5 Stars
By the time of its release in 1973, Genesis had already released three critically acclaimed albums. (I purposely do not count the rather silly collection of songs released as an album under the guidance of a certain Jonathan King!) After the first album ‘Trespass’ in 1970, Anthony Phillips on lead guitar and John Mayhew on drums left the band to make way for Steve Hackett on guitar and a very useful chap called Phil Collins on drums.
So, the classic lineup of Genesis was in motion, touring relentlessly and putting out two classic albums, “Nursery Cryme” (1971) and “Foxtrot” (1972).
Whilst the band came off the road to record a new album which was to become ‘Selling England by the Pound’ (1973), Charisma Records wanted something to keep interest in the band on the boil. They went to the band, suggesting a cut-price live album to keep them in the spotlight and not lose the momentum gained.
The band begrudgingly agreed, as long as it was not released in the USA. As the band was already planning on the conquest of America later that year, such was their confidence. The album was of course released in the USA almost immediately after “Selling England by the Pound” became a success, thereby planting the seeds of discontent leading to Peter Gabriel’s departure from the band after one more album.
Two concerts were recorded at the Free Trade Hall, Manchester and De Montfort Hall, Leicester, on the band’s tour of the UK supporting the Foxtrot. (Magnificent they were too.) As a result, five songs were released on Genesis Live, which met with great critical acclaim and enthusiasm by the British record-buying public. Genesis-Live was their first album to break into the British Top Ten Album Charts. Rolling Stone writes, “This album goes a long way to capturing the gripping power and mysticism that has many fans claiming Genesis as the greatest live band ever.” Praise indeed.
Kudos was heaped on Peter Gabriel, but also the musicianship of his fellow band members. Tony Banks, especially for his use of the mellotron (still a relatively new and underdeveloped instrument at the time).
Each song deals with its own particular subject. ‘The Musical Box,’ an epic based on Peter Gabriel’s Victorian fairy tale, is often overshadowed by Genesis’s central epic, ‘Supper’s Ready.’ At the end of this song, Peter Gabriel gets emotional, demanding ‘Now.’
‘Get ‘Em Out By Friday’ deals with unscrupulous landlords showing that the band members were now down with the people after their privileged upbringing and private school education. This song was very popular with students at the time.
‘Watcher of the Skies’ and ‘The Return of the Giant Hogweed’ are Sci-Fi stories always popular in the live set.
‘The Knife’ was as aggressive as Genesis ever became musically and they wear it well. Even including Peter Gabriel’s flute passage in the midsection. ‘The Knife’ always closed their shows until ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’ (1974) came along.
My only gripe about this album is if they recorded these two concerts in the days of long-playing CDs, where’s the rest of the songs played on this tour?
If they could be found and mixed, what a wonderful album that would make. If perhaps they had released it at the time as a double album this band could have been huge!
Written by Mott the Dog in a Wizards Castle on Pattaya’s Darkside.
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on his signature double neck.
Who do you think they thought the star
of the show would be?
