Genesis (band)

Genesis

Genesis are an English progressive rock band formed in 1967. With approximately 150 million albums sold worldwide, Genesis are one of the top 30 highest-selling recording artists of all time. In 1988, the band won a Grammy Award for Best Concept Music Video. Genesis's members have included Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford, Steve Hackett and Phil Collins, all of whom have achieved success as solo artists.

Genesis began as a 1960s pop band, playing moody, simple guitar-driven melodies. During the 1970s, they evolved into a progressive rock band, and began to incorporate complex song structures and elaborate instrumentation, while their concerts took on a more theatrical tone. This second phase was characterised by lengthy performances such as the twenty-three minute "Supper's Ready", and 1974's concept album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. The 1980s saw the band produce more accessible pop music based on melodic hooks; this change of direction gave them their first number one-charting album in the United Kingdom, Duke, and their only number one single in the United States, "Invisible Touch".

Genesis have changed personnel several times. Collins—previously the band's drummer—replaced Gabriel as lead singer in 1975, and was replaced by former Stiltskin singer Ray Wilson for the 1997 album Calling All Stations. Due to the commercial failure of that album, the band announced an indefinite hiatus. In October 2006, Collins, Rutherford and Tony Banks reunited for a world tour.

History

1967–1969

File:Genesis 1967 lineup.jpg

The original Genesis lineup in 1967, with Anthony Phillips, Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, Peter Gabriel and Chris Stewart

The band's origins lie in the late 1960s, when founding members Peter Gabriel and Tony Banks were students at Charterhouse School. Formed out of the school bands "the Garden Wall" and "the anon", the original line-up consisted of Gabriel (vocals), Anthony Phillips (guitar), Banks (keyboards), Rutherford (bass & guitar), and Chris Stewart (drums).

Genesis recorded their first album, 1969's From Genesis to Revelation, after being discovered by Jonathan King, a Charterhouse School alumnus. King was a songwriter and record producer who had a hit single at the time—"Everyone's Gone to the Moon". King supposedly named the band "Genesis" because they were the first serious band he had worked with—the genesis of his career. He recalled that he had "named them Genesis because I thought it was a good name... it suggested the beginning of a new sound and a new feeling".

Template:Genesis timeline The album was released on Decca Records. During the sessions, Stewart left and was replaced by John Silver. The band recorded a series of songs influenced by the light pop style of the Bee Gees, one of King's favorite bands. King assembled the tracks as a concept album, and added string arrangements during the production. Their first single, "The Silent Sun" (), was released in February 1968. Although the album sold poorly, the band, on advice from King, decided to pursue a career in music. To this day, King claims responsibility for the band's subsequent success. It was he who introduced them to eventual label boss Tony Stratton Smith. King still holds the rights to the songs on the From Genesis to Revelation album, and has re-released the album many times under a variety of names, including In the Beginning, Where the Sour Turns to Sweet, Rock Roots: Genesis, ...And the Word Was, and, most recently, The Genesis of Genesis.

Silver was replaced by John Mayhew before the recording of Trespass. However, during a show alongside the band Smile, Gabriel had offered the job to Roger Taylor, later of Queen. The band played occasional concerts, before securing a new recording contract with Charisma Records. The band built a following through live performances, and became known for hypnotic melodies that were often dark and haunting.

Trespass set the template for Genesis albums throughout the 1970s. The album consists of lengthy, sometimes operatic pieces, as well as occasional short, humorous numbers which resemble the style of such progressive rock acts as King Crimson, Yes, and Gentle Giant. Trespass includes traditional progressive rock elements—such as elaborate arrangements and time signature changes—which became key elements in subsequent albums. A key factor in their songwriting was that they would not write pentatonically, as most bands of their time were doing. This was a conscious decision continued by the band for years to come. Trespass features the nine-minute "The Knife", which Gabriel—a believer in nonviolence having been influenced by a book on Mahatma Gandhi—wrote. According to Gabriel, the song shows "how all violent revolutions inevitably end up with a dictator in power".

Due to ill health and recurring stage fright, Phillips left the band in 1970. Phillips went on to record several medieval influenced albums, and his solo album The Geese and the Ghost contains the first non-Genesis solo vocal by Phil Collins. The departure of Phillips traumatised Banks and Rutherford, as Phillips had been a founding member, and a primary force behind the band turning professional. There was doubt over whether Genesis could continue without him. Eventually, the remaining members renewed their commitment to the band, while deciding to release drummer John Mayhew.

