The following text has been extracted and edited from my book The Songs of Genesis: A Complete Guide to the Studio Recordings (McFarland): Work began on writing The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway in May 1974 following the completion of the Selling England by the Pound tour. The band had made the conscious decision to…
Category: Music Reviews
Selling England by the Pound celebrates its 50th anniversary
50 years ago today Genesis released Selling England by the Pound, one of their best-regarded albums. SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND UK Release: 28 September 1973. LP. Charisma. CAS 1074. Album Score – 83% Peter Gabriel – vocals, flute, oboe, percussion Tony Banks – Hammond organ, Mellotron, Hohner Pianet, ARP Pro Soloist, piano, 12-string guitar…
Music Review – MARILLION: AN HOUR BEFORE IT’S DARK (2022)
MARILLION AN HOUR BEFORE IT’S DARK (CD, Intact/earMUSIC, 4 March 2022, 54:10) – score 79% Musicians: Steve Hogarth – Vocals, Keyboards; Mark Kelly – Keyboards; Steve Rothery – Guitars; Pete Trewava- Bass, Additional Guitar; Ian Mosley – Drums With Kat Marsh – Backing Vocals (1, 6); P. Bissett – Additional Noises (1); Luis Jardim –…
Music Review – TEARS FOR FEARS: THE TIPPING POINT (2022)
TEARS FOR FEARS THE TIPPING POINT (CD, Concord Records, 25 February 2022, 42:25) – score 69% Musicians: Roland Orzabal – Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards; Curt Smith – Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards; with Doug Petty – accordion, Hammond organ (1); piano (6), string arrangement (7); Carina Round – background vocals (1, 3, 5, 6); Aaron Sterling –…
Genesis’ Wind & Wuthering after 45 years
Today marks the 45th anniversary of the release of WIND & WUTHERING, the second album Genesis recorded as a four-piece after the departure of Peter Gabriel. It would be the band’s last studio album with guitarist Steve Hackett – Genesis paring down to the trio of Tony Banks (Keyboards), Phil Collins (vocals, drums) and Mike…
Nursery Cryme at 50
12 November 2021 is the 50th anniversary of the release of Genesis’ third album NURSERY CRYME, their first with new members Phil Collins (drums, vocals) and Steve Hackett (guitar). The album would be the first of four studio recordings between 1971 and 1974 from the five-man line-up including founder members Tony Banks (keyboards), Peter Gabriel…
Genesis’ Abacab at 40
18 September 2021 is the 40th anniversary of the release of Genesis’ watershed album Abacab. It was the band’s eleventh studio album and their third as a trio The album saw Genesis deliberately steer themselves into a post-new wave direction by rejecting any material they wrote which they felt was treading old ground or adopting…
Music Review – ELECTRONIC: ELECTRONIC (1991)
ELECTRONIC ELECTRONIC (LP, Factory Records, 27 May 1991, 52:29) – score 73% Musicians: Bernard Sumner – vocals, keyboards and programming; Johnny Marr – guitars, keyboards and programming; Neil Tennant – vocals on “The Patience of a Saint” and backing vocals on “Getting Away with It”; Chris Lowe – keyboards on “The Patience of a Saint”;…
Music Review – DEL AMITRI: FATAL MISTAKES (2021)
DEL AMITRI FATAL MISTAKES (CD, Cooking Vinyl, 28 May 2021, 45:52) – score 76% Musicians: Andy Alston – keyboards; Justin Currie – vocals, bass; Kris Dollimore – guitar; Iain Harvie – guitar, backing vocals; Ash Soan – drums. Producer: Dan Austin; Mixed by Dan Austin; Mastered by Paul McGeehan; Recorded at Vada studio, March 2020….
Music Review – MARILLION: MISPLACED CHILDHOOD (1985)
MISPLACED CHILDHOOD (LP, EMI, 17 June 1985, 41:17) – score 82% Musicians: Fish – vocals; Steve Rothery – guitars, additional bass; Pete Trewavas – bass; Mark Kelly – keyboards; Ian Mosley – drums, percussion Producer: Chris Kimsey; Engineer: Thomas Stiehler; Mixing Engineer: Mark Freegard; Recorded at Hansa Tonstudio, Berlin, Germany, March – May 1985;…