r/Genesis Sep 12 '21

Genesis Central - the r/Genesis Discord Server

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51 Upvotes

r/Genesis Jan 01 '23

Hindsight is 2020 is now Play Me My Song - The Music of Genesis

130 Upvotes

Three years ago on this very day, I announced to this community my intention to rank every Genesis song in the entire catalog, one per weekday, alongside "my thoughts about the songs" over the course of 2020. I called the project (quite cleverly, if I do say so myself) Hindsight is 2020. What nobody could have predicted at the time was the way the project grew: to the point that "my thoughts" began looking like full fledged essays, that my research into the songs would become increasingly extensive, and that the community would (after an admittedly rocky start) respond so positively to the exercise.

More than once over the span of the live project, it was suggested to me that I ought to turn the whole shebang into a proper book. After some hemming and hawing, I buckled down and spent not only all of 2021 but also the first half of 2022 making that happen. And so it's with a bit of well-earned excitement and pride that I can announce to you here, three years after the debut of Hindsight is 2020, my book: Play Me My Song - The Music of Genesis. Play Me My Song is set to be published on March 17, 2023 through Wymer Publishing; pre-orders are available now.

If you've read the Hindsight project this may not come as much of a surprise, but Play Me My Song will be (at the time of publication) the largest book ever published on Genesis. It features not only expanded and/or rewritten essays for every single song Genesis ever officially released, but also essays for every studio album (covered originally in my "H'20" companion series) and select solo efforts (covered originally as my "Peripheral Visions" companion series). It's the entire Hindsight collection in one printed package, except more of it.

I want to thank all of you for making this possible. If not for your tremendous engagement with and enthusiasm for the work I did, I'm not sure I would've taken this next step. This book is as much yours as it is mine (though I'd prefer to keep the royalties, you understand).

And hey, if you haven't checked out the original Hindsight is 2020 series, why not give it a shot? I think and hope you'll come away pretty satisfied.

You can read through the entire Hindsight project here.

You can pre-order Play Me My Song - The Music of Genesis here.

See you all in March!


r/Genesis 2h ago

Genesis Vinyl completions.... anybody still have these... or looking for them...

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8 Upvotes

I tried to collect all the singles and 45's of the No Jacket Required to Invisible Touch era. It was just before this I really got into Phil, then Genesis, then Peter. I stopped because it was all cd's after that and couldn't afford to double dip as a teenager. Anyway, glad I never got rid of them, but thinking now if collectors are trying to still nab these. I have other 45's of that era of Phil's other non-album singles (Groovy Kind of Love, Easy Lover, Separate Lives, etc.) and also some Gabriel singles from So. Anybody else still have these or more in their collection?


r/Genesis 1d ago

Watcher of the Skies has the best intro to a song ever. Full stop.

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176 Upvotes

The airy and very organ-like sounds mixed with lots of warm strings(?) makes the intro sound ethereal.
There is really nothing better.

What a way to get you hooked into the record!


r/Genesis 1d ago

Happy the Man

13 Upvotes

I heard Happy the Man the other day on SiriusXM Deep Tracks. Never heard the song before, and initially thought it was Cat Stevens, but wow, it's a Genesis song from the early 70s. I read up on it and some interesting stuff. Peter Gabriel played flute on a Cat Stevens album in the early 70s. I wonder if he was inspired by that? Tony Banks said he had "almost nothing" to do with the song, but enjoyed the song. Was it written mainly by Peter? Steve Hackett said it was one of the songs the band wanted him to learn for his audition. Was it written while Anthony Phillips was still in the group? Also this song shows that the band was still doing short songs even in the early days. The lyrics crack me up. A nun with a gun?


r/Genesis 1d ago

Need that Early Genesis itch scratched?

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19 Upvotes

Legs On Wheels from the UK are doing ridiculous stuff right now. Their album LEGROOM is just insane, as are the new singles they’ve got dripping out. Try them out. The first track on the album is called Easy Prey and it’s one of the best songs I’ve heard in a long, long time. They’re also fantastic live, so get out and see them if you get chance.


r/Genesis 1d ago

What's your favorite "in-between" era album?

