by Tommy Hayfield

Created on: September 27, 2010

Judging from what I see on Helium.com readers here really appreciate the involved, extravagant display of big show bands like Genesis.  It began in 1967 as a band of schoolmates from an English private school and their educational experiences were refined and literary.  Many of the groups early shows in the 1970s were involved productions which contained many costume changes and masks.  Their lyrics were very sophisticated-perhaps stiflingly so to some people- and their grasping at  (for) the English heart was clear.  I see them as an American and as such I see  their product or output on stage as the effort of very highly educated musicians.  Their effort might not be appreciated for its content by Americans but as a serious effort at raising the consciousness of concert-goers, English concert-goers.  Americans might not understand the historical references in their songs.   The storytelling (and frequent costume changes) which went on in their live concerts, before 1975, was also a way to give the band's guitarists time to tune their instruments in the long melodies they played.  As opposed to the later years when drummer Phil Collins became lead singer the early group was lead by front man Peter Gabriel whose free-flowing energy led to much of the band's reputation as a live concert smashing success. 

The big, involved shows were great but the band really achieved commercial success after Peter Gabriel left the band and Phil Collins became lead  singer.  Having said that though as you listen today to the sound there is a similarity between the pure sound Phil Collins had and the one Peter Gabriel displayed.  Analyzing rock bands, though, is complicated and has many layers but there is no doubt the sound of the voices of the two lead singers is similar.   Their commercial success came, however,  when the band left behind the extravaganzas of the big shows and made producing palatable pop music their focus. 

I looked into the early years and listened a lot of the music of the era when Peter Gabriel was with the group. To Americans their early music is intimidating though big-time musicians like Genesis possessed always get attention from serious music fans if only for a historical look back to see where musical roots began growing in the world of rock music.  I for one am intimidated by Genesis in their earliest incarnation because the music doesn't doesn't seem to have an innocence coming from the soul.. Their later music with Phil Collins as lead singer is only slightly less daunting to me as a music lover.  I don't want to be intimidated by music and Genesis intimidates me on a human level.  It's a bit too impersonal.

Resources:

www.lyricsfreak.com

www.progarchives.com

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