Customer Reviews

1970-1975 [6 LP 180g Vinyl]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

For those who aren't familiar with Genesis prior to "Mama" and "Invisible Touch" (or even "Follow You, Follow Me"): there was a time (1970-1975) when they were the most original progressive rock band around. During this time they were fronted by lead singer/flautist/bass drummer Peter Gabriel; whose throaty voice and mind-blowing costumes only enhanced the already incredible music being created by Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, and (as of "Nursery Cryme") Steve Hackett and Phil Collins. This boxed album set contains new vinyl versions of the Peter Gabriel-era Genesis: "Trespass", "Nursery Cryme", "Foxtrot", "Selling England By The Pound", and what many consider their masterwork: the 2-disc album "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway". I have had all these albums since they first came out (and of course they are now in shreds from hundreds of playing plus the fact that I was a teenager at the time).

So why not just get the CDs and be happy? I do have the CDs. I thought I was happy. Then I heard about this boxed set, and what intrigued me even more than the 180 gram audiophile vinyl, the half-speed mastering, and the near-exact recreation of the albums covers and artwork, was the fact that they were not just re-mastered, they were re-mixed! Nick Davis, a well-known prog-rock engineer, actually re-created these albums from their multi-track reels.

How do they sound? Incredible, for the most part. For one thing, you can hear the drums! The original albums had, more often than I liked, shoved Phil's drumming toward the back. His drumming was one of the things that made this stuff so great, so having it clear and up front is wonderful. Aside from that, there are a handful of places where a slightly different effect, like a reverb or delay, was used; not sure if these were artistic decisions or if the original effect was no longer available. Having heard these albums so many times, it's easy to hear when something has been changed. But overall, say 98% of the time, I'm happy with the changes. For those I don't, well, it's all a matter of taste, right?

Anyway, it's like taking a trip back to my teens putting on this vinyl (and hearing no crackles) and listening to the most amazing prog-rock of its time recaptured on its original media. I'll be enjoying these records for years to come.

Let's clear up some confusion: the only reason anyone should spending this kind of money on music is because this music is encoded on Sony's Super Audio (SACD) format. If you are primarily in the market for mp3s, then you need not spend this much money to listen to them through a pair of tiny speakers incapable of micro-dynamics. The reason this and the other Genesis box sets are worth this much money is BECAUSE of the SACD format! But if you do not know what that is and/or do not have a home system capable of reproducing the full spectrum of audible frequencies, then do yourself a favor and save your money because no one looking for this box set wants to hear you whine and cry about the dvds being PAL and not NTSC! Besides, quite a few of these songs are not even available for download.

Now, as far as the SACDs themselves are concerned these remixes are very, very pleasing to the keen ear. They are neither overly bright nor warm but even handed in their coloration. And the multi-channel performance is a more balanced surround field with fewer distracting aural gimmicks than the first SACD box set released for Genesis. My only complaint is with the remix of "Selling England By The Pound" which should have been truer to the original. I love the improved sound quality of "Nursery Crime" and "Foxtrot" and would recommend both over the 1994 Definitive Editions, "Selling England By The Pound" was a case where one should not fix that which is not broken. All I wanted with Genesis' greatest album was an upgrade in sound quality/performance. The alternate vocal takes in "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" as well as the noticeably different mixing of the keyboards on "The Cinema Show" would have been worthy bonus tracks, but these are two of the greatest progressive rock songs _ever_ written! The original mixes have more than stood the test of time and deserved their due on SACD.

The seventies were the golden age of Genesis, the quintet, the quartet, and, at least early on, the trio. But there really was something truly magical when all five songwriters were together. The manner in which Gabriel, Banks, Rutherford, Hackett, and Collins would interact with one another both creatively and musically was really one of those rare fortunes in history. Such art deserves to live on in the SACD format! I just wish that the late Eric Woolfson & Alan Parsons (The Alan Parsons Project) would receive a similar treatment.

The perfect package for the Gabriel era Genesis fan. For my taste, these are the only five Genesis albums I would want anyways, so this collection caught my eye. Add in that I had none of these on vinyl....perfect.

Nick Davis remixed these in 2008. You can read about all the details; half speed mastering, 180 gram vinyl, slick packaging, etc. It's all true. But, the real question....how do they sound/feel?

I can't stop listening to these! They sound and feel amazing. The feel of the analog bass pedals on Get 'Em out by Friday, the mellotron on The Fountain of Salmacis...outstanding!

It really makes sense to have this stuff on vinyl. It was conceived, recorded, mixed, and produced in an analog world. This is how it should be played. To quote the great Marty Scorsese, PLAY IT LOUD!!

After several years of anticaipation, Genesis had returned to the stage last year, in a well-dedicated reunion of the trio of Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks. But back in the 70's, when Genesis made humble beginnings, Peter Gabriel was the one behind the microphone, delivering storytelling, and showcased a true to life cult following that has been with the group for over 40 years. While last year, their catalog has been throughout the Phil Collins era with the hit albums like Invisible Touch and the innovative Duke, seeing a new light of day and brilliantly restored down to the soul from top to bottom. But, for Peter Gabriel fans of the Genesis era, and those who still adore his solo efforts have wanted to know what his days were like, now can hear them from scratch with this boxed set.