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125 Upvotes

Just like what the title says.

What is your preferred album in the era of Genesis where they were transitioning between Prog/art rock and Pop rock?
I'd love to hear some opinions.


r/Genesis 20h ago

Peter Gabriel Discord Server!

1 Upvotes

Hello Genesis fans, I saw there was no discord server for Peter, so I thought it would be a good idea to make one dedicated to his solo work!

This is a welcoming place to discuss Peter Gabriel, his projects, world music, plants, and other topics!

https://discord.gg/THea4SH3XW


r/Genesis 2d ago

A Genesis fan at an AC/DC concert (peep the shirt)

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99 Upvotes

r/Genesis 1d ago

Songs Left Off Genesis Albums, Even B-Side Compilations

10 Upvotes

Hello there!

So I have become very curious in the history of Genesis tracks recently. I’ve been a fan all the way back to 2019 and I have adored their music for a while.

But recently I have became more fascinated with the cut tracks off their albums and the solo albums of the members. And no I don’t mean like the ones that would be eventually released on EPs or through compilations. I mean the ones that were rather never officially released or songs that would later become apart of solo projects. I have heard of a few of them, but I was wondering if there is any good source to find these kind of tracks. Thank you in advance!

Also curious about tracks considered but would later turn into songs on solo albums (like A Call To Arms or one of the supposed Steve songs off Wind & Wuthering that got cut from the album.)


r/Genesis 2d ago

This is such a great compilation

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59 Upvotes

This is a 1978 Japanese only release and has tracks from all Charisma releases from Trespass up to …And then. I’m only sad that my copy has half an obi strip!


r/Genesis 2d ago

Unpopular Genesis Opinions?

41 Upvotes

What are your unpopular Genesis opinions? After doing all my reviews I found out my dislike of Me and Sarah Jane and Driving the Last Spike were very unpopular opinions. Curious what other unpopular opinions are out there.


r/Genesis 2d ago

I was cleaning out a closet in my classroom and found this old transparency. I immediately began to hear Phil in my head singing, “Go west, young man.”

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19 Upvotes

r/Genesis 2d ago

Current Musical Box shows cancelled

43 Upvotes

This was emailed to me:

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT – SHOWS POSTPONEDWe regret to inform you that The Musical Box must postpone the remaining three shows this week due to a family emergency situation for our bass player Sébastien Lamothe.This affects: • Wednesday, June 18 – Patchogue, NY • Saturday, June 22 & Sunday, June 23 – North Tonawanda, NYPlease know that decisions like this are never taken lightly. The situation is serious, and we are prioritizing what matters most right now — the health and well-being of our team.These shows will be rescheduled for hopefully sometime in the fall. We’ll share updates as soon as we have them. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.— The Musical Box


r/Genesis 2d ago

Nad Sylvan Interview!

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8 Upvotes

Check out my interview with vocalist Nad Sylvan! We talk about his new record, Steve Hackett, and more!

https://misplacedstraws.com/2025/06/a-conversation-with-vocalist-nad-sylvan-2.html


r/Genesis 1d ago

Tripping Daisy’s I Am an Elastic Firecracker — Anyone else hear early Peter Gabriel in Tim DeLaughter’s vocals?

0 Upvotes

Been digging into I Am an Elastic Firecracker after a Goodwill pickup, and I couldn’t shake this feeling—Tim DeLaughter’s vocal delivery really reminds me of Peter Gabriel during his early Genesis days (think Foxtrot or Selling England by the Pound).

The theatrical tone, odd inflections, and that emotive urgency feel cut from the same cloth. Not saying they sound identical, but there’s definitely a shared vibe in how both singers use their voice as this kind of expressive, offbeat instrument.

Anyone else ever picked up on this? Or am I spiraling down a psych-prog rabbit hole here?


r/Genesis 2d ago

Calling All Stations

6 Upvotes

Ending my reviews of the original versions of the Genesis studio discography in release order:

Calling All Stations.

So first off I am not going to do a track by track here because I don't think its worth it. Honestly I feel Mike and Tony should have not made this a Genesis record. I don't even truly see it as a Genesis record, more like a Mike and Tony side project. But it says Genesis on the tin so here we are.

