Customer Reviews

Another Side of Genesis

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'm outing myself here, kids. My review of this disc is based on 20 years of listening to Genesis in all their various incarnations and solo outings. (Can you say `hardcore'?). That out of the way, let me also confess I'm a hardcore Stuermer fan as well. Get your ears and hands on `Live & Learn' and the rarer 1st solo outing `Steppin' Out'. And those of you who are lucky enough, go see him somewhere in the Milwaukee, Chicago area soon! You won't want to miss the treat!

So here are the eleven most important reasons why you should buy "Another Side of Genesis" from guitarist extraordinaire, Daryl Stuermer.

Follow You Follow Me (And Then There Were Three '78) - If you like your Genesis with a little salsa, it'll add an easy singable danceable swing to any party. Purists will be amazed at the phrasing on the nylon stringed lead.

Hold On My Heart (We Can't Dance '91) - As delicate and subtle as a lover's whispered sigh. Thank you Amy Keys. Don't miss the chance to share this with someone you love. The touch of flamenco ads just enough passion to the mix along with a feather light touch on the fade.

Taking It All Too Hard (Genesis '83) - A gentle little ditty that waits `til the end to give us the treat of hearing some gorgeous soaring guitar. Dat' boy do know how to swing!

Throwing It All Away (Invisible Touch '86) - Oh Praise the Lord! and pass the holy gospel of the invisible touch! From the opening verse to the searing sensational solo and close, a glorious reminder of why we fell in love with rock and roll in the first place. If you're truly a Genesis "fan" do NOT miss this track!

Since I Lost You (We Can't Dance '91) - The down shift from the above to Kostia's sly introduction (which is extended at their current live shows) develops into to the subtle swing of this lullaby's sweet lilting line. A nice little breather.

Land of Confusion (Invisible Touch '86) - An edgy samba kicks into high gear and drives through that unavoidable dancing rock beat unleashing an intense, growling lesson in some serious jamming. I do hope Mr.'s BCR get to hear this.

In Too Deep (Invisible Touch '86) - A subtly rainy day kick it back and enjoy it kinda thing with that unmistakable keyboard break (thank you Kostia), and some of the sweetest little slide work you're ever gonna hear. Thank you Amy Keys for just the right touch of vocal.

(Hard cores will recognize Mr. Stuermer's adherence to Genesis's original song order for the two above tracks from "Invisible Touch" - da' boy knows a good thing when he hears it ;-)!

Turn It On Again (Duke '80) - How can you be a Genesis fan and not get pumped whenever you hear the driving beat of this rock classic. This dynamic delivery is guaranteed to put any foot stomping rock and roll fan back on their feet.

Man On the Corner (Abacab '81) - As soulfully delivered a prayer for heart's humanity as you'll ever hear. What an amazing duet Mr.'s Stuermer and Collins might've had had they ever blended the latter's dug from the gut vocal with the former's masterfully blues-draped line from that intoxicating nylon 6-string.

No Son of Mine (We Can't Dance '91) - Edgy itch that must be scratched. Don't tell me this guy don't know how to get down and scratch it. Scratch it? He'll scratch `til it's ripped open and bleeding on the floor: as much a victim of the sheer heart leveling brilliance of this work as the song's victim is of his abuser. Only a guitarist of Daryl's caliber knows how to bring this song to its fruition. Only someone this close to Genesis could make an improvement upon the original. Here ya' are guys, let me show you what it needed.

Never a Time (We Can't Dance '91) - Subtle and persuasive, it shows once again just how good a player/arranger Mr. Stuermer truly is. Thank you Amy Keys. Wonderfully sweet and easy on the ears. A nice denouement.

FYI: there are four selections from `We Can't Dance', three from `Invisible Touch' and one each from `Genesis', `Abacab', `Duke' and `And Then There Were Three'.

Thank you Daryl. I've been wondering for a long time what you'd do with their music given the chance. Thank you for such a beautiful and fun reminder of of just how great a songwriters Mr.'s Banks, Collins and Rutherford truly are.

Another great album by Daryl. Daryl known for being the touring guitarist for Genesis and for his tour and studio work with Phil Colins. But with this album he shows his aranging and guitar skills again. Daryl has done his own arangements of several Genesis songs, with excellent results. If you like Genesis, Phil Collins or guitar jazz. Buy this CD and if you ever get the chance to see him live, go. Yet again he proves he is one of the best jazz guitarists working today.

After listening to "Another Side of Genesis" and seeing Daryl perform live, I know I've encountered something very special. His adaptation of these Genesis classics is outstanding.

