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Post by Mr. Atari on Nov 25, 2010 2:35:32 GMT -5
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974)After proving they could sustain a story over 22 minutes with "Supper's Ready", and then proving they could write self-contained, shorter songs with equal aplomb on Selling England..., it only makes sense that Genesis's next album would be a full-blown rock opera. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is widely considered to be their masterwork; the culmination of the Gabriel era; the high water mark of the band's 30+ year career. It's a double album story that spreads over an hour and a half of music, and contains some of the most bizarre and brilliant songs they ever wrote. In fact, bizarre might be the best word to describe the album, and that's where it loses me. As I mentioned before, it's an odd duck. It sticks out as an anomaly in the middle of two very similar albums ( Selling England... and 1976's A Trick of the Tail). It would be like The Beatles writing and releasing The White Album in between Rubber Soul and Revolver. In fact, The White Album is what The Lamb... reminds me of the most. When viewed as a complete album, it's a fascinating, surreal, and impressive piece of work. When viewed as individual songs, it's jarring, inconsistent, and well...still fascinating. Some backstory: Gabriel was going the way of most lead singers; namely, he was getting all the press, starting to believe his own hype, and trying to drive the band toward his own personal artistic goals. The other 4 guys, however, were getting tired of being marginalized by the fans who regarded them as merely Gabriel's backing band, and didn't share his vision for costumed theater-rock. At the same time, Gabriel's wife was going through a very high-risk pregnancy, and the rest of the band couldn't (and didn't) really relate. In interviews, everyone in the band recollects that the writing of the album consisted of 4 guys in one room writing all of the music, and 1 guy coming in sporadically with increasingly incomprehensible lyrics. When the album was finally released, it contained a (long) short story introduction written by Gabriel, just to explain the setup of the story that the 23 songs were trying to tell. It didn't help. So what is the story of The Lamb...? Well, it goes a little something like this... Rael is a Puerto Rican gang member in New York City, who is pulled into a nightmarish underworld of weird creatures and dark adventures while he looks for his brother. There's a lot of Alice in Wonderland in there, some Greek mythology, some flashbacks, caves, corridors, pools of nectar, stalactite cages, snakes with women's heads, smoke that hardens into walls, and uhhhh, slippermen. Right. Oh yeah, in order to finally regain their proper form and escape the underworld, Rael and his brother have to be castrated by a shady doctor who puts their...um...parts into glass tubes. Rael has his stolen by a raven who then drops it off a cliff. Oops. Peter Gabriel said it was an attempt at a Pilgrim's Progress story. Phil Collins said it was about a guy with a split personality slipping into madness. No word on whether he was talking about Rael or Gabriel. Okay, so the story of The Lamb Lies Down... is completely unintelligible. That's par for the course when it comes to double album rock operas (see also Quadrophenia and The Wall.). What about the music? The first album/disc is amazing. From the piano charged title track opener to the lilting "Cuckoo Cocoon" to the eccentric "Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging" to the intensity of "Back in NYC" to the goofy pop-rock "Counting Out Time", it's an amazing musical ride. It shows that these guys were unmatched in skill & creativity, and it's also amazingly listenable. Also included on the first half are two songs that are easily in the top-10 of the band's entire catalog: "In The Cage" and "Carpet Crawlers". "In the Cage" is an angry, up-tempo song based on a 3-over-2 groove that is the one time on the album they guys really let loose and rock. (In later live shows, they would medley "In the Cage" with the solo section of Selling England...'s "Cinema Show", and it was very awesome. See below.) "Carpet Crawlers" is a stunning piece of songwriting and melody. It's equal parts beautiful and haunting. (In 1999, the 5 guys reunited in the studio to re-record "Carpet Crawlers", with Phil & Peter each singing lead on half the song. That version might be the best track the band ever recorded.) The second album/disc? Not so much. It starts to unravel pretty quickly ("The Waiting Room"). The music doesn't hold together and the lyrics reach full-blown "what-the-hell?" status. Brian Eno was a co-producer, and you can tell that his random noises and