Customer Reviews

Genesis: Live at Wembley Stadium

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The good news: This was an excellent performance with outstanding video & audio quality as well as great camera angles.

The bad news: Whoever edited this thing made poor use of the available footage. For some reason they change cameras every two seconds with no regard for what was taking place on stage. It's annoying and a shame some thought wasn't put into the final product.

I still remember the micholob commercials for this tour. The invisible touch tour was one of the highest grossing tours of the 80s along with phil collins's own tours. This was a phenomenal tour but, just like every other tour dvd, the entire show is featured. What is shown is incredible mixture of pop and rock. Regardless if you liked the album invisible touch this dvd shows the extent of the genesis musicianship. There is 2 forms of genesis. There is the studio side and there is the live side. 2 very different bands. This dvd caputures genesis at the height of their popularity and musical ability. the dvd has great acoustics and has multiple sound options for you. Listen to the guitar work on los endos. Phils drum work is incredible and he uses a mixture of electric and acoustic drums on this tour just like the 1984 tour. The lighting is quite interesting too. Genesis is the first band to use an entire set of vari-lights which didn't require dry ice for optimal illuminationand could work durring the day. This was a great tour and this wembley section was a 4-day, 300,000 people event. Also, it's interesting to think about how busy collins was at this time. He was touring and producing with clapton, he had just finished all his no jacket required tour and had worked with sting, gabriel, and live aid. incredible time for him

This DVD has an excellent sounding audio track, especially in DTS 5.1 surround - killer! The video is what took me from a 5 to a 3 star rating. First, the image isn't as crisp as some concert videos I've seen (Clapton-One More Car, and Eagles-Hell Freezes are both A+ for video quality). Second, the editing is two rapid- cut to Phil, cut to Tony, cut to Chester, cut to an audience long shot: very 80's MTV. I just wanted the camera to hold on a front row view for a bit and let me soak it in. Awesome show though.

I've been a fan of Genesis since the age of 4 (my Dad played 3-Sides Live a lot when I was growing up), and I remember seeing this on VHS for the first time way back in 1988. I was blown away by the concert, especially the Drum Duet/Los Endos portion of the show (I play drums). Seeing it on DVD reminds me of how much I liked the Invisible Touch album, and how much Genesis, despite their success, where still very much a progressive band (note I didn't say Prog). Seeing them in the live setting underscores this point. Plus, it's funny to think that Mama, Abacab, and Tonight Tonight Tonight were hit singles when you realize that these songs are all a minimum of 6 minutes long. Phil Collins has always been a huge drum influence of mine, and he truly shines on this DVD. I love the setlist for the show, but I wish the old medley from this tour was included as well. I can do without In Too Deep, but the In the Cage/In That Quiet Earth/Apocalypse in 9/8/As Sure As Eggs is Eggs medley would've been a nice inclusion, especially as a counterweight of sorts to the somewhat plodding old medley on the Way We Walk DVD. In all, I think both DVDs are worth getting, but this is the better and more fiery of the two.

DTS Sound = EXCELLENT
Picture quality = Good
Concert - Excellent

First let me say that the 5.1 DTS mix is with out a doubt, about the best I think I have heard. Nick Davis did a fantastic job on this.

Secondly, the picture quaility is not excellent, but is good for what its worth. The reasons for the picture quality is a couple. At the time when this was filmed, they used state of the art High Definition - Analog cameras that only held 1 hour film reels. We are lucky that this even exist on DVD. There is quite a story behind the band borrowing a Sony HD machine, only one of four ever made and hardly in existence. The picture quality had to be compressed (I believe) from the HD source so there is some loss. Plus, as the night falls, those particular camera's didn't do real well in low light conditions so it is obvious that the picture isn't as good as the concert goes on. I actually wish that the concert was delayed a few years and hoped that the High Definintion would reach HD DVD's, and then to the market place.. that would've been a real treat. Also, it is nice that this is in widescreen be default.

Lastly, I think no matter what you like or dislike about Genesis, this is a good setlist from the 80's primarily. They are very energetic and put on a great show.

Now, one reviewer already posted but some overlooked this: That is that the In The Cage medley was infact played at Wembley, all four nights in a row, to all 70,000+ each night. However, the band decided that the camera should get the film reel's changed at that point in the show so they didn't have to take a break, and the entire show minus the ITC medley would fit on two reel's per camera, hence cutting costs down on filming the show. The thought was that why film it when it has been filmed several times before. It is unfortunate, but done. My opinion is that this is very much worth the $10 that Amazon is selling it for!

I'm an obsessed Genesis fan from way back. I first saw this performance on VHS in 1987 and have since found it to be a favorite concert of mine. But, I always felt the sound on the VHS was lacking depth. Well, they fixed that with this DVD release! I do not have a 5.1 system, but even on a 2 channel system, the 5.1 mix is superb. The sound ranks up there with the sound on the Roxy Music "Live At The Apollo" DVD. As others have noted, it is a superior concert to the "Way We Walk" DVDs.