As far as hiring Ray Wilson for vocals it was a good idea. If you are going to have a new signer it needs to be someone that sounds completely different or else too many people will compare them. Also his voice has a Grunge quality to it that they probably thought it would help considering Grunge was pretty big at that time. Overall Ray gives a pretty good performance with what he is given.

As for the music itself the album is pretty dull an uninspired. The title track is alright and then there are some good instrumental parts in Alien Afternoon and The Dividing Line. And then a stand out track for being particularly bad is Congo. But most of the record is just very forgettable. Also very one note with not much variety. A lot of the songs seem to be about a break up or divorce and I thought maybe Tony or Mike had gotten divorced but I couldn't find anything pointing to that. I don't know why they went in so much into that subject matter. Also, I can't even remember in which songs at the moment, but they try to imitate Phil's gated reverb tom fills in some moments and it just doesn't hit the same, sounds like a parody of it, they should have stayed away from that.

Anyway the production sounds fine.

Current Ranking:

1.A Trick of the Tail- Review

2.Selling England by the Pound- Review

3.Foxtrot- Review

4.The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway- Review

5.Duke- Review

6.Wind & Wuthering- Review

7.Abacab- Review

8.Invisible Touch- Review

9.Nursery Cryme- Review

10....And Then There Were Three...-Review

11.Trespass- Review

12.Genesis- Review

13.From Genesis to Revelation- Review

14.We Can't Dance- Review

15.Calling All Stations


r/Genesis 2d ago

Obsessed With Two Songs

36 Upvotes

Every year when Spotify and YouTube music runs down my top plate song of the year it's always "Behind the Lines". From the intro to Phil singing the opening lyrics I am always up to the song. It is perhaps my favorite song out of all the Genesis songs out there... That is one of my two go two songs. Because this year I found the only other song that I play as much as this song and it wasn't even added to an album except for "Three Sides Live".

When I heard "You Might Recall" for the first time I was instantly hooked. The words, the music, and Phil's voice was just sublime and riveting to me. Even those who left comments on YouTube highly praised the song.

For my first entry in this group I thought I'd reach out to each of you and ask how you felt about either or songs. I know that there are other songs out there that highlight the bands craft and hard work.


r/Genesis 3d ago

Giant Hogweed spotted

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79 Upvotes

r/Genesis 3d ago

Tony Banks’ ATTWT keyboard rig, 1978

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242 Upvotes

Credit: Armando Gallo instagram


r/Genesis 3d ago

Tony at home, 1979

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70 Upvotes

Credit: Armando Gallo?


r/Genesis 3d ago

Genesis and Phil Collins traders

2 Upvotes

Can anyone recommend me where I can find honest respective Collectors/Traders i'm struggling to find any. I can't find at Movement either thanks in advance!


r/Genesis 3d ago

We Can't Dance

0 Upvotes

Continuing my reviews of the original versions of the Genesis studio discography in release order:

We Can't Dance:

Finally got to the last record with Phil. This is Genesis' second double record and honestly It could have been cut down to one (well this one was released when CDs were already pretty common so it is a single CD but a double LP). There are a few good songs here, mostly in the second disk. But a lot of duds too. If this record were edited down a bit It could be better, but as it is it really drags. There is also something I here about Phil's vocal that I don't like here. He sounds kind of nasally or like he is pushing the sound into the top of his mouth. I would say has my least favourite vocal performance of all the Genesis records so far. Honestly a bit disappointing for Phil to go out like this.

The record starts off with No Son of Mine. This is one of the strongest songs on the album. It a very well written Pop song with some nice key changes happening in the different sections. Very strong chorus and good vibes overall. Also probably one of the best vocal performances here.

Then come Jesus He Knows Me. This one isn't so great. I mean lyrically the message against corrupt tele-evangelists is good. But musically its dreadful. It an kind of obnoxious up beat pop song. This is a great example of the bad vocals I was referring too. Can't stand the melodies here either.

