Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by mark winstanley, Oct 15, 2018.

  1. tug_of_war

    tug_of_war Unable to tolerate bass solos

    My ATTWT would be:

    Side A:
    Down And Out
    Snowbound
    Ballad Of Big
    Vancouver
    Burning Rope

    Side B:
    From The Undertow/Undertow
    The Day The Lights Went Out
    Many, Too Many
    Scenes From A Night's Dream
    The Lady Lies
    Follow You, Follow Me


    Sorry, Mike.
     
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  2. Instant Dharma

    Instant Dharma Dude/man

    Location:
    CoCoCo, Ca
    I dont like either of the B- Sides. Nor do I care for Joe and Scenes has some nice musical ideas but should have been a third B Side.
     
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  3. robcar

    robcar Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver, CO
    Oh my god. It's the worst song Genesis ever did.

    Or at least very close to it.

    I'll have plenty to say about it when we get there. It's so terrible.
     
  4. I don't agree it's their worst, but your post made me laugh. - Not at you … but with you. :winkgrin:
     
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  5. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    I reckon it's a great song, but we'll get there
     
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  6. Eleventh Earl of Mar

    Eleventh Earl of Mar Somehow got them all this far.

    Location:
    New York
    I'll say this.

    You have very low standards if this genuinely is your worst song... :p

    Not trying to be a jerk, I just really want to know how someone would take Hold on my Heart over that one.

    Okay now I'm being a jerk.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2019
  7. Awwww c'mon ~ both FYFM and HOMH tugs at the ol' heartstrings - kinda.
     
  8. LivingForever

    LivingForever Forum Arachibutyrophobic

    Hold on my Heart has some absolutely GORGEOUS chord progressions in it - it’s a far more complex song than FYFM.
     
  9. bob_32_116

    bob_32_116 Forum Flaneur

    Location:
    Perth Australia
    I like oranges better than apples, but I like them both.
     
  10. box of frogs

    box of frogs Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lincolnshire, UK
    If you look up the film soundtrack to "The Shout" (British film from 1978), the music is credited to Anthony Banks and Michael Rutherford, with 'electronics' by Rupert Hine. The "From the Undertow" bit is played across the opening credits: a simpler version, but instantly recognisable to the one on "A Curious Feeling". The theme turns up in other parts of the film too: Interesting that Mike is credited.
     
  11. R E Faust

    R E Faust Forum Resident

    Location:
    London, UK
    I play this album much less than I used to when it first came out...for me now ATTWT as an album is less than the sum of its parts. There are great songs but the sequencing and a couple of weaker tracks let it down badly. People criticised All In A Mouses Night on W&W for the lyrics but Scenes... is even worse and not even close to the quality of the former musically. Yet it contains that great bit when Collins sings 'Once He Went To The Carnival Of Angels....'
    There are songs which seem not fully realised. For example Ballad of Big has a great intro and beginning then a weak chorus and that awful 'All star Indian tribe' lyric.

    Nothing here comes close to the quality of Blood on the Roooftops or One For The Vine IMHO..

    Still craps all over Tormato and what their other contemporaries were doing at the time though.......Undertow is brilliant, The Lady Lies was a great live song and there are nice moments in some of the other tracks.
     
  12. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Ballad Of Big
    We have a nice atmospheric keyboard opening to this track, which is effectively the bridge chords and melody slightly altered to fit the start of the song. Phil gives us a drum fill and we bounce into the verse section of the song.
    Now I'm going to be straight with y'all, when I first got this album, I wasn't completely sold on this song. My initial thoughts were somewhat like some of you stated in our opening thoughts about the album. "a story about cowboys?" .... Anyhow, after listening to Genesis for years, you come to the realisation that lyrics aren't generally their primary focus, and as their career continued this never changed (abacab anyone?) So in light of this truth I always tended to not get too perturbed about the lyrics in Genesis songs, as I stated early on. I was encouraged by some of you guys to look at the lyrics more closely and most of the debates on here seem to have been about lyrics, so that would say a lot in itself ... anyhow. This song grew on me as a good piece of music with an unusual lyric/storyline ... I think also that the lyric here stands out so much because the first two tracks are the two most poignant, realistic, straight forward lyrics the band had ever done at this point in their career.
    This starts with a really cool Guitar figure. It seems to me like Rutherford was working way above himself on this album in terms of coming up with worthy guitar parts for songs, and this is a really cool opening guitar section. Also it must be noticed how cool the bassline in this verse section is. In fact the keyboard takes a back seat in the verse of this song, brave move for a now keyboard lead band.
    The verse is an unusual rhythm but still very cool and on the last word of the verse (Again) we change time signatures quite effectively. Also at this point the keyboards take the focus musically.
    Again so far as the lyrics go, it is a pretty straight forward telling of a story. I'm neither here nor there about the lyrics to this song. There is nothing wrong with them at all, but following the two best sets of lyrics that the band had ever done this comes across as lesser.
    On the whole this is a good album track. It holds the interest, but it doesn't stun.
     
