The Friday Canon: GENESIS FAMILY TREE

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

GEN-O-FACTS:
- Mike Rutherford invented the prog atom! Then he got bored of Physics (including LASERS) after watching the film Grease and decided to sing about fixing cars instead.
- The singer from Stiltskin replaced Phil Collins in 1997, but then they realised he was rubbish and Phil came back!
- Phil Collins dumped his second wife by fax!
- Peter Gabriel liked dressing up as Weed out of Bill & Ben to combat his stage fright! He also sang on the Babe 2: Pig In The City soundtrack.

The hoary old members of Genesis have had 64 UK Top 40 hits between them! That means you the reader get 21 TICKS to dish out between all of the songs below.

[Poll #999372]

East 17: (link)
1. House Of Love
2. Stay Another Day
3. Deep
4. It's Alright
5. Steam

RHCP: (link)
1. Give It Away
2. Under The Bridge
=3. Love Rollercoaster
=3. Scar Tissue
=5. Aeroplane
=5. By The Way
=5. Californication
=5. Otherside
9. Can't Stop
10. The Zephyr Song

Comments

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I know 0 Gabriel-era Genesis! What should I be searching/destroying?

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

Me and the former boyfriend had a drunken and rambling discussion as to the comparative merits of 'Salisbury Hill' (my pick) and 'In The Air Tonight' (his pick) which ended inconclusively. I am hoping this poll will clarify the situation, although obviously I still think I'm right.

My dad has a Genesis CD (two, I believe, in fact) is it worth a copy? I only know about three of their songs.

She's got a hold on you, believe it

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I mean it! This is one of the best songs ever written. So many different sections (and no boring bits), great intermeshing of two contrasting voices (and contrasting instruments taking turns to do the melody line), tension building intro, intesely catchy hook, loads of bits to sing along to, well-described subject matter (Phil and Phil commiserating/warning each other about this lass or perhaps ALL WIMMEN, noes they can never trust/love again!) - all that PLUS the knowledge that YOU YOURSELF could probably sing it better than Phil Collins can, that YOU could be a popstar too. Awesome.

[martinskidmore.livejournal.com]

I ticked #s 1 and 3 here. I don't think they're great records, but they aren't bad, and it was a struggle ticking anything in this batch.

Re: She's got a hold on you, believe it

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

I'd forgotten how fvcking ace it is- the video is barking mad, also. I cannot work out whether they are James Bond or Challenge Anneke but there are some very loud suits involved and also the hilarious sight of someone meticulously styling Phil's comb-over.

I'm going to go and try and find it in the parents' CD collection now. I feel it is v. necessary to listen to it before work.

[ms-bracken.livejournal.com]

Saucerful of Secrets, mostly. I quite like prog, so am more open to that kind of action than many, but it's... self indulgent in a fun and self aware kind of way, rather than in the I AM WEARING A CAPE TO SYMBOLISE THAT I AM SAVING MUSIC way. I recently got a whole pile of Gabriel-era Genesis from the family home, so I can answer that better (and illustrate points thanks to YSI) once I've listened to more of it.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Interesting - are Genesis THE dad-rock band? Do dads have a genetic disposition to prog? My dad has a Jean Michel Jarre CD as well as the reams of Pink Floyd & co - why are MUMS easy listening and DADS difficult listening?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I have yet to explore EARLY GENESIS since becoming a Dad but clearly NOW IS THE TIME.

I ticked fourteen!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

This is including any and all remixes of in the air tonight though.

[ms-bracken.livejournal.com]

Oh goodness yes. Ideally you want your child's earliest memory to be you saying "Listen to the textures" while The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway plays.

Actual Best Track Here

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

BY A MILE: "Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)" - it is the male I Will Survive!

Best other Phil track: Oh go on then Easy Lover.

Invisible Touch and Land of Confusion have been boshed up well, they are the best Genesis things. I don't know the early funny stuff.

Best Gabriel: GAMES WITHOUT FRONTIERS come on you lot what's with all this Sledgehammer nonsense.

Best Mike and the Mechanics: Goodness is that the time?

How come TONY BANKS never had a solo hit? Or is he BANKSY?

!!!

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

freakytigger -- One or two genuine nuggets in a sea of dreck
stevem78 -- some sparks of gold among the seas o' shite
friedslice -- The odd good tune here and there among masses of shite.

[friedslice.livejournal.com]

I Know What I Like (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_EYU75uhKk) - LIVE! Feat. Gabriel mentalism

Charlene Mitchell, so much to answer for

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I wonder if Mike Rutherford was inspired for his side project band name by a certain Australian TV mechanic with a bright pop future?

Re: She's got a hold on you, believe it

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

Uploaded, if anyone wants it, sorry is .wma (http://www.box.net/shared/onigtu10uc)

Re: I ticked fourteen!

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

18 for me, inc. a ridiculously generous tick for M&TM's 'Over My Shoulder' for reasons i have already forgotten.

Re: Actual Best Track Here

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

He released like seven albums or something, but according to wiki they were 'only bought by die-hard Gen fans'. Nothing on everyhit, anyway.

Re: !!!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Excellent. Do either of you other gentlemen have recommendations for a good pair of comfortable SLACKS?

[ms-bracken.livejournal.com]

Aaaargh, I meant Foxtrot - Saucerful is early Pink Floyd. As I said - a lot of prog, recently.

I think that Dads are difficult listening because once eating super-hot curries stops being a dignified way of proving one is tough and manly, listening to 5 minutes of kitchen noise followed by 20 minutes of squalling guitars and organ sounds appears the better way to show ones tough, manly credentials.

Bone Thugs and Harmony ft Phil Collins - "Home"

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

This is an excellent record: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyBLAWIlAz0

PH34R Phil miming to his own sample in the video!

Re: Actual Best Track Here

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

"Against All Odds" also seems fearsomely popular in the world of fan videos. Who dares me to click on "Doctor Rose Against All Odds" then?

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

Side 2 of Foxtrot is BLOODY BRILLIANT yes (it's mostly one long track, "Supper's Ready"). Side 1 hasn't fared so well over time.

Selling England By The Pound is also grebt.

I hated Lamb Lies Down... when I first heard it, at Uni (but that was 20+ years ago, so I might give it another go).

Video confusion

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Thanks to 'Sledgehammer' being on EVERY CHANNEL 24 hours a day in 1986, this was one of the first pop songs I was aware of being 'current' (as opposed to 'historical', i.e. nursery rhymes, Beatles, some Motown/Atlantic classics had ALWAYS been in existence whereas Sledgehammer was new). And MY GOD is that a TRAIN going in his MOUTH? Thanks to blimmin' stop motion animation I ended up getting Sledgehammer tremendously confused with Jackie Wilson's 'Reet Petite', released some months later.

ALSO because of video/lyrical content I got v confused between 'I Can't Dance' and 'Walk The Dinosaur' by Was (Not Was). Enter the primary school mashup crew: our other hits included "I'm Gonna Get You Baby With No Limits" by 2 Bizarre Unlimited Inc.

12-foot POPIST HEGEMONY REINFORCEMENT ALERT

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

aw they look such little SWEETIES!

Re: Actual Best Track Here

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I blame X Factor.