Genesis - BBC's Two: "Sum of the Parts" and "Together and Apart" & "R-Kive" 2014

Steve Hackett - Genesis Revisited: Live At The Royal Albert Hall

By John Kelman
Recorded just five months after the three-CD/two-DVD Genesis Revisited: Live at Hammersmith (Inside Out, 2013), it's not an unreasonable question to ask: why another show from the same tour (given the tour has been extended even further, by popular demand, into 2014 under the moniker Genesis Extended, featuring the same lineup with the exception of Nick Beggs replacing Lee Pomeroy on bass, bass pedals, guitar and vocals)—especially when this is the music of Genesis, a group renowned for its desire to perform its music as faithfully to the studio recordings as possible?
The answer is simple: this is, indeed, Hackett revisiting the material of Genesis, the band in which he played between 1971 and 1977, and for whom he truly is the torch-bearer for its glory prog years. But unlike the rigors of the original group, Hackett's approach to the music is more liberal; yes, the signatures must all be there, but as he demonstrated on both the 2012 studio release, Genesis Revisited II and Live at Hammersmith, the guitarist who left Genesis on the cusp of its greatest successes also leaves both more interpretive room for his band mates (and himself); he also allows for extended soloing that departs significantly from those recorded on those classic albums, most of them collected in 1970-75 Box Set (Rhino, 2008), along with two that appeared in the 1976-82 Box Set (Rhino, 2007) and two further in the Live 1973-2007 Box Set (Rhino, 2009).
Still, with a studio album and live album out since 2012, do we really need another Genesis Revisited entry?
The answer: for Genesis fans—and clearly there are many—unequivocally yes. But more than just for the music, Live at the Royal Albert Hall represents some significant upgrades over Live at Hammersmith. First, unlike Hammersmith there are three editions of Royal Albert Hall: a two-CD/one-DVD edition that features both the audio and video of the complete concert; a two-CD/two-DVD edition that also includes a bonus disc with both a 37-minute Backstage film, with plenty of interview footage, and Album by Album feature where Hackett steps through the recording of his entire discography as a solo artist; finally, as is becoming the norm in an industry struggling to remain viable, an 11"x11" Limited Artbook Edition that contains the two CDs, two DVDs, a Blu-Ray which contains all the contents of the DVDs in higher resolution, and 38 pages (on thick stock) with a bevy of photos from the Albert Hall performance, along with notes about all the members of the band.
Beyond all the extras, what about the music? While there is some significant crossover with Hammersmith, there is also enough material that didn't appear on that previous live release to render it worthwhile, not to mention a largely different set order which suggests that, unlike Genesis, this band alters its set list from night-to-night. Specifically, Royal Albert Hall contains "Carpet Crawlers," from 1974's The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (Charisma); "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" and "The Fountain of Salmacis," from Hackett's debut with Genesis, 1971's Nursery Cryme (Charisma); "Horizons," from Foxtrot (Charisma, 1972); and "Ripples," from the group's first album after founding singer Peter Gabriel left, 1976's A Trick of the Tail (Charisma).
Furthermore, while Hammersmith featured a number of guest appearances, so, too, does Royal Albert Hall: King Crimson alum John Wetton is back, this time singing a far more suitable—and, consequently, far more impressive—"Firth of Fifth"; Amanda Lehman also returns, this time delivering an even more paradoxically fragile and powerful "Ripples" than she did on Genesis Revisited II; in addition to a gorgeous look at The Lamb's "Carpet Crawlers," ex-Genesis singer Ray Wilson contributes a look at the group's early hit, "I Know What I Like," from 1973's Selling England By The Pound (Charisma), that also breaks down into a downright funky instrumental section where saxophonist/flautist/percussionist/keyboardist Rob Townsend, in particular, gets to strut his stuff; and, on "Hogweed," a guest appearance from Hackett singer Nad Sylvan's band mate in Agents of Mercy (as well as guitarist/vocalist with The Flower Kings and Transatlantic), Roine Stolt, whose inspired playing and end-song guitar trade-offs inspire Hackett to quip, after a particularly massive round of applause, "Ah, those Swedish guys certainly can play."
