Genesis: ...and then there were three... (1978)
Tony Banks - Keyboards
Phil Collins - Vocals, Drums, Percussion
Mike Rutherford - Basses, Guitars, Bass Pedals
Down and Out
(Banks, Collins, Rutherford)Undertow
(Banks)Ballad of Big
(Banks, Collins, Rutherford)Snowbound
(Rutherford)Burning Rope
(Banks)Deep in the Motherlode
(Rutherford)Many Too Many
(Banks)Scenes from a Night's Dream
(Banks, Collins)Say It's Alright, Joe
(Rutherford)The Lady Lies
(Banks)Follow You Follow Me
(Banks, Collins, Rutherford)----------
Originally, there were five members of Genesis, then there were four...
And as the transformation of Genesis from 70's progressive rock band to 80's pop supergroup continued, it was this album which was the first to go Gold in the United States, largely on the strength of their first U.S. single, "Follow You Follow Me". All three members of Genesis insist that the band had always wanted to write songs which people heard on the radio, it just took them a while to figure out how to do it.
Looking back, each previous album had one or two songs which conceivably could have been singles. Their first album actually did have two singles, though neither was very popular. "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" from
Selling England by the Pound was a minor hit in the U.K. "Your Own Special Way" got some airplay in the U.S., and the title track from
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway was an FM staple for years, although it was never officially released as a single in the U.S.
But none of that really mattered. What mattered was that Genesis, the incredible shrinking band, had finally scored a hit single in the U.S. As the 70's were drawing to a close, and prog was being eclipsed by other genres, Genesis survived because they were able to redirect their considerable musical talent into creating strong, catchy pop songs.
"Follow You Follow Me" is one of the few songs on
...and then there were three... to be credited to all three members. Tony once again has the most songwriting credits, but Mike is a close second, and as usual, Phil has the fewest. In interviews, Tony and Mike both are quick to defend Phil from those who would accuse him of leading Genesis down the path from prog to pop. There are some longer songs on the album, but every song has the standard verse-verse-break-reprise structure. Because Phil was gaining more confidence as lead singer and front man, people make a correlation between that and the change in Genesis' sound, but it was clearly a band decision to move in a more pop-oriented direction.
Genesis, however, never completely abandoned the prog. "Down and Out" has a few mood changes to it and is something like "Squonk in 5/4". "Burning Rope" has an excellent instrumental section that goes through a few changes. "Deep in the Motherlode" also goes through some changes during its break, before returning (too soon) to the main theme. One of my favorites (which few others seem to like), "Say It's Alright, Joe", is deceptively complex, going through a series of delusions and daydreams before finally wandering off in a truly beautiful and graceful outro.
After keeping the prog/pop ratio on the high side for a few albums after the departure of Peter Gabriel, it is tempting to cite the departure of Steve Hackett as the turning point in the band's move towards pop and away from prog, but it's just not that simple. The music scene was changing, both the business and what was popular, and with another member gone, Genesis
had to score a hit if they were to survive. And they did. "Many Too Many" was also released as a single, though only the U.K. It didn't fare as well as "Follow You Follow Me" but it showed that Atlantic still had confidence in them.
It may be surprising to some that there's quite a bit of guitar on this album. One must remember that Mike had always played guitar in Genesis, and is an excellent musician overall. He was there from the beginning and learned from both Anthony Phillips and Steve Hackett, and his soloing style reflects that. In terms of sound, the biggest change with
...and then there were three... is that the
acoustic guitars are gone. And that's a shame because both Mike and Tony used to play acoustic guitar in Genesis. Again, this is evidence that the changing of the band's sound, stripping it down to basic keyboards, guitars, and drums, all but abandoning the acoustic side, was a group decision.
----------
I know I beat that horse pretty hard, about how Phil Collins was
not the evil guy who single-handedly turned Genesis from prog to pop, but it seems to be a misconception that I run into everywhere, and it's just not true. As always, Tony and Mike wrote most of the music, and every song on this album is AABA. The B section is a little longer and more complex sometimes, but this is a pop album, as was every Genesis album from this point forward, and Phil had very little to do with it.
I still remember when I picked up
Wind & Wuthering and heard "Your Own Special Way" because I recognized the song. I know I'd heard it on the radio. What I read in interviews later was true; Genesis always had a side to them that wrote shorter, radio-friendly songs. They just had to figure out how to write a hit, and they finally did it here. And considering the year, 1978, it was an unusual one. A synth solo when pretty much every song had a guitar solo. And no three-part harmonies during the chorus, when that too was pretty much the standard.
Re-listening to this album, I can understand why it's not one of the higher-rated albums in the Genesis catalogue. The band had been thrown for another loop, and while they came back strong on the commercial side, I think it's fair to say that artistically they played it pretty safe here. But it does have some good stuff; I consider four of the songs to be as solid as anything else in their catalogue. And since this was my first Genesis (studio) album, it will always be a special one for me.
Topic: Genesis Discography (Read 55040 times)
