# The Strange Magic of: Genesis



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

It is fascinating to observe the evolution of long-lived Rock and Pop groups, and also to observe the reactions of longtime, early-days fans of once-loved(?) idols as Father Time alters the ensuing product. Consider the transition of Jefferson Airplane to Jefferson Starship and beyond, the Fleetwood Mac saga, Tull, U2. Growth? Decay? Some people love early Blue Öyster Cult; others prefer their late material (me). Genesis I've always loved, right from the jump: Selling England by the Pound is one of my all-time Greatest Albums. But I took the group's evolution in stride, and accepted and enjoyed their evolving output. Abacab and the Three Sides Live album are full of great, thunderous rock, herewith showcased in this arena-shaking live _Abacab_. Is this considered Late Middle-Period Genesis? Early Late Genesis? The drumming is absolutely Tribal as the song draws to its conclusion. Love it!


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Concerning bands such as Genesis, Jethro Tull, Yes, Pink Floyd, and the like, my enthusiasm does not extend beyond the late 70s.


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## Guest (May 8, 2016)

Picked them up from _Foxtrot_...put them down again after _We Can't Dance_. Favourites are _Selling England_, _Lamb Lies Down,_ _Trick of the Tail_ and perhaps _Duke_.

Undoubtedly my favourite band in my late teens and saw them twice in concert - _Wind and Wuthering _tour 1977 (awesome) and Knebworth 1978 (awful).


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

They made some of the best prog albums of all time (in particular _SEBTP _and _Trick of the tail_). After their nose-dive towards commercial pop/rock, I lost interest except for a few songs like _Land of confusion_.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

This thread and others have confirmed many times the affection people hold for _Selling England by the Pound_, a truly remarkable album. For me, one of Genesis' ultimate moments is the instrumental rhapsody in the Firth of Fifth segment that begins at about 5:40 and ends about 8:30 in this clip. Shudderingly, tremblingly great music that often brings tears to my eyes:


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

Strange Magic said:


> This thread and others have confirmed many times the affection people hold for _Selling England by the Pound_, a truly remarkable album. For me, one of Genesis' ultimate moments is the instrumental rhapsody in the Firth of Fifth segment that begins at about 5:40 and ends about 8:30 in this clip. Shudderingly, tremblingly great music that often brings tears to my eyes:


You can count me as a fan of Selling England by the Pound


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

One of my all time favorite bands. 

Completely lost interest after "Wind and Wuthering", their last good album. The loss of Steve Hackett, was as much of a blow to them musically, as the loss of Gabriel. Maybe even more so. The first 3 Steve Hackett solo albums are so much better than anything Genesis did without him. 

I am not a fan of mainstream rock or pop, so when they went into that direction, they had nothing to offer me. 

They reached their peak with SEBTP and The Lamb, but everything leading up to those 2 were also top notch.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I rarely listen to Selling... unless I want to hear Battle Of Epping Forest. I prefer the live version of Cinema Show, and Afterglow from Seconds Out is one of my favorite Genesis songs and performances. I'd have to say Trick of The Tail is my most listened to Genesis album, along with Seconds Out.


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## AndreyGaganov (May 16, 2016)

I feel like I've completely phased out of listening to Genesis, but there was a time when I could feel the magic coming from their albums ... even the first one, _FGTR_ ... yes! _Nursery Cryme_ is my favorite, even though it does not have that top-notch production you wish it had. It's the writing and the arrangement that kick ***.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Genesis. _Watcher of the Skies_ in full Watcher regalia. You gotta hand it to the English--did it begin with Arthur Brown or was it earlier?--this gift for Fancy Dress in rock and pop. We have the Mummers here nearby in Philadelphia, but that's a whole different thing. Who in America was doing anything like this at the time? Another example of why we are so lucky to have these two different traditions on opposite sides of the pond to mix and blend, or to sample pure, in rock and pop.


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## The Deacon (Jan 14, 2018)

Abacab, Three Sides Live.


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## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

the band degenerated after Phil Collins took over. Their last good album is The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974). My most favorite album is probably Trespass


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I liked pretty much everything from _Nursery Cryme_ (1971) to _...and then there were three..._ (1978). The latter album was a clear indication of a more streamlined style but there was enough connective tissue with the established Genesis 'sound' to make it a convincing Janus-like album, like Rush's _Permanent Waves_ and _Drama_ by Yes. _Duke_ (1980) went further down this road but I was unhappier with the results. Too much of what followed from _Abacab_ (1981) onwards sounded too close to Mike & the Mechanics and/or Phil Collins's solo material for comfort, especially when they utilised that horrible boomy drum sound (courtesy of producer Hugh Padgham) which was so beloved of Collins. I've never heard the final album, _Calling All Stations_.

Edit. I never had the chance to see Genesis during their prog years due to my tender age but I did see them in 1980 at Birmingham Odeon and they were excellent. I also saw them a year later but as they were playing at the NEC Arena the experience was far less pleasant due to my developing hatred of such enormodome venues.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

The Deacon said:


> Abacab, Three Sides Live.


Two of my favorites! I almost always found something to like throughout their career; the key to happiness is having wide-angle vision in music and the arts.


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

Some Prog bands could do pop well, like Novalis or even Yes, but in my mind Genesis only could at the end of the 70s. It's a curious feeling, no pun intended, when people like music you don't, yet once liked music made by the same musicians.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

regenmusic said:


> Some Prog bands could do pop well, like Novalis or even Yes, but in my mind Genesis only could at the end of the 70s. It's a curious feeling, no pun intended, when people like music you don't, yet once liked music made by the same musicians.


Your post again shows us--shows me anyway--just how utterly subjective and idiosyncratic are our responses to art of any sort. There is no "good" or "bad". We can make all sorts of objective statements about works of art--who made them, when, how big or small or simple or complex they are, how many people like them (and what sort of people). How many liked it then; how many now? What did it cost, what did it fetch at auction, how many units were moved? But is/was it "great"? All I know is what I like, and that's really just about all I care about, though the objective stuff is quite often interesting in itself.

Edit: I like _Mama_. It's so weird.


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## The Deacon (Jan 14, 2018)

There IS bad.
Very BAD.

And you nailed it with the horrendous "Mama".


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## Guest (Mar 13, 2018)

Strange Magic said:


> This thread and others have confirmed many times the affection people hold for _Selling England by the Pound_, a truly remarkable album. For me, one of Genesis' ultimate moments is the instrumental rhapsody in the Firth of Fifth segment that begins at about 5:40 and ends about 8:30 in this clip. Shudderingly, tremblingly great music that often brings tears to my eyes:


Nah, you're quite wrong there. It's the progress to a wonderful climax on _Cinema Show _that brings tears to the eyes!


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