LIVE OVER EUROPE - 2007

Disc 1

1 -"Duke's Intro" (Behind the Lines/Duke's End) – Manchester – 3:48

2 - "Turn It on Again" – Amsterdam – 4:26

3 -"No Son of Mine" – Amsterdam – 6:57

4 - "Land of Confusion" – Helsinki – 5:11

5 - "In The Cage"/"The Cinema Show"/"Duke's Travels" – Manchester – 13:30

6 - "Afterglow" – Manchester – 4:27

7 - "Hold on My Heart" – Hanover – 5:58

8 - "Home by the Sea"/"Second Home by the Sea" – Düsseldorf (2nd Night) & Rome – 11:58

9 - "Follow You Follow Me" – Paris – 4:19

10 - "Firth of Fifth" [excerpt] – Manchester – 4:39

11 - "I Know What I Like"/"Stagnation"/"I Know What I Like (reprise)" – Manchester – 6:45

Disc 2

1 - "Mama" – Frankfurt – 6:57

2 - "Ripples" – Prague – 7:57

3 - "Throwing It All Away" – Paris – 6:01

4 - "Domino" – Rome – 11:34

5 - "Conversations With 2 Stools" – Munich – 6:48

6 - "Los Endos" – Twickenham – 6:24

7 - "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" [excerpt] – Rome – 3:49

8 - "Invisible Touch" – Rome – 5:35

9 - "I Can't Dance" – Munich – 6:11

10 - "The Carpet Crawlers" – Manchester – 6:00

All songs written by Banks/Collins/Rutherford, except for:

"In the Cage", "The Cinema Show", "Firth of Fifth", "I Know What I Like" and "The Carpet Crawlers" written by Banks/Collins/Gabriel/Hackett/Rutherford.

"Stagnation" written by Banks/Gabriel/Phillips/Rutherford.

"Afterglow" written by Banks.

"Ripples" written by Rutherford/Banks.

"Conversations with Two Stools" written by Collins/Thompson.

"Los Endos" written by Banks/Collins/Hackett/Rutherford.

GENESIS:

Phil Collins – lead vocals, percussion, drums

Tony Banks – keyboards, background vocals

Mike Rutherford – bass, 12-string guitar, guitar, background vocals

Daryl Stuermer – guitar, bass, background vocals

Chester Thompson – percussion, drums

By D. Davis (Austin, TX) 

These guys just keep on going! I had the privilege to see them in San Jose during the TIOA tour and they displayed just as much power and majesty as ever before. This newest live album, which is culled from various European gigs, shows just how incredible the guys are, and although they're getting on in years (aren't we all?) their sound is still energetic and timeless.

Notable highlights are Gabriel-era classics such as "In the Cage" and "I Know What I Like", and mainstream hits like "Land of Confusion" and "I Can't Dance." There are even snippets of "Duke's Travels / Duke's Ends" scattered throughout a couple of the medley songs, which was a personal treat for me since "Duke" is one of my favorite albums. The mix is spot on (good rich bass and keys) and Phil's vocals sound as crisp and clear as ever. Tony's keys are still swirling and thundering, and we all know how Mike and Daryl can crank out the guitar magic. Pay close attention to Chester's drumming during "In The Cage", he's hitting those toms like a mad man!

The tour itself was quite magical, as Genesis sold out many dates in Europe and packed houses in the states as well. I'm not sure if we'll see a "Live Over America" album or not, but for those who witnessed the tour this new live album will bring back tons of memories. 2007 has been a great year for Genesis fans: a new tour, this new live album, Encore CD releases, the first of three boxsets released, new books, etc. Hopefully Phil and company will realize the demand for their music is as high as ever, and perhaps another album and / or tour will occur in the future.....:-)

By Chris Jones/BBC - 2007-11-26

For Genesis fans the world over, this year's 'reunion' tour either fulfilled dreams or left them feeling distinctly short-changed. There's an undeniable schism between those who hold the Gabriel-era years as the band's apogee and those who either came to them in their later, commercially successful, period, or just weren’t bothered. Leaving all this aside, Live Over Europe at least attempts to placate both camps, containing as it does a fair smattering of earlier gems amongst the 'hits'.

Covering an age-defying 23 dates in the space of five weeks, Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford (joined by old hands Daryl Stuermer and Chester Thompson) were never going to be a shabby bunch, musically speaking. This is, after all, still prog, even if it manages to rein itself in for singles such as ''Turn It On Again'', ''Land Of Confusion'' or ''Throwing It All Away'' (a truly underrated piece of pop glory). Covering material from Selling England By The Pound toWe Can't Dance (what, no Calling All Stations?); the band manage to cherry pick just about everything the crowd wanted to hear while shying away from the more gauche excesses of, say, a 20-minute ''Supper’s Ready''. Still, one can't help wonder at the somewhat snide decision that went into choosing to perform what was ex-guitarist Steve Hackett's defining moment on the excerpt from ''Firth Of Fifth''. Old school fans will be wondering what could have been had the 'classic' five piece settled their differences.