effects-- which supported the first half very well-- are now just in the way. Every time I listen to the second disk, I find myself thinking, "I'll bet this would be mind-blowing if I was stoned. Or at a laser light show. Or both." But since neither of those things will ever happen, I can only tell you how it sounds when sober: a convoluted mess. That's not to say there aren't good moments (like "It") or good musicianship (like "Riding the Scree"). It just doesn't come close to the first half. I said in the last review that sometimes a prog band's reach can exceed their grasp. I think that's what happened here. However, they did grasp greatness for part of it, and if I was reviewing just the first half, I'd absolutely give it 5 stars. I'm reminded of the interviews on The Beatles Anthology documentary. Ringo said that in retrospect, The White Album would have been better had it been edited down to one album. George expressed similar sentiments. Paul thought about it for a minute and then said, "It's the bloody Beatles White Album. Shut up!" I think that's right. Without the oddity, it wouldn't be the same piece of art. That goes for The White Album and it should go for The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Farewell, Peter Gabriel. You went out with a maddening classic. I'm sure you wouldn't have it any other way. ****
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Post by Mr. Atari on Nov 24, 2010 21:07:46 GMT -5
Thanksgiving time again. Although I find myself alone again, with no real family (my brother seems to have forgotten that he has a sister), I still feel pretty upbeat. Why not? I'm healthy, I have high-speed internet, I live in a nice house on a quiet tree-lined street, I can pay my bills and feed myself, and I have friends. Plus I have a shiny new refrigerator with a ton of space to keep all the tasty stuff I want to cook. Those are all good things to be thankful for. I decided to keep the dinner simple this year. I'm going to make a big pot of chicken and vegetable stew. Chicken thighs, potatoes, and root veggies. Prep and cleanup will be easy. Then I can sit back and watch some MST3K (yet another thing to be thankful for). It's nice to hear you have a positive attitude. Of course, you're always welcome at the Atari house, should you wake up and find yourself in Colorado.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Nov 23, 2010 19:34:05 GMT -5
I really enjoyed Joel's anecdote about Kevin from the Infocon panel extra on the Vol. 19 DVDs. It was about how after Josh left, they were looking for a new Servo. Joel fully expected Frank to do it, but Frank proved to be a horrible puppeteer. Someone (Jim?) suggested giving Kevin a shot, as he was always around the set anyway, helping out with production, et al. Joel & Co. were very hesitant because Kevin & Jim had put together advertising/comedy bits for KTMA back in the day, which Joel thought were just terrible.
Because the show was made up of stand-up comedians who had strong opinions about other comedians' bits, someone with no stand-up experience and a spotty track record of trying to be funny was not seen in a good light. But Joel admitted in the panel that he was happy to be proven wrong in his initial assessment, and that Kevin embraced the role and did a fabulous job for 9 years.
I think he was the glue that held the show together in all of the different incarnations. He started out as a behind-the-scenes guy, then became a writer and performer, stealing scenes from seasoned stand-ups, and eventually staged and directed a lot of episodes.
Plus, I like Bobo.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Nov 23, 2010 19:17:05 GMT -5
I'm looking forward to a few days' break starting tomorrow, and I hope to knock off the next 3 or 4 albums. Nothing like lazy days of listening to great music and then writing about it.
I've been listening to The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway exclusively since Sunday, and I can't wait to put down the review. It's an odd duck.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Nov 23, 2010 19:13:10 GMT -5
Yeah, Django was something special. I got into him after seeing the Woody Allen & Sean Penn movie, "Sweet and Lowdown." Have you seen it? It's outstanding.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Nov 22, 2010 0:18:29 GMT -5
I'm actually ambivalent about the Jets. I just think there's not much to brag about when you barely squeaked by the Lions, Browns, and Broncos by sheer luck. But I guess a win is a win. I feel bad for the Texans, though.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Nov 21, 2010 16:16:51 GMT -5
So I'm watching the end of the Jets-Texans game right now, and here's what I can't figure out: Are the Jets the luckiest team ever or are the Texans the unluckiest team ever?
