Side 1: As I said, "Squonk" is the weak link here -- not the song per se, but the studio version sounds heavier. I liked some versions I heard from the Duke era tour better. "Carpet Crawl" is the stand out track here for me. I like Collins' softer approach a lot. I know many will disagree, but this version beats the original IMO. Outstanding vocals. The studio orginal sounds a little stiff to me in comparison, although possibly because this is the version I heard first. "Robbery..." sounds livelier here, with Collins doing the voice changes which works very well. "Afterglow" is interesting -- a similar but at the same time different version.
That's how I always felt about it. This recent listen brought me a lot closer to it. For me Trick and Wind both were a bit borderline. Both had good songs , but Trick has a couple I'm not fond of, and Wind used to feel a little dull. I still have trouble with Trick, but Wind has risen passed that boring album in the middle for me.
Ah interesting I’ve always quite enjoyed Trick. It had a nice energy to it, and just enough variety. W&W for me was the album that signalled Genesis’ need to step away from prog.
Side 1 is a warm up for what's to come, and I agree that Afterglow is where the show really starts to take off. The dual drumming is really great and I love Phil's take on this track. He understates it a bit where on 3SL, he almost goes overboard on the emotions. RA&B is an okay take but I'm not all that fond of the song, to be honest. The audience clapping along helps it in a live setting (God bless those European audiences!) Carpet Crawl(ers) sounds terrific and Phil does a good job with it. Side 1 is probably my least favorite side of the collection, but I don't dislike it.
Talking of “the French audience”, one of the first things I ever remember reading about this album was a doubt that it was really recorded in Paris. (Probably in the Bowler & Dray book, which was my “Genesis bible” for many years.) I seem to recall that it was suggested that many bands claimed their live albums were recorded in Paris for some sort of tax reasons. Aside from a crowd chanting “une autre” and Phil’s “I Love Paris in the Springtime” from IKWIL, I guess we have no way of knowing. (We already know for sure that Cinema Show is from Glasgow in 1976 so the credits aren’t entirely honest...)
Side 1, then- Squonk sounds a bit “sparser” and more polite than the studio version, but it’s a decent opener. Carpet Crawlers is a decent rendition, not much to say about it really, except to agree that Phil’s softer, smoother vocal probably suits the song better. Robbery is a song I like but again, the slight sparseness compared to the studio version makes me favour that one. (In fact, I’m pretty sure there’s not a single song from Trick or Wind that I prefer live, and that’s entirely because of the lush blanket of layered keyboards on the studio versions which I miss live.) Afterglow is a great version, but it’s lost its appeal for me now that I know they played a likely incendiary version of “In That Quiet Earth” leading up to it, and then chopped it off for the album. The cold start sounds really weird to me now.
yeah I tend to agree about Afterglow, its a *great* track (man, that Mellotron!), but its really missing In that Quiet Earth, mind you I went decades just completely unaware that it wasnt a standalone track played live, so I can see how it could work. But Its more the knowledge knowing they chopped off Quiet Earth. Prolly to save room, I would have ditched Robbery then in favor for a complete Quiet Earth/Afterglow suite.
Listening now - I had forgotten about Phil’s amateur dramatics on “Robbery”... BUNDLES of FIVERS! Such great playing on this track, though- and indeed the whole album. Especially from Mike on bass- if you ever want evidence of how great a bassist he was, this is the album.
Seconds Out - Side A: I think the SO version of Squonk doesn't live up to what was played during the tour when compared to the bootlegs. I blame it on the mixing. Then comes my favorite version of The Carpet Crawlers. I love it how Phil enhances the melody while delivering a softer vocal performance. Tony's backing vocals worth mentioning too. Robbery, Assault And Battery suffers a bit from the absence of all those different layers of keyboards heard on the studio version, but on the other hand the rhythm section is tighter and Phil's singing is even more inspired. Afterglow always sounds the same no matter which line up is playing, and is always a highlight on every album it's included. I love it. In a nutshel, I think side A starts quite promising and has a nice flow.
If you are implying that Steve was responsible for writing I&O, which is how I’m interpreting this, that would be incorrect. The song is mainly Mike’s composition.