But guest appearances aside, Hackett's group has—for this tour and the slightly altered Genesis Extended follow-up this year—managed to find that fine line between reverence and a healthy irreverence that allows for personal interpretation. Keyboardist Roger King may faithfully emulate many of Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks' tones but he updates them too; and—while he is also respectful of the parts that simply must be played to assure complete authenticity and, consequently, credibility with the legion of Genesis fans that have managed to turn Genesis Revisited II into a globe-trotting, two-year tour that may be the most successful of Hackett's career—he also takes liberties too. At the opening of Nursery Cryme's "The Musical Box" King contributes a new musical box part that somehow turns increasingly ominous as it morphs into the familiar guitar chords that introduce the tune proper .
Bassist Lee Pomeroy manages to fill Genesis' then-rhythm guitarist/bassist/bass pedal player Mike Rutherford with similar verisimilitude while, at the same time, doing things like, as drummer Gary O'Toole describes in the Limited Art Book Edition, playing "with the time signature on [The Lamb's] 'Broadway Melody of 1974,' with Lee playing as far behind me as he could. What this achieved was to give the song its own character. It wasn't a case of merely doing what had been done before, but making it a little different within the expected song structure." The pair also take similar but different liberties during King's solo during the "Apocalypse in 9/8" segment of Foxtrot's epic "Supper's Ready." And O'Toole takes his own freedoms vocally, in particular on "Fly on a Windshield" and "Broadway Melody of 1974" where, like Sylvan, he manages to find the perfect balance of singing expected lines and introducing interpretive differences that make the songs his own.
If everyone is a star in this group, Sylvan is the one who has, perhaps, ascended the most, especially when listening to his work with the group from Hammersmith in May, 2013, his Royal Albert Hall performance and his appearance with Hackett at Gatineau's Casino du Lac Leamy, just across the river from Ottawa, Canada, a scant 19 days prior to the Albert Hall date. Sylvan manages to sound like Gabriel and, for the post-Gabriel material like "Afterglow"—from Hackett's final studio appearance with Genesis, 1977's Wind & Wuthering (Charisma)—like drummer-turned-singer Phil Collins, while at the same time making every song personal—sometimes with just the subtlest turn of a phrase, other times more dramatically. The anthemic "Afterglow" is, in particular, a much better reading than John Wetton's take on Hammersmith—and there's no disrespect intended; only that, as Royal Albert Hall's "Firth of Fifth" demonstrates, sometimes it all comes down to a matter of song choice rather than whether or not someone is singing well. With "Firthg of Fifth" more suited to Wetton's range and delivery, it's further evidence of how, over the past couple of years, he has returned with a voice as good as it's ever been—maybe even better.
As with the previous reviews, it's also a treat to hear this material with the harmony vocals that were a part of the studio recordings but which Genesis really didn't recreate live to the same extent. And if Hackett can't overdub parts as he did on the studio records, when Townsend, on soprano sax, harmonizes with him at the end of "Supper's Ready," it's as spine-tingling as it's ever been, before Hackett embarks on the kind of unfettered solo that he'd have never been able to take when he was with Genesis beyond, as he explains in the Limited Artbook Edition, "the early years," which would have been before the group began making inroads in North America.
Townsend, too, gets his moments in the spotlight, in particular during "I Know What I Like" and at the end of a transcendent, set-closing "Los Endos." As the audience delivers one of many standing ovations, there are huge smiles all around the band—smiles that can be seen throughout the show, too, as it's clear that playing to a packed house at Royal Albert Hall has been a high point in a series of tours filled with them.
As the video of the concert also demonstrates, Sylvan also understands the need to perform in ways that allow him to visually project to the furthest reaches of a venue—in particular one as large as Royal Albert Hall, whose view from the "gods" seats is included in the Limited Artbook Edition imagery, as well as with some of the pans in the concert video. If Hammersmith was an impressive watch, Royal Albert Hall is even better because, in addition to the lighting and screens with which the band toured, lighting designer and operator Russell "Tigger" Matthews and visual mapper Ian Holmes also takes advantage of the huge circular acoustic tiles on the roof of the massive hall, instead of focusing solely on the stage, turning the entire venue into a light and visual show. With a multi-camera recording, director, producer, editor, and post-production wizard Paul M Green has rendered a high definition concert video that stands amongst the best around.