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  13. Rick Robson

    Rick Robson

    Location:
    ️️
    Hi Mark, too late for me catch up with you all on here, I've been pretty short of time...
    Hope to get back to this great thread taking its due time.
    Leave you with this awesome choral adaptation of the beautiful "Undertow", hope you like it.
    Cheers.

     
  14. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Cheers mate. I hope your time frees up for you a bit. Poke your head in anytime you're able :)
     
  15. robcar

    robcar Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver, CO
    “Ballad of Big” is definitely one of the album’s lowlights for me. The lyrics are just silly and I don’t find the music very compelling. The verses and the chorus seem mismatched. This one is next to the bottom of the barrel (not Harold) on this LP.
     
  16. abzach

    abzach Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    I like Ballad of Big, I rank it somewhere in the middle.
     
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  17. DMGuy

    DMGuy Forum Resident

    Ballad of Big

    Musically it's fine, but nothing special. But, the lyrics are pure trash. I usually pay much more attention to music than lyrics, but these are bad. Real bad. I mean, how many times in the lyrics do they refer to the character as "Big"? The character's name is "Big Jim" Cooley. I could see calling him Jim, or Big Jim. But calling him Big makes no sense at all. And the All-Star Indian tribe line literally makes me cringe when I hear it.

    Genesis had a brief run of western-themed songs.....Ballad of Big, Deep in the Motherlode and the (oh so terrible) Me and Virgil. Anybody know which band member influenced this?
     
  18. bob_32_116

    bob_32_116 Forum Flaneur

    Location:
    Perth Australia
    I'm pretty much in agreement with Mark. Ballad of Big is enjoyable enough, but not outstanding.

    Probably Phil. Isn't he a bit of am American history tragic?
     
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  19. Joe McKee

    Joe McKee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut
    The lyrics on Ballad of Big really are one of the lowlights of the album for me. With Genesis, I am more drawn to the music than the lyrics but a bad lyric can be off putting. I find the Ballad of Big cringeworthy. I am not really sure that “an all star Indian tribe” is any worse than “a cancer growth is removed by skill” but it bothers me more. I can’t say why but I think as the songs here are a little more grounded in the real world - it seems to be raising the bar lyrically for me.

    Lest I sound too negative, with the repeated, serious listens for this thread the album is really growing on me and rising in my ranking of the catalog. I think the rest of side one is really a bunch of winners. I guess it was time to re-evaluate after 30 years.
     
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  20. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    In terms of the lyrics.
    Is the fact that we just had two of the best lyrics the band ever did what makes the lyrics on this one seem worse?
    I certainly don't hate the song, and to be honest I am not PC enough to care about the Indian all star tribe line. I tend to be listening to the music on this one. For me it is no worse as a song than Robbery Assault and Battery or half a dozen others I could name.
     
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  21. Joe McKee

    Joe McKee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut
    Totally agree on calling him “Big” - seems strange and bugs me for some reason. Wouldn’t “Jim” fit the music just as well?

    I always thought that Phil was the western influence but Deep in the Motherlode is credited solely to Mike while Ballad of Big is Collins/Banks. I know that Phil did have a big interest in the Alamo and collected many artifacts.
     
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  22. abzach

    abzach Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    As I've expressed earlier, I sometimes do pay some attention to the lyrics sung in a foreign language that I'm familiar with, especially early Genesis, Peter Hammill and some others, but as a suede, the words mostly are just another instrument that flows with the rest - for most parts regarding later Genesis, I have no idea what they're singing about, reading this thread, I'm glad I don't.
     
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  23. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    This thread reminded me of how nice Undertow is. Ballad of Big, however, is my least fav Genesis track to date. And it's not just the lyrics, the lyrics and the music share a similar bombastic quality that is off putting
    Too much of the music has a generic soundtrack chase scene quality - if it was the soundtrack to a compelling story it might work, but not in this case.

    I do like the segment from 1:25 to 2:25 - but when this music is reprised towards the end the lyrics undermine its appealing qualitites.
     
  24. abzach

    abzach Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    As I guessed, the lyrics of Ballad of Big was written by Collins (source: Wikipedia).
     
