening track The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is not only to introduce Rael as a character, but to demonstrate that he has done something seriously wrong. Looking past the petty vandalism that is conveyed by Rael’s spray painting of his name, this action is just the pawn of a much more significant issue. This horrific action, is also not revealed, but hints are sprinkled throughout the record. At the conclusion of the title track, the “wall of death” presents itself to Rael, and attacks him. Terrified and confounded, Rael attempts to run from the wall, but cannot escape it and battles both the wall and his perception of reality. This represents the death of reality for Rael, who is now thrown into a purgatory-type of realm in which he must improve as a human being to escape.

Some sort of consciousness is reached in Cuckoo Cocoon, where Rael discovers that he is in some type of place he has never been or heard of before. Like the relaxing feel of the music itself, Rael has found some sort of tranquility in this strange place, and is not afraid to drift off to sleep. Once again however, Rael is completely befuddled on whether or not what he is experiencing is real. In the Cage is where Rael wakes up, no longer in the cocoon, but in a dreary cave. He stumbles upon a series of cages that humans are locked in, and unable to move. As the bars of a cage close on Rael, he catches his first glimpse of “Brother” John, who doesn’t seem to be affected by what is happening to Rael, despite his screams for help. As John walks away, the cage disintegrates, Rael finds himself back in a conventional building in which he believes to be real. Recognizing several people in the building as members of his gang, Rael makes a run to escape the building only to see Brother John once again. He finds the streets of New York once again, but they appear to be modernized and re-done. The sights make Rael think back to his times with the gang, and how he gained the respect of his mob when he was incarcerated.

At a time when a break is needed from all the darkness and obscurity, comes Rael’s first encounter with love. Both musically and lyrically, Counting Out Time is light and beautiful, accentuating his experience perfectly. “Erogenous zones I love you. Without you, what would a poor boy do? Found a girl I wanted to date, Thought I’d better get it straight.” The track even offers a bit of comic relief that is often associated with Genesis, providing what is reminiscent to a kazoo. This bright point in the story is only an introduction to a much more melodic and wondrous piece, The Carpet Crawlers. Considered one of Genesis’ most incredible works, (if not the most incredible) The Carpet Crawlers utilizes a harp-like synthesizer and very serene lead guitar. “Carpet Crawlers” refer to people that cannot make it up a spiral staircase, where at the top is their escape from this purgatory-type circumstance. “Mild mannered supermen are held in kryptonite.” This draws a direct parallel with the situation that Rael is in, for he cannot escape this strange and fictional (what he believes to be) world. Rael does make it up the stairs however, but is faced with a choice of 32 doors and the obstacle of many others who are attempting to get out. Not wanting to face this crowd, Rael begs, “This chamber of so many doors; I’ve nowhere to hide. I’d give you all of my dreams, if you’d help me, Find a door That doesn’t lead me back again, take me away.”

Within the chaos that Rael encounters with the 32 doors, he meets a woman, “Lilywhite Lilith,” in which guides him to what he believes will be the light. Rael is deceived however, because he is left in darkness and hears a terrifying noise approaching. Rael’s wait in fear is represented by The Waiting Room which is the record’s most obscure track. The noise of the creature approaching is developed tremendously with enough bizzare musical sounds to make the Flaming Lips’ creativity pale in comparison. Developing into a somewhat usual instrumental, The Waiting Room is the segue into musical masterpiece Anyway. Beginning harmlessly, the piano builds to a foreboding and terrifying level as Rael throws a rock at his unknown target, which is enough to destroy the cave entirely. Now cornered with nowhere to go, Rael faces death once again. Gabriel personifies death in his instance, and refers to it as “The Supernatural Anaesthetist.” Rael finds him to be a fine and decent person, who left nothing but a memorable appearance in this short encounter.