So, why only 4 stars? Well, it's not perfect because the "In The Cage/In That Quiet Earth/Apocolypse in 9/8" medley is not here. It wasn't on the video either, but I figured certainly they would include it on the DVD. Nope. Ah, but aside from that ommission, it is the best Genesis concert video yet available. I don't even like the "Invisible Touch" era that much, but these live versions are quite good. And they fixed the sound problem with "The Brazilian" (on the VHS version, the moment in the song where it's just the 2 drummers, the sound is noticeably quieter than the rest of the song -- it's all been fixed).

Highlights for me:

"Abacab" -- best live version of this song I've heard. Ramped up some and not as tired as the version on "Three Sies Live" (1982). I hear this and I remember why I was so smitten with this band.

"The Brazilian" -- This is one of Tony's best songs and, while the version here shows little change over the album version (some solo drumming), it's still great to see this song performed live.

"Domino" -- A better performance than "The Way We Walk" DVD and more energy than the album version.

"Home By The Sea" -- there are actually a few great versions of this song live around, but this one is perhaps the best played. There are parts during the second part that have me aboslutely mesmerized. When Genesis gets to this state, they approach Pink Floyd-type aweness. A drooler song for those of us that enjoy this artsy stuff.

"Drum Duet" -- best drum duet that Collins and Thompson have done. Phil still had speed in 1987. This is one of the only drum solos I know of that has an actual melody and form -- not just some wiz-bang show-off stuff.

"Los Endos" -- not to sound like a stuck record, but this is probably the best live version of this song I've heard. When Mike gets to the "Dance on a Volcano" riff and the band builds to the "Squonk" theme, it is goose-bump inducing. And the power they deliver on the "Squonk" theme makes me wish that they'd do the whole song!

Well, I've gone on long enough. I hope the release other live shows (1976 with Bruford please!!).

There are generally considered to be three eras of Genesis--1) the Peter Gabriel pushing the creative envelope "all five of us" era, 2) the "there's still the other four of us" transition, and 3) the commercially successful, radio-friendly Collins/Banks/Rutherford era. Fans are divided--some like the old, some like the new. I like both. This concert, from July of 1987 captures the band during the commercially successful Invisible Touch Tour, at Wembley. The setlist is comprised primarily from Abacab, the Superfection album, and Invisible Touch. If you like these albums, this is a great concert video. Most of these songs could be heard on the radio back when stations played album-oriented rock. The songs are performed well, the band sounds nice and tight--more so than on the "Way We Walk" cd's and DVD. Furthermore, the camerawork is nice--smooth transitions from camera-to-camera, with nice sweeping crowd shots, etc. Songs include: Mama, Abacab, Domino Pt. 1, Domino Pt. 2, That's All, Brazilian, Land Of Confusion, Tonight Tonight Tonight, Throwing It All Away, Home By The Sea/Second Home by The Sea, Invisible Touch, Drum Duet, Los Endos, Turn It On Again medley. If that doesn't sell you on this title, how about over two hours of Phil Collins with his 80's style business-up front/party out back mullet? Priceless!

It is silly to compare this concert to Genesis with Steve Hacket/Peter Gabriel. I love the old stuff... Selling England BTP is one of my favorite, but I like Trick of the Tail just as much. I like the new stuff too. Yea it is not as complex, but I don't think musc has to be comples to be good.

The concerts in the 80s and 90s were lively and fun and this DVD is a great presentation of that period.

There are some great songs on this DVD. The recording and camera work are excelent also.

You can not deny theat Tony banks is a great musician and composer. Phil collins has a lot of presence (and fun) on stage.

By the way Glen, Daryl is a great musician too. Check out his playing with Jean Luc Ponty or his solo work (yes, he does compose.) Chester is also a very acomplished drummer and plays on Steve Hacketts Tokyo Tapes DVD (I am watching it right now - all I can say is WOW). His career includes years with Frank Zappa, and Weather Report.

I think this is a well produced DVD.

If you are a Genesis purist and hate their 80's popular music, don't get this video. On the other hand, speaking as a child of the 80's and a drummer, I think it's great. I loved Genesis's ABACAB and self titled stuff, which rocks at this concert. The dueling drum songs are way cool! The picture and sound quality seem good, certainly as good as you could expect for the time. The band is in top form, Phil Collins is an fantastic live singer.

Genesis classic rock band or Genesis pop machine? i prefer the classic material (Duke and before). The Mama tour is the best concert available for genesis (one hell on a version of In the cage/afterglow). While this dvd does have exellent versions of Mama, Abacab & Home By the sea it only has one tantilizlng tease of their past Los Endos (which is excellent)BUT is not enough. They play more of their "radio friendly" pop hits and not balancing it out with what got them famous in the first place. Songs Like Dance on a Volcano, In the Cage, Lamb Lies down on Broadway, Suppers Ready to name a few. Enjoyable to watch but does not catch them at thier best.