Live

Genesis (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Atlantic / Wea
• ASIN: B00000DP0Q
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #467,980 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Watcher of the Skies

2. Get 'Em out by Friday

3. The Return of the Giant Hogweed

4. Musical Box

5. The Knife

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Experience the power of Gabriel-era Genesis, February 24, 2005

By 

Eddie Konczal - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live (Audio CD)

Many remember Genesis live shows as Broadway-esque affairs with laser light shows, smoke machines, medleys, and Phil Collins in chinos shaking his tambourine. Those were certainly entertaining, but in the early days Genesis concerts were an altogether different beast. I'm not old enough to have experienced them, but "Genesis Live" offers a tantalizing snapshot of the band's performances from the Peter Gabriel era (circa 1973).

Gabriel was best known for wearing bizarre costumes during Genesis concerts, to illustrate the whimsical characters from his lyrics (the old man of "The Musical Box," the title character of "The Return of the Giant Hogweed"). The cover gives you some idea of the visual aspect. More importantly, you get the music - a rawer, more energetic brand of progressive rock than that presented on "Seconds Out" or "Three Sides Live."

The song selection is rather stingy, mainly due to the time constraints of the vinyl era. Most notably absent are "Supper's Ready" and "Can-Utility and the Coastliners." But you get a tantalizing sample of songs from "Trespass," "Nursery Cryme" and "Foxtrot." While the live versions remain essentially true to the studio versions, the band infuses the music with new levels of energy, particularly on "Watcher of the Skies," "The Musical Box," and "The Knife."

"Genesis Live" is a great introduction to the band's early years. In terms of running time, it's less generous than the band's subsequent live albums. But in its ability to capture the power of Genesis live, it's unmatched.

NOTE: If you're thinking about getting "Genesis Live," consider looking for the "ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED" version also available on this site.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fine live recording of early Genesis, July 5, 2003

By 

woburnmusicfan (Woburn, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live (Audio CD)

This 1973 live album is compiled from two concerts on the "Foxtrot" tour, and was originally recorded for the US radio show "King Biscuit Flower Hour". The band tackles five of their early songs, each 8 to 11 minutes in length. None of the songs sound much different than the studio versions, but they are played more powerfully here, and the interplay between the musicians is great. "The Knife" in particular stands out; it's harder-edged than the "Trespass" version, especially with Steve Hackett playing the guitar solo instead of Anthony Phillips. Several of the songs contrast loud and quiet passages in a manner similar to classical music. The contribution of Peter Gabriel's flute to the overall early Genesis sound tends to get overlooked, but it stands out here. I've had this album for 20 years, and it was only while listening to it in preparation for writing this review that I realized it's keyboardist Tony Banks trading guitar licks with Hackett on the "I touch the wall" section of "The Musical Box", and not Michael Rutherford (who's playing a fast rhythm strum throughout); at one point, Banks goes right from a guitar lead to an electric piano solo. Because it was originally a radio show, there is no between-song patter except Gabriel's announcement of "an unaccompanied bass pedal solo from Michael Rutherford" -- there are none of the weird stories Gabriel would tell between songs while the guitarists changed tunings, though one of these stories is provided in the CD booklet.

(1=poor 2=mediocre 3=pretty good 4=very good 5=phenomenal)