Genesis: Overrated/Underrated?

Genesis, the post-Peter Gabriel prog-pop trio, recently announced a reunion tour. I'm digging that idea. Back in my youth, I was a pretty big fan of Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks; I must have played the Abacab album on my sh---y 1979 Toyota Tercel tape player 200 times. (Oh yeah, I was a total babe magnet.)

I was never into The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway version of Genesis; nor did I follow the trio into their I Can't Dance phase, which was damning to their legacy. But there's some great stuff in the middle, especially 1983's self-titled album, which had Mama, Home by the Sea, the incredibly rockin' Just a Job to Do and Illegal Alien (come on, you know you love Illegal Alien). That output was highly UNDERRATED, I say. The band takes hits for Phil Collins' descent into wussydom, I think. They get slapped with a soulless, corporate tag. And yes, their videos were pretty white-guy dorky. But man, Genesis had a ton of great hits and album cuts, and yet I feel the rock history books will not remember them too kindly.

So what's your call? Genesis -- Underrated or Overrated?

While you ponder, here's my dream setlist for Genesis' upcoming tour...

OPENING LIGHT SHOW/MUCH THUMPING OF DRUMS/KEYBOARD WASHES
Turn It On Again
Just a Job to Do
Keep It Dark
Me and Sarah Jane
Invisible Touch
Misunderstanding
Man on the Corner
Follow You, Follow Me
Abacab BLENDS INTO Land of Confusion
TONY BANKS KEYBOARD FANTASIA
Illegal Alien
Home by the Sea
Paperlate
No Reply At All
ENCORE
Mama
Throwing It All Away
That's All

Comments

[Duchess]

Semi-recently, I listened to Genesis' best of CD. When I listened to the Genesis/Genesis era to which you refer, it was obvious that it was a really well produced album. Lots of hooks and some of the most likeable parts aren't in the lyrics per se, but in Phil's "sounds", e.g. the cackle in Mama.

[Max]

Genesis was my first concert, at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA on the "We Can't Dance" tour. "Land of Confusion" is the best show-opening number I've ever heard.

[wxdancer]

Dude, very cool bringing up Genesis! Among all the bands I saw in my youth, this show was BY FAR the best - 1982's "Three Sides Live" tour which occurred between "Abacab" and "Pieces of Perfection" and just after Phil Collins' legendary "Face Value" which has the brooding "In the Air Tonight". Unfortunately, "Invisible Touch" was the end for me, as mentioned they became corporate, and Phil went into Pop-land. And, I have to disagree with you regarding the "early" stuff; the band which included Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett put out some of the best art-rock EVER laid down on vinyl.

[wxdancer]

Part II: I would agree: underrated. As for your playlist, most of it works for me, but I would swap out the following:

Illegal Alien
That's All
Throwing it All Away
Paperlate
Keep It Dark

for

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Dodo/Lurker
Taking it all too Hard
Cinema Show
The Brazilian

[Bassnote]

Genesis was the first band I ever saw in concert. It was 1982 on the Three Sides Live Tour. They played a ton of Gabriel era stuff, including Supper's Ready in its entirety. I saw them three more times in the 80's after that show, but the first was the best. I always thought they were very underrated. Phil Collin's was always a great front man who knew how to engage the audience, Tony Banks has always been one of the best keyboard players ever, and Mike Rutherford has been a decent bassist and guitar player. The combination of the three has always worked well. Some of my favorite concert moments were when Phil and Chester Thompson would do their drum duets.

[Brad]

Genesis are more underrated than over. Must admit like your addition of Paperlate and Illegal Alien and for sure they would do That's All. As for the rest of the set, they normally start with Mama and go into Abacab don't they ? I saw them way back in 1987 and they were brilliant. Hopefully, they will tour Australia again.

[3 Minutes, Three Verses, Two Choruses, Fade]

So: if everyone says Genesis went from bloated, faux-profound artrock to cheesy corp-pop to unlistenable dentist-office crap-pop -- can they still be overrated? I say yes.

[3 Minutes, Three Verses, Two Choruses, Fade]

Oh yeah--I'll let you deep thinkers in on a little secret: ABACAB? It's the rhyming scheme. Clever, huh?

[eagleforce]

No, no, no, no, no...either you guys are too young or not fans of the what we call "early genesis" - yes there are two bands, not physically but in category.

Early genesis led by Peter Gabriel and ending with Phil Collins as leader through the Duke album. This 70s progressive/art rock band competed with Yes, Pink Floyd, and King Crimson.

After that, Genesis became primarily a pop band hitting Top 40 and broadening their market to the rest of the non-art rock/non-progressive world.

So....first decide which Genesis you want to rate. You either get it or you don't.