Phil Collins joined Genesis on 4 August 1970, after impressing the band with his drumming skills during an audition held at Gabriel's parents' house. The band continued as a four-piece, before playing a number concerts with the guitarist Mick Barnard. Because the members felt Barnard was not up to their caliber of musicianship, they sought a more suitable replacement for Phillips. Late in 1970, Steve Hackett, formerly of Quiet World, placed an advertisement for a band in Melody Maker. Hackett attended a Genesis concert, and was impressed by the style of music they played. The band liked the tone of the advertisement, and after a meeting at his parents' apartment, hired Hackett immediately.

1970–1975

Collins and Hackett made their studio debut on 1971s Nursery Cryme. The album features the epic "The Musical Box", as well as Collins's first lead vocal performance on "For Absent Friends". Foxtrot was released in October 1972, and contains what has been described as one of the group's most accomplished works—the 23-minute "Supper's Ready" (. Songs such as the Arthur C. Clarke inspired "Watcher of the Skies" solidified their reputation as songwriters and performers. Gabriel's flamboyant and theatrical stage presence, which involved numerous costume changes and surreal song introductions, made the band one of the most popular live acts on the early 1970s UK rock scene.

File:Genesis Group.jpg

Genesis, circa 1973. Clockwise from left: Banks, Collins, Hackett, Rutherford, Gabriel

Selling England by the Pound followed in November 1973, and was well received by both critics and fans. According to one commentator, Gabriel was conscious of over-using lyrics or references which might suggest a bias towards an American audience. He was keen to avoid this, and insisted that the album was titled Selling England by the Pound, a reference to a Labour Party slogan at the time. The album contains "Firth of Fifth" (), and "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)"; these songs remained part of Genesis's repertoire in future live performances. During this period, Hackett became one of the first guitarists to use the "tapping" technique—normally credited to Eddie Van Halen—as well as "sweep-picking", which was popularized in the 1980s by Yngwie Malmsteen. These techniques were incorporated on the song "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight".

Genesis undertook a more ambitious project with the double disc concept album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (), which was released on 18 November, 1974. In contrast to the lengthy tracks featured on earlier albums, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway comprises a collection of shorter tracks, connected by a number of segues. The story describes the spiritual journey of Rael, a Puerto Rican youth living in New York City, and his quest to establish both his freedom and identity. During his adventure, Rael encounters several bizarre characters, including the Slippermen and The Lamia, the latter of whom was borrowed from Greek mythology. The album is set in satirically twisted circumstances, and interpretation remains a matter of speculation, as there is no official explanation of its meaning. All accounts of the recording indicate that it was rushed, and that Gabriel did not have time to finish his lyrics. There is no known interview in which Gabriel explains the obscure story, although he added narration during his traditional storytelling during live performances; however, there is no implication that this is definitive. The band embarked on a world tour to promote the album, and, since it was a concept album, performed it in its entirety. At one point during the performance, Gabriel appeared across the stage from a mannequin double, apparently illustrating the split personality concept.

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway placed strain on inter-band relations, particularly between Banks and Gabriel. While the other members of Genesis wrote the music of the album without Gabriel's input—the exceptions being "Counting Out Time" and "The Carpet Crawlers"—Gabriel alone focused on the lyrics; "The Light Dies Down on Broadway" was co-authored by Banks and Rutherford.

In August 1975, following the Lamb tour, Gabriel announced that he was leaving the band. He felt estranged from the other members, and his marriage and birth of his first child added to his personal strain. In a letter to fans entitled Out, Angels Out, Gabriel explained his reasons: "The vehicle we had built as a co-op to serve our songwriting became our master and had cooped us up inside the success we had wanted. It affected the attitudes and the spirit of the whole band. The music had not dried up and I still respect the other musicians, but our roles had set in hard". Collins later remarked that the other members "were not stunned by Peter's departure because we had known about it for quite a while. We're going to carry on...this hasn't hit us suddenly, we've been talking about it for some time, and I think there will be room for both Genesis and Peter on his own. No - there were no musical differences." Gabriel's first solo album, 1977s Peter Gabriel, features the hit single "Solsbury Hill", an allegory on his departure from the band.

