I think Tony comes across as much more likable than expected during his Prog awards speech:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUK3QLAvH6Q
― PaulTMA, Wednesday, 10 July 2019 23:01 (five years ago) link
I love how all the Genesis guys still appear to be friends. I mean, in the career-spanning doc, Banks seems to be an especially big asshole to Peter! But here they are cool.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 10 July 2019 23:05 (five years ago) link
So many times during the...Showtime?...HBO?...Genesis documentary from a couple years ago, Tony said, "I quite liked what I'd written on [song], but then Peter Gabriel added his vocals and melody line, and I don't like [somg] anymore." It felt like a running joke by the fourth or fifth time.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 10 July 2019 23:15 (five years ago) link
Well, Peter's vocal melodies came quite a bit later and I think the band just got used to hearing things without the vocals. There was one song on Lamb--I forget which one--that was supposed to be an instrumental, until Gabriel decided that for whatever reason it needed lyrics
― Paul Ponzi, Wednesday, 10 July 2019 23:58 (five years ago) link
don't know if I really hear Hackett as a pioneer - he's got a style, but I more often than not wonder where he is on some of these recordings. then again maybe burying the guitar was pretty innovative back then
He seems pretty prominent on the pre-Lamb albums to me, even more pre-Selling? Some of his lead playing seems like a prototype for a lot of hard rock/metal playing that came later.
So I listened to this during a long evening of driving tonight. My vote will probably be for "Back in NYC". I also read what Wikipedia had to say about the storyline, almost all of which was news to me, although I've listened to the album many, many times over years. I think it's because the way the vocals were recorded and mixed was really original and distinctive but also largely serves to either obscure the text or at the least take my attention away from it a lot of the time. The vocal sound is very expressive but I'm not listening to the words nearly as much as with "The Musical Box" (a good earlier example of dealing with sexuality and horror btw!) or "Supper's Ready", which is curious for an album where the lyrical narrative seems to have been important to Gabriel.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Thursday, 11 July 2019 01:19 (five years ago) link
There's some crazy Hackett stuff on "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight." Crazy Phil fills, too.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 11 July 2019 01:33 (five years ago) link
Ha, I was listening to "Dancing..." when I was typing that, actually.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Thursday, 11 July 2019 01:36 (five years ago) link
Come to think about, listen to Steve's solo on "The Musical Box."
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 11 July 2019 01:42 (five years ago) link
Gabriel sums up what made Hackett an innovative guitarist in a BBC doc from the ‘90s. When the band was auditioning guitarists after Anthony Phillips left, he says, all the other guys they were seeing were “into notes and flash. Steve was into atmosphere.”
xp Epping Forest was meant to be an instrumental, but the lyrics/melody/singing is my favourite part.
― dinnerboat, Thursday, 11 July 2019 01:49 (five years ago) link
There's a close up of him tapping in 1972 around 4:09 here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W35wtfcByIY
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Thursday, 11 July 2019 02:01 (five years ago) link
Whole solo is classic ofc.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Thursday, 11 July 2019 02:03 (five years ago) link
That's the one with Tony playing guitar!
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 11 July 2019 03:10 (five years ago) link
"but honestly i've never seen an interview with him where he didn't come off as a smug dick"
Anil Prasad just interviewed him (not published yet) and said it was one of the best interviewed he's ever done; I know Banks was a huge influence on his life and if you follow or know Anil he actually is pretty dismissive of prog people and uptight assholes in general. So I'm interested to see how Banks comes across.
― akm, Thursday, 11 July 2019 20:45 (five years ago) link
From interviews, it kind of seems like Steve is the only guy who still unapologetically loves the prog albums. I think he says in the Selling England interview that he thought they were the best band in the world.
― jmm, Thursday, 11 July 2019 20:49 (five years ago) link
Anil Prasad usually gets the best out of the people he interviews so I wouldn't be surprised if he comes off well in it
― frogbs, Thursday, 11 July 2019 20:52 (five years ago) link
To me, Banks comes across more "Wynton Marsalis smug" or "John Zorn smug" than "Mike Love smug." This to me is an important distinction.
