From Genesis To Revelation and Beyond

Cristi wrote: I know the thread title creates confusion, but this is supposed to be a Genesis appreciation thread in general. I was initially confused just like you.

^ I just changed the thread title to hopefully avoid any further confusion. 

Genesis have been the classic prog band that I have paid the least attention too, so about 50 years after discovering them, I'm suddenly bingeing on them. I only just just got fGtR well actually my copy was reissued as "And the Word Was..." which has the two singles both a and b sides at the start and end of the album. I had heard that it was pretty terrible, so I didn't have great expectations, although I liked the idea of it sounding like the Bee Gees First, which is a cool album, I also quite liked the idea of it being awash with strings. On my first listen I really liked it, I thought it was supposed to be a boring pop album, but it is anything but. It's as weird as anything they've ever done. Gabriel does seem to be channeling Robin Gibb and they have some out there lyrics, there is some nice use of phasing, lush strings giving a glorious decadence, (making me think a bit of Scott Walker) then this big echoey piano sound keeps emerging. 

Also how could you not want to get to know the very first album and see the Genesis of Genesis. 

I've only just got to know it but I could see myself really getting to love this album and from there it's all good to at least Wind and Wuthering. I'm also exploring the bypasses of the solo careers. 

Edited by kirk782 - October 13 2024 at 22:33

Logan wrote: Jacob Schoolcraft wrote: Certain members of Genesis and Jonathan King have stated in the past that From Genesis To Revelation had similarities to the Bee Gees. Are there Genesis fans who agree with that I wonder? And are there Bee Gees fans that agree with that? I'm into music by both. I like early Bee Gees and it does have similarities with the Genesis album. They both do the psychedelic/ baroque pop/ pop-rock 60s thing. Just to cover faves rather than highlight the most similarities: My favourite song off Genesis debut (1969), "The Serpent": And this is Bee Gees' "Deeply, Deeply Me" off 1968's Horizontal.

There is an influence of Bee Gees but I never observed that until recently. Jonathan King had stated that if artists covered some of the songs from their first album that they could be hit records. I never gave it much thought but it's interesting to think that Genesis started that way...then went more in the direction of Prog...then by 1978 began writing more mainstream oriented music again with Follow You Follow Me... I was totally oblivious to that...but I believe Phil Collins once stated that originally they were trying to write more of a Pop style..which stopped but continued almost a decade later. Sorry to jabberbox everyone to death...but I was in the dark with all that and realize now that it's possibly a reality

Jacob Schoolcraft wrote: Certain members of Genesis and Jonathan King have stated in the past that From Genesis To Revelation had similarities to the Bee Gees. Are there Genesis fans who agree with that I wonder?

And are there Bee Gees fans that agree with that? I'm into music by both.

I like early Bee Gees and it does have similarities with the Genesis album. They both do the psychedelic/ baroque pop/ pop-rock 60s thing.

Just to cover faves rather than highlight the most similarities: My favourite song off Genesis debut (1969), "The Serpent":



And this is Bee Gees' "Deeply, Deeply Me" off 1968's Horizontal.



Edited by Logan - October 13 2024 at 12:01

richardh wrote: The singles market was always strong in the UK, even in the 70's, often fueled by teenage girls who were into David Cassidy and The Bay City Rollers and the like. It didn't do any bands any harm though to have a hit single. I might not even be a prog fan if I hadn't seen and heard ELP performing Fanfare For The Common Man and getting to No2 in the UK singles chart. The last real commercially successful prog band was probably Radiohead and they had multiple hit singles in the 90's. After that the internet changed everything and all bets were off.

Cristi wrote: richardh wrote: Genesis is 1970-1980 then I'm pretty much out. FGTR (recorded in 1968) just misses the mark entirely when you look at how the British art rock scene was beginning to progress at that time. The likes of Procol and The Nice were already so far ahead its ridiculous. They needed more homework! Jonathan King is partly to blame for the songs being shorter, also he meddled in arranging some songs.

Edited by moshkito - September 16 2024 at 12:07

richardh wrote: AFlowerKingCrimson wrote: richardh wrote: Genesis is 1970-1980 then I'm pretty much out. FGTR (recorded in 1968) just misses the mark entirely when you look at how the British art rock scene was beginning to progress at that time. The likes of Procol and The Nice were already so far ahead its ridiculous. They needed more homework! True prog was barely a thing when Genesis recorded FGTR so I hope no one listens to it expecting to hear something that sounds like the later "prog" Genesis.  That just would not be possible at the time (Court wasn't even released yet and Fripp was still in GG&F). I actually like it a lot but I appreciate it more for what it is rather than what it isn't.  Duke may have been the last Genesis album to have 50 percent more on it to be prog but they still had some good (and even proggy) moments after it imo.  Enough for an album maybe?   Abacab Keep It Dark Dodo/Lurker Home By The Sea (Part One and Part Two) The Brazilian Domino Fading Lights I thought they were still pushing on Abacab and Shapes but after that there is just a feeling of erm Stagnation

AFlowerKingCrimson wrote: richardh wrote: Genesis is 1970-1980 then I'm pretty much out. FGTR (recorded in 1968) just misses the mark entirely when you look at how the British art rock scene was beginning to progress at that time. The likes of Procol and The Nice were already so far ahead its ridiculous. They needed more homework! True prog was barely a thing when Genesis recorded FGTR so I hope no one listens to it expecting to hear something that sounds like the later "prog" Genesis.  That just would not be possible at the time (Court wasn't even released yet and Fripp was still in GG&F). I actually like it a lot but I appreciate it more for what it is rather than what it isn't.  Duke may have been the last Genesis album to have 50 percent more on it to be prog but they still had some good (and even proggy) moments after it imo.