Collins' voice seems to have aged well and the playing’s as polished as you could hope for. What then is slightly mysterious is the production. Nick Davis' mixing perhaps strives too hard for audio verité in capturing the sound in all its echo-ey, stadium-filling glory. While good as a live souvenir for someone who was at any of the gigs, for anyone who wasn’t it just sounds a little too muddy and undefined for music this dependent on the skills on offer.

Still, for anyone who saw the spectacle, Live Over Europe will make a fine end-of-year souvenir to find in his or her Xmas stockings.

WHEN IN ROME 2007 - DVD

GENESIS:
- Tony Banks / keyboards
- Phil Collins / vocals, drums
- Mike Rutherford / guitars, bass
- Daryl Stuermer / guitars, bass
- Chester Thompson / drums

Released - 23 May 2008
Recorded - 14 July 2007
Length Concert: 157 min, Bonus Material: 185 min.
Label: Virgin
Producer Dione Orrom

DVD 1

1 - When in Rome, Part - 1 - 1:19:22
Duke's Intro
Turn it on Again
No Son of Mine
Land of Confusion
Cage Medley
Hold On My Heart
Home by the Sea
Follow You Follow Me / Firth of Fifth / I Know What I Like
2 - Tour Programme Gallery
3 - Concert Extras
How Does "Duke's End" End? -3:23
We're Gonna Take It Up a Little Bit -2:45
Plugged In. Turned On. On the Edge -1:33
Minimal Confusion -2:19
Tony Changed His Mind -2:30
We Need More Lights -2:26
Counting the Bars to 'Heart' -4:34
Working On 'Home' -1:49
Mike Wants Phil's 'Feel' On Drums -5:15
From 'G' to 'G' on 'Firth' -3:38
Time to Dance -3:46
Total - 1:53:20

DVD 2
1 - When in Rome, Part - 2 - 1:17:49
Mama
Ripples
Throwing it all Away
Domino
Conversations With 2 Stools
Los Endos
Tonight Tonight Tonight / Invisible Touch
I Can't Dance
Carpet Crawlers
2 -  Photo Gallery Gallery
3 - Concert Extras
Bring the Pitch Down Like Elton -7:34
Acoustic 'Ripples' -4:46
'Throwing it all' Down -2:09
Tony Talks About His Inspiration -2:12
The Drum Duet -8:58
Not a Period Piece -3:21
Invisible Key -2:37
Phil, Tony & Mike, and Phil & Mike? -2:39
Singing Along -4:23
4 - Deleted Scenes:  Did You Do Your Homework?  -2:12
Total - 1:58:40

DVD 3
1 - Come Rain or Shine - 1:50:18 - Tour documentary

By Thomas Glebe (Pittsburgh, PA United States)
Although Genesis has been my all time favorite band by far since I first discovered them in the mid/late 70's, I only had the opportunity to see them live and in person twice, once in 1981 at Pittsburgh's Civic Arena, and later in 1992 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Phil Collins broke from Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks (the only three surviving members of the original group) shortly after that 1992 tour, sadly. Though Mike and Tony would put out one more album with Ray Wilson as lead singer under the name "Genesis" ("Calling All Stations" - see my review elsewhere here on Amazon), that whole gig never caught on with most fans and "Genesis" was shortly afterwards, officially, no more. Until 15 years later, that is, when the guys finally got back together for their 2007 worldwide reunion tour. It was a long wait, but I'm happy to report it was well worth it, as these aging dinosaurs of progressive/pop rock more than showed their many millions of fans around the globe that they still have that old Genesis magic. And this three disc DVD set is simply stunning as a lasting document to their reunion and historic body of works, whether they ever tour again or put out (fingers crossed) any more new studio albums.
As has been the case for more than two decades, Daryl Stuermer (guitars, bass guitars) and Chester Thompson (drums) remain part of the Genesis Live touring band, deservedly so after all of these years, and both add their usual proficient, professional aplomb and emotional expertise to the original trio's performances. Now, in my mind, there have always been three different types of Genesis fans. One, those who generally eschew the newer stuff (post-"Duke"), in favor of the older stuff (pre-"Abacab"), Two, those who loved the newer, shorter pop stuff more than the generally longer, progressive offerings, and Three, those who loved and have all along loved both.
Let it be known, I fall into the last category, as I've personally been enchanted by and do still adore, almost everything this band has ever produced. And while I might admit to more of a predilection for the older, on the whole, longer and more ethereal efforts, I strongly believe no true Genesis fan of whatever sort, will want to be without this enthralling triple disc DVD set. For they bring effective, equal command, strength, effort, powerful and unassailable impressions and interpretations to every single old/new, shorter/longer song on this breathtaking endeavor. And to those who pretty much dismiss the post-"Peter Gabriel" or post-"Duke" more pop-oriented efforts, I would just point to later, just as strong progressive masterpieces such as "Domino" (arguably my favorite Genesis song), "Home By the Sea," and "Fading Lights" (played over the end credits), among several others.
The packaging and artwork in this DVD set is excellent, as is the picture quality and stereo sound and channel separation prominence (the latter quite astounding, especially with a good speaker system and/or a good set of headphones). The three DVD's are all easy to navigate, and provide the viewer with effortless choice selections, which adds to the value of repeated and future enjoyment. And finally, captions are available in several different languages, including Japanese!

