Genesis Studio Albums - Best To Worst

From what I've heard so far:

15.From Genesis To Revelation
14.Genesis
13.Invisible Touch
12.We Can't Dance
11.Calling All Stations

10.Trespass
9.Abacab
8.A Trick Of The Tail
7.And Then There Were Three
6.Nursery Cryme
5.The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
4.Duke

3.Wind And Wuthering
2.Selling England By The Pound
1.Foxtrot 

Wind & Wuthering
A Trick of the Tail
Selling England by the Pound
Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Foxtrot
And Then There Were Three
Nursery Cryme
Trespass
Duke
We Can't Dance
Genesis
Abacab
Invisible Touch
Calling All Stations


Edited by queen_crimson - May 20 2014 at 19:30

Trespass
Foxtrot
Selling England
Wind & Wuthering
Nursery Cryme
The Lamb
Duke
A Trick of the Tail
Abacab
And then there were three
Genesis
We can't Dance
Invisible Touch
Calling All Stations
FGTR

   I once read something that echoed my sentiments exactly, to the effect that once Gabe left the band the world began to loose a world-class drummer and gained just another piano balladeer, so I can't shake off the contempt for all post-Gabriel Genesis. That being said...
   
Nursery Cryme - To me a unique musical adventure whose flaws actually add to the aesthetic.
Trespass - This album also carries the unique style that actually seemed to fade with every successive ensuing release.
Foxtrot - Sure, the band's highly polished at this point and all these listed deserve the highest marks, yet it seems the more capable the musicianship the further away the essence, the faery tale style of true Genesis slips.
Lamb - Brian Eno is a rare genius and his small contributions to this album makes for goose bumps!
Selling England - If it's their weakest album before the split this still doesn't mean it's essential for any true Prog audiophile.
     ...and I've sampled FGTR and would lump it with Triumvirate and Gentle Giant's last albums altho this was their first and rather than selling out I guess they were sellin in!

Below my combination. Not entirely complete, I think I need to perform some re-listenings, but I'm sure nothing will much affect the leading titles:

I prefer the Gabriel Genesis but am no fan of the Lamb - sprawling, no true center....and what the frag does Gabriel know about "tough kids" and life "in the street".  Wish they'd stuck to English pastoral instead of urban decay.  Not bad music, especially sides 1 and 2, but the rehashing of themes throughout the second half really drags the atmosphere down.  Where's the denoumont?  Where's the wrapping up?  Rael suddenly reaches realization with "It"?  No, no, no....Gabriel had a great idea that he rushed thru while the band holed up and became the post-Gabriel band we know and love.

To me, Trespass is the "missing" Genesis album.  There's a great leap forward from GtR but they're still searching for a sound.  It's an album I don't return to very often, but when I do I find it relaxing but subdued....maybe due to the shyte recording.  In general, all the early Gensis albums suffer from poor production.

1. Foxtrot - Quality at its most English.
2. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway - A varied onslaught of radical ideas saved until the end as Gabriel's opus.
3. A Trick of the Tail - A phoenix reborn. Sing on, oh drumming wonder, sing on!
4. Selling England By the Pound - Pretty but staid. Still, wonderful Gabriel vocals.
6. Nursery Cryme - Fine ensemble playing with the two new guys.
7. Genesis Live - A fine representation of the band live.
8. Wind and Wuthering - Great melodies in the shadow of dissension and despair.
9. And Then There Were Three - Sullen prog in attempting to cover for the departed.
10. Duke - Fondly known across the frozen tundra as "Puke."

Not exactly answering the notion of the thread, but it kept me from work for awhile.

God I'm sad...