This sounds OOPS'ed to me (Out Of Phase Stereo). That can be done with most full-featured audio editors, including the free Audacity. The technique involves reversing the polarity of one of the two stereo channels and summing the two tracks to mono. The effect is to cancel out anything that's dead center in the stereo spread - usually vocals, bass, and other lead or highlighted elements. Things that are panned hard to the side are preserved. Audacity and Adobe Audition have presets called something like "Vocal Remover" which takes care of the grunt work. However when I OOPS my original mix version of Harold the Barrel I get something a bit different than what we hear here. So maybe this is an OOPS of the remix? I'm not aware of any true isolated tracks or multitracks escaping into the wild, but if they have I'd love to hear them.
I remember at times when I first got into Genesis, I thought Gabriel's vocal tone/ attack had a bit of Jagger's in it at times. Anyone else ever get that feeling? (I know they were both influenced by American soul singers like Otis Redding, so maybe that's where it comes from). Thanks, I'm enjoying this thread. Early Genesis is so unique and interesting, and I'll never forget how different they sounded to me - especially the "dusty old English" quality some have mentioned here. In some ways the recording quality (or lack of) enhances that quality. And Gabriel's voice was so strange and powerful. Fripp once described an early Crimson song as something like (paraphrasing) "young man expressing the feelings of older men". I think , at times that applies to early Genesis too.
Duke was the album that brought me into the fold - I caught the video for "Turn It On Again" on the old Midnight Special TV show late one evening and was hooked. Then came Abacab, followed by Three Sides Live. The real kicker for me was catching a double bill in the early 80's of the Rock For Kampuchea movie and the first Genesis concert movie. I'd been expecting the current lineup of Genesis - Phil, Mike, and Tony - with a current setlist. Instead, there was also Steve Hackett...and Bill Bruford (who I knew from Yes) and while I only knew maybe one or two of the songs featured in the film - I loved it. That was the moment I started looking back and seeking out Trick Of The Tail...and onto the Lamb Lies Down On Broadway...etc. Given the state of Phil Collins' health, I wish they'd been able to pull together a reunion with Peter Gabriel when everyone seemed open to it. I'd love to hear Gabriel singing some of those songs again and at Genesis shows I always wished they played more of the older things instead of the sappy ballads. But when they were great...they were great.
I like that Gabriels voice has that soul tinge to it, it makes them stand out from some of the other bands from the time. You can hear Roger Chapman in his voice and also Steve Winwood I think.
I love their artwork from that time. I remember looking at the album covers while listening to the music back when they were released.
To set up the punchline "Hasn't got a leg to stand on" since without toes he would lack balance and be unable to stand. Why Bognor? Why not? They needed a two syllable city name to fit the line, and that city name had two syllables. Probably nothing more to it than that.
Harlequin This track has a very gentle feel throughout and is comprised of mainly some really nice guitar arpeggios, punctuated with some strummed sections for light and shade. Vocally we appear to have a very tight mix of Gabriel and Collins. This track is very pretty and although it seems to be less favoured than other tracks on the album, it really does fit in well and personally I still see it as a very strong track.
Nothing wrong with Harlequin! Like "For Absent Friends", it's a short soft piece that provides a counter to the longer more bombastic songs. That makes it sound as if it's filler, but far from it. Most bands would struggle mightily to create a "standout" track as good as this, generally considered one of the lesser songs on NC (though only in comparison, and not by me in any case).
You have to listen to 'Pennsylvania Flickhouse' by Anon, the 1966 group that predated Genesis (both Phillips and Rutherford were members, together with Richard Mc Phail): the song is a stylistic carbon-copy of the Stones. The singer (Mc Phail) must have been obsessed with Mick Jagger! Anon (28) - Pennsylvania Flickhouse Genesis News Com [it]: Fanclub-CD 2011: Anon - Pennsylvania Flickhouse
I own that as well. Now that I think about, Trespass, Genesis Live, Tail, Wind, Seconds Out and Three are the only albums of theirs I'm missing on vinyl. (I have both EPs as well.)
Wouldn’t necessarily say that. At times they could be pretty intense. Much of Cinema Show, Nursery Cryme, 9/8th part of Supper’s Ready, much of Lamb etc. can stand right next to Crimson’s more esoteric moments, imo.
I like all Genesis' records, with or without Peter Gabriel. When I was younger I was a prog fan (and I still am however), so the Gabriel Era was my favorite... But the more I get old, the more I appreciate their """"pop"""" phase. I think Three Sides Live is one of the best live recordings ever made by a rock band. Pure adrenaline! The versions of Dodo, Abacab, In The Cage there included sound very powerful, more than the original versions. Turn It On Again is fantastic too, I wish it had a longer introduction... that pulsating rhythm makes me go out of my head!
Nursery Cryme was the first album I got into after discovering A Trick Of The Tail. It's quite a distinctive record, unlike anything else they did. A real mixture of acoustic, rock, progressive, and folk styles. In many respects, one might say that this was a new, different band than what had preceded.
Harlequin A fine mix of classical and folk. The verse uses minor drops brilliantly and descending voices as well. The chorus has a folk vibe to it. It all works beautifully. Lots of harmonic rhythm and subtle key changes of closely related keys. Unusual guitar tuning......B-E-A-D-F#-B is my best guess. I think another guitar may be in G tuning.
Out of curiosity I just looked at the track listing for the lengths of the tracks. For Absent Friends is only 1:46! I was somewhat surprised to see that Harlequin is only three seconds shorter than Harold the Barrel, because it seems to me much shorter. Harold has so much squeezed into the song that I would have taken a guess at something like 4 minutes. Harlequin on the other hand has not much to say, but says it beautifully. There is probably scope here for a thesis about how people's perception of the length of a piece of music is dependent on the content.
definitely. Doing the Elvis thread I was surprised by a couple of the 1:30 songs, that were actually satisfying songs, if you know what I mean
I don't have a clue. I have read through several times, and i can't pinpoint it. I have come to the conclusion they are just words that sound good together. I know that i have done that before ... folks think it's some mystical, deep meaning ... and it's just a bunch of words that sound good