During their live performances, Genesis pioneered the use of lasers and other light effects, most of which were were built by Dutchman Theo Botschuijver. A customized handhold unit was used to channel laser light, and allowed Gabriel to sweep the audience with various light effects.

1976–1978

The group began to audition lead singers without a clear idea of the style of vocalist they were looking for. However, they knew that they did not want a voice too dissimilar to Gabriel's. Collins had provided backing vocals on previous occasions, and was given the job of coaching prospective replacements. In a later interview, he admitted he "really wanted to have a crack at it...[b]ut I wasn't about to ask. I wanted someone to ask me". Eventually, the band appointed Collins as their lead vocalist, and began recording their first post-Gabriel album.

1976's A Trick of the Tail was well received by critics, and outsold all previous releases. The album features a markedly clearer production than earlier recordings, courtesy of new producer David Hentschel, who had served as engineer on Nursery Cryme. An influential factor in the record's success was that Collins sounded "more like Gabriel than Gabriel did". Despite the success of the album, the group remained concerned with their live shows, which now lacked Gabriel's elaborate performances. While Collins felt confident that he could handle live vocal duties, he required the assistance of a second drummer while he sang. Bill Bruford, drummer for Yes and King Crimson, offered his services, and drummed on their 1976 tour. The tour was captured on film, and released as Genesis: In Concert.

Later that year, Genesis recorded Wind & Wuthering, the first of two albums recorded at the Relight Studios in Hilvarenbeek, the Netherlands. Released in December 1976, the album took its name from Emily Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights, whose last lines—"how anyone could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth"—inspired the titles of the seventh and eighth tracks. Wind & Wuthering features the songs "Blood on the Rooftops" and "Afterglow", as well as the complex multi-part suite "One for the Vine". The animated film B.C. Rock features sections of "Afterglow". The band signed with new manager Tony Smith, who published all subsequent Genesis songs through his company Hit & Run Music Publishing.

For the 1977 Genesis tour, the jazz fusion-trained Chester Thompson—a veteran of Weather Report and Frank Zappa—took on live drumming duties. Collins' approach to Genesis shows differed from the theatrical performances of Gabriel, and his interpretations of older songs were lighter and more subtle. At the 1982 Milton Keynes reunion show, Gabriel admitted to Collins that he (Collins) sang the songs "better", though never "quite like" him.

1978–1979

Guitarist Steve Hackett had become increasingly disenchanted with the band by the time of Wind & Wuthering's release. The freedom he had experienced during the recording of Voyage of the Acolyte led him to feel confined within Genesis. Hackett sought for a quarter of Wind & Wuthering to be given over to his material; a move described by Collins as "a dumb way to work in a band context". The other members attempted to placate him by granting songwriting credits on the two instrumental tracks "Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers..."/"...In That Quiet Earth" However, the Hackett-composed "Blood on the Rooftops" was never performed live, while his composition "Please Don't Touch" was rejected for inclusion on the LP; and was replaced by the three-minute instrumental "Wot Gorilla?". Following the release of the 1977 Spot the Pigeon E.P., Hackett left the band.

The Seconds Out live album was recorded during the 1977 tour, and was to be Hackett's final release with Genesis. Rutherford took on guitar duties in the studio, and during live performances alternated guitar and bass with the session musician Daryl Stuermer. The group continued as a trio, a fact they acknowledged in the title of the 1978 album ...And Then There Were Three.... The album was a further move away from the 10-minute-plus progressive epics. It yielded their first American radio hit, "Follow You, Follow Me", whose popularity lead to ...And Then There Were Three... being the band's first U.S. Gold-certified album.

1980–1986

In 1979, Genesis came close to losing Collins when he moved to Vancouver, Canada, in an attempt to save his first marriage. However, two months and one divorce later, Collins returned to the UK, and immersed himself in the recording of Duke. He later admitted that his marriage breakup accelerated his growth as a songwriter, and that Duke became the first Genesis album in which he had equal songwriting weight with Banks and Rutherford. While And Then There Were Three was a first effort by the band to write shorter and more concise songs, Duke began the real transition from their 1970s sound, to the 1980s mega-hit pop era. The use of a drum machine became a consistent element on subsequent Genesis albums, as well as on Collins' solo releases. The first Genesis song to feature a drum machine was the Duke track "Duchess". The more commercial Duke was well received by the mainstream media, and was the band's first UK number one album, while the tracks "Misunderstanding" () and "Turn It On Again" became two of the band's live stand-bys.

