Genesis ~ England

Trespass (1970)

As I have mentioned a couple of times, when I arrived to college in 1983, I had no idea Genesis were a prog band. In the Dallas area, the FM radio stations purged all evidence that the group existed prior to 1977. My hall monitor was also a record collector and while looking through my progressive oriented collection (such as it was), he asked where my Genesis albums were. I told him I thought they were a pop group. Ohhh... nooo. So he let me borrow Wind and Wuthering figuring it was more contemporary. I really enjoyed it, and realized I had missed out. Then he let me borrow Trespass...

This was something entirely different to the progressive rock I had enjoyed up this point, mostly from the Yes and ELP school. This was a type of murky and mysterious music, distant yet engaging. While Side 1 is excellent, it was Side 2 that really drew me in. And some 40 years later, on yet another revisit, I can say with conviction this is why I consider it a top division record. 'Stagnation' is the culmination of the three tracks prior. 'Dusk' picks up the pace and highlights Gabriel's flute. Incidentally this would be the album he features the instrument the most. And then the real jaw dropper, especially for my ears back then, was 'The Knife'. I wasn't prepared at all for the aggressive stance of the composition. It's interesting to note that Anthony Phillips made a career out of pastoral acoustic guitar based music, similar to what he brought to Trespass. But on 'The Knife' it appears that Phillips purged all of his pent-up anger in one fell swoop. It's darn near heavy metal in places! It still sends a chill down my spine all these years later. You can really feel this album through and through.

I'm not one to take a contrarian position, but I enjoy Trespass better than the next two, and it remains my second favorite Genesis album after the almighty Selling England by the Pound.

Ownership: 1970 Charisma UK (LP). Textured gatefold with lyric inner. Pink scroll label; 1999 Charisma Japan (CD). Papersleeve gatefold. 

1//84 (first acquired); 1995; 2009; 1/12/24 (review)

Abacab (1981)

Like just about every other dyed-in-the-wool prog fan my tolerance for pop era Genesis is pretty low. As mentioned here before, I didn't even know Genesis was a prog band until I got to college a couple of years later. I always liked the title track with its random synthesizer leads and motorik styled drums. Even though the song is the most proggy thing here, the fact remains it was the big hit from the album and it makes you wonder why they didn't reconsider their decision. The rest of the album is not so bad if taking into account the early 80s radio mindset. Some of it reminds me of Toto of all bands, especially the horn driven numbers. Taking the emotion out of it, I'm tempted to keep it. But the downsizing must continue, and as I said about a recent ZZ Top tape, I have no nostalgia here. And if I did, it would be mostly on the negative side. Glad to have reconciled with it though.

Source: 1981 Atlantic (LP)

Wind & Wuthering (1976)

If you've ever spent any time on a progressive rock chat board, then you'll know that Genesis gets a lot of ink. I mean a lot. As if there never were any other progressive rock bands in the world except Genesis, Yes, and a handful of others. I've spent a lifetime collecting and reporting a different world than that. But Genesis remains one of my favorites as well. If you were to come along today and learn about progressive rock for the first time, Genesis would get mentioned early and one would be directed properly to their early albums. Strangely, for those of my generation, Genesis were an AOR / pop band. As if they didn't exist before 1977. And I started listening to the radio intently in... 1977! Such was the state of commercial radio back then. It wasn't until I got to college (1983) where I met more like-minded guys, that I learned Genesis were a prog band. Our resident assistant let me borrow Trespass through Foxtrot, and my education of Genesis began.

I bring all of this up in a Wind & Wuthering review, because this was their last stand for prog rock. Much debate (as noted in sentence #1) has occurred around whether or not this album was the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning (appropriate phrasing for a number of reasons...). Based on my own personal experience, I have hard data that it was the end of the beginning. I never heard this album until I started buying for myself all the "prog" Genesis albums. Even though there is the one pop number 'Your Own Special Way', its placement here is about as relevant as 'I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)'. And I never heard it on the radio either. But I sure as shite heard 'Follow You Follow Me' nine million times. And that was before 1979...

Was Steve Hackett the secret ingredient that held it all together? The superficial data says yes. The reality is probably no. He just would have been the guitarist in the pop group known as Genesis. Have you heard Cured? You'll get a funny feeling. Point made. As for W&W, I find most of the material here very strong - up there with some of their best works. It's not as consistent, and I don't consider it a first division record, but close. The Unquiet/Quiet sequence is stunning though.

Ownership: 1976 ATCO (LP). With hype sticker.

1986 (first acquired); 8/13/06; 9/30/19; 3/28/23 (review)

3/28/23 (new entry)