Genesis was founded in 1967 by teenagers Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks and Anthony Phillips. The four all attended the English boarding school Charterhouse, and were members of the school bands Anon and Garden Wall.
Phil Collins
After the albums From Genesis To Revelations and Trespass, Anthony Phillips left the band due to stage fright. Guitarist Steve Hackett and Phil Collins were recruited as replacements. The current lineup of Genesis, as of 2007, consists of Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks.
Gabriel's Departure
With Selling England By The Pound from 1973, Genesis was successful for the first time. The album brought the group their first English hit single, the Beatlesque 'I Know What I Like' (in your wardrobe). Tensions between Peter Gabriel and the rest of the group during the recording of the concept album The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, from 1974, eventually led to Gabriel's departure in 1975.
Singer
Because the search for a new singer yielded nothing, drummer Phil Collins decided to take on the vocal parts on the album A Trick Of The Tail from 1976. This proved to be successful. Two years later, in 1978, the album ...And Then There Were Three... was released (guitarist Steve Hackett had also left the group) and Genesis scored their first big hit. 'Follow You Follow Me' reached the charts worldwide. Genesis released the album Duke in 1980. With the single 'Misunderstanding', the group reached the top 10 in America for the first time. When Phil Collins released his first solo album Face Value a year later, many wondered if Genesis still had a future. Phil's solo album was very well received.
Genesis released the album Turn It On Again - The Hits in 2003. A year later, the album The Platinum Collection was released.
Tour
Genesis decided at the end of 2006 to go on tour again. In the summer of 2007, specifically on Sunday 1 July, the Amsterdam Arena was the stage for the 'Turn It on Again' tour. Peter Gabriel was not present at the concert, however. He did perform solo on 29 June 2007 in Amsterdam's Westerpark.
Reunion
On 4 March 2020, the band announced a reunion, with plans to play several concerts in the UK at the end of 2020. The lineup for these concerts would consist of Collins, Banks, Rutherford, with regular live guitarist Stuermer and Collins' son Nicholas on drums.
Top 2000
In the Top 2000 of 2021, Genesis was listed with no fewer than 8 songs.
Sunday Morning Classics: Genesis
On 17 January 2021, Genesis was our guest as Sunday Morning Classic with the eponymous album Genesis from 1983.
Although it bears the title of a self-titled debut, Genesis was actually the twelfth studio album by Genesis. The group decided to name it so because it was the first album on which all three members of the group helped compose every song. The album was a huge commercial success, reaching the top ten on both sides of the Atlantic, remaining in the charts for a full calendar year, and eventually selling several million copies worldwide.
From the start with the opener "Mama", it is clear that the band borrows from some of the minimalist arrangements and sonic effects of Collins' recent solo work. This very mechanical and slowly moving track migrates from quiet and eerie to increasingly intense, slowly building with instrumentation until a full rock arrangement finally kicks in about five minutes into the song. Like waking from a bitter nightmare, the light and entertaining "That's All" could not contrast more with the mood of "Mama". Light, warm and piano-driven, the song is a cheerful way to express lyrical misery and features a great middle organ solo by Banks, only topped by Rutherford's excellent outro guitar lead.
"Home by the Sea" is a melodic adventure track that might have fit well with some of the more theatrical pieces from recent years.
The second side begins with "Illegal Alien", featuring a nice mix of electronic percussion and effects with keyboard motifs. The lyrics offer a rather comical view of the frustrations of an illegal immigrant, with Collins even attempting a bit of a Mexican accent.
One of the finest tracks on the album, "Taking It All Too Hard", is a ballad with a real edge. A combination of a strong rhythm with contemporary electric piano and emotional vocals.
“Just a Job to Do” is a pure 80s pop song.
“Silver Rainbow” features a hefty beat that feels out of place among the other fine tracks on the album. When the song finally gets full attention, it sounds pleasant enough, but not enough to really bring it to respectability. The closer "It's Gonna Get Better" tries too hard to make the most of synthesizers and electronic effects and ends the album weaker than it might have been.
(Source; Jan Liebregts, NPO and Wikipedia)
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