Duke was followed by the minimalist Abacab, which features horn and wind instruments, as well as a collaboration with Earth, Wind & Fire on the track "No Reply at All". Much of the album's rehearsals took place at The Farm, the band's newly-built studio in Surrey, and the site where all four of Genesis's subsequent albums were recorded. The album premiered a dramatically more forceful drum sound. The effect was achieved through the use of gated reverb, which uses a live—or artificially reverberated—sound relayed through a noise gate set, which rapidly cuts off when a particular a volume threshold is reached. This results in a powerful "live" sounding, yet controlled, drum ambience. The distinctive sound was first developed by Peter Gabriel, Collins, and their co-producer/engineer Hugh Padgham, when Collins was recording the backing track for "Intruder", the first song on Gabriel's 1980 solo album. The technique, in addition to Padgham's production, had been apparent on Face Value (1981), Collins' debut solo album. The "gated" drum sound would become an audio trademark of future Genesis and Collins albums.

In 1982, the band released the live double album Three Sides Live. The U.S. version contains three sides of live material—hence the album's title—in addition to a side of studio material. The studio material includes the song "Paperlate", which again features an Earth, Wind and Fire horn section. In the UK, the three songs on the "Paperlate" side of the album had previously been released on the EP 3 X 3. This left more room on the UK versionfor further live material, albeit it was taken from earlier tours. 1982 closed with a once-off performance alongside Gabriel and Hackett at the Milton Keynes Bowl, under the name Six of the Best. The concert was hastily put together to help raise money for Gabriel's WOMAD project, which at the time was suffering from considerable financial hardship.

1983s eponymous Genesis album—sometimes referred to as "Shapes" because of the geometric shapes featured on its cover, or alternatively, as the "Mama" album—became their third consecutive number one album in the UK. The album includes the radio friendly tracks "Mama" and "That's All", and re-introduced the band's flair for lengthy pieces in "Home by the Sea". The track "Just a Job to Do" was later used as the theme song for the 1985s ABC detective drama The Insiders.

1986–1992

Cover of the "Land of Confusion" single. The cover is inspired by the Beatles' album With the Beatles. The guitar riff accompanying the song owes a debt to The Who's Pete Townshend — subtly acknowledged in the line "my generation will put it right".

Genesis' highest-selling album, Invisible Touch, was released in 1986, at the height of Collins' popularity as a solo artist. The album yielded five U.S. Top 5 singles: "Throwing It All Away", "In Too Deep", "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight", "Land of Confusion" () and "Invisible Touch" (). The title track reached #1 in the United States; the only Genesis song to do so; however, it stalled at #15 in the UK. In 1987, Genesis became the first band to sell out four consecutive nights at Wembley Stadium. Genesis were the first band to use Vari*Lite technology, and the Prism sound system, all of which are now standard features of arena rock concerts.

Genesis performing "Land of Confusion" in Knebworth, England (2 August 1992)

Earlier that year, Collins viewed a spoof of himself on Spitting Image, a satirical British television show which used puppets to lampoon politicians and celebrities. He was impressed with the representation, and commissioned the show's creators, Peter Fluck and Roger Law, to work on the video for the "Land of Confusion" single. The video was formed as an ironic commentary on the Cold War, and played on the perception that the coalition's leaders were "trigger happy" with the nuclear "button". In addition to puppet representations of Banks, Collins and Rutherford, the video showed Ronald Reagan dressed as Superman. It was nominated for the MTV Video of the Year, losing to Gabriel's "Sledgehammer".

"Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" was used in a Michelob commercial—as was Collins' "In the Air Tonight"—while "In Too Deep" was featured in the film Mona Lisa. The instrumental "The Brazilian", appreared in the animated movie When the Wind Blows, alongside a score written by Roger Waters. At the 1988 Prince's Trust concert held in the Royal Albert Hall, Collins and Gabriel performed together for the first time since 1982. Collins was drummer for the house band, while Gabriel performed his hit single "Sledgehammer". It was to be the last time the two Genesis frontmen publicly played together.