Considering what had just happened to Rael, he discovers that he is still very alive. In the rubble he is lying in, Rael smells a sort of perfume and makes his way towards it. Eventually coming upon a pool of water, he all of a sudden is faced with three serpents in which look as though they will attack. The serpents deceive him however, because each give off a pleasant and sensual appearance with female breasts. Although unclear, this encounter could very well be an allusion to Rael’s crime at the very beginning of the story. The crime is believed to be of a sexual nature, and the breasts on the serpents is a test to see if Rael can overcome his sexual urges. The serpents do succeed in seducing Rael, and begin to devour his body. They become the victims however, for Rael’s blood is poisonous to them. Finally leaving the pool, Rael discovers a group of homely looking individuals in which inform him that the same incident with the serpents has happened to all of them. Their bodies are mutilated due to this occurrence, and the same happens with Rael. Among these individuals is Brother John, who seems to be going through everything that Raels has gone through. John explains to Rael that, in order to look normal again, they must visit Dokter Dyper, who will castrate them. After the operation takes place, both of the boys are given their testicles in a tube. A black raven steals Rael’s tube, and John refuses to run after it. He says, “Now can’t you see Where the raven flies there’s jeopardy.” To Rael’s horror, the raven drops the tube into a waterfall, never to be seen again.

The Light Lies Down Broadway while having a great deal of musical similarities to the first disc opener, is another turning point in the record. Reality begins to set in for Rael once again, although this time he discovers John drowning in rushing waters. The ultimate theme of the concept becomes clear, for Rael must rescue John in order to experience complete reality again. Throughout the course of the final three tracks, Rael is diving in the water, and dragging the nearly dead John to safety. When he reaches the comfort of dry land, John appears to be dead and Rael helplessly tries to bring him back. Rael comes to the realization that he is John; an alternate personality.

“When you eat right fruit you see everything alive, it is inside spirit, with enough grit to survive If you think that it’s pretentious, you’ve been taken for a ride.”

Genesis’ “The Lamb Lies Down Broadway” is an absolutely breathtaking journey, a concept record that the world may never see the likes of again. Not only is the story brilliant and intriguing, but the music fits the concept perfectly. This is Gabriel’s final stand as a member of Genesis, and a damn incredible one at that. Everything from his lyricism to his vocals are outstanding. His usage of his voice is both innovative and versatile; delivering passion and creativity on songs such as the title track. None of the other members deserve to be overlooked either, for the synthesizers are a tremendous factor in the success of the album, as is Phil Collins’ drumming and Steve Hackett’s guitar work. “The Lamb Lies Down Broadway” is a masterpiece that may be overlooked by other concept records such as Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” and The Who’s “Quadrophenia,” and maybe even its predecessor, “Selling England by the Pound.” When it comes down to all of the factors; the musicianship, the storyline, the lyrics, and the atmosphere, “The Lamb Lies Down Broadway” is as damn near perfect as it gets.

Genesis Wind And Wuthering (1976)

From sputnikmusic.com

Forty to fifty percent of marriages end in divorce in the US. And even though they didn’t get married in the US, progressive Genesis and pop Genesis got divorced. Pop Genesis got the better deal, getting to keep the band members to continue working as a successful single parent throughout the 80s. Progressive Genesis got kicked to the curb, after having a full hold of the band members in the first half of the 70s. When vocalist Peter Gabriel left in 1975, the marriage became a bit strained. Drummer Phil Collins took over, and pop Genesis had made it clear that things were going to change. But not yet. For two albums, A Trick of the Tail, and this, progressive Genesis and pop Genesis fought bitterly for custodial rights. Progressive Genesis had dominated for a while, but on Wind and Wuthering, the fight was becoming more even.

But one can’t blame” Peter Gabriel for Genesis becoming a synth pop band. Wind and Wuthering was the last album with guitarist Steve Hackett, frustrated because the band wouldn’t accept his works more on the album. It shows, Hackett’s guitar rarely takes the lead in any of the songs, and is timidly in the back of the songs on the softer ones. Instead, the album is much more orchestral, for an already very orchestral band, heavily based on Tony Banks eloquently surging Mellotron and synthesizers. This orchestral feel results in a softer Genesis on the album at times, sentimental, harmonic, clues as to what Genesis would become on this albums successors, And Then There Were Three and Duke. This results in soft, buoyant, sophisticatedly simple songs like Afterglow and Blood on the Rooftops. Phil Collins voice definitely shines on those songs, his soft voice fits the songs perfectly, especially when backed by angelic backing harmonies on Afterglow. This also comes off as bland other times, Your Own Special Way is a cheesy, bland ballad that fails to capture any magic the rest of the album. The only interesting part of the song is the elegant electric piano interlude before returning to a repetitive song.

