GENESIS LIVE

The only official live recording of the band featuring Peter Gabriel and the best of all the live recordings in my opinion. It wasn't until the release of the Live Archives that we get to listen to the other Peter Gabriel live recordings including the live 1973 Rainbow concert, which includes songs off SEBTP and a concert performance in full of LLDOB, which lacks a bit in energy and audience ambience.

Where else do you get to hear an unaccompanied base pedal solo by the band's bass guitarist, although if you're not paying attention, you might miss it? What else could you wish for at this point of Genesis's career? The band's drummer is relatively new and the energy levels are high. The bass is turned up high in the mix and Rutherford seems to be relishing working with Phil Collins. There's only one thing wrong about this album and it's not the fault of the band. You can only fit 45 minutes of music on a vinyl record, so unfortunately some music has to miss out. That means you don't get 'Supper's Ready or 'The Fountain Of Salmacis'. Otherwise you have the full representation of the band's work prior to their recording of SEBTP.

'Watcher Of The Skies' is the best opening song to a concert Genesis ever did. The opening chords of the melotron sends shudders down your spine listening to it. 'Get'em Out By Friday' is the weakest of the five songs, but the song has a strong lyric line to the number and Peter Gabriel delivers home it's message. 'The Return Of The Giant Hogweed' is a favourite of Genesis cover bands and you can tell why from the incredible bass line and thumping rhythm. Steve Hackett has been performing some creative versions of 'The Musical Box' in his recent concerts, but they say, you can't improve on the original and here the band does a close rendition to their recording of it off the Nursery Cryme album. They say you should leave your best to last and here the band just excels to finish off the concert with a very different version of 'The Knife' off the Trespass album. Pity Steve Hackett, not having a song writing credit to 'The Knife', decided not to play it in any of his concerts, because he adds guitar lines to the song that enhance the song and makes it a great song to close the live album.

So to sum up, Genesis Live is my favourite live album of Genesis. While it lacks the musical set pieces that 'Seconds Out' includes, that being due to the latter being a live double vinyl recording, the former features Peter Gabriel singing and a wonderful version of 'The Knife', which gets it over the line for me.

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