The Texans lost last week on a Hail Mary and now on an against-all-odds drive with no time outs? Yikes.
As for the Jets, this makes at least 4 wins that came on pure luck. They beat the Broncos on a phantom pass interference call. The Browns on a crazy fumble when they were in field goal range. And the Lions on a bad third down pass call when the Lions could have run out the clock. There is no reason the Jets should be considered one of the best teams, but they'll get all the press this week. I, for one, am looking forward to the first round beatdown they'll get in the playoffs.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Nov 21, 2010 16:04:36 GMT -5
Selling England By the Pound (1973)There's a sweet spot in musicianship where you play at the top of your ability, above and beyond the basics, but not beyond your skill. You push yourself to...say, 10% more than you've ever done, and it works. And when it does, you feel a special high that you reached something new. When the whole band does it together, with performance, songwriting, and arrangement, it's almost euphoric. Selling England By the Pound is Genesis at their most perfect. It's easily their best album, and one of the best albums in the history of rock. It's five musical geniuses all hitting their stride together. Each part is spotless and the whole is even better. Prog-rock can often become a sort of musical masturbation, where the players are only impressing themselves and the noodling doesn't accomplish anything. Every note on this album fits and accomplishes greatness, especially in the extended compositions. Another problem in prog-rock is that the band's reach often exceeds their grasp. They try to be too impressive, but their talent or songwriting can't keep up. This is absolutely not the case here. Genesis hits their sweet spot. Track 1: Dancing with the Moonlit KnightThe album starts with a solo Gabriel lyric. Hackett adds a pretty riff underneath, and Banks comes in with a beautiful piano line. It's pastoral and madrigal, and what every pastoral and madrigal piece of the first 3 albums was building towards. It climaxes around the 2 minute mark in a great release of a major chord. Then, the fun really starts. A ripping jam hits hard, complete with Hackett finger-tapping, volume swelling, and sweep-picking five years before Eddie Van Halen became famous for it. The original pastoral riff comes back with a vengeance, this time with a powerful half-time drum beat and Banks bringing in the choir effect. Another jam follows with Rutherford and Banks playing a duet of crazy scales and start-stop time signatures. Hackett brings it all back with a sweet, chorus-y guitar that closes out the song peacefully. 8 minutes of music perfection. Track 2: I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)The complexity of "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight" is followed with a simple song- the first "hook" song the band really did, and their first radio hit in England. It's a basic riff in the verse, and a catchy chorus. That's it. Unlike almost everything else they'd done to this point, the song has a verse-chorus-verse-chorus arrangement. Gabriel's lyrics are based on the album's cover painting, where a gardener tells the story of his surroundings. It's pure British realism. It's a great song, and one they've played live for years. It fits perfectly in their medleys of early songs. Whenever they played it live, Phil would put on a tambourine dance, which is way more fun that it sounds. Track 3: Firth of FifthI'm not even going to try to be dispassionate about this one, it's my favorite Genesis song of all. There isn't a flaw anywhere. You all need to listen to it. Throw away every other word from these reviews and just listen to this song. If it doesn't make you a Genesis fan, then I can't help you. Banks wrote a classical piano piece that turned into one of the great instrumental jams of all time. The vocal parts are nothing to sneeze at, but the solo sections are what puts this over the top. Banks and Gabriel put together a flute solo that builds and builds and builds into something that rivals Mozart or Beethoven. Hackett follows with one of the all-time great guitar solos (and it's even better in the later years when touring guitarist Daryl Stuermer takes it to a whole other level. Go back and watch the video of this from the 2007 tour I posted on the last page and see for yourself.) When it finally resolves to the major key at the 8-minute mark, it's a tremendous release and pay-off. As good as it gets. Track 4: More Fool MeAnother mellow and pretty song comes next. This is the second track where Phil sings lead vocals (the other one was Nursery Cryme's "For Absent Friends"). The twelve-string strumming and