Sonically, with the Blu-Ray offering 24/48 LPCM Stereo and DTS 4/1 Master Audio, Royal Albert Hall trumps Hammersmith from the opening notes of its set opener, "Dance on a Volcano"—where, whether listening through speakers or headphones, Pomeroy's bass pedals can literally be felt in the gut as much as they're heard. And that's only one aspect of a sound mix that is crystal clear and thoroughly punchy throughout.
Beyond being a guitarist who may be impressive to hear but avoids any rock star posturing, Hackett is described as the ultimate nice guy by literally everyone in the band, and the interview footage on the bonus DVD and Blu-Ray make it even more abundantly clear; relaxed, amiable, self-deprecating and a fountain of knowledge, Hackett comes across as a man proud of his own post-Genesis career, but also as the one member of Genesis that really appreciates the legacy of this music, and has therefore made the decision to create a recording and tour that, for those too young to have heard Genesis back in the day, have the opportunity to experience "Genesis Plus"; all the signature music of this influential progressive rock band, but taken into the 21st century and given the freedom to be even more than what it once was.
There are those who may question Hackett's continuing to mine the Genesis catalog—though the truth is he has always included some Genesis material in his electric set lists—and those who may further question the need to release Live at the Royal Albert Hall, but the simple truth is: this was a different performance than Hammersmith and, clearly, a particularly significant one for Hackett and his group. Rather than choosing one over the other, Genesis Revisited: Live at the Royal Albert Hall is a perfect dovetail to Live at Hammersmith, and provides an even larger, more dramatic window into a project that has turned into one of Hackett's most successful ever—and, based on both live sets, for very good reason.
Track Listing: 

CD1: Dance on a Volcano; Dancing With the Moonlight Knight; Fly on a Windshield; Broadway Melody of 1974; Carpet Crawlers; The Return of the Giant Hogweed; The Musical Box; Horizons; Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers; In That Quiet Earth; Afterglow; I Know What I Like. CD2: Firth of Fifth; The Fountain of Salmacis; Supper's Ready; Watcher of the Skies; Los Endos. DVD1: Entire Concert (all songs from CD1 & CD2); DVD2: Backstage; Album by Album. Blu-Ray: Entire Concert (all songs from CD1 & CD2); Backstage; Album by Album.
Personnel: 

Steve Hackett: guitar, vocals; Roger King: keyboards; Nad Sylvan: vocals, tambourine; Gary O'Toole: drums, percussion, vocals; Lee Pomeroy: bass, bass pedals, Variax, 12-string guitar, vocals; Rob Townsend: saxophone, woodwind, percussion, vocals, keyboards; Amanda Lehman (CD2#2, DVD1#14, Blu-Ray#14); Ray Wilson: vocals (CD1#12, DVD1#12, Blu-Ray#12); John Wetton: vocals (CD2#1, DVD1#13, Blu-Ray#13); Roine Stolt: guitar (CD1#5, DVD1#5, Blu-Ray#5).

Genesis: Together And Apart ! - BBC 2014

By ProgTeamRock
It was announced this morning that the members of the classic Gabriel-era- Genesis will reunite for a BBC Two documentary to air later this year.
The band will appear in their own feature-length documentary which is currently going under the working title Genesis: Together And Apart. The BBC claim that the show will reunite the original members of the band for the first time since 1975. Obviously that does not take into account footage of most of the band members in the 2008 DVD release The Genesis Songbook, nor the reuniting of the classic line-up for the 1999 re-reording of The Carpet Crawlers for the Turn It On Again: The Hits compilation.
The programme forms part of a new series of music programming on the BBC to highlight the inaugural BBC Music Awards which is set to take place at Earl's Court in December. At this morning's launch, Director General of the BBC, Tony Hall said: "Today's the start of something very special for everyone who loves music. BBC Music is a celebration of the brilliant music talent across our country. We'll be joining up music on television, radio, iPlayer and online like never before. there'll be new shows; new partnerships; and whole new ways to support music on the BBC."