After a hiatus of five years, Genesis reconvened for the 1991 release of We Can't Dance, which was to be Collins' last studio album with the group. The album features the hit singles "Jesus He Knows Me", "I Can't Dance", "No Son of Mine", "Hold on My Heart", "Tell Me Why" and "Never a Time" (a U.S. release only), as well as lengthy pieces such as "Driving the Last Spike" and "Fading Lights". The album includes "Since I Lost You", which Collins wrote in memory of Eric Clapton's son Conor.

Collins left in March 1996, having served in Genesis for over 25 years. He later admitted that he "felt it time to change direction in my musical life. For me now, it will be music for movies, some jazz projects, and of course my solo career. I wish the guys in Genesis all the very best in their future. We remain the best of friends."

1997–2000

The Calling All Stations album was Genesis's first without Phil Collins in 26 years.

Rutherford and Banks decided to continue as Genesis. However, they required more than one new member, because the band had lost not only Collins, but also the live musicians Daryl Stuermer and Chester Thompson. Stuermer was approached, but was touring with Collins at the time; Thompson inquired regarding the vacant drum stool, but after he was refused full-band membership, he ended his 19-year association with the band. Eventually, drumming duties were shared between Nir Zidkyahu, an Israeli session drummer who had played with Hidden Persuaders, and Nick D'Virgilio, from the progressive rock band Spock's Beard. The difference in their playing styles was marked; D'Virgilio played softer, more subtle rhythms in comparison to Zidkyahu's bombastic technique.

Ex-Stiltskin singer Ray Wilson was appointed as the new lead singer of Genesis. Other candidates had included Paul Carrack from Rutherford's Mike and the Mechanics, Francis Dunnery (ex-It Bites) and ex-Marillion vocalist—and two-time Banks collaborator—Fish. Kevin Gilbert was offered an audition just before his death in 1996. According to producer Nick Davis, the only other serious candidate was David Langdon, though he had never sung with a band before; and hence Wilson was given the job.

On the band's criteria in the search for a singer, Banks noted: "We needed someone who fits as many of the things you require as possible—being able to improvise with the kind of music we write and also someone capable of jumping in at the deep end and fronting a band." Wilson was immediately incorporated into the songwriting process, being given "half-a-dozen" songs to work on and ending up with three co-writing credits on the final album.

1997's Calling All Stations sold well in Europe, while the track "Congo" () reached #29 in the UK. The album was less successful in America, where it failed to reach the Billboard Top 50. During 1997 and 1998, Genesis toured across Europe; Banks, Rutherford, and Wilson were joined live by Zidkyahu and the guitarist Anthony Drennan, who previously worked with Paul Brady and The Corrs. However, a planned American tour was cancelled due to the album's poor sales performance.

Following the truncation of the Calling All Stations tour, Genesis disbanded, though the members remained in regular contact. The 1971-75 lineup of Banks, Collins, Gabriel, Hackett and Rutherford recorded a new version of "The Carpet Crawlers" for the Turn It On Again: The Hits compilation. In 2000, Collins, Banks, and Rutherford performed an acoustic rendition of "I Can't Dance" at the Music Managers Forum, in honor of their manager Tony Smith. Most of the original members were involved in compiling the two Archive boxed-sets.

2006–present

After much speculation regarding a reunion, Banks, Collins and Rutherford announced Turn It On Again: The Tour on 7 November, 2006; nearly 40 years after the band first formed. The tour would take place during Summer 2007, and play twelve countries across Europe, followed by a second leg in North America. The trio had wanted to reunite as a five-piece with Gabriel and Hackett for a live performance of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. While Gabriel reportedly agreed in principle to perform, he was unable to commit to a date. Collins later observed that "Peter is a little over-cautious about going back to something which fundamentally is fun". Hackett declined participation, however he still maintains good relations with the rest of the band. A short note expressing his good wishes for the reunion tour currently appears on his Web site. In their stead, both Stuermer and Thompson returned as backing musicians.