harmony-laden chorus sounds a bit like '70s A.M. radio stuff, like America or Bread. But I actually mean that as a compliment. It's from that mold, but far better. The melody is catchy and the arrangement is simple and clean. A hidden gem of early Genesis. Track 5: The Battle of Epping ForestIf there's a weak link to the album, this is it; but that's not a criticism. It would shine on any other album. It's just a tiny bit weaker than the other tracks, is all. There are a lot (a LOT) of lyrics on this one. But even though the story is almost too weighty for the song, it doesn't collapse. The music is just too good. Gabriel tells the story of rival gangs in a turf war, and uses different voices for each character. This is one of those occasions where I break rank with the old-Genesis lovers and say that it would have been better if Gabriel had toned it down a bit. In fact, I'd have loved to see what this could have been if it was done by Phil in the later years instead. Track 6: After the OrdealAn instrumental by Hackett that serves as an epilogue of sorts from "...Epping Forest". It's also a nice breather between that and the epic "Cinema Show". Banks and Gabriel didn't like it, and were against its inclusion on the album, but I'm glad they lost the argument. It fits the flow of the album wonderfully. Track 7: The Cinema ShowThe final epic of an album filled with epics. The song is made up of two parts: a gentle 12-string piece for the lyrics and a percussive solo section in 7/8 time. The lyrics were written by Banks and Rutherford and tell the story of a couple (named Romeo and Juliet; real original, right?) getting ready for a date at the cinema, and looking forward to it for different reasons. Also mentioned is Tiresias, a Greek character who lived as both a man and a woman and determined that romantic and erotic love is better for the woman. Huh. Anyway, it's an incredible piece of music, and like in "Firth of Fifth", when the jam finally resolves to the major key, it's one of the most fulfilling and triumphant moments in any band's catalog. Especially when they played it live. Track 8: Aisle of PlentyA peaceful recapitulation of the opening themes from "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight". It bookends the album just right, making the whole experience like listening to a symphony. A nice little bow on a perfect present. So there you go. The best album by one of my favorite bands. It's all downhill from here. Seriously, though, if you only buy one Genesis album, this is the one. *****
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Post by Mr. Atari on Nov 20, 2010 22:33:16 GMT -5
That's one of my all-time favorites. Huh. The ones I skip every time? Four words: Nummy Muffin Coocol Butter.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Nov 20, 2010 17:05:08 GMT -5
I think you could have put this one the music page, it would have brought class to the joint... and what the hell else does that forum have going on that's new and exciting. It's been interesting reading about stuff I don't own. makes me curious to check it out. As an aside, I know you're into Collins, but do you have any of Gabriels solo albums? I think Sercurity (as it's now called, it's the LP with "Shock The Monkey") was genius. Keep up the good work. Maybe when I'm done, I'll copy all the reviews into a Genesis thread on the Music board. I do like Gabriel's solo work. Like solgroupie, I have Us and So, and really like The Last Temptation... album. I used to have Security and Car, and enjoyed both of them. I think So and Us are incredible works of genius. Especially Us.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Nov 20, 2010 12:51:02 GMT -5
Genesis has always confused me. I never listened to much "prog rock," so I was largely unaware of what they were before the Phil Collins pop hits when I was younger. I still don't understand how they changed so completely...did the rest of them just not like what Peter Gabriel was doing? There were a lot of factors in the change, and it wasn't like it was immediate. There were 14 years and 8 other albums between Foxtrot and Invisible Touch. They were tired of Gabriel's theatrics and costumes, and there was a desire to write shorter songs- which is also true of Gabriel, if you look at his solo work. But the change wasn't as complete as everyone thinks. Radio hits like "Turn It On Again" and "No Reply at All" are crawling with prog-rock complexity. And even on the albums where they are accused of "selling out", there are long pieces, like the 11-minute "Home By The Sea" or "Domino" suites. I always get a kick out of the accusation that when Collins took over, Genesis went to cheese. A) That's not true; there was still a ton of complex progressive rock in the post-Gabriel era, and 2) It's not as if Gabriel kept his prog-rock purity and never went pop himself. For every "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" there's a "Sledgehammer". For every "Follow You, Follow Me" there's an "In Your Eyes". For every "Invisible Touch", there's a "Shock the Monkey". And I say, it's all great.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Nov 20, 2010 0:24:55 GMT -5
