I’m not asking for what you think is the best, but rather your favorite. They may be one and the same, but maybe not. For instance, Foxtrot is my favorite, but I think The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is their best album. Foxtrot has a special place in my heart because it was the first one I got.
This is meant to be a serious, but hopefully fun thread, unlike that snarky other thread I started last week.
I can’t stop people from posting, but if you can’t stand Genesis, please go elsewhere, or at least be respectful that others do like Genesis. That goes for eras too, such as if you only like Gabriel Genesis, please respect that others (also or only) like some or all of Collins Genesis.
Same here. I discovered them in 1973, and prefer Gabriel Genesis, but I was still a huge, HUGE fan up to and including Abacab. I saw every tour, from Selling England on. I even followed the Duke tour to several cities, and I hitchhiked halfway across the country to see an Abacab show. But then I totally lost interest, mainly because my tastes changed and I was getting heavily into female vocals then.
Selling England for me too; though it’s very tough indeed to leave the Lamb unchecked. For me the band managed to survive Peter Gabriel’s departure, but went into a death spiral once Steve Hackett left. I can barely listen to Duke, apart from the repulsive “Misunderstanding,” but I have no use for anything from Abacab on.
It’s hard for me to believe that ‘Trick of the Tail’ isn’t just running away with this poll.
Sure, each to their own, very much a matter of personal preference, yada yada, but I felt sure when I checked the results that TOTT would be racing ahead of the pack.
Big surprise when the album finally emerged… a stunning piece of work by any standards, a fantastic sustained tapesty of musical talent and brilliance with far more ‘catchy’ tunes than was strictly allowed under the ‘prog rock’ label, and with Collins emerging as a front man of great ability and stature. They even sound like they had fun making it. Oh, and the sleeve artwork was great. What a sweet triumph.
For me personally, I have to add that the fact that in includes ‘Entangled’ automtatically makes it the best of the bunch. I don’t know how many times I’ve listened to and enjoyed that song, but I suspect I’m into four figures. What Tony Banks achieved with the concluding instrumental section and the sublime climactic key change has never really been bettered by any keyboard player, on any album IMHO. In fact, I think I’ll go and listen to it now.
“Abacab” was the first Genesis album I owned, but I really love “Selling England by the Pound.” I first heard it in the mid-80’s (I know, late to the party), and I still love it just as much today. I have to be in the right mood to play “Abacab” all the way through. I’m also fond of “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” but I am not inspired to play it nearly as often.
For me, the earlier albums tend to be works I listen to in their entirety; the later stuff feels more pop oriented, so there are certain tracks I play, but I don’t often play one of the later albums all the way through.
I was torn between Selling England by the Pound and The Nursery Cryme and ended up voting for the former. I have no doubt that Selling… is the better album and definitely is the one I still listen to the most, but The Nursery Cryme was the first Genesis album I ever bought and has the coolest cover art of them all. Foxtrot gets the third place and The Lamb Lies Down in Broadway gets the fourth. “The Music Box” is by far my favorite song from the band but Selling England… has the title song, “I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)” and “Firth of Fifth” which are all amazing (Firth just may have my favorite guitar solo ever).
The band’s debut is also lots of fun and it’s a pity the producer did his best to ruin it. After A Trick of the Tail I just don’t like the direction that the band followed.
P.S. If you had Live in your poll I’d have voted for it. It was the first Genesis album I ever heard and has an unbeatable song selection, with “The Knife”, “The Music Box”," Get Them Out by Friday", “The Return of the Giant Hogweed” and “Watcher of the Skies”.
A lone vote for ‘Trespass’ here - I really like the quiet atmosphere of the first side (jupp, old enough to remember the big black ones). As much as I admire the technical brilliance of e.g. ‘Suppers Ready’, there are some passages that sound dated to me (Production and/or Composition). The songs of ‘Trespass’ however don’t scream ‘early 70’s prog-rock’ to me, but have a timeless quality - with the exception of ‘The Knife’, but nothings perfect, and this discussion is about the best Genesis album.
(please excuse my English, obviously non-native speaker here)
No, it’s not. It’s about your favorite. If you think your favorite is the best, then ok, but I just wanted to clarify that I’m not asking for opinions on the best. At least, not in the Poll.
I’ve always loved Tresspass too. The production is a bit muddy compared to their following albums, but it doesn’t bother me too much. The enormous musical leap from From Genesis to Revelation to Trespass is nearly mind-boggling.
“White Mountain” is my favorite song from the album, then “Visions of Angels” then followed very closely by the gorgeous “Stagnation” except when I’m listening to “Stagnation” and then it’s my favorite. “Dusk” is so lovely too. I like “Looking For Someone” and “The Knife” but I like those other songs better.
OH! Would someone please shoot me? Thanks in advance. I can’t BELIEVE I left off Live! That has my favorite version of “The Musical Box” and is the only one I listen to. I never ever play the album version. Maybe it’s because the first two times I heard the song was live, first on The Midnight Special (which has been taken off YouTube, dammit), which is where I discovered them, and then the Selling England tour. They also performed “Watcher of the Skies” on TMS but I immediately got the Foxtrot album so played the album version to death, whereas I didn’t get Nursery Cryme until after I got Live, and so wasn’t used to the album version. There are a couple of nice live versions of “The Musical Box”: Without the old man mask. With costumes and mask.
My first album ever was Abacab, but my favorite has been Duke for many, many years. I really do have favorites from all the eras… I really like Trespass, and I am very pleased with Live Over Europe (especially since that is the only tour i was ever able to see them live).
I never even thought about his user name, but I’ll also think of Supper’s Ready every time I see it now. We also have a poster named Alive At Both Ends.
I’m really not sure what to choose. My favourite Genesis albums would be Selling England by the Pound (I can’t get enough of The Cinema Show), The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Wind & Wuthering and Duke. But I don’t know which one to choose, and even weeding it down to those four means neglecting a lot of stuff I enjoy very much. (Yes, I’m one of those freaks who likes all eras of Genesis.)
ETA: Well, From Genesis to Revelation is pretty forgettable and I never play it, so maybe I’m not a fan of all eras but even this album has one or two interesting songs.
I voted for “Seconds Out”. While I much prefer Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, I think Phil does a pretty respectable job with some of the older material. (I actually prefer the live version of “Supper’s Ready” on this album to the one on “Foxtrot”.) And I think “Seconds Out” is just one of the best-sounding live albums by any group anywhere.
I also just wanted to comment briefly on ianzin’s comment about “asking the drummer with the crazy beard to lead the band and fill Gabriel’s shoes” being a desperation move. The truth is, the band auditioned a number of vocalists as Gabriel’s replacement. During the interviews, Phil would provide them with a bit of a “guide vocal” to give them an idea what the songs should sound like. The more singers they brought in to audition, the more the band realized that Phil was a better singer than any of them.
I picked Selling England but I’d be just as happy with Trick or Wuthering. I always give up listening to Genesis during Lent so only one more week left!