- Disc One contents include Duke's Intro, Turn It On Again, No Son Of Mine, Land Of Confusion, In The Cage (including excerpts from Cinema Show and Duke's Travels), Afterglow, Hold On My Heart, Home By The Sea, Follow You Follow Me, Firth of Fifth (excerpt), and I Know What I Like.

- Disc Two contents include Mama, Ripples, Throwing It All Away, Domino, Conversations With 2 Stools (drum duo with Chester and Phil), Los Endos, Tonight Tonight Tonight (excerpt), Invisible Touch, I Can't Dance, and Carpet Crawlers.

Each track has its' own extras, available at the beginning of each song by pressing enter/ok/select on your DVD remote when a small "Duke" symbol appears or via the disc's main menu. There are, in fact, tons of fascinating and sometimes very funny extras and behind-the-scenes surprises throughout.
Finally, Disc Three contains a very informative and entertaining documentary called "Come Rain Or Shine" which chronicles in detail, the meticulous planning and preparations which led to the actual tour, various particulars of which began to take shape six months before the very first show.
Genesis has always been a one of a kind band, as has their superlative staging, lighting, and background effects, but they really outdid even themselves for this free concert before over half a million appreciative fans of all ages. Performing in front of the most colossal and most incredible and visually dazzling, choreographed CGI and other special effects setup I've ever seen, I doubt this aspect of the show will ever be surpassed. But that's only the beginning, because the excellent camerawork and editing, great song choice selections (I especially enjoyed the inclusion of music from "Duke," my favorite Genesis album), and audience interactions, add even more to each tune. Phil Collins jumps around a lot less here than in his more youthful days, but his voice is still magnificent, as are his drumming and clowning skills. Tony Banks remains the best keyboards player I've ever heard, and Daryl's soaring, solo guitar riffs in many pieces are nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Overall, I have nothing whatsoever negative to say about this DVD set. I was filled with ecstasy and tingles up my spine in so many instances, while other times the power and inherent messages within various pieces touched me deep within my heart and soul, as only Genesis music has ever been able to accomplish. And finally, songs such as "Afterglow," "Carpet Crawlers," and "Ripples" brought tears (of joy) to my eyes as they always have, and always will.
I've purchased many items from Amazon over the years, but this is without a doubt, the most satisfying, exceeding all of my expectations. Buy it now Genesis fans. Trust me, you will not be disappointed...

By GenesisFan
Purists might lament the day Peter Gabriel left Genesis as the moment the band truly ceased to be, but their massive success in the years following certainly seems to shoot holes in that argument. Gabriel's prog-rock tilt was replaced by a more accessible sound, and there were a number of big hit records during that time, as Phil Collins more than proved himself a solid, charismatic frontman. In 2007, after a 15-year breakup, Collins, Tony Banks, and Mike Rutherford—along with longtime "unofficial" members Daryl Stuermer and Chester Thompson—staged an elaborate Genesis reunion tour, dubbed Turn It On Again (named after a single off of 1980's Duke release).
The three-disc Genesis: When In Rome captures a stop on that tour, recorded July 14, 2007 during a free open-air concert at Rome's Circo Massimo, before a sprawling sea of nearly 500,000 fans. Backed by what is referred to as "the largest screen ever used at a concert," the nearly 210 feet curved video backdrop provides animation, pulsating colors and shapes, as well as shots of the band for the benefit of those folks who were crammed way on the outskirts of the Circo Massimo. The stage setup is visually impressive, and quickly sells the fact that this isn't some spur-of-the-moment rock show; instead it's a throwback to the days of the elaborately staged arena shows that seemed to have become nearly extinct. And in addition to the technical glitz, Collins is the friendly host, comically dogging through the occasional purposely stilted Italian song intro or snapping photos of the crowd.
In my life I've only owned two Genesis releases: Trick of the Tail (1976) and Seconds Out (1977), so I'm not exactly what you would call a diehard. One would have to live in a cave, however, to have remained ignorant of the band's list of successes, especially throughout the 1980s, when they appeared be wielding a golden pop touch. And all those years later, When In Rome shows Collins to still be in possession of a strong voice, as the band moves through an interesting set list, one that's pleasantly devoid of some of their most overplayed hits (ABACAB, Misunderstanding) in favor of older tracks (Los Endos, Ripples), as well as a beautiful show-closer, Carpet Crawlers. It probably shouldn't be a surprise that the 1986 Invisible Touch release gets the most coverage, with five tracks in play here.