Been gone from the thread for several days and have seen some great posts,and yet I’ve seen some negativity come and go. Strong opinions about the lyrics, some regard the Spot the Pigeon tracks as leftovers, etc. While I agree that the first two tracks are best served by their inclusion on the EP, I am one who wishes that Inside and Out had been included on W & W. But it didn’t happen that way, so, moving on... Seconds Out is awesome. It is recorded well but most fans agree it is mixed rather tamely. I’ve always loved the versions on the album but as I’ve delved deeper into their live work I regard these versions as “safe” templates, and complete validation of Phil as a wonderful frontman and lead vocalist. Everyone shines here (though Steve is rather under-mixed) and in my opinion, Chester sounds great but is coming to grips with this weird material for his talents. Phil, when he drums, is incredible -it’s as if he can’t wait to show his skills on the kit again! My favorite track, though, is Cinema Show. Bill Bruford brings his quirky, play-it-different-every-night irreverence to the track; every show I’ve heard with him drumming for Genesis is super-exciting, yet unpredictable and at times dangerous. When he and Phil are both on the kits during the keyboard solo - look out!!! Clearly he wasn’t the drummer to stay in this band, but how exciting things were while he served his time. In a funny way I’ll bet they were relieved when Chester came in and offered a more consistent and respectful approach. I love Chester too! Seconds Out defines the “new” Genesis concert experience, but unfortunately seals the end of the Hackett era. A transitional, but effective album. I listened to the DE remaster today all the way through: great bass (especially the bass pedals), but very smooth high end, almost too “tame”. Even Cinema Show didn’t have as much “pop” as I remember my vinyl having (I think this song is recorded better, or mixed in a more exciting fashion than the rest of the album). Still, every song can be considered an exemplary version, and Phil does a great job on the old material. A triumph!
It always did, honestly. +1. Not a bad idea and could have served as a nice representation of the last album. Nice to confirm that, because somewhat it makes me think to the Smallcreep's Day album, despite the obvious difference in sound. - Afterglow is a different beast here. What struck me first (and seemed to be one of the main distinctive points of the album) was the greater dynamic range. I'm talking macro-macro dynamics here, verse-chorus (not sure about the micro ones, actually the mix could be hotter in this department). Also, the mello replacing those phil-synth voices is truly surprising but trades more subtlety and somberness with plain in-your-face drama. Sometimes I wanted the first, sometimes the latter. Curiously, the album starts exactly the opposite way, by softening Squonk and Crawlers. But mostly, it's about beefed up versions. Supper's Ready is another example. Cinema Show, too. Surely dynamics were even more impressive live, but when mixing a record for home listening some choices have to be made and those dynamics need to be tamed a bit.
Firth Of Fifth Here we have, to my mind, the show is full flight. From Afterglow on is all great. Although it's a shame we don't get the intro, and understandable on a short scale electric piano ... Later in their career a big piano on stage would be very possible, but in these times with the band just drawing even financially, it would not have been very wise.
I Know What I Like The band carry this of very well. I kind of felt that Collins would struggle to pull this off, thinking of it as a Gabriel track, but they do a great job of it here, and in reality, the styling is very suited to the way Collins sings, and he tends to like the goofy stuff quite well.
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway Another track I thought may suffer in the post Gabriel band, but again, Pleasantly surprised how well this comes across. The whole of the last three quarters of this album really do work well for me.
Musical Box To some degree it's a shame the whole song isn't on here, but this works well in the context of the show and again we have top marks from me on this one.
Maybe, but I can’t help feeling Phil’s persona in “Robbery” helped him be cast as Buster Edwards. It’s a fair cop guv!
Side 2 and all of a sudden we have open mixes that highlight the use of stereo miking on the drums. From the get-go of Firth of Fifth, you hear the drums in 'wide stereo' and the entire record opens up. The demanding vocal part is handled neatly by Phil. I kind of miss Peter's vocals here, but it's a new day for old Genesis and I have to give Phil credit for handling such a demanding piece and doing it really well. Phil really cuts loose when he gets behind the kit during the instrumental part and the double drumming syncopation is a wonder. Steve's solo should be mixed louder, it should soar above all the other stuff happening. But all in all, a very impressive sounding track for being recorded live. In a live setting, I Know What I Like has become almost legendary with the audience participation part and Phil's tambourine solos. It's turned into a showcase for Phil's stage antics and I see nothing wrong with that. Lamb belongs to Tony here, he's able to keep those keys hopping with several different time signatures all at once. I'm amazing at his talent sometimes, and this is a good example. Adding the closing section of Musical Box to Lamb gives us a hint at a medley-type thing. It's raised some differences in opinion previously, but I'm glad they didn't totally ignore the really old material. Phil's approach is a bit restrained when compared to how Peter would handle it - it always sounds if Peter was going to blow out his throat singing NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW - Phil gives it a lot of power, but that gravelly raspy quality of Peter's vocal is missing. Still, a very powerful way to end side 2.
Side 2 is the highlight of the album for me. Phil does a beautiful work singing the four Gabriel era classics. "The Lamb..." is my least favorite track here -- Not one of my favorite songs and, besides, I think Gabriel did a much better job on this one. I really don't miss his vocals in the other three tracks. "Musical Box" is a brilliant closer and the transition from "The Lamb" works beautifully. A much better show closer than "It/Watcher of the Skies". I love the jam in "I Know What I Like" and I far prefer this version to the original.