― Paul Ponzi, Thursday, 11 July 2019 21:10 (five years ago) link
"Anil Prasad usually gets the best out of the people he interviews so I wouldn't be surprised if he comes off well in it"
his new interview with Jakko from Crimson is simply great.
― akm, Thursday, 11 July 2019 21:33 (five years ago) link
― Paul Ponzi
who would be more offended at being mentioned in the same breath as the other: wynton marsalis or john zorn?
― Un Poco Loco Moco (rushomancy), Thursday, 11 July 2019 23:29 (five years ago) link
Almost definitely Marsalis, I would think
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Thursday, 11 July 2019 23:40 (five years ago) link
Hmm, I dunno, that is a tough one!
― Paul Ponzi, Thursday, 11 July 2019 23:48 (five years ago) link
Prescriptivist traditionalist vs hyper-eclectic postmodern = no contest who would take more offence afaict but idk has Zorn ever expressed disgust about other musical movements?
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Thursday, 11 July 2019 23:55 (five years ago) link
No, he's too into his own shit, prolly. Outsider gonna outside.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 12 July 2019 01:27 (five years ago) link
There's this one chordal move they do several times throughout the album that just kills me every time. Prime examples would be the end of both Broadway Melody and Cuckoo Cocoon. I don't have the firmest grasp on music theory, but it seems like they're resolving to the I chord with the iii in the bass, which aurally conveys a sense of "to be continued"
― J. Sam, Monday, 15 July 2019 13:28 (five years ago) link
Grand Parade has the most outrageous crescendo I can think of. I hope someone throws a vote at it. Might have to be me. Also seriously considering voting for Supernatural Anaesthetist. Beautiful chord progression plus my favorite Hackett solo. He's such a fine dancer...
Or Cuckoo Cocoon, which sounds like being wrapped in the coziest warm blanket or, uh, cocoon, which I guess is the point.
Anyway this is the hardest decision I've ever had to make.
― J. Sam, Saturday, 27 July 2019 15:11 (five years ago) link
"The Lamia" was one that stood out last time I listened. "Back in NYC" probably still getting the vote, though.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Saturday, 27 July 2019 15:16 (five years ago) link
Back in NYC -> Hairless Heart is one of my favorite sequences, the way they go from the over-the-top machismo of the former to the forlorn introspection of the latter
― J. Sam, Saturday, 27 July 2019 15:31 (five years ago) link
Re: Lamia, "It is the scent of garlic that lingers on my chocolate fingers" is such a weirdly, grotesquely evocative line. Tony Banks probably hated it being grafted to his composition lol
― J. Sam, Saturday, 27 July 2019 15:34 (five years ago) link
It's fair to say that all that revolting/creepy imagery went out the window when Gabriel left
― PaulTMA, Saturday, 27 July 2019 15:53 (five years ago) link
"Home by the Sea:" creepy!"Illegal Alien:" revolting!
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 27 July 2019 23:02 (five years ago) link
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN
― PaulTMA, Saturday, 27 July 2019 23:36 (five years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Wednesday, 31 July 2019 00:01 (five years ago) link
tomorrow
― ilm jive mind (FlopsyDuck), Wednesday, 31 July 2019 14:13 (five years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Thursday, 1 August 2019 00:01 (five years ago) link
Not bad! The last Genesis tour, it was pretty jarring to hear them do "Carpet Crawlers" immediately followed by "Invisible Touch."