Genesis 1970-1975 is the final boxed set of the acclaimed re-releases of the Genesis machine that has withstood the testiments of time. While the Phil Collins era boxed sets 1976-1982, and 1983-1998 are only available on CD and DVD, this is the only one that is also available for downloading to your MP3 Player, as well as CD/DVD. The collection is a hard core buy for Gabriel fans of the early days, and consist of their hit records: the elusive The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (which you can only right now find on the boxed set), Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Selling England By The Pound, and Trespass. The songs have all been remastered beautifully from top to bottom, and bring in a splice for anyone who loved the early days. The collection includes the hits The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, early day sonnets like The Chamber Of 32 Doors, Back In N.Y.C., the depths of Watcher Of The Skies and the epic drama of the storytelling of Supper's Ready. There are also some great b-sides and live recordings that have seen the light of day here, including the rare recording of Twilight Alehouse, and never-before heard live recordings from Jackson and the BBC on songs like Manipulation, which bring life into the long lost era. Sadly though, there are a few disadvantages with the collection. The first of which is that while the 70's era was highlighted well, the boxed set doesn't showcase their debut album From Genesis To Revelation. So hard core fans, don't get to listen to the making from original founding member Anthony Phillips. The second disadvantage is that with all the wait is that here, you can only get The recordings from The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway here, and not individually anywhere else, but for the extra cost, it is well worth the money.

All in all, Genesis 1970-1975 is a great addition to your MP3 Player. This is the only one of the 3 boxed sets available for your MP3 recordings, and at nearly $40 to download from here, it is definitely a great purchase, and for those who want to say to Peter Gabriel that you know what you like in his wardrobe, than it is definitely right here.

Songs: B+

Price: B

Remastering: B+

Overall: B

Got it the other day, and I just love this one! Had all the LP's in the 70's, but that's a long time ago... Bought a new Rega P3-24 turntable a few weeks ago, and this combination: New turntable + This set + My ears... it's an Absolute Unbeatable Threesome these days!

Genesis is arguably one of the greatest and most influencial groups of all time. It's for that reason I have almost every piece of sound they've ever recorded. It was great when they released their remastered box sets a few years ago, and I was very happy with the new mixes on these great, classic records. However, I always wished in the back of my mind that they'd release their albums on vinyl. So, naturally, I was overjoyed when I came across this product.

I've always loved vinyl. It's like holding a piece of music history in your hands. It's a common misconception that CDs and MP3s, being the newest in technology, sound far better and cleaner than an other format around. However, this isn't so. On CDs, the entire audio file is compressed and the very highs and lows are chopped off. However, on vinyl, it's all there, stretched out the way it's meant to be. And trust me, this box set is living proof of this. The first record I ripped out was "Foxtrot" and put the needle down. The wall of organ-synthesized sound came roaring out of the speakers on "Watcher of the Skies", and blew me away. I smiled at the thought that this was just one song off of one record. I still had a lot of material to plow through.

I could go into detail about each individual album, but all I will say is just click "Add to Cart" and don't even think about it. One of the greatest eras in a great band is being released in the format the way the records were originally released first time round. Even if it's just for your own personal nostalgia's sake, just buy this product. You won't regret it.

Every one of the prime albums of Genesis available not just as a box set, but as a downloadable box set with ten extra rarities? Phenomenal! I will readily admit that I have not heard this particular issue, this review is based upon familiarity with the original albums. For those who savor the years when Genesis featured Peter Gabriel on lead vocals, yes, this might be the holy grail.

The compilers judiciously excised two albums from consideration, those of interest only to completists - Genesis Live and the primordial efforts of "From Genesis to Revelation". These are available elsewhere to those for whom every scrap of recording tape is a precious legacy. My friend bought both of those back in the day and having heard his purchases, I was grateful that I dodged those bullets that afflict completists.

For the rest of us, this summarizes the entire Genesis+Peter Gabriel canon, all five albums complete. Trespass, Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Selling England By The Pound, and The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. From Trespass the only tracks I'd need are "Dusk" and "Stagnation", but the other four of these five albums are indeed a holy grail of 70s prog-rock.

I would anticipate that to some degree this box set would be "selling to the choir", those of us who relished the original albums as they came out, but for those newly delving into the classic era of Genesis, you'll find that Nursery Cryme and Foxtrot are both strong, and the final two albums of the set, Selling England by the Pound and The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway will become two of your ten favorite prog albums. This is a great way to scoop up the entire legacy at once. I hope that those ordering the physical CD set find that the box set pays due respect to the Genesis legacy for the additional cost of physical media.

One added note - don't assume that separation rendered irrelevant the careers of either Genesis or Peter Gabriel (or Steve Hackett when he left two albums later). Listen for yourself via Amazon's song samples but I think you'll find that any of Peter Gabriel's first four albums are well worth your time, as were the next two Genesis albums, "A Trick of the Tail" and "Wind and Wuthering".

I've been listening to the DVD/CD box since it was released and I mostly agree with the overcompressed, harsh comments. If you use some software to lower the gain, they're much more listenable. However, I'm currently listening to the vinyl box set and it's a completely different experience. The lp's are much warmer and fuller sounding. To my ears it's much closer to the ambiance of the original lp's, with the clarity that remixing can provide. If you have a good turntable setup, then I'd recommend this set.

I recently purchased this Box Set from MovieMars via Amazon. It was supposed to be new but was clearly a used item. The inside flip top was worn. The flip top binding was cracked. The outside corners of the box set box were all damaged. The shipping material was flimsy plastic which did not come close to protecting the goods from rough handling by the shipper. I have at least one damaged disc. The set includes 9 discs. I haven't listened to all of them yet so there may be more which are damaged. I did an online search of MovieMars and found many complaints. Some had returned damaged items and never received a refund nor an exchange. The music however, sounds wonderful. Amazon, MovieMars ... you have just lost a good customer!

Too bad the advertising was not more accurate. The DVD format for the box set they advertise containing the Super Audio CD's (SACD's) had PAL-formatted DVD's. A very important difference in the US as most players will not play the PAL-formatted DVD's and need the NTSC formatted discs. What you need to order is UPC: 5099951968724. If you have a 5.1 system, just buy the American release, it is all you will need as the DVD's are 5.1.