matzaballman's Full Review: Genesis 1970-1975 [Box] by Genesis
".....Within seconds, the entire clean, green smooth surface of the park was a mass of dusty, brown, writhing objects. Old Michael continued to rub his flesh into the ground. This time he looked even happier and whistled a little tune. Eet went like this..."
So says Peter Gabriel in the story he tells before Supper's Ready in one of the concert videos featured on this new Genesis boxed set, which covers the albums Trespass through The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway but does not include Genesis/Live (no big loss there!). For many older Genesis fans like myself, this has been the boxed set we have really been waiting for. For someone who averages about one or two music purchases a week, I rarely ever buy boxed sets and maybe average one boxed set every year or year and a half (if that). The last boxed set I bought was Tom Petty's in the summer of '07 and only because I saw it used for 25 bucks!
This boxed set has dual disc versions of all of these, which has newly remixed versions of all the songs on the CD part and a plethora of special features on the DVD part, plus a sixth CD/DVD which has rare songs on it (most of which first appeared on the Archives 1967-1975 boxed set a few years back). These are all packaged in a green 4.75 x 5.25 x 6 inch box, with a lid on top. Let me talk about the special features, but before I do that, a quick summing up of what I think of each album.
Due to all the lyrical references to trees and nature and to the acoustic, folksy quality of many of the songs, I consider Trespass their 'nature album'. My two favorite songs are the last two, Dusk and The Knife. Nursery Cryme is my favorite Genesis album.....the second, heavy instrumental passage in The Musical Box is my favorite part of any Genesis song, and I think Harold The Barrel is their funniest song ever. From the music to the album cover itself, Foxtrot is my least favorite Genesis album, though I love Horizons and the Lover's Leap part of Supper's Ready. Selling England By The Pound is their classiest and best sounding album, even though it has it's dull moments, like on More Fool Me and sections of The Battle Of Epping Forest, which is essentially a showcase for Peter Gabriel's silly voices. I absolutely love the story for The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, love the first half of the album, while the second half has more than it's share of filler. It's still a four star album for me. Okay, now onto the special features.....
The band members are interviewed about each album and talk about everything from the recording sessions, inspirations for certain songs, their personal opinions of the songs, the albums and the album covers to what was happening within the group on a personal level, etc... This is one of my favorite features of the boxed set. I find the interviews entertaining, insightful and at times, very helpful. I have always had a hard time describing why I don't like the album Foxtrot too much and the band members criticisms of both the music and the album cover (that the music and cover were 'too busy') oddly enough reflect some of mine and have helped me verbalize better my thoughts about the album. The most curious thing I found was how none of the band members mention the song More Fool Me from Selling England By The Pound. Maybe none of them like it! The most interesting interviews are the one for The Lamb...the events surrounding that album, particularly regarding Peter Gabriel, are as interesting as the story that was written for the album and could have made just as interesting a concept album. I also like hearing Phil's recollection of the recording of the instrumental The Waiting Room. And...I like hearing the band members speak. I would have to say that I like Steve Hackett's speaking voice the most.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The remixes~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Each album has been given new 5.1 Surround Sound and Stereo mixes, the same treatment that all of their other albums have been given within the last few years. I guess you can say I have mixed (or re-mixed!) feelings about this. For one, 'why fix it', or more appropriately, 'why REMIX it?', if it's not broken? With various instruments either raised up or brought down in the mix, and vocal tracks as well, hardly ever are these remixes an improvement. Usually the instrument that is brought down in the mix is the guitar. My least favorite remix is the one for the song The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, where they actually turn down the bass, more disappointing because this is one of the few Genesis tunes where the bass provides the main melody! On a positive note, the one song that actually benefits is Willow Farm from Supper's Ready, which is given new life with the remix and sounds better than the original mix. For the most part, I would say this was a waste of time.
Okay, for big Genesis fans like myself, this is the main reason to buy this boxed set. Starting with Foxtrot, we are given concert footage from 1972 (before Gabriel started wearing his costumes) up to the tour for The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. Concert footage for The Lamb shows up the DVD audio version of that album, with video stills and occasionally.. actual videos for the songs. It's one thing to read about or see pictures of Peter Gabriel dressing up in his various costumes, and it is quite another to actually SEE him doing it. The highlight (or most of the highlights) come from the concert filmed for Italian TV in 1973 (found on the Selling England DVD), just for all the costumes Gabriel wears....and for the stories he tells in between songs. For Watcher Of The Skies, Gabriel wears his bat wings, he dresses up as Brittania for Dancing With The Moonlit Knight, the lawnmower man for I Know What I Like, for The Musical Box he becomes an old man at the end of the song and for Willow Farm in Supper's Ready, we get to see his flower costume. And..of course, you get to hear Gabriel telling a few stories in between songs. Not only are Gabriel's costumes and stories entertaining, but even his facial expressions and body movements are interesting. It is very hard to take your eyes off of him. Not that the other band members are butt ugly (for they are not), but they aren't as fun to watch! Another video highlight is a live version of the second half of The Knife, the only song where guitarist Steve Hackett stands up while playing guitar. (Mind you..or me, I'm not saying Hackett standing up makes it a highlight!) My only complaint is that a song listing is not given for each concert in the liner notes.
------------Last, but unfortunately least.............................
......we have the rarities CD/DVD, the CD portion consisting of songs not included on any Genesis studio album. Actually, the first six songs, Happy The Man, Twilight Alehouse, Shepherd (where Tony Banks gets a rare lead vocal), Pacidy, Let Us Now Make Love and Going Out To Get You, all previously showed up on the Archives, Volume 1 boxed set. I can't say that I'm too impressed with any of these songs, my favorite being Twilight Alehouse, though I like the live version that appears on the Foxtrot DVD better. What will be of most interest to Genesis fans are the last four songs, which were recorded in 1970 for a documentary about the work of painter Michael Jackson. Here Genesis fans can hear early versions of The Musical Box, The Fountain Of Salmacis and Anyway, and a few other songs, as well. The DVD portion has a 2007 re-issues interview, an Archives, 1967-1975 interview and Genesis performing Watcher Of The Skies and The Musical Box for The Midnight Special back in 1973. My biggest gripe about the rarities CD/DVD is the packaging. There is the same design on both the CD/DVD was there is on the slipcase, which makes taking them out and especially putting them back in kind of challenging!
My last paragraph, finally!!!
I am very relieved that I have finally finished writing this review! I started writing it back at the beginning of December and now, six months later in June, I feel that I am finally done, making this the longest time I have ever spent writing a review...or anything, for that matter! There was so much to write about here and so much that I wanted to say, but I didn't want to make this review too long, which is one of the reasons I didn't give a track listing for each album. Also, if you already own the individual Genesis albums, you already know what the songs are, so giving a track listing may be redundant. Bottom line, if you are a fan of the Gabriel-era Genesis, then you should have this boxed set. Ciao!
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