Steve Hackett - Genesis Revisited: Live At Hammersmith CD´s & DVD´s

By John Kelman
With such a broad repertoire of classic progressive rock, it's a very good thing, indeed, that guitarist Steve Hackett—despite leaving the group on the cusp of far greater commercial success (but, alas, also compromising its progressive nature)—has kept the music of Peter Gabriel-era (and slightly beyond) Genesis alive since leaving the group in October, 1977. But while Hackett's post-Genesis live sets have, in the ensuing decades, almost always included selections from the group's songbook—beginning with his first appearance with the group formed by Charterhouse School mates Gabriel, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks, 1971's Nursery Cryme, through to his final studio recording with the band, 1976's Wind & Wuthering (all on Charisma)—he's never dedicated an entire tour to replicating the music of Genesis. That changed this past year, when he hit the road around the world, focusing on music from the Genesis catalog that he'd re-recorded, first in 1997 with Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited (Camino, 1996), but even more successfully on Genesis Revisited II (Inside Out, 2012).
A whopping double-disc set co-produced with longtime musical partner, keyboardist Roger King, with Genesis Revisited II Hackett managed to be reverential to his source material while, at the same time, bringing some new elements (sometimes subtle other times more overt) to a set list ranging from classics like "The Musical Box" and epic "Supper's Ready" to lesser-known but no less compelling tracks including the unfairly overlooked "Can-Utility and the Coastliners," from Foxtrot (Charisma, 1972). GRII also included music, from Hackett's solo career, that the guitarist had originally written with Genesis in mind, like "Please Don't Touch," "A Tower Struck Down," and "Shadow of the Hierophant," the last co-written with Mike Rutherford for Hackett's first solo album, 1975's Voyage of the Acolyte (Charisma).
GRII also featured a long list of guests. '80s pop star Nik Kershaw's "The Lamia," originally from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (Charisma, 1974), actually—and, perhaps, blasphemously—trumped Gabriel's version on the Genesis singer's swan song before leaving the group to embark on what would ultimately prove to be a far more successful solo career. '70s-era King Crimson alum John Wetton also joined in alongside new millennium progressive rock stars such as Steven Wilson, Jakko M. Jakszyk, Neal Morse
and the Flower Kings' founder, guitarist and vocalist Roine Stolt. For the tour, however, Hackett had to find the perfect group to deliver his nearly three-hour sets with absolute authenticity while, at the same time, speaking with its own voice.
He also had to find a singer who could handle the majority of the music all on his own. Enter Nad Sylvan (who also appears on three of GRII's tracks), born in the USA but raised by his grandparents in Sweden. Sylvan first came to public attention with Unifaun (Prog Rock Records, 2008). That most Genesis-inspired duo record with Bonamici soon found the attention of Roine Stolt, who recruited the singer/songwriter for a new project, Agents of Mercy, whose most recent recording, The Black Forest (Foxtrot, 2011), was an exceptional modern progressive record that, sadly looks like AoM's final record—at least for now. Still, with the good news that Sylvan is now working on a solo record, hope can still spring eternal—despite the reformation of the Flower Kings last year, and with two albums already out, including Desolation Rose (Inside Out, 2013)—that Stolt will decide to reunite Agents of Mercy again sometime in the future.
Sylvan proved the perfect singer to handle an entire evening of Genesis music when Hackett brought his group to the Casino du Lac Leamy, outside of Ottawa, Canada, in October, 2013. Along with Sylvan and Roger King, Hackett's group consisted of bassist/guitarist Lee Pomeroy, woodwind/reed multi-instrumentalist Rob Townsend and drummer/vocalist Gary O'Toole. It was a tremendous show that, like the studio recording, hit all the right buttons for the Genesis fans packing the theater, while at the same time allowing more interpretive freedom for the group than Genesis did back in the day, when its goal was to replicate its studio recordings as closely as possible in concert.
With the success of the Genesis Revisited Tour, it was only a matter of time before the obligatory live DVD/CD set was released. If Genesis Revisited: Live at Hammersmith was somewhat inevitable, it's also exactly what those fortunate enough to have caught the tour will want as a permanent document, while providing those who were unable to attend any of the shows a chance to see what they missed. Recorded in England, at London's famous Hammersmith, its location also allowed Hackett the opportunity to make it something a little more special, by inviting a few of his other friends from the studio recording along.
