GENESIS LIVE

Genesis was meant to be seen live. Their live reputation was slowly building up in the UK, thanks to their extensive touring and dramatic concerts. Genesis's concerts ranged from a Broadway show with the elaborate costumes and theatrics of frontman Peter Gabriel (note his mask on the cover), to a concert hall recital with the focused professionalism of Collins, Banks, Rutherford, and especially Hackett, who sat and bent over his instrument like a classical guitarist. Very odd for a rock guitarist. GENESIS LIVE was released in 1973, and captures (most of) their best material from 1970-1972. It opens with the haunting, ethereal Mellotron of Watcher of the Skies, which is performed perfectly. This version is extended, with a slower pace than its studio counterpart. This gives this FOXTROT song a more majestic feel. Unlike in the studio, Collins' drums come in loud and clear on this album, which is what it must have sounded like in concert. Watcher of the Skies is Genesis's best piece, and is treated accordingly. The perfect opening to this album. Also off of FOXTROT, Get 'Em Out by Friday is performed next. This song is much harder here than in the studio, with Gabriel yelling the lyrics, and singing with much more emotion. As always with Genesis, the playing is superb. Better than any other track here, Return of the Giant Hogweed showcases the Genesis's musical abilities. Tony Banks and Steve Hackett are near- perfect in their playing here. While the keyboards usually come through muffled on this album, they sound crisp and excellent here. This track is improved with Gabriel's frantic shouting of "Giant Hogweed Lives!" at the end of the song, (this was not present on the studio version). While The Musical Box is one of Genesis's best songs, and sadly it is not that great here. The recording could not really pick up and amplify the more acoustic passages, and the playing is sloppier here than on other tracks. The studio version is worlds better. By this point, Gabriel's voice was also getting tired. One must remember this is 1972, and the live recording capabilities were limited. The album closes with the TRESPASS rocker, The Knife, a fan favorite. This song is performed well, but the Steve Hackett's take on the Anthony Phillips guitar solo is not as riveting or interesting. It is a great song to close the show with, and besides the guitar solo, is perfect. These tracks were recorded in 1972 for an American radio show, and due to the time period, are low quality, (but still better than bootlegs). The keyboards always sound muffled, which is a complaint here. Also, the absence of FOXTROT's epic track, Supper's Ready prevents this from being an early 'Best Of' for Genesis. While not as expansive or well-recorded as 1977's SECONDS OUT live album, this is an essential for fans of the Gabriel years. Genesis fans should also check out the GENESIS ARCHIVE Vol. 1 (1967-1975), as it features their live repertoire from SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND (1973) and THE LAMB LIES DOWN...(1974), with Gabriel. Historically, this album marks Genesis's first commercial success, reaching # 9 in the UK. 5 Stars - This is what Genesis is all about, thrilling performances of great compositions.