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This is an album that many Genesis fans are torn over. Genesis spent the 70s becoming one of the most influential progressive rock bands ever. Shortly after the release of the concept album "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway," Peter Gabriel left the band to work on his own projects; guitarist Steve Hackett left 3 albums later, leaving Phil Collins as the lead singer/drummer, Tony Banks as keyboardist and Mike Rutherford on guitars. The trio started to stray from the long, meandering tales to shorter, more pop-oriented songs.
But they never completely left their prog roots behind, and their self-titled "Genesis" album produced two classic prog rock songs. The opening track, "Mama", crossed over into the mainstream to become a minor hit in the US, while becoming a bigger hit in the UK, their home. It features Collins' powerful drums, and eerie keyboards by Banks, but is probably best remembered for the loud, creepy laughing of Phil. The second track to truly follow the path of their prog roots is "Home By the Sea", split into two parts. The song tells of a haunted house; the first part was released on it's own as a single, but the meat of the song is in the second part, a driving instrumental track that shows off the talents of each member.
The album also produced the slightly Country-leaning single, "That's All", a staple of their live performances ever since. But perhaps the most infamous song in their history is another single, "Illegal Alien", a tongue-in-cheek song telling of the troubles illegal aliens have in trying to sneak into the country. The song has been reviled as insensitive and even offensive to Mexicans, using the most base stereotypes to portray them.
This album is a mix of all things Genesis, from their long form instrumental pieces, to their catchy pop hits. It shows what they can do in both realms, and shows that whichever direction they choose to go in, they are they best. This is a transitional album that often gets overlooked; it is certainly not their best, but it is worth a listen. If you like newer Genesis music, there are hits; if you like their older stuff, there are long prog songs. Worth giving a listen.
But they never completely left their prog roots behind, and their self-titled "Genesis" album produced two classic prog rock songs. The opening track, "Mama", crossed over into the mainstream to become a minor hit in the US, while becoming a bigger hit in the UK, their home. It features Collins' powerful drums, and eerie keyboards by Banks, but is probably best remembered for the loud, creepy laughing of Phil. The second track to truly follow the path of their prog roots is "Home By the Sea", split into two parts. The song tells of a haunted house; the first part was released on it's own as a single, but the meat of the song is in the second part, a driving instrumental track that shows off the talents of each member.
The album also produced the slightly Country-leaning single, "That's All", a staple of their live performances ever since. But perhaps the most infamous song in their history is another single, "Illegal Alien", a tongue-in-cheek song telling of the troubles illegal aliens have in trying to sneak into the country. The song has been reviled as insensitive and even offensive to Mexicans, using the most base stereotypes to portray them.
This album is a mix of all things Genesis, from their long form instrumental pieces, to their catchy pop hits. It shows what they can do in both realms, and shows that whichever direction they choose to go in, they are they best. This is a transitional album that often gets overlooked; it is certainly not their best, but it is worth a listen. If you like newer Genesis music, there are hits; if you like their older stuff, there are long prog songs. Worth giving a listen.