Alternative Weekend: The Crackpot, The Misfit, The Geek.
The year was 1980. I was discovering this band, Genesis, and boy, was it frustrating. I had found this fantastic band and all I got was shrugs from everyone. They didn't get it, couldn't hear it, and wanted Adam and the Ants, or that emerging new genre sound, Spandau Ballet.
These 'pop bands' were in my ear. I liked them and was a lot more receptive to mainstream music than I am now. It was decent then and not full of Calvin Harris remixes, featuring Dui Lipa, co-featuring Tom Jones, and co-featuring Droopy FartFace and the Flatulence Boys.
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...'Calvin Harris, it's not even fucking music, he's a bloody DJ'...
Calvin Harris may not still be topping the top 40. I don't know as I don't listen anymore, it's too fucking depressing picking out grains of gold from a mountain of bronze dust. Everything kind of looks, er… sounds the same.
I played ‘Deep in the Motherlode’ to a school friend of mine. It never made it to the second verse. I can still remember the rebuff and couldn't understand it.
...' it's funny how you remember inconsequential shit like this?'...
'… And Then There Were Three', is the weakest of the post-Gabriel albums (up until Abacab) in my opinion but it has merit.
I then played 'Dance in a Volcano' to 'Jenny', my driving instructor just before commencing a driving lesson.
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...'That's NOT Jenny the Hot Instructor driving, but the car is the same colour, model and approximate year. I could have lost my virginity in the back of a Ford Fiesta'...
She was a mature hot lady, with a reputation of pulling into lay-bys and seducing her students. Was that a load of shit, well?… I can only say this gangly long-haired, greasy-haired dropout’s dick was not of interest to her.
Likewise, playing her the first track from the legendary, 'A Trick of the Tail' also turned her cold and probably made me an even bigger weirdo in her eyes.
Was I the only Genesis fan in the whole world? It was maddening that I could not chat about the album tracks with anyone, and everyone thought me a crackpot, a misfit, a geek.
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...'the few friends I had were into music such as this. I was just the same but held an uncool progressive secret'...
After this latest rebuke, I resigned myself to being a closet Genesis fan. Stick to the mainstream…, Madness, The Human League, Visage, and OMD. I was a huge fan, of all, and bought all the 7’ singles.
Albums were not even a thought in my mind. Albums were for bands such as Genesis and the only recognition I attained from anyone might be from 'Follow You, Follow Me' or that new one-hit wonder, 'Turn it on Again'.
…'Yeah, they are OK I suppose that new band, that's it though.., they shot their load'…
New fucking band, what did they know?
...'around this time, 'Follow Me, Follow You' was their big hit.. and that was 3 years prior, most definitely one hit wonders, two at best'...
If only the internet was a thing in 1980, I would have realized I was not the only Genesis fan in the world.
So what's brought this on?
I’m having Genesis moment and listening to some of the best music ever made from those albums, ‘A Trick of the Tail’, ‘Wind and Wuthering’ and ‘Duke’.., the last truly great albums before they went 'pop'.
Whack up the volume to a decibel level where your neighbours are guaranteed to call the police due to noise pollution and listen:
Heathaze – Genesis (Duke – 1980)
I sent @steevc an alternative version of this classic from Duke, but am still unsure whether it's overdone. I am a fan of the Mellotron but perhaps the chorus contains enough ambience already.
‘Heathaze' is no 'Invisible Touch'. It's from the last days of their great songwriting period, and far from a pop song. I played Duke so much that the LP 33' almost wore out. My daughter recently picked up a copy for peanuts from a junk market and tells me she likes it.
Likes it? It's a modern masterpiece from the 1980s; listen some more I say. Despite being produced by a bunch of misfits with beards from the 70s, 'Duke' gained the band a lot of credibility and hit number one in the UK album charts.
Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers.../...In That Quiet Earth – Genesis (Wind and Wuthering – 1977)
That guitar, Steve Hackett, what a fucking legend he is and still going with his own band playing the great Genesis songs with some blond bloke at the front who sounds neither like Peter Gabriel nor Phil Collins.
We can’t have it all, and to give him credit he pulls off his parts of the old catalogue flawlessly. Singers might lose it, but guitarists gain perfection with age and maybe arthritis in the fingers.
'…In that Quiet Earth' is an instrumental which equally combines the talents of Steve Hackett and Tony Banks, the latter being the glue that held the band together in my opinion.
Honestly, it's best played loud and I had to add the pre-song, 'Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers' as they are best listened together. The former mellow and haunting 'Slumbers' track setting the scene for what is to come.
Ripples – Genesis (A Trick of the Tail – 1976)
If I was to pick something from 'A Trick of the Tail' it would undoubtedly be 'Mad Man Moon' but I featured that song in a post almost 5 years ago on STEEM.
'Ripples' was a single from the band that was duly ignored by the general public, and contains that dark mysticism from the theme of the album.
It might appear to be a ballad, but it's far more than a simple 'love song' and contains an extended piano section from Tony Banks, that while not competing with the 'Mad Man Moon' middle section, is still moving and complex.
I love the overall feel of ‘A Trick of the Tail’, the artwork the feel takes you to another time period in a similar way that 'Nursery Cryme' managed.
This fantasy dark 'fairy tale' feel was one of the attractions of this band I felt when digging into their back catalogue in the very early 1980's.
