ARCHIVE 1967-1975

What surprised me about this box set when I first got it was that all of it was previously unreleased. Except for a few singles not available on albums, this box set contains versions of songs never officially released, and it's all great music too!

It's amazing how much good music did not make it onto the original albums. This box set will get you up to speed on the Gabriel era of Genesis, when they were making their best music. It's the perfect addition to any fan's collection.

The first two discs are The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway live. Well ... sort of. Peter Gabriel actually recorded his voice over much of the live material. It gives you a taste of what Genesis would sound like today live if there ever was a reunion with Gabriel. I actually love the way he interprets the songs now and it's nice to hear an older Gabriel sing some Genesis tunes. In addition, there is a new studio version of It. which in many ways is even better than the original.

Disc 3 has more live stuff with some Peter Gabriel overdubs. The highlight is the live version of Supper's Ready, which is actually much better than the studio version, or the version with Collins singing on Seconds Out. Gabriel also provided some new vocals to this one as well. I don't know about you, but I love the way he sounds now singing the Lover's Leap section. The rest of disc 3 contains some singles not available on albums like Happy the Man, the single version of Watcher of the Skies, and the magnificent Twilight Alehouse (a Nursery Cryme era mini-epic). As if this is not great enough, there is also a BBC live version of the band recording Stagnation circa 1971.

Disc 4 is probably the weakest of the discs because it contains mostly early (and often incomplete sounding) demos from the sixties. There are also some great things here too, like the bbc recordings of Pacidy, Shepherd, and Let Us Now Make Love, as well as Going Out to Get You, Build Me a Mountain, The Magic of Time, Hey!, and a few other great songs that have never been released in any form on any album.

This box set would have gotten 5 stars had it not been so flimsy. The booklet fell apart soon after buying it, and the cd holders don't hold the cds very well. In fact, disc 3 (my favorite of the discs) cracked as a result. Fortunately, I have it backed up in mp3 form, but it's a shame that I no longer have a lossless version of these great songs.

Nevertheless, it's an excellent box set worth every cent. Just handle with care.