Progressive Genesis bites back, with songs like Eleventh Earl of Mar (complete with a storyline based on a Middle Ages figure) and Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers… In that Quiet Earth (often split into two parts.) The former sums up the album rather nicely, one part energetic prog onslaught of various keyboards, one part quiet, intimate soft-pop. And though his voice isn’t as lively or versatile as Gabriel’s, Collins does a good job. The latter is one of Genesis best instrumentals, and where all the band members join together. Hackett and Collins specifically stand out, Hackett leading the song with a spacey guitar melody, who keeps relatively quiet on the album, besides some acoustic guitar playing, and manic drumming from Collins. Shame the lazy bastard started using drum machines later on. Genesis [largely ripped off by 80s and 90s prog bands] brand of elegant, sweeping progressive rock is still maintains a large presence in the music on Wind and Wuthering.

Wind and Wuthering won’t be an album someone will be able to enjoy entirely if he/she only wants that Selling England by the Pound majestic prog, or straightforward songs having an easy-listening quality. There are fantastic moments of the bands farewell to progressive. Tony Banks especially, with some of his best playing on the calm/minimal to lively/complex type song One for the Vine. There are also some moments of dullness, like the first four minutes of One for the Vine (the second half of the song totally makes up for it, though), Your Own Special Way, or the synth driven instrumental Wot Gorilla?. The main hook of the absurdly titled song is done to death for the whole thing. Still, it’s an album worth checking out for anyone who’s loved Foxtrot or Trespass. It may be a bit daunting for people who are only fans of pop Genesis, or just pop music in general. But pop Genesis got its way in the divorce, so what do they care?

Led Zeppelin Memphis Tennessee 1970

From collectorsmusicreviews.com

Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN – April 17th, 1970

Disc 1: Opening announcements, We’re Gonna Groove, Dazed & Confused, Heartbreaker, Bring It On Home, White Summer / Black Mountain Side, Since I’ve Been Loving You, organ solo, Thank You

Disc 2: What Is And What Should Never Be, Moby Dick, How Many More Times (Bolero, The Hunter, Boogie Chillun’, Cumberland Gap, Memphis Tennessee, Ramble On, Tobacco Road, Mess O’Blues, That’s Alright), Whole Lotta Love, closing announcements

The tape for Zeppelin’s only show in Memphis on their spring, 1970 tour is a good, almost complete mono audience recording. The taper hits the pause button between all of the songs to save tape but this also eliminates Plant’s between song talking. It is a shame since according to him they have been wanting to play in Memphis since “before we were born” and it would have been great to hear his reaction to playing in the birthplace of rock and roll.

The tape first surfaced with two tracks on the well-known Maui Wowie (ML-006/7) hoax on the Missing Link label along with the September 19th afternoon tape from New York being passed off as a Hawaii tape. The first releases of the complete concert were on two releases from the mid nineties Memphis (NEP-001/2) on Neptune and Memphis 1970 on Zoso. Most recent release was on Memphis Underground on Magnificent Disc (MD-7001 A/B).

The short lived label tried to improve the tape through excessive remastering but managed to ruin it with the crunchy metallic sound smudging the music and creating an unbearable mess. Empress Valley, on the simply titled Memphis Tennessee 1970, also improved the sound quality but without the effects of past labels and have produced a very nice version.

The only defect found on this release is the left channel disappearing during “White Summer”. It reappears again six minutes into the track, but its presence is a strange. Overall this is one of the best concerts played on this spring tour. Empress Valley kept the taper’s introduction about going to the Zeppelin concert and this is followed by a DJ speaking about giving away an autographed copy of their albums before the band hit the stage.

“We’re Gonna Groove” is the opener and t he band hit a slower, funky groove in the middle of the song. “I Can’t Quit You” was played as a second song on the opening dates but had been dropped by this time and they follow with “Dazed & Confused”. “Heartbreaker” includes the spacey introduction. “White Summer” is more than twelve minutes long and is a masterpiece. It includes versions of “Bron-Y-Aur” as well as the strumming that can be heard in the Bron-Y-Aur cottage demos as well as t he descending riff from “Kashmir” at 11:20 into the piece.

Jones’ organ solo before “Thank You” is a bit different in Memphis. He plays the ice-skating rink music before getting into a bit of a Dieterich Buxtehude style sonata before leading the band into “Thank You”. The tape shows some signs of deterioration during that track.