The band and long-time producer, Nick Davis, are due to re-release their back catalogue in three batches over the course of 2007, each comprising a third of the band's albums (from Trespass to Calling All Stations) in a boxset-style release. Each will comprise a double-disc set containing a multi-channel hybrid Super Audio CD, as well as a DVD-Video with DTS 96/24, and Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. The DVD will include extras such as promo videos and new interviews in which the band discuss the period surrounding each album release. The Hybrid SACDs will be standard CDs for the U.S. and Canada, and and are to be issued as box sets, starting with Genesis 1976-1982 on May 15.

On 12 May 2007, the band were honorees at the second annual VH1 Rock Honors, along with Ozzy Osbourne, Heart and ZZ Top. The setlist was, 'Turn It On Again', 'No Son Of Mine' and 'Los Endos' the performance is set to be aired on VH-1 in the US on 24th May 2007.[1]

On 7 July, 2007, Genesis are due to participate at Live Earth, a series of concerts to promote action to confront global climate change at the new Wembley Stadium in London, along with other artists including Madonna, Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Inspiration And Influences

See also: List of Genesis covers

Genesis have taken influence from a wide range of music, ranging from classical music to mainstream rock and jazz. Banks drew influence from Alan Price of The Animals, whom he regarded as "[t]he first person who made me aware of the organ in a rock context". Other organists cited included Procol Harum's Matthew Fisher, and Keith Emerson of The Nice and later Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Classical influences include Rachmaninov, Ravel, Mahler, and Shostakovich. Many of their contemporaries and immediate predecessors, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Simon and Garfunkel, have affected the band's music. Collins has cited Buddy Rich and the jazz outfit The Mahavishnu Orchestra, while Gabriel's early career with Genesis took influence from Nina Simone and King Crimson. Musical arrangements on the band's first album From Genesis to Revelation drew on the works of The Moody Blues, Family, and the Bee Gees—Jonathan King was a self-professed admirer of their music. Though Gabriel and David Bowie similarly relied on on-stage theatrical performances, neither claimed to be influenced by the other.

As a group that influenced the growth of the progressive rock genre, Genesis have been cited by a number of progressive rock groups, including Dream Theater, Camel and Kansas. Several Genesis tribute bands, including Re-Genesis, The Musical Box, and In the Cage, routinely perform material from the Peter Gabriel era.

Collins became the first artist to cover a Genesis song—"Behind the Lines"—which he included as the third track on Face Value. Other former members subsequently performed the band's material live during their solo shows—Gabriel played "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" and "Back in NYC", while Hackett has performed "In That Quiet Earth", "Los Endos", "Horizon's" and "Blood on the Rooftops". Hackett has performed "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" on his own solo tours, and on a 1986 tour with his short lived supergroup GTR. Collins also later formed The Phil Collins Big Band, which played jazz arrangements of Genesis songs during its 1998 world tour. Ray Wilson has covered the most Genesis songs during his solo concerts. His two solo live albums, Live and Life and Acoustic, feature the Genesis songs "The Carpet Crawlers", "Follow You Follow Me", "I Can't Dance", "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway", "No Son of Mine", "Shipwrecked", and "Mama". He has interpreted two songs from the solo careers of his two predecessors—"In the Air Tonight" (Collins) and "Biko" (Gabriel).

Jeff Buckley reworked "Back in NYC" for the posthumously released 1998 Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk. The Swedish death metal band In Flames covered "Land of Confusion" on Trigger, as did Disturbed on their 2005 album Ten Thousand Fists. Disco-pop band Alcazar, also from Sweden, have covered parts of "Land of Confusion" on their song "This is the world we live in".

Album cover art

The Foxtrot cover was designed by Paul Whitehead.

Genesis's album covers incorporate complex and intricate art intended to reflect the themes explored in the song lyrics. Their first album, From Genesis to Revelation, used a plain black sleeve with Genesis written in a green gothic typeface on the top left. The cover of this album has changed with its numerous re-releases. Genesis's three subsequent album covers were developed by the popular Charisma Records graphic artist Paul Whitehead, who had developed the Charisma "Mad Hatter" logo. The Foxtrot sleeve is popular among Genesis fans; the front image depicts a feminine figure in a red dress with the head of a fox. Whitehead has said in an interview that Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady" was an inspiration for the character. After Whitehead moved to Los Angeles, Genesis signed with the reputed Hipgnosis, whose artists had created high profile album covers for Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy. Hipgnosis's first Genesis album cover was for The Lamb, which for the first time in Genesis's history featured a male model. The model, credited simply as "Omar" on the album sleeve, portrayed the The Lamb's protagonist "Rael".

