ARCHIVE #2 1976-1992

Oh, c'mon guys, it isn't that bad.... In fact its very good. The tracks fall into a couple categories: 13 Live tracks, 16 studio outtakes, 4 dance mixes and 1 work in progress recording of the band jamming. The first two categories make up the vast majority and its the reason you are even bothering to read this review. Surprisingly about the outtakes, almost all are above average songs, and many would have been quite at home on the albums they were cut from. The songs from Spot the Pigeon will be a revelation to those who haven't heard them, especially Inside and Out, a beautiful track starting with 12 string guitars and ending with an In that Quiet Earth-esque jam. Evidence of Autumn is a fine Tony Banks song cut (unfairly?) from Duke. There is even an exceptional song from the Invisible Touch sessions, the 7 minute instrumental Do the Neurotic, which gives Brazilian a run for its money in the best post-Abacab song contest. It's yourself is a fine outtake from Trick of the Tail that includes the intro to Los Endos as its outro. The live tracks are all good, and some great performances. Dukes Travel's/End is the best thing they did in the post Hackett era and is done justice with a spectacular performance. The biggest surprise: a great version of No Reply at All showing what Tony Banks did under those horns. Unfortunately, the only Bruford (or Hackett track for that matter) is the genteel Entangled, a fine song in its own right but not showcasing either of these players skills. The dance mixes are some horrible, horrible error that will haunt whoever gave them the green light to their death. Luckily, most of them are at the bunched together at the beginning of a disc, so your finger is already near the fast forward button after you press play. The work in progress version of Mama is some noodling about that presumably would come to form the middle section of the song. Not a bad listen, but I've had this set for a year and I have listened to it perhaps 4 times.

Problems: Its reputation as completing your Genesis catalogue is untrue by the lack of Match of the Day and Me and Virgil, two tracks that Phil Collins hate, but I like quite a bit. Also, it is not in any discernable order. The live tracks are mostly on disc 2, but some are on disc 3... the dance tracks are almost all on disc 3, the outtakes are split between discs 1 and 3....I mean, did they pick the track numbers out of a hat?

But, if you have a remote control on your CD player (as I do) be prepared to be blown away by what were considered throwaways for the longest time.