bso (06/19/82)
Genesis/Three Sides Live (Atlantic SD 2-2000) (Charisma GE 2002) This new release from Genesis is their 14th album, and their third live offering. Like 'em or not, it would hard to deny that this band has built a vast following over the years, in the last few particularly, and may be primed for unparalleled popularity. Maybe not. In any case, Genesis has gone from a cult band, a theatre-rock relic, to a quite accessible, commercially-viable act. Along with the new music from Howe, Wetton, Downes, and Palmer, Genesis is helping to define the state of what used to be called "progressive rock." (Someone should come up with a name for it.) The "chops" once required to play progressive music are now being used to enhance the quality of popular rock. But enough philosophy (again). To be sure, "Three Sides Live" is not what one would call a great risk. As is obvious from the title, three of this double record's sides are live, culled from last year's "Abacab" tour. And for the most part, the in-concert material is from the two latest, and most popular, Genesis studio albums, "Duke" and "Abacab." The only exceptions are "Follow You, Follow Me," an obvious choice nonetheless, and "In the Cage/Cinema Show-Slippermen Medley/Afterglow," the monster-piece that dominates side three. As one might except, the performances are typical Genesis, that is, for the most part flawless. The live mix is quite good; perhaps the drums are a bit loud in spots, mostly when Phil Collins and Chester Thompson are playing together (to some, the loud drum mix may be a blessing, a chance to really listen to the incredible interplay between these two great drummers). Crank this record up on a great stereo and you get some idea of what Genesis sounds like in concert. The fourth side consists of five previously unreleased studio cuts, three from the Abacab sessions, and two from Duke. The first song, "Paperlate," a near-clone of the hit "No Reply At All," should be recognized by many as it has received frequent airplay. The others are reasonable Genesis songs; "You Might Recall" and "Evidence of Autumn" are particularly nice. The reason for the two catalog numbers above is that the British release (on Charisma) is slightly different from the American release just discussed. The British version should be called "Four Sides Live," since the studio material on side four (already released as singles and EPs in England) is replaced by yet another, and by far most interesting, live set. The first two tracks, "One For the Vine" and "Fountain of Salmacis," were recorded during the Duke tour, and even though Collins badly blows a note in "Salmacis," these versions are simply incredible. I was particularly struck by a quiet passage in "One For the Vine," during which the audience remains absolutely silent as Collins and Banks exercise long rests in their piano/vocal "duet". This track was clearly not recorded in America. The final cut on the import album is a rendition of "It" (from "The Lamb"), which magically blends into the intro and finale of "Watcher of the Skies." This marvelous medley was their encore during the 1978 "Trick of the Tail" tour, and features Bill Bruford on drums, and the still-missed Steve Hackett on guitar. I was very glad to come across this import version, since the American release, comparatively speaking, was very predicatable. Its still great, but even that was not unexpected. Bert Olsson mhtsa!bso