FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION

To me, I find this album to be little more than a historical curiosity. At this point, the members of GENESIS (Peter GABRIEL, Tony BANKS, Mike RUTHEFORD and Anthony PHILLIPS) were finishing up their education at the notoriously exclusive and snooty public school (that is, the UK eqivalent of a private or boarding school) called Charterhouse. "From Genesis to Revelation" sounds very little like the early GENESIS sound that's to be found on their following albums. As has often been said, the music has more in common with the MOODY BLUES and early BEE GEES, but in my book, it's more like those two band's worst aspects (like the BEE GEES' "I Started a Joke" which a lot of this album reminds me of or many of the overblown ballads the MOODY BLUES are known for).

The music is plastered with reall bad dentist office Muzak-style strings, out of tune piano, barely noticible guitars, and bad lyrics. "Fireside Song" to me is by far the worst thing on this album with inane lyrics that go: "Once upon a time there was confusion, disappointment, fear and disillusion". This album seemed more the product of producer Jonathan King (himself a former Charterhouse student) than what the guys of GENESIS had in mind. At that time, the legality of the name GENESIS was in question (because of an obscure American band that recorded for Mercury Records that existed at the same time, who vanished very quickly without a trace), so the original LP was simply titled "From Genesis to Revelation" with no mentione of the band's name, with most of the copies being sold under the religious section, explaining the pitiful sales (the musical quality also explains a lot as well).

The only good I can say of this album is Peter GABRIEL, his voice is still quite unmistakable. But luckily the band will be heading in the right direction by changing labels and being much more serious. As for this album, basically get a copy if you can find it for cheap.