“How Many More Times” is very long in this show and contains their only known version of “Memphis Tennessee” in celebration of playing there. “Mess O’ Blues”, which was also played in Florida on this tour, will be a regular inclusion in the 1971 “Whole Lotta Love” medleys. The song is halted several times for Plant to calm the audience down and begging them to not stand on the chairs in order to save Grant from being shot!

A surreal version of “Whole Lotta Love” is the encore and the tape ends with the taper recording his closing comments about the greatest concert he has ever seen. As good and clear as this tape is, it really makes one wish a better and more complete recording were to surface someday to truly enjoy it. The artwork is very simple yet effective with several photos from the actual tour. It is printed on regular dull paper instead of the glossy paper usually utilized by this label giving this a common and austere look but also very attractive.

This release, along with Just The Crowd And… and Young Person’s Guide, are from a more budget conscious Empress Valley. The label had a similar conscious several years ago by releasing some titles with the “Lifetime Achievement” sticker at a reduced price and have occasionally issued titles that are priced to own. Given the affordability of this release and the scarcity of good releases of this tape Memphis Tennessee 1970 is recommended.

Van Der Graaf Generator Godbluff (1975)

From sputnikmusic.com

Review Summary: Three reasons why Van Der Graaf Generator never quite managed to make the same impact on the general public of the 70’s as Genesis, Pink Floyd and Yes did
2 of 2 thought this review was well written

Reason 1:Van Der Graaf Generator are a band that defines the darker side of progressive rock. Each of the four tracks on the album tells their own tale of tortured minds, ancient battles and dark fantasies. The lyrical work from Peter Hammil is one of the core aspects of the music and embodies each track with a feeling of individuality. Each of the lyrics in turn hold their own literary merit and are reminiscent of looking into the mind of a madman.

Reason 2: The music here is just as dark as it’s subject matter. Herein lies one of the albums biggest strengths: How the music supports Peter Hammil’s vision. If for instance he is singing about a dark twisted world on the edge of our conscious as he does on “The Sleep Walkers”, the music will transport you there. Other examples that can be found are the ending of scorched earth with its wailing and screaming keyboards, as though to signify the death of a warrior in battle, and the melancholic atmospherics of “The Undercover Man” which take you back to the pain of growing up and accepting adulthood.

Reason 3: Godbluff differs from a traditional progressive rock album, in that it is not a concept album and there is little to no use of electric guitar. The band instead opts to make the Saxophone and Keyboards as their main instruments of choice and this manages to succeed in ways that the electric guitar would simply not be able to. In “Arrow” a wailing saxophone plays over an eerie drumbeat and sounds desperate, almost tortured. Because the lyrics involve both of these emotions by the bucket load, it succeeds in supporting the music by magnifying the emotions conveyed.

If there is a track that sums up the album as a whole in one package, so to speak, it would definetly be “The Sleepwalkers” Here everything the band has been trying to achieve works. From the emotion and atmosphere and the lyrics that speak of a dark twisted fantasy world. The same ingredients are used on all the other tracks and the result is a progressive rock classic and the definition of more Avant Garde progressive music done right.

Genesis A Trick Of The Tail (1976)

From martinleedham.wordpress.com

When Peter Gabriel departed Genesis in 1975, thus ending for many ‘the classic years of Genesis’, the remaining members auditioned as many as 400 replacements before opting for already incumbent drummer Phil Collins as the groups new vocalist. Collins vocal ability for the material was not in any doubt. In fact critics of the day suggested he sounded too similar to Gabriel. However, the prospect of replacing the theatrical and active Gabriel with a singer stuck behind a drum kit was a little more concerning. Obviously this was no great problem in a studio environment but was a cause for concern if they were to continue with the flamboyance of the live shows. For this reason Bill Bruford of Yes and King Crimson was hired as second drummer (a drummer of far too great ability to be referred to as ‘second drummer’ but I’m sure you know what I mean) for live performances. He did not play on any of the studio sessions and Collins continued to handle all the drumming duties on the album.

With the new line up in place and plenty of song ideas Banks, Rutherford, Hackett and Collins went into Trident Studios in October 1975 and recorded what was to become their best selling album to date. In fact “A Trick of the Tail” more than doubled the bands previous album sales.

The album itself is a beautiful collection of songs all written or co-written by keyboardist Banks, which is probably why the overall feel of the album is that the songs are far more keyboard than guitar driven. This, of course, was eventually to drive Hackett away from the band once and for all. His somewhat spartan writing credits of just three showing the constraits he felt within the band.

