Those who think that the Phil Collins era of Genesis was nothing but pop drivel are wrong. Sure, there was plenty of pop music released by that version of the band, but they also managed to record some prog numbers along the way. Even if their entire studio output had been pop, though, you’d still have the live shows. This collection of live recordings shows that the group still did progressive rock in the venue of concert performances. And it also showed that they did a great job of it.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2009 Volume 5 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
Old Medley: Dance on a Volcano/Lamb Lies Down on Broadway/The Musical Box/Firth of Fifth/I Know What I Like They start the album with a nineteen and a half minute medley of classic Genesis tunes. "Dance on a Volcano" brings it in with real style, starting dramatically and working forward from there. This rendition has a great sound to it. It hits all the powerhouse moments, creating the prog rock magic on a plane equivalent to that of the studio rendition. It works through the various songs nicely. The way they weave them together here, makes it feel like they were built for such a medley presentation. I love every part of this epic, but the sections from "The Musical Box" are particularly effective for me. There are some expansive and powerful instrumental movements built into this thing, too. The "Firth of Fifth" portion is one of those. All in all, this is one heck of a ride sure to please fans of the older Genesis stuff. The "I Know What I Like" chorus serves as a nice grounding point, but they continue exploring beyond that point. They also include some newer Genesis built into this as it presses forward. They bring it back around to "I Know What I Like" for another round before taking it out with a cool climactic jam.
Driving the Last Spike Less dynamic, this track is nonetheless powerful. There’s a definite emotional tone to it – but more of a universal rather than personal one. It seems a bit cinematic at times. Whatever you call it, though, this is a powerful piece of music.
Domino, Pt. 1 - In the Glow of the Night/Pt. 2-The Last Domino The live rendition of this killer epic works very well. It would be easy to imagine that the original of this came from Wind and Wuthering rather than one of the more “pop era” sets. I’d chalk it up as one of the highlights of the set.
Fading Lights This is a good piece of music, but perhaps not the strongest thing here. Don’t get me wrong, it’s got some serious emotion – something Genesis always did well. It’s also fairly dynamic and has its moments. Somehow it just feels a little lackluster in comparison to the stuff that preceded it.
Home by the Sea/Second Home by the Sea This twofer is a step up from the previous piece. I’ve always really enjoyed this music and this live telling is quite strong – perhaps stronger than the studio version.
Drum Duet This is just what it says, a drum duet between Phil Collins and Chester Thompson. It’s good, but I’m not crazy about drum solos. I’m also not sure that it’s the most effective way to end the set.