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  25. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Easy reference guide

    Genesis - A History
    - Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    From Genesis To Revelation 1969 - Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Liner notes Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 1 When The Sour Turns To Sweet Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    without strings Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 2 In The Beginning Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 3 The Fireside Song Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    without strings Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 4 The Serpent Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 5 Am I Very Wrong Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 6 In The Wilderness Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    rough mix Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 7 The Conqueror Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 8 In Hiding Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    without strings Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 9 One Day Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    without strings Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 10 The Window Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    alternate Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 11 In Limbo Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    alternate Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 12 Silent Sun Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    without strings Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 13 A Place to call my own Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    new mix Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Other Early Tracks
    Patricia (In Hiding demo) Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    A Winter's Tale (single) Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    A Winters Tale (alternate -with studio banter) Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    That's Me Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Image Blown Out Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Build Me A Mountain Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    On The Trail Of The One Eyed Hound Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Let Us Now Make Love Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Jackson Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Trespass 1970- Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    inside gatefold Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    sleeve Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 1 Looking For Someone Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    live at BBC Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 2 White Mountain Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    live in'76 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 3 Visions Of Angels Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 4 Stagnation Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Stagnation (BBC sessions) Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 5 Dusk Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    demo Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 6 The Knife Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Road To Nursery Cryme - Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Live in 1971 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Nursery Cryme 1971 - Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 1 Musical Box Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    live at the bbc Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    F# or Manipulation Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    live Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    live 74 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 2 For Absent Friends Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 3 Return Of The Giant Hogweed Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 4 Seven Stones Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 5 Harold The Barrel Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    piano and guitar Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 6 Harlequin Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 7 Fountain Of Salmacis Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    live '78 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Belgian Pop Shop live 1972 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Twilight Alehouse live '72 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Peel Sessions
    Fountain of Salmacis Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Harlequin Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Return Of The Giant Hogweed Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Harold The Barrel Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Happy The Man Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    live in Rome Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Foxtrot 1972 - Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 1 Watcher Of The Skies Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    live Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    single Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    b-side Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 2 Time Table Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 3 Get Em Out By Friday Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 4 Can Utility and the Coastliners Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 5 Horizons Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 6 Supper's Ready Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Supper's Ready (live) Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    live in 72 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Genesis Live 1973 - Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 1 Watcher of the Skies Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 2 Get Em Out By Friday Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 3 Return Of the Giant Hogweed Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 4 Musical Box Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 5 The Knife Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Back In NYC Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Supper's Ready Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    live in 73 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    live in 73 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Live at the Rainbow 1973 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Selling England By The Pound 1973 - Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 1 Dancing With the Moonlit Knight Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Demo Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    live 73 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Live 78 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    isolated guitar and vocals Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 2 I Know What I Like In Your Wardrobe Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 3 Firth Of Fifth Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    isolated vocal and guitar Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    live canada Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 4 More Fool Me Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 5 Battle Of Epping Forest Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    instr. Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    live 74 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 6 After The Ordeal Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    fast version Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 6-7 Cinema Show/Aisle Of Plenty Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Full Album Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    studio improv. 73 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    I Know What I Like In your Wardrobe (single) Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Twilight Alehouse (b-side) Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Live Montreal 74 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Live in 74 Providence Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    live in 74 Empire Pool Genesis - The Album by Album Thread - Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Early rehearsal edit of Lamb Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 1974 - Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 1 The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 2 & 3 Fly on a Windshield/Broadway Melody 74 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 4 Cuckoo Cocoon Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 5 In the Cage Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    mama tour Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 6 The Grand Parade Of Lifeless Packaging Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 7 Back In NYC Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 8 & 9 Hairless Heart/Counting Out time Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 10 The Carpet Crawlers Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 11 The Chamber of 32 Doors Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 12 Lillywhite Lillith Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    early version Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 13 The Waiting Room Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    evil jam Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    live in Liverpool Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    The Waiting Room (live trip) Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 14 Anyway Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 15 Here Comes The Supernatural Anaesthetist Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 16 The Lamia Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 17 Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 18 The Colony Of Slippermen Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 19 Ravine Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 20 The Light Dies Down On Broadway Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 21 Riding The Scree Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 22 In The Rapids Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 23 It Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    A Trick Of The Tail 1976 - Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 1 Dance On a volcano Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 2 Entangled Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 3 Squonk Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 4 Mad Man Moon Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 5 Robbery assault and Battery Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 6 Ripples Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 7 Trick Of The Tail Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 8 Los Endos Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    It's Yourself Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Wind And Wuthering 1977 - Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 1 Eleventh Earl Of Mar Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 2 One For The Vine Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 3 Your Own Special Way Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 4 Wot Gorilla Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 5 All In A Mouse's Night Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 6 Blood On The rooftops Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 7,8,9 Unquiet Slumbers for The Sleepers/In That Quiet Earth/Afterglow Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Spot The Pigeon 1977 - Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Match Of The Day Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Pigeons Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Inside And Out Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Seconds Out 1977 - Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 1 Squonk Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 2 Carpet Crawl Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 3 Robbery Assault And Battery Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 4 Afterglow Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 5 Firth Of Fifth Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 6 I Know What I Like Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 7 Lamb Lies Down On Broadway Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 8 Musical Box Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 9 Supper's Ready Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 10 Cinema Show Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 11 Dance On A Volcano Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 12 Los Endos Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Live Paris 77 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Pittsburg 76 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Boston 76 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Sao Paulo 77 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    And Then There Were Three 1978 - Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 1 Down And Out Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 2 Undertow Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
    track 3 Ballad Of Big Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Follow You Follow Me US single Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Whodunnit 3sides Genesis - The Album by Album Thread

    Live R.A.H. 1992 Genesis - The Album by Album Thread
     

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