Turn It On Again: Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, and Genesis (Paperback)

~ (Author), Phil Collins (Author), Peter Gabriel (Author), Genesis (Author) "The British public school system has turned out some remarkable chaps over the centuries..." (more)
Key Phrases: various artists collection, radio edit, musical box, Peter Gabriel, Stratton Smith, Phil Collins (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

One of the most successful rock acts of all time, Genesis enjoyed a longevity exceeded only by the likes of the Rolling Stones and the Kinks, and provided a launching pad for superstars Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins. Turn It On Again is the first book to document the complete history of this popular and influential band, bringing their story up-to-date while placing them in the context of their time. It explores the relationship between the band members and the remarkable solo careers they have subsequently enjoyed. Drawing on dozens of exclusive interviews with band members past and present, as well as the musicians' friends and associates, author Dave Thompson chronicles Genesis's evolution from progressive-rock visionaries to mainstream rock stars, and the continuing careers of their most famous alumni.

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Backbeat Books (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879308109
• ISBN-13: 978-0879308100
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #980,701 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Reads Like a Discography, March 7, 2005

By	Daniel Dorfsman "ASinisterWaltz" (Hollywood, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been fascinated with Peter Gabriel since I was 12 years old. I bought this book hoping to get some insight into the man and some info on those early Genesis albums. The book got off to a great start; discussing the early days of Genesis as school chums. But as the book progresses it begins to read like a discography. So-and-so made a solo album with these musicians, Genesis made this album, here's how it did in the market. The writing is marked by british style humor and language. But this does nothing to make this book any more interesting. It lacks insight into the bands characters and barely discusses what's going on in their lives. For example, at one point the book mentions Peter Gabriels wife Jill. Uh, no one told me he got married! who's this jill person? what does she do? Later the same thing happened with phil collins. When did he get a wife? early on there are some good stories but later all we hear about is that they put out a new album, who was on it and how the album did. a little about the sound too. oh well, they'll stay mythic in my mind.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gabriel rules (but even Collins sounds okay), April 17, 2005

By	Green Liquorice (USA) - See all my reviews

I didn't expect to get past the Peter Gabriel years when I started reading this... who cares about Genesis after that, after all? But Thompson's writing style is so engaging, his humor is so strong and his passion so contagious that the band had broken up before I put the book down, and I was actually calling up my sister to borrow her copy of Abacab. Recmmended to everyone who actually cares about the music (and doesn't just want the dirt on their private lives...)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Solid Genesis Biography, April 16, 2008

By	Ron2112 (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

Given the lack of press they get these days, it's easy to forget how ubiquitous this band was in the mid-80's. So it is a pleasant surprise to find any book on Genesis, especially one taking up nearly 250 pages. Sure enough, this book contains an almost startling amount of detail on the formative and early years of the band. While I consider Genesis one of my favorite groups, and I think I know quite a bit about them, there was quite a bit of new info to me in this book.

You get the feeling though, that the author is solidly in the camp that Geneis didn't do much of note after Hackett left the band. The entire 80's output feels glossed over, focusing mainly on Colins' solo career and noting that his sucess had an impact on how things were done within Genesis. There just is not that much behind-the-scenes info here covering the period when the band was at the height of their popularity. To be fair, Genesis has never been a band with a seedy back story, so there just might not be that much to say. But given how much space the author devoted to peripheral players, such as the band String Driven Thing -- whose only connection to Genesis was as labelmates and sometime openers -- I was a bit let down by this lack of coverage of the band the book was supposed to be about. Likewise, as has been noted in other reviews, some key events are a bit rushed here. As an example, while the split with Gabriel is of course documented, there is almost no coverage of events leading up to the breakup.

Nonetheless, I unreservedly rate this book a solid 4 stars, and highly recommend it to any Genesis fan. It's a sure bet that you'll learn something new here.