Part I – The Gabriel Era
Like Yes, I was introduced to Genesis sometime in the 80’s by their POP hits. I even have both Genesis and Invisible Touch CD’s in my collection – purchased sometime way back in the late 80’s. Unfortunately, back in the 80’s there was no Genesis classic compilation album to act as a bridge and provide access to their earlier work in a neat, concise package for someone trying to get into the band like there was for Yes. I was familiar with only a few of the 70’s songs via the local radio: The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, Squonk and Follow You Follow Me and that’s it.
So having moved through the Yes discography, I moved on to Genesis. The Den had me covered with every title available and various generations of remasters for many. This was new territory so to speak and I really didn’t know what to expect.
Like Yes, I don’t have and have not heard their first album.
Trespass
Though not quite as proggy as the later albums I really like this one. I put this one on often when I’m working on the computer. Every track is good and I don’t skip a song. With the exception of The Knife the songs do sound similar but they are unique enough that they stand out from each other.
Nursery Cryme
This was the first album I listened to, The Musical Box being my entry into the world of classic Genesis beyond the few songs mentioned above. I was impressed. Dynamic, shifting back and forth between lighter and heavier sections, it was nothing like I expected from hearing their 80’s albums. The sound they presented on Trespass was still present in songs like Seven Stones but The Musical Box, The Return Of The Giant Hogweed and The Fountain Of Salmacis really pushed their composition and sound to a new level.
I was impressed and anxious to get to the rest of albums.
Foxtrot
I agree that this album and Nursery Cryme have a very similar sound. Like its predecessor I like everything on this album. Get ‘Em Out By Friday didn’t grab me right away as I don’t typically like songs with “talking” in lieu of “singing” but the music is excellent and the dynamics keep it interesting. Can-Utility And The Coastliners showcases some awesome guitar / keyboard interplay.
I’d heard of Supper’s Ready in conversations with people when I would talk about Dream Theater’s long epics so I was really looking forward to hearing this. I like it a lot because it’s a different take on the long form epic style song but still has the unique genesis sound. I do think it has that patched together sound but it doesn’t distract from the great piece of music it is.
Selling England By The Pound
Definitely a step ahead of the previous two, this is my favorite of the Gabriel era Genesis albums. The Battle Of Epping Forest is the weakest of the four longer tracks as the first few minutes seem to drag and the “talking” brings it down a bit for me. Dancing With The Moonlit Knight, Firth Of Fifth and Cinema Show are all top 10 songs to me. More Fool Me is the only track I skip. Banks’ keyboards and Hackett’s guitar really shine on this album.
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
Putting the convoluted story (lyrics) aside, this album is musically on par with Selling England By The Pound to me. Genesis pack a lot of different styles into this album making it somewhat of a summary of the style of music written during the Gabriel era. The first album is pretty solid - The Grand Parade Of Lifeless Packaging is only song I dislike. The second album is dragged down a bit by the uninteresting instrumental passages like The Waiting Room and Ravine. In The Rapids is a slow grind but seems more of an intro to It which itself is just okay. Don’t ask me about the story as I don’t have a clue as to what Gabriel was trying to get at. It doesn’t really bother me though and I can enjoy the album without having to embrace the story.
I listen to all of these albums on a semi-regular basis.