Foxtrot (1972)"This is the rare art-rock album that excels at both the art and the rock, and it's the pinnacle of the genre..." So concludes the AllMusic review of Foxtrot, and it's exactly right. Let's hit it right out of the gate, "Watcher of the Skies" and "Supper's Ready" are two of the best songs ever written by anyone in the history of everything. But, like MST, they require that you pay attention. And the more attention you pay, the more reward you get for your efforts. Here's a free tip: Get a hold of those two songs, put on some headphones in a dark room, and ride the bliss. It'll change your life. Great albums need a great opener, and "Watcher of the Skies" delivers. I was trying to think of other classic album openers, and I couldn't think of many that work as well as this. Tony Banks starts things off with a 1:35 Mellotron solo. It was so universally regarded as brilliant that future models of the Mellotron had a "Watcher" setting. The melody and vocals that Gabriel came up with are catchy and accentuate all the things that made him great: fantastical imagery, theatrical, dynamic, and that great Gabriel grit at the top of his register. But the real heroes of "Watcher" are Rutherford and Collins. Their punchy, off-beat rhythm rolls like a snowball down a hill, gaining momentum, until it pummels its way into your subconscious. Phish covered this song when they inducted Genesis into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and that makes sense. It sounds like the song Phish tried their whole careers to write, but couldn't quite get there. The next three songs ("Time Table", "Get 'Em Out By Friday", and "Can-Utility and the Coastliners") are all good in their own right. They are a good mix of quiet art and story rock. Any of them would feel right at home on a Pink Floyd album. As far as album-filler material goes, they are an improvement on the middle songs from Trespass and Nursery Cryme. Next comes "Horizons", which is a short, gorgeous, classical guitar number that features Hackett at his best. It functions as a prelude to the massive and unparalleled "Supper's Ready", but it is itself otherworldly. And then there's "Supper's Ready". Holy mother of Jim, where do I start? I'll admit, it took me a long time to give it a shot. Even though I love Genesis, I was hesitant to believe the fanboys' claim that it was the BEST SONG EVER!!! I mean, it's 23 minutes long, for crying out loud! I finally gave it a once-over and shrugged. But then I found myself randomly humming a melody or singing a lyric that I couldn't place. Then I remembered, "Oh yeah. It was from that crazy-long Genesis tune." So I gave it another try. Then I listened to it in the car. Then I found a website that listed all of the arrangement parts and lyrics and times and listened to it while I read the story. Then I tried the headphones-in-the-dark experiment. And I have to say, the fanboys might be right. It's like Side 2 of Abbey Road, but much more on purpose. It's like a classical symphony, with all of the composite movements. It's not just jamming or complexity for the sake of complexity. It's an amazing journey. A 20 minute song was nothing new in 1972. Other bands like Yes, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, and even The Who (and later, Rush) tried to use extended pieces to tell a psychedelic story. But none of their attempts come close to "Supper's Ready", and I think those bands would admit as much (except maybe Roger Waters, that self-important ninny). The story of "Supper's Ready" adds to the epic proceedings. It tells of two lovers reuniting after a long separation (she tells him "your supper's ready"), only to be pulled into a journey of supernatural imagery, strange characters, and time travel. The climax occurs as they emerge from a metamorphosis and find themselves in the middle (at the end?) of the apocalypse at the end of the book of Revelation. They hear the angel talking of the New Jerusalem where the eternal feast of God will occur ("this is the supper of the mighty one"), and they are finally free "to get back home". It's a bit of Paradise Lost mixed with Dante's Inferno. And it would be pretentious and overblown if the music didn't perfectly match the story. I know Gabriel wasn't trying to represent a religious position, he was just telling a freaky story. But as a Christian myself, I find the climax to be particularly emotional and moving. YMMV, of course. I know progressive art-rock isn't everyone's cup o' noodles. But if it is, then you will never find a better album than Foxtrot. If it isn't, you still owe it to yourself to give Foxtrot a try. At least "Watcher of the Skies" and "Supper's Ready"; two songs you should listen to before you die. *****
