Genesis

Genesis

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: October 1983
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Atlantic / Wea
• ASIN: B000002IGK
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (116 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,923 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Witnessing an attempt at genre crossover is kind of like watching a logrolling competition. The failures are almost as excruciatingly embarrassing for the audience as they are for the performer. But when one gets a glimpse at one of the rare success stories: Ah! What a thing of beauty! Genesis's 1983 eponymous release sits proudly in the latter camp. Laying down nine midtempo tracks that are full and crisp without wearing too glossy of a pop sheen, Phil Collins, Tony Banks, and Mike Rutherford create an aural world where Yes fans and those who like chart-toppers live in harmony. And whatever lyrical well Collins chooses to tap proves to be a gusher, whether he is dipping into reservoirs of Gabrielan menace ("Mama," "Home by the Sea," "Silver Rainbow"), stealing a page from pop music's huge tome of conflicted-heart numbers ("That's All," "Taking It All To Hard"), or getting just plain ol' ridiculous ("Illegal Alien"). At the risk of seriously ruffling indie-rock feathers, one might even say that, in a way, Genesis sits as the great-grandfather of Radiohead's OK Computer. The idea that your body can rock while your brain gets tickled ain't a new one; it's just that people don't put it into practice that often. --Bob Michaels

Product Description
Digitally remastered edition of this classic 1983 album from one of Rock's most successful bands featuring new stereo mixes of all tracks. From their Progressive Rock beginnings to their commercial superstardom, Genesis created some of the most challenging, creative and rewarding albums of their generation. This edition allows the listener to experience the album as never before! Nine tracks including 'That's All', 'Mama', 'Home By The Sea' and 'Illegal Alien'. EMI. 2009. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GENERIC GENESIS, July 8, 2005

By	Guy De Federicis (east of here) - See all my reviews

Just when we were about to write Genesis off as a relic from the prog rock dinosaur age, came this dazzling 1983 album which secures the band's progressive rock sound, their later penchant for Top 10 hit singles, and adds a signature reminder, without bowing to the new wave and post punk of the day, that they are just a damn good rock band, capable of writing music outside the box regardless of classification. The mix of great songs, (Mama, Home By The Sea, Taking It All Too Hard, Illegal Alien), and worthwhile filler material, (Second Home By The Sea, Just A Job To Do, Silver Rainbow), defines Genesis as an odd geometric shape, like the album cover picture. You accept and love the lesser material as a testement to Genesis's time and place in 1983, it sounds today like a 'before it's time' enhanced CD with bonus tracks. What secures this album as a pop masterpiece, as good as the compositions are, is Phil Collins fiery, growling, soft and complicated vocal tracks.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything that is GREAT about Genesis...., October 8, 2001

By	Robert Jenkins "video geek #1" (Celina, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was the first Genesis album I ever owned. I saw the video for "Mama" on MTV when it was new, and I just had to have the album. I hoped that the rest of the songs were as good as "Mama", and I was NOT disappointed!! "Mama" is a very dark, almost scary song (and their best video, bar none!!). It's almost deliberately unclear as to whether the song is about a man who loves a prostitute (the official story), or whether it is anti-abortion. The lyrics can be interpreted either way. This was the first time that the drums carried the melody over the guitar and keyboards. Only a drummer of the skill of Phil Collins could take simple drums and work the magic that he does. There's never been a song like it before or since.

While "Mama" is worth the purchase price alone, the other songs don't fail to deliver, either. "That's All" follows "Mama" with a big musical shift. It's a quiet, peppy song that rises above all the other broken-heart songs out there. "Home by the Sea/Second Home by the Sea" - anyone who says that Genesis abandoned prog music has never heard this song. It's about a cat burglar who breaks into a semmingly empty house on the beach, only to find it inhabited by a club of ghosts, and he is the newest member. Tony Banks does an excellent job of imparting an otherworldly, eerie feel to this song. "Illegal Alien" - the most lighthearted song on the album, a tongue-in-cheek look at the world of, well, illegal aliens. A lot of people over the years have denigrated this song, but I really enjoy it. It also spawned a hilarious MTV video with the band dressed up as Mexican officials. The CD liner notes include a few stills from the video - nice toupee Phil! The remaining songs on the album are all good, if not quite as great as the ones listed above. "Taking it All too Hard" was a minor hit for Genesis, and yet has been (for some reason) ignored on their future live sets, box sets, and greatest hits compilations.

Finally, I must say a word about the cover. I don't know who had the idea of a dark, blurry photo of the ten shapes from the Tupperware child's shape sorter globe, but whoever it is deserves an award. The cover does an excellent job of capturing the spirit of the album - Fairly dark and vague in overall tone, but with a large touch of whimsy.

This album is one of the classics from the early 80s, and it is something that no Genesis fan should be without! I just hope that someday Genesis releases the videos to "Mama" and "Illegal Alien" on DVD!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond the Silver Rainbow there was....Phil's mama!, April 3, 2001

By A Customer

"Invisible Touch" is their biggest selling album, but their "Genesis" album (AKA "Shapes") is arguably their best. The album kicks off with "Mama", a dark, brooding song with lyrics that Sigmund Freud would find....interresting. This is followed by the lightweight "That's All", a catchy, radio friendly, pop song about a troubled relationship. "Home By The Sea/Second Home By The Sea", a ten-minute nod back to their epic, grandiose roots, is as good as anything they've ever released. "Illegal Alien" is a catchy, but fluffy, song about immigrants. "Taking It All Too Hard" sounds quite similar to their 1986 hits "In Too Deep" and "Throwing It All Away", although the latter two are much better. The uptempo "Just A Job To Do" is the weakest song on the album, but it's still very listenable. "Silver Rainbow" is the high point of the album, ironically it's also the least radio-friendly song on "Genesis". "It's Gonna Get Better" is another high point and is a good closer to a great album. 80's music doesn't get much better than this.