'… And then There Were Three'. It has its merits but is not in the same league as these THREE classic masterpieces.
Porcupine Tree might be my modern favourite band, but they will never beat Genesis for consistency and eternal, enduring quality.
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You know I love Genesis too. They may have finally ended as Phil is not well, but they had a great run. Even some of the later albums had their moments, more on the albums than the singles.
On the Drumeo school there's a nice series of videos about the drumming of Phil Collins done by Todd Sucherman of Styx. I don't think it's available generally, but I loved it. He included so much live footage I hadn't seen. Turn It On Again keeps changing time signature, but they make it seamless.
I need to watch more of the rael nyc videos that dive into the history of various albums, including some Genesis.
They did, Dodo/Lurker and Domino spring to mind. I bought Abacab on the strength of Duke and was so disappointed, not even noticing the former song. I could hear horns, brass and that was no Genesis. I have warmed to 'Me and Sarah Jane' since then, it's quirky and different.
Yes, I was always aware of this.., like Money by Pink Floyd.., you have to listen to notice it. If you try and play it, it will quickly become apparant.
I think I have seen some of these but will watch, I love Rockumetaries.
For what it's worth, I failed when I tried to get anyone interested in the fine British band called Porno Cassettes. I guess telling someone "your face, a fucking disgrace" wasn't and isn't a good opener.
Haha, that music is at the other end of the spectrum but I see your tale is similar to mine.
I did have a listen, reminds me of Sham 69 a little. I was (and still am) a fan of the Punk era that emerged a little earlier than this song.., there was some gems that came out of it.
Well, I've heard about Genesis a lot of times but I've never for once listened.
As for Calvin Harris, he is so lovable.
I really love his songs even though some of them seem depressing...lol
Each to their own I suppose, not for me.
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Reading this, I think I should check out Genesis and listen to it☺️☺️ you made it seem lovable
Ahh, it's mighty frustrating when you're s closet fan of any band. Imagine not being able to share it with your friends and I'm sorry but I cracked a rib laughing when you said you played a track from the 'Trick of the Tail' album.
Not such fun times eh?
Not fun to not share; the pre-internet days were a whole lot different to todays world. I wonder if Jenny is still alive, I will need to look her up.
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I loved the Gabriel years! We have a lot of similar tastes inmusi c. IDK what's going on with the music industry these days. Pop in the US is complete garbage too these days IMHO. No soul or real feeling.
The 80s for me was all about classic rock (cause most of the music coming out at the time was crap so my friends and I opted for Led Zeppelin, Genesis, The Who, etc) , punk, and a little of the new wave stuff that was starting to come out.
I love the Gabriel stuff as much as the Collins, I don't take sides, though post Duke.., they went too poppy for my liking.
During the 80's, I was very much mainstream besides the 'uncool' things I had to hide. Rush was another of those bands. Punk was great, but short-lived. I loved it when some young uncouth skinheads made it to Top of the Pops.., LOL!
Blast from the past proper music, LP's still in cupboard Fox Trot, A Trick of the Tail, And Then there were Three with Abacab, hearing this loud again (everyone is out yeah) like a magic carpet ride!
Fortunate enough to see Phil Collins live concert when he visited Durban, group as a whole from the 1970s sound always waited in anticipation for new releases back then... We could afford LPs not having kids !LOLZ
Great! I had them all once, but dumped them when vinyl went out of fashion around 24 years ago.
Hopefully when he could walk and not be in a chair. I never saw them, but was a recluse when young with barely any friends, and no Genesis ones. It's too late now, but you have the memories.
Captured all the LPs to digital years ago, packed them into a cupboard almost brand new, as was the habit back then to tape to cassette, later CDs now simply on harddrive.
Never had the heart to sell memories, my brother has my old JVC system and spins disks daily when his wife is at work, neighbours gobsmacked now pensioner!
Not sure how many LPs he has plus videos, CDs in his collection still building year on year. Unusual mixes 2 x Who/Henrix on LPs.
1995 live show with Phil was great we bumped into friends we had not seen in years!
Awesome way to end the day! Music always...
I know Genesis most from the poppy "We can't dance" but songs like Heathaze sound familiar too. And it feels like relaxed thinking back to the 90's when I not only discovered great bands from that period, but as well the great music from the 2 decades before that... !WEED
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You would fucking love living in Germany. I moved there in 2013 and the first thing I noticed about the place was that Genesis were playing in every pub and club around the place. They fucking loved Genesis and Phil . Even the lads doing Karaoke did around 5 Genesis songs. There was one lad there that always did "Jesus He Knows Me", Invisible Touch then finished off with Sussudio (not Genesis but close enough). Every single Monday and Friday this guy did these three songs. I stayed in Essen for 3 years and your man always ran up on stage. I get a snapchat last week a decade later from a friend who is still the barman in that pub Fritzpatricks in Essen. There's the same lad up on stage bleating out Invisible Touch . The slogan from the bar man underneath was "Kill ne now" . I found it hilarious.
I already love Germany, the food and the beer are second to none.., although that's the pop Genesis I am not so fond of. They are OK.., don't get me wrong but lack the complexity of the older stuff.
It's strange that. Most bands start simple and then add the complexity. They must have did it to get famous then ?
Not sure, could be seen as a 'sell out' but likely just changing with the times. The eighties was not very responsive to 'prog'.