The opening track ‘Dance on a Volcano’ is one of only two songs on the album to be credited as a group composition. On previous albums all tracks had been credited to the group but for “A Trick of the Tail” each track had indivudual composer credits. Starting off with a very distinctive riff it soon builds into a peice the equal of any of the Gabriel era tracks. ‘Entangled’, often cited as Tony Banks favourite track from the album is a nicely layered song with gentle verses and a slightly more powerful chorus. The ending of the song, which lyrically deals with serious illness, has a powerful cathedral like sound about it courtesy of the choir section of Banks’ mellotron. ‘Squonk’ is a much heavier track and according to Collins was a nod in the direction of Led Zeppelin. Collins drumming is certainly heavier than normal and rocky as the track is it has more in common with the eighties Genesis than Led Zeppelin for me. Initially called ‘Indians’ it tells the mythical tale of a squonk which dissolves into a pool of tears if it is captured. ‘Mad Man Moon’ starts with a beautiful keyboard melody introduction before Collins melancholy vocal is backed with a fine understated piano. The song gradually builds into a far more powerful track and after a long instrumental passage Collins returns with a more menacing vocal in an entirely different tone to the melancholia of earlier before reverting back to the initial style. The flute like melody of the introduction then returns to become the ending. It is probably the most structured piece on the album and melody/vocal wise is surely the highlight.

Collins does his best Gabriel impression on ‘Robbery, Assault and Battery’ using the former frontmans habit of characterising parts of the song using different voices and accents. ‘Ripples’ is the longest song on the album and once again starts in a very quiet understated way before a more powerful and catchy chorus takes over. The song, as with many on the album, is heavily piano driven but also features some very prominent 12 string guitar. Title track ‘A Trick of the Tale’ was originally written around the time of the “Foxtrot” album and has a mythical almost Narnia like theme to it. Despite the apparent sadness of the lyric is has a very upbeat feel to it. Album closer ‘Los Endos’ is a jazz like instrumental which features several melodies and riffs from previous tracks, most notably ‘Squonk’ and ‘Dance on a Volcano’. Towards the end of the song Collins can be heard singing a couple of lines from ‘As Sure As Eggs is Eggs (Aching Men’s Feet)’ from the “Foxtrot” album as a tribute to departed vocalist Peter Gabriel.

Genesis A Trick Of The Tail (1976)

From prognaut.com

Is it just me? Does anyone else feel that Genesis found a new power and aggressive direction with this album? Don’t get me wrong. I love the Gabriel years. Foxtrot and Selling England By the Pound are two of my favorite albums of all time. Trick of the Tail features much more of the powerful drumming and driving aspect of the band that perhaps was not featured as often on earlier records, not even the experimental and groundbreaking Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, although it kind of had its “genesis” there (ouch). I would even go as far as to say that this might be the album that gave Neo-Prog its roots.
It is clearly evident from the start with “Dance On A Volcano” that this is a new Genesis. It is powerful and lively in a way that we had not heard the band before. Much has been said about the way drummer Phil Collins had to take the reins of the vocal mike from former singer Peter Gabriel, but not enough has been said about how Collins took this opportunity to move his drumming in a direction heretofore unheard before this recording.

And then, as if to ease those who remember the acoustically driven sounds of the early years, they bring us “Entangled.” A lovely song written by guitarist Steve Hackett and keyboardist Tony Banks. “Squonk” another powerful cut, is driven by the forceful bass of Michael Rutherford and once again shows the newfound muscle of the band. It tells the story of the mythical creature that dissolves into tears when it is captured. “Mad Man Moon” is a tour de force for the talents of Banks, and is a lovely song with a piano interlude that is quite moving.

“Robbery, Assault and Battery” is Collins’ attempt to do one of Gabriel’s “character” style songs. It is maybe not quite as successful as Gabriel’s attempts, who had a massive flair for the dramatic, but it works well for the quartet that is now Genesis. The lamentful “Ripples” is quite beautiful, very romantic, and once again enters the English pastoral side that the band built its career on in its earlier albums.

A personal favorite of mine is the title track “Trick of the Tail.” I love the way it recalls other earlier humorous songs like “Harold the Barrel” and “Counting Out Time” with a cute story of a creature that leaves his comfortable otherworld and is astounded by what he finds in ours. It reveals something perhaps about our world and our reaction to something that’s different. They then pull it altogether with the oft-played instrumental closer “Los Endos” that musically runs through most of what has happened before on the disc and then some.