Through the 1970s, various Hipgnosis artists—among whom Colin Elgie contributed heavily—designed all Genesis studio albums. The Trick of the Tail cover is representative of many of the characters in the album, including the robber from "Robbery, Assault and Battery", the beast from the title track, and a metaphoric image of old age reminiscing youth from the song "Ripples". Beginning with Duke, Genesis albums have featured caricatures designed by Bill Smith Studios. The bands highest-selling album Invisible Touch, features the artwork of Assorted Images, which had previously designed sleeves for Duran Duran and Culture Club. The We Can't Dance cover art features the work of Felicity Bowers, and is reminiscent of Wind & Wuthering, now presented in hazy watercolour. The Calling All Stations and the compilation Turn It On Again: The Hits sleeves were designed by Wherefore Art?.

Criticism

Genesis's progressive rock roots set them apart from such contemporaries as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. An article in Q Magazine describes a 1977 Ray Lowry cartoon which depicted an arena of "either asleep, moribund, [or] comatose" fans watching a live Genesis performance, with the band's name emblazoned on a banner above the stage reading "GENESNOOZE". Much of the criticism surrounding the band in the 1970s centered on progressive rock in general, which many dismissed as "intellectual" and "pretentious". Gabriel's theatrics were unpalatable to a mainstream rock audience, as well as to many Genesis fans. This was exemplified during live performances of Gabriel's last Genesis album, The Lamb, during which he appeared on stage as various characters in the album lyrics. The elaborate storyline for The Lamb proved difficult to understand and accept, and caused friction within the band. Collins later recalled that "he'd be in a Slipperman costume trying to get a mike anywhere near his throat, and be out of breath - all twisted up. Towards the end I felt the singing wasn't really being heard; the songs weren't really being heard". Criticism of Genesis has crossed into literature and popular culture; Nick Hornby's High Fidelity puts the band in a list of five bands who should be shot.

Genesis's transition from lengthy, complex songs to more compact, radio friendly material was not welcomed by some critics; one particular review of ...And Then There Were Three... read: "[i]n short, this contemptible opus is but the palest shadow of the group's earlier accomplishments. Not only is the damage irreversible, it's been widely endorsed: ...And Then There Were Three... is Genesis's first U.S. gold record". Collins himself has often been blamed for Genesis's transformation, in part as he plays much the same type of music as a solo artist. "I don't feel we've bastardised the way we were", Collins remarked in an interview with Music Express: "on a generous day I'll blame me for the change, but I just think it is us growing up, listening to different things".

Discography

Main article: Genesis discography

References

• Banks, Collins, Rutherford. "Genesis Look At Themselves—An Autodiscography". Trouser Press. March 1982. Retrieved on 1 May, 2007.
• Eder, Bruce. "Genesis Biography". All Music Guide, 2006. Retrieved on 1 May, 2007.
• Genesis. Inside Genesis 1975–1980. Classic Rock Legends, 2004.
• Genesis. Inside Genesis 1970–1975. Classic Rock Legends, 2005.
• McMahan, Scott. "The Genesis Discography—The scattered pages of a book by the sea". January 1998 Ed. Retrieved on 1 May, 2007.
• Mitchell, Paul. "The Book of Genesis". Music Scene. October 1973. Retrieved on 1 May, 2007.
• Welch, Chris. "THE BAND WHO WANT TO BE BOOED" (retrieved from the Internet Archive). Melody Maker. 23 September 1972
• Welch, Chris (1995). The Complete Guide to the Music of Genesis. London: Omnibus Press
• Welch, Chris. "Genesis to Revelation". Melody Maker. 23 August 1975. Retrieved on 1 May, 2007.

External links

• Official Genesis Website
• Official Peter Gabriel Website
• Official Phil Collins Website
• Unofficial Tony Banks Website
• Unofficial Mike Rutherford/Mike & The Mechanics Website
• Official Daryl Stuermer Website
• Official Steve Hackett Website
• Offical Chester Thompson Website
• Official Anthony Phillips Website
• Offical Ray Wilson Website

• Genesis Torrent Website (No copyrighted material)