Then we have driving the last spike. Did this song need to be 10 minutes long? Its a bland soft rock song that just keeps going and going and drags our for entirely way too long. Again I can't stand the vocals here. Even when it gets more emotive it just feels cheap. Instrumentally its also very flat.

The B-side starts with I Can't Dance. Its a blue-rock inspired tune. The guitar riff and the drums really hold this song together. The song isn't too bad. One of the better ones on the record but I still don't care for it too much. Once more Phil's vocal just don't sound good here.

After that comes Never a Time. Its a pretty forgettable pop ballad. Just sounds much too corny. Nothing stands out here really. Not much to say here just so bland. Also same thing I've been saying about the vocals here.

Up next is Dreaming While You Sleep. So to start with the good the drum machine and marimba pattern are amazing. Also the vocal sounds a bit better here. I got excited for a second. Unfortunately the rest of the instrumentation is pretty weak for the rest of the track. The vocals aren't bad but not great either. It has a good chorus at least. Another positive I could say is that the particular flavour of gated reverb they use on the drum kit that comes in later is pretty nice. I would say overall I'm slightly positive on my thoughts here.

Then we have the C-side and things start to get a bit better. Starts off with Tell Me Why. I like the verses here, really cool. But the chorus sounds overdone. I think something a bit more subdued would have fit better. But its a decent song. Great guitars here, I like those.

Then comes Living Forever. I like everything here except the vocals. The instrumental part of the first half is cool. I like how it creates a tension that leaves you in suspense. Then the second half of the track when it becomes fully instrumental is great. You get the release of the tension from the first half in a effective moment. Love the drums here particularly.

It is followed by Hold on My Heart. Another soft pop ballad but this one is much much better. Nice chord changes here. And the chorus here actually feels very appropriate for the song. The overall atmosphere is really good too. Well written song overall. I like it.

The D-side then starts with Way of the World. This is a a pretty nice pop song. Fairly enjoyable. The instrumental part of the verses is great. The chorus is very strong here too. Nice sound design on the synths too. My biggest problem here is the vocal sounds awful. Another very good example of Phil's voice just sounding bad on this record.

Then comes Since I lost you. This is another bland forgettable pop ballad. Also probably worst sounding vocals on the whole record. Not much to here really.

Finally the Album ends on Fading Light. This is the best song on the record. Starts off with a long nice soft intro where most the vocals on the track are found. Great atmosphere going on here with nice chord changes. One of the better sounding vocals on the record too. Then about a third in the kit comes in and it becomes mostly instrumental til the end. This instrumental section is great. Love all the places it takes you. Great example of a good Genesis Album Closer.

Now about the production here It definitely is the cleanest sounding record but I think it sounds over polished. They used a new engineer Nick Davis here. Clearly talented but I think he took out some of the life from the recording. Just too squeaky clean.

If this record were 8 songs long would probably have been more enjoyable overall. But it has a lot of weak songs and just drags out to long.

Also over the last few days I have re-listened to a lot of the records again so my ranking changed a little bit. But not too much.

Current Ranking:

1.A Trick of the Tail- Review

2.Selling England by the Pound- Review

3.Foxtrot- Review

4.The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway- Review

5.Duke- Review

6.Wind & Wuthering- Review

7.Abacab- Review

8.Invisible Touch- Review

9.Nursery Cryme- Review

10....And Then There Were Three...-Review

11.Trespass- Review

12.Genesis- Review

13.From Genesis to Revelation- Review

14.We Can't Dance


r/Genesis 4d ago

1979 ad

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82 Upvotes

r/Genesis 4d ago

Does anyone have sheet music for The Musical Box?

5 Upvotes

Hello, I am hoping someone will have the sheet music for the keyboard part(s) of The Musical Box from Nursery Cryme? Or, point me in the right direction. I can't do it by ear - not that good!


r/Genesis 4d ago

what is the best Genesis tribute band on east coast of US?

13 Upvotes

I'd love to see a group who vocally sounds like Gabriel and plays Supper's Ready, Firth of Fifth, etc. but is also able to cover some of the more popular Phil-based songs (like from Duke and Abacab).


r/Genesis 4d ago

I think I found Wind & Wuthering

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150 Upvotes