This is a step forward for Genesis, where they found a way to marry the experimental and powerful Lamb with the earlier sound in a new and forceful way. A mix of power and pastoral. To me there was no loss of momentum after the loss of what many felt was the leading force of the band. Although personal favorites still include Foxtrot and Selling England, this is the best example of the classic Genesis sound and would be the record I would play for someone who wanted to know what their pre-80s period sounded like.

Led Zeppelin Houses Of The Holy (1973)

From sputnikmusic.com

Houses of the Holy is a rock album that I’d call art. The album isn’t scared to go into new territory and I think that the band perfected each genre they tackled within these 8 tracks. Varying from progressive to funk to reggae to rock, Zeppelin was still able to rock better than anyone with this album. Some may find this album to have been risky, but Zeppelin was able to take risks, because they knew they would succeed. Now before you attack me for being biased, I am not solely basing this review off of my personal feelings towards the band or the album. This love for Zeppelin wasn’t always here, there’s a reason their music captured my soul. Clearly the music is wonderful if I feel this way now.

The Song Remains the Same: This song reminds me a lot of David Bowie’s “Sound and Vision”, due to both songs being extremely upbeat and probably due to the orange cover art of their albums. It is a very personal connection that probably only I have, but it’s there. The song is extremely fast and very happy. It is a song about international music and was originally written as an instrumental prelude for “The Rain Song”. The guitar skill of Jimmy Page is shown in this song quite well. I don’t know what else to say about this song, except that it is a fantastic start to an amazing album. 5/5

The Rain Song: Zeppelin’s most beautiful piece of work, even beating out “Ten Years Gone” or “Thank You”. This song is in drop D tuning and it’s lovely guitar playing and lyrics really makes you feel emotional deep down. The lyrics are very sweet. This is one of the most underrated songs in Zeppelin’s whole catalogue and should be played to any girl you are trying to get to fall for you. One of the album’s stand outs. 5/5

Over The Hills and Far Away: Another beautiful track that has a crazy shift in it. The song starts out as an acoustic song with Robert Plant singing some slow, loving lyrics until the songs kick your ass and gets harder and louder. One of Zeppelin’s greatest songs. Just as the lyrics on “The Rain Song” are, the lyrics in this song are also very well written and sweet. After a few minutes, the song fades away and you think it is over, until it builds up again then fades away. Genius. 5/5

The Crunge: The most controversial song off of the album. Some find it as one of the band’s worst songs, some find it funky and fun and some find the extremely off time drumming of Bonham to be charming. The song is known for the ending, where Robert Plant mutters: “Where’s that confounded bridge?”, which is a tribute to James Brown. I would give this song a 5/5 as a personal rating, but as an unbiased rating, I’d give it a 3/5

Dancing Days: One of the most fun Zeppelin songs. This song is very groovy and has a fantastic riff. The lyrics are very abstract and strange, which only adds to the charm. Another song I’d give 5/5, but from a more casual listener’s perspective, a 4.5/5

D’yer Mak’er: Yet another “lovey” song off of the album, “D’yer Mak’er” was the band’s attempt at reggae. Well some found it to be anything but reggae and a not so serious song, this song became a classic. I’d give this song a 5/5 rating, because it is one of Zeppelin’s most famous and loveliest songs. 5/5

No Quarter: Zeppelin’s sole progressive song and the song off of the album that showcases John Paul Jones talents the most. This song has some fantastic guitar work, spacey keyboards, great mythical (or military) lyrics and some phenomenal drumming. One of the album’s best. 5/5

The Ocean: One of the best closing songs to a Zeppelin album. The song starts out with the famous chant of Bonham saying: “We’ve done four already, but now we’re steady and then they went: one, two, three, four”, which then leads into an orgasmic attack on the ears. The song is a pretty straight forward hard rocker, until the end where the song shifts into a duwop style outro. This amazing album couldn’t have had a better closer. 5/5

In the end, this is the Zeppelin album that I love the most (although I and II are extremely close) and all 8 of it’s tracks are wonderful compositions. There is no filler in this record and it’s so good that I just had to go out to get it on vinyl as well as the cd of it I’ve owned for years. This is a perfect album to me and something my ears crave to hear almost weekly.