Alphabetical Order - Daily Music Recommendations #33 (G) Genesis (Progressive Rock/ Art Rock/Rock)
Do they play elsewhere, do they know
More than their childhood games?
Maybe the lizard's shed its tail,
This is the end of man's long union with Earth.|~
Hello everyone, it's time to check out some music from one of the biggest influences on the world of Progressive Rock. Genesis was formed at the end of the 60s, and have released 15 albums over the years.
The band has also switched out members, split up and had a reunion tour, though so far without the full original line up. Their sound has evolved through the world of early Progressive Rock, through the world of pop all the while experimenting and bending rules. Today we are starting off with the groups third album, "Nursery Cryme".
Nursery Cryme
Coming out in 1971, this album starts off with "The Musical Box". This works as the overture/intro track on this symphonic rock opera, drifting along towards an adventure. The song evolves from it's gentle beginnings to a gratifying climax filled with lush guitar chords and galloping synth leads.
The album has an almost agressive edge to it, despite the pleasant exterior and otherwise soft demeanor. It feels as though you're barely hanging together, at the edge of bursting from the seams. Tracks like "Harold The Barrel" have this rushing feeling, never giving your mind a moment to catch up, leaving you in a state of concentrated relaxation.
The first track we're checking out today is the third track of the album, and it's a carousel of progressive expression! This is "The Return Of The Giant Hogweed".
The Return Of The Giant Hogweed
Foxtrot
Released in 1972, this is the follow up from "Nursery Cryme". You can hear clearly that the band has learned from touring with their previous record, and this one feels a bit more polished and structured. Starting off with my favorite instrument, the mellotron, "Watcher Of The Skies" is slowly evolving rhythmic pattern pulling you in from the shore and towards a warm glow.
The following track "Time Table" summons up a feeling of sitting stuck in childhood. When you could drift into another world to avoid the boredom of educational institutions. This track is one of the more mellow ones, almost taking on the feeling of a ballad, with a feeling of satisfied nostalgia.
The second track we're gonna check out today is a long one, curiously enough it's almost as long as "Octavarium" by Dream Theater, sitting at 23:06(could it be another easter egg? The two tracks have definitive similarities, apart from also the name being dropped in the lyrics to Octavarium.). It's a long one but it's worth it to take the trip, as it's a varied journey through the prog rock world, and the skill in arrangements and instrumentality is absolutely something to wonder at. This is "Supper's Ready".
Supper's Ready
Selling England By The Pound
The fifth record came out in 1973, and it marks a clear change in the sound of the band. This might be in part due to the fact that they were limited to only 3 months for getting an album down. They had been busy touring so they had to make it happen somehow, this also marked the beginnings of tensions between drummer Phil Collins and singer Peter Gabriel that eventually led to Peter Gabriel leaving Genesis behind.
The album starts off with "Dancing With The Moonlit Knight", a track that sounds strangely modern to me, despite being four decades old. It has a feeling of building tension and you can get this feeling of the sessions being strained from the rushed way they're playing the beats. The themes on this record is based as the name implies around the fading culture in their home country, losing out to Americanization or the music industry forcing artists to appeal to American audiences.
The final track we're gonna check out today is another track that is referenced in "Ocatavarium", this is a song that has the classic genesis feeling, of mystical ethereal expressions. This is "Cinema Show".
Cinema Show
All right, that's all folks! I hope you enjoyed todays edition of Alphabetical Order, a blog series where I write my opinions on parts of an artists discography. If you liked it or if you hate it, let me know! And if you wanna keep up to date, you can follow me. Until next time, peace out!
p.s I could have covered records from after Peter Gabriel left, but personally I don't like the change in style from Prog to 80s synth pop. Luckily the only case of "Collins>Gabriel" personality I've seen is this guy so I don't feel too bad for disagreeing.
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