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Post by Mr. Atari on Nov 19, 2010 22:16:34 GMT -5
I think Fu Manchu is better than the treatment it's getting in this thread. I think we all just remember it as being worse than it was because of the crying and whining from Joel & the 'bots. It also had decent effects (that it stole from other films, but still...), and even some decent acting. The print was terrible, and the plot was convoluted, but there were worse movies. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that Coleman Francis should be running away with this topic. Bleak landscapes. No plot. Indistinguishable characters. No audio-synch. No soundtrack. Nothing even remotely resembling acting. The camera is consistently not on the character speaking. From both a technical and watchable standpoint, I think all of the C.F. films deserve this award. I wrote this almost 2 years ago. My opinion hasn't changed.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Nov 18, 2010 15:44:53 GMT -5
I love Mr. Atari. I hate Genesis. Sorry. Fair enough. For the rest of you (namely, those who don't hate Genesis or those who don't love me), Foxtrot is coming soon. Before I write these reviews, I'll live with the album for a couple of days. I'll play it straight through about a dozen times or more to really let the overall flow hit me. And I have to admit that after a week's worth of nothing but Trespass, Nursery Cryme, and Foxtrot, I'm really hitting my limit on schnitzengruben prog-rock noodling & Gabriel's theatrics. Don't get me wrong, I love complex music, and I love (LOVE!) Foxtrot. But I've found myself really looking forward to the '80s era Genesis, just for want of a hook and a melody.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Nov 17, 2010 13:13:59 GMT -5
Nursery Cryme (1971)By the third album, Genesis finally had all the right ingredients. The album starts off with one of the all-time great story songs, "The Musical Box". It's pretty messed up. Gabriel wrote a backstory about two Victorian-era children playing croquet, and the girl decapitates the boy with her mallet. She later finds his favorite toy- a music box that plays "Old King Cole"- and opens it. At that moment, the boy's reconstituted soul reappears and talks to her. The lyrics to the song are his desperate appeal to her about the life he missed out on. The whole thing feels like a crazy Thomas Hardy nightmare. It's creepy, but in a really cool way. Musically, it's the best of their early work. The arrangement is very orchestral, starting with harpsichord, flute and mandolin and growing into a bombastic crescendo of crunchy guitar, haunting organ and polyrhythmic drums. Hackett's guitar lines and Banks's fuzz organ solo are particularly impressive. The only distraction is Gabriel's creepy whisper-talk-singing that I find especially annoying, especially on words like "touch" and "flesh". It's just really creepy, and not in a cool way. The next song, "For Absent Friends", is a very pretty two-minute folky ballad about two people going to church to pray for their deceased loved ones. It is a bit of a mix between "Julia" and "The Fool on the Hill", with the only music being Hackett's guitar and Phil Collins's vocal track. A perfect breather after the 10-minute long "Musical Box". The rest of the album is a mixed bag. "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" is a fun rock song where Gabriel sounds like he's channeling Ozzy Osbourne. The lyrics are over-the-top ridiculous about an unkillable weed that "prepares an onslaught, threatening the human race". "Seven Stones" and "Harold the Barrel" are passable, but unmemorable numbers. "Harlequin" sounds exactly like the title suggests- boring, Victorian, acoustic, madrigal and dull. The closing number, "The Fountain of Salmacis" is a decent bookend to the album. It's a musically complex retelling of the Greek story of Salmacis and Hermaphroditus. Collins and Rutherford do a great job as a rhythm section of laying down a creative and interesting backdrop for this one; it's too bad that Collins's drums sound like empty Quaker Oats cans, though. Overall, Nursery Cryme is a stepping stone album, bridging the gap between the formative years to the era of greatness. Plus, it's got a really messed-up song about child decapitation, so there's that. ***
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