GENESIS LIVE

Though the group was against the idea, their record label at the time, Charisma, went ahead and released this disc at a bargain price. The result is an abridged representation of the Genesis live experience circa 1972-73. Peter Gabriel had grown comfortably into his role as frontman/performance artist, and the band had, after several years of constant touring, become musically efficient and inventive. This disc is a good starting point if you want a sampler of the "Nursery Cryme" and "Foxtrot" LPs. But the songs sound strangely out-of-context and the single disc is a skimpy version of the typical Genesis show, which commonly included the 23 minute "Supper's Ready", and other long tracks like "The Fountain of Salmacis", or "Twilight Alehouse". The sound is a little dull, but benefits significantly from the 1994 remastering by Atlantic Records. A few moments of chatter from Gabriel and Co. are heard, but most of the inter-song inventive storytelling is gone (for an indication of this, you've got to read the Gabriel-penned story on the back cover). Nice instrumental moments characterize "The Musical Box", and Steve Hackett's wicked guitar playing is evident in "Return of the Giant Hogweed" and the show- stopping "Knife".