I believe he successfully took the songs and put his own stamp on them, allowing Genesis fans to once again experience the excitement of hearing these songs for "the first time" while giving jazz fans an opportunity to truly enjoy song stylings with which they may have been unfamiliar.

In addition to the work from this album, Daryl successfully blends his other music into an excellent live show, one that leaves the audience wanting more. It is also a pleasure to see an entertainer that is committed to his work and to providing the audience with a terrific musical experience.

I look forward to listening to this album for years to come, and to seeing Daryl perform.

There are all sorts of "tribute" albums out there from multiple artists. There's at least one tribute to Genesis done by a mixture of younger-generation prog acts and some old timers as well, but who says it has to be done only by outsiders? Or necessarily as prog, per se? After all, jazz people do Beatles material. Country artists do Beatles. And who says that when a former member does a song it has to be note-for-note the way a bar band would do it? From straight-up treatments of "Turn It On Again" and "No Son Of Mine" to a version of "Follow You Follow Me" without the Mike Rutherford plunkety-plunk hook and a much more organic version of "Man On the Corner" (a more acoustic sound and no drum machine), Daryl Stuemer draws tastefully on Wes Montgomery and George Benson (for the mellow sound) and John Scofield (for the more muscular blues leads). Stuermer may never be a jazz icon like Metheny, but there's a lot of room in jazz for the artist who's listenable without having to be a trailblazer. I can see him doing session work for maybe the Yellowjackets or Marcus Miller.

Nice to see someone finally covering the "modern era" Genesis, and who better to do it than someone who was along for the ride? Daryl's sound is closer to jazz than rock at times, and you know what, that's not such a bad thing. Don't buy this if you expect to really rock, although "Turn It On Again" works (I just miss the "1-2-3-4!" count at the beginning!). "Hold On My Heart", "In Too Deep" and "Taking It All To Hard" are perfect for a romantic evening in front of the fireplace... there's a couple of spots, though, where I almost expect to hear a monotone voice cut in with "Your call is important to us...", and I fear it may be coming to an elevator near you soon, but that would be a travesty. This is solid musical workmanship, and anyone who loved the music of the later Genesis should be delighted by this easy-going but serious tribute!

I am a fan of Genesis and to be sincere I expected something with a Genesis-like sound (in the style of Steve Hackett's album on Genesis revisited). However this is completely different. The album sounds like a jazz album (similar to Bob James and Earl Klugh songs and sometimes also to George Benson). And it is very nice to hear these songs with a different (yes, "another side") sound. This is a great album and I really liked it....perhaps I would have like other songs (I mean older ones) but it is OK.

If you are a big Genesis fan or like Smooth Jazz this could be for you. It tends to be on the mellow side and I like his slow ballad renditions better then the harder stuff. Its refreshing to hear Genesis in a different light.

Whatever your mood, this CD will strike the right note for you. "Follow You Follow Me" is energizing while the following "Hold On My Heart" is quietly captivating. This balance continues through much of the CD. Especially pleasing are "Follow You Follow Me," "Since I Lost You" and "Never a Time." The CD makes a wonderful companion while working and/or driving.

The previous review not withstanding, this collection is an excellent collection of instrumental covers from Genesis at their commercial peak. Yeh, all Daryl did was play the guitar for them on tour...but boy can he play! I love genesis and I love this smooth jazzy mix of music that I already love. The tracks however do not lose their rock edge. Smart move, Daryl. An excellent, and may I say respectful, tribute album. This album continues to be one of my top cd's. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys both Genesis and smooth jazz.

Daryl Stuermer, who is probably best known to music fans for his guitar work with Genesis (not to mention Jean-Luc Ponty or George Duke in jazz circles), pulls off a suprisingly good Genesis tribute album with Another Side of Genesis. Granted, after hearing people like John Tesh murder numerous Genesis related tunes, I was more than skeptical that Stuermer could pull off a collection of jazzy Genesis numbers without losing some of the songs' integrity or feeling.

Not only does Stuermer successfully pull off the Genesis songs in enjoyable jazz arrangements, but he mixes them up quite nicely. Rather than just turn out a CD of straight smooth jazz, he breaks up the album with some particularly strong renditions including a truly powerful version of "Turn It On Again." I would have liked to see him do a few more songs with the same level of intensity, but over all, I believe Genesis fans and, perhaps more importantly, non-Genesis fans who enjoy jazz will find this side of Daryl Stuermer a worthy listen.