What if Hackett and Gabriel stayed ?

Would we still have had "Invisible Touch" or "Whodunnit" ?

Obviously, the band would have had to change in the 80's- probably nothing along the lines of "Supper's Ready" or "Firth of Fifth." Could they have been as big or bigger than the Pop Genesis of the 80's ?

My alternative universe:

Gabriel leaves after TLLDOB, Hacket leaves after WAW, the band continues on with ATTWT and Duke, but then it diverges from our universe... Phil Collins solo album flops. Discouraged, he decides he doesn't want to sing anymore, he'll stick to drums. Meanwhile, Peter Gabriel isn't doing well with his solo career, and when the band asks him back, he says yes. Steve Hackett is eager to get back into a band and when asked by Steve Howe to form a new band, decides instead to go back to Genesis. Even so, the reformed Genesis releases a few so-so albums until they release the critically acclaimed theatrical double album "Invisible Touch" in 1986. The band becomes the band of the 80's and breaks up on the top of their game...

Got me!    Oh, but if it were true... 

Moogtron III wrote: There certainly wouldn't be A Trick Of The Tail ! Gabriel wouldn't let that happen: too retrogressive. No Wind And Wuthering either, for the same reason. I think more experimental stuff, because Gabriel and Hackett were more adventurous. Maybe some help from Robert Fripp, because on the Lamb they started with Eno. More single albums instead of double albums, I'm sure. Melodic, but adventurous. Also soundwise.

I disagree!!!! I think Wind and Wuthering would have been the direction they would have taken. Certainly the best would have been yet to come! I think Gabriel left at least two albums too soon! They left unfinnished buisness & never made a true masterpiece IMO but they certainly had the capability to do so, it just might have taken them another couple of albums to achieve it!

Progger wrote: Moogtron III wrote: There certainly wouldn't be A Trick Of The Tail ! Gabriel wouldn't let that happen: too retrogressive. No Wind And Wuthering either, for the same reason. I think more experimental stuff, because Gabriel and Hackett were more adventurous. Maybe some help from Robert Fripp, because on the Lamb they started with Eno. More single albums instead of double albums, I'm sure. Melodic, but adventurous. Also soundwise.   I disagree!!!! I think Wind and Wuthering would have been the direction they would have taken. Certainly the best would have been yet to come! I think Gabriel left at least two albums too soon! They left unfinnished buisness & never made a true masterpiece IMO but they certainly had the capability to do so, it just might have taken them another couple of albums to achieve it!

Who in the classic prog era made a true masterpiece? Most of the albums have strong points and weak points, added songs or elongated passages. Supper's Ready comes the closest to anything in classic prog being a masterpiece.

ken4musiq wrote: Progger wrote: Moogtron III wrote: There certainly wouldn't be A Trick Of The Tail ! Gabriel wouldn't let that happen: too retrogressive. No Wind And Wuthering either, for the same reason. I think more experimental stuff, because Gabriel and Hackett were more adventurous. Maybe some help from Robert Fripp, because on the Lamb they started with Eno. More single albums instead of double albums, I'm sure. Melodic, but adventurous. Also soundwise.   I disagree!!!! I think Wind and Wuthering would have been the direction they would have taken. Certainly the best would have been yet to come! I think Gabriel left at least two albums too soon! They left unfinnished buisness & never made a true masterpiece IMO but they certainly had the capability to do so, it just might have taken them another couple of albums to achieve it!   Who in the classic prog era made a true masterpiece? Most of the albums have strong points and weak points, added songs or elongated passages. Supper's Ready comes the closest to anything in classic prog being a masterpiece.

I hear what your saying and there is only one album that I can think of that has no weak points & is the only true masterpiece of the prog rock genre.....CLOSE TO THE EDGE!

I have to agree with BIGJOEAGOGO.  They would eventually run out of ideas and you would have wished that they had quit while they were ahead.  Perhaps you would have ended up resenting 5 people instead of 3 for the inevitable downhill slide.

As far as the big comeback record, sometimes it is too l;ate and the audience has moved on.  Album may not even get noticed depending on how lackluster the previous ones had been.   

Of course w/ Hackett and Gabriel they would have been better.  Imagine ATTWT songs with better (some) guitar work.  No offense Mike, but why are you so far down in the mix?

Would they even have released a song like Ripples?  Would Gabriel sing it as well as Collins.? (Don't crucify me, Peter was the best but Collins really had his moments.) 

Gosh, I would give my eye teeth for a Gabriel/ Hackett record.  Keyboard and Drummer guns for hire would fist-fight to be part of that project!