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 1 August 2019 00:04 (five years ago) link
If Windshield and Broadway Melody were sequenced as one song--as they should have been--it would absolutely have been a contender here. Typically, the second LP is underrepresented in the poll, which is as it should be. I don't necessarily get the crazy "Carpet Crawlers" love but I'm cool with these results
― Paul Ponzi, Thursday, 1 August 2019 00:55 (five years ago) link
There was no wrong answer, really.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Thursday, 1 August 2019 00:59 (five years ago) link
otm
― pomenitul, Thursday, 1 August 2019 08:29 (five years ago) link
I’m satisfied with the results
― ilm jive mind (FlopsyDuck), Thursday, 1 August 2019 10:16 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4Ml1QDdNZ0
― Maresn3st, Saturday, 16 November 2019 18:41 (four years ago) link
^^^ dope
― lumen (esby), Thursday, 12 December 2019 19:09 (four years ago) link
TS: Gilbert/Giraffe vs The Musical Box
― nickn, Thursday, 12 December 2019 22:03 (four years ago) link
Watched a bit of that. Musical Box seems more "authentic" but maybe these guys are slicker?
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 12 December 2019 22:18 (four years ago) link
I saw MB do Selling England (and more) and thought they did a good job. Still have't watched their Lamb show on youtube.
― nickn, Thursday, 12 December 2019 22:26 (four years ago) link
I've seen them do both and they were both great, though (I'm sure I posted about this before) when I saw them do "Lamb" I want to say they had the Phil Collins impersonator on drums, who could sing like Phil, looked like Phil, and even played left-handed like Phil.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 12 December 2019 22:28 (four years ago) link
Noted Genesis freak Ryley Walker did a nice acoustic cover of Counting Out Time https://www.instagram.com/p/B-XvYI6jjlr/
― J. Sam, Wednesday, 1 April 2020 19:00 (four years ago) link
Finally getting into the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway after a period of longing to connect but being repelled by it.
Been really drawn to the way it sounds, the strong sense of setting and landscape, and how it somehow defies the album format, or record or whatever. Part of it is that it seems to exist in a stage of space- and the perspective of a stage is reinforced by specific lyrical cues ("the stage is set for you") as well as the kind of theater ensemble nature of the music. Like, there are very few overdubs as far as I can tell, but it's hardly a 'band playing together in a room' kind of vibe, it's a rehearsed performance.
The thing is, there are all these shifts in perspective, along (am i crazy???) a vertical (???!!!) axis... it zooms way out at times, and sort of plants you at the center of the stage at others. I mean, wtf? Did they record it in a really tall building or something? Idgi? Part of it is probably illusory, as a result of inconsistencies in the lyrical perspective (shifting from 1st person to 3rd etc) that feel arbitrary or even faulty, but now that i that i think about it, must surely be deliberate and may be kind of masterful.
The "backdrop" is very convincing, as a Manhattanite of many years, as well as that vertical element there's a high contrast of bright and dark against clean black negative space, that conjures the city lights at night... Or am i importing the sense of contrast from the artwork? Or my own surroundings?
Seriously, wtf is going on here?
― Adoration of the Mogwai (Deflatormouse), Saturday, 1 May 2021 03:52 (three years ago) link
Anyway it's a pretty amazing piece of work, I think THE DRAMA kept me away for a time but I am getting really absorbed in THE DRAMA, at this point.
― Adoration of the Mogwai (Deflatormouse), Saturday, 1 May 2021 03:55 (three years ago) link
A good example is in the opening track where the band mostly cuts out and Peter Gabriel sings about the scene finding focus in the lamb's face and his vocal is framed by the arpeggiating keys... That has a very grounding, centering effect. And then the band comes back in with a soaring height like a skyscraper, then the mix opens out horizontally when he sings "on broadway"
"Hovering like a fly" as the music hovers is another. The lyrics are def a big part of it.
― Adoration of the Mogwai (Deflatormouse), Saturday, 1 May 2021 04:25 (three years ago) link
This album shouldn’t work but it totally does and I love it to death.
― Van Halen dot Senate dot flashlight (Boring, Maryland), Saturday, 1 May 2021 13:42 (three years ago) link
Love this album, but the first half is more compelling than the second, where (thematically or no) things start getting a little too abstract and unmoored, which is to say, decidedly *not* grounded. Still love the mood of all the later album weirdness, though!
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 1 May 2021 14:12 (three years ago) link