Floyd Vs. Genesis

Hmmm, well let me see -

Genesis -

• A Trick of the Tail *****
• Wind and Wuthering ****
• ...And Then There Were Three ****
• Duke *** 1/2 (Doesn't have as good an atmosphere as the album before it, but maybe it'll grow on me a little more )

Pink Floyd -

• A Momentary Lapse of Reason **** (Some of the best instrumental work on ANY Floyd album)
• The Division Bell **** (It's good to have Mason and Wright firmly back in the fold )

As you can see, I love them both, but Genesis win because they had more albums, one of them being a masterpiece 'A Trick of the Tail'

Hmmm, well let me see -

Genesis -

• A Trick of the Tail *****
• Wind and Wuthering ****1/2
• ...And Then There Were Three ***1/2
• Duke ****

Pink Floyd -

• A Momentary Lapse of Reason **1/2
• The Division Bell ***1/2 (being generous) 

easily Genesis

Genesis

Floyd without Waters were never as good IMO, but the first 4 albums with Collins at the helm of Genesis were as good as anything from the Gabriel era - at least in parts. I know I'll probably be shot for having that view

Chipiron wrote: ... I think you Genesis fans are not being really objective, IMO... Why have not appeared such "clacssics" as "Calling all stations" or "Invisible touch" so far...?  I admit that the first albums without Gabriel are really good but then came disaster... didn't it?

I'm both a Floyd & Genesis fan. More Genesis than Floyd, thats true enough, but I like to think I'm being objective about this as possible.

Genesis did produce a string of lame albums from Abacab onward, but the overal quality of the first four Collins era albums far exceeds that of the two post Waters Floyd albums. The music is more melodic, interesting, exciting, and fresh as it was still be written and performed by a young band. In fact in many respects those first four Collins era albums are superior in some ways to their output with Gabriel; they had matured as musicans and were capable of playing more complex music with greater confidence, they had acquired a really good producer who really brought out the best in the bands sound.

For me the reasoning is simple. Floyd without Waters continued to make good music, but had lost a vital - IMO - conceptual contributor to the bands songwriting process. All the angst and bitterness had either gone, or was manifesting itself in a far less original and overtly more commercial way. Besides Floyd could only manage to squeeze out a couple of albums after they lost Waters, Genesis almost effortlessly produced 'ATOTT' and 'WAW' in under two years...

Post-Floyd because after Waters' departure Gilmour & co. in spite of the great void left by their previous leader, released a masterpiece like "The Division Bell" an AMAZING album with such great songs like the beautiful "High Hopes" a truly Epitaph for this faboulous Prog band.

......I can't say the same about the Collins era of Genesis, which could be described simply as not prog music at all, but their definitely, progressive approach to pop.... albums like "Duke", "I Can't Dance" etc.... are absolutely not comparable with their works from the Gabriel era... not to mention their AWFUL "Calling All Stations" album, in which even Collins was not involved into....

In theory:

4/5 > 3/4 > 3/5

Works for me in practice too. 4-men Genesis wins easily. I rather listen to 3 men Pink Floyd than most of 3 men Genesis, but then again it would be fair to compare only their first two albums as a trio (ATTWT and Duke) and those aren't the worst. On the other hand... Pink Floyd has no real stinkers in the size of IT or WCD (IMHO, of course).