SECONDS OUT

This is a fine live-album, but I think it's a little too overrated over here. Firstable, the sound is very thin and far away and secondly, where is Steve Hackett? I find it terrible that they mixed the man out in the studio. His guitar-sound was wonderful in the old songs.

Well, the band plays very good and Phil really did a great job replacing Gabriel at that time, although I think the old material (except "The Carpet Crawlers", strangely noted as "Carpet Crawl" on this record, and "The Cinema Show".) sounds weaker with his vocals. On the 1982-LP "Three Sides Live", things became vocal-wise stronger. I don't think "Supper's Ready" is improving anything. Maybe Collins' voice is more 'clean' than Peter's, but the power of the song is real emotion, and that emotion can be heard on the Gabriel-versions. To be honest, I'm not that fond of this version, but It's not bad.

The songs from the Collins-era are very good, as they were written for Phil's voice. The older song "The Cinema Show" sounds fantastic with Bill Bruford on drums. At the end, Phil is playing drums too, which created great effects.

To me, the 1972 "Genesis Live" and the 3rd disc of "Archives 1967-1975" are way better live albums by the band than this one, but don't get me wrong. I like this one, but especially Hackett's mixed-out guitar-parts are frustrating me even today.