As on GRII, some work better than others. Once again Kershaw knocks "The Lamia" out of the park early in the set, with Marillion's Steve Rothery joining in, as he does on the studio re-recording, to engage in some inspired guitar trade-offs with Hackett during the song's coda. Amanda Lehmann also delivers a lovely version of "Shadow of the Hierophant," while Jakko Jakszyk brings his own interpretation to "Entangled," one of Genesis' more beautiful post-Gabriel songs, from A Trick of the Tail (Charisma, 1976). The only questionable choice is John Wetton for "Afterglow," the powerful, post-Beatles closer to Wind & Wuthering. Wetton is, in fact, singing better than ever these days, after a long period where, frankly, it seemed as though his best days were behind him. The problem is that, while in every other case, the matching of singer and song was absolutely perfect, there are other songs from the Genesis repertoire that might have better suited the tonality of Wetton's voice—Gabriel-era songs, more likely, rather than a song originally sung by drummer Phil Collins, who joined Genesis around the same time as Hackett, but assumed lead vocal duties after Gabriel's departure.
But it's a small quibble, as Wetton's delivery is certainly assured and committed. But for the rest of this three-CD/two-DVD box set, with the exception of a couple of equally superb lead vocal showings from drummer O'Toole (in particular, "Blood on the Rooftops"), it's Sylvan's voice that brings the music into the new millennium. There's a certain Gabriel-esque quality to his voice, to be sure, which is what makes him such a perfect choice for the group, but equally, this is no mere imitation; Sylvan's delivery makes "The Musical Box," "Watcher of the Skies," "Eleventh Earl of Mar" and, in particular, the epic "Supper's Ready" some of the set's best, knowing exactly when to stick to the script and when to deviate. He's also clearly aware that he's got to reach everyone in the audience, from the front row to the back, so a touch of makeup and a strong visual presence renders him a charismatic front man, which is a good thing because, as much as Hackett's guitar work is superb, he doesn't command much visual attention, even though there's plenty of footage that will, no doubt, please aspiring guitarists.
And his playing is superb; while others have claimed first ownership, Hackett really does appear to be the first guitarist to make extensive use of two-handed tapping on the neck, something heard as early as 1971 on "The Musical Box." And he has, as would be expected, improved significantly as a guitarist over the decades, making his interpretation of this music even better now than back in the day. Like Sylvan, he knows when it's important to stick with the signature lines that define the music; equally, however, he knows when he can take more liberties—which he does, throughout the set.
The rest of the group is top-notch, too, with Pomeroy handling all the Mike Rutherford duties—bass guitar, bass pedals, 12-string guitar and something that didn't exist in the '70s: a Variax, which is an electric guitar modeling system that makes it possible for one instrument to not just emulate a plethora of guitar makes and models, it can emulate altered tunings and even make a six-string electric guitar sound like a 12-string acoustic.
Pomeroy also contributes background vocals—another important aspect to Genesis Revisited, as so many of the vocals found on Genesis studio recordings were not reproduced in concert at the time. Here, however, with Sylvan, Pomeroy, O'Toole, Townsend and Hackett all capable of singing backup, it's great to hear songs like "Watcher of the Skies" and "I Know What I Like" delivered with multi-part harmonies.
The lighting at Casino du Lac Leamy was similar to that on the DVD, but three rear projection screens behind the band at Hammersmith add even greater visual appeal. And from an editing perspective, in a time when so many concert DVDs seem to be all about fast cuts—and there are plenty of them here—there are also passages where director Paul M Green's editing lets cameras hold, more leisurely, on single musicians or wide angle shots of the entire stage.
The entire concert (with some of the introductions abbreviated or completely excised) is spread over three CDs, while the show, including intros, occupies the entire first DVD—with options of both stereo and 5.1 surround sound. A second DVD includes a 37-minute "Behind the Scenes" feature that provides more useful information than most. Containing interview footage with everyone in the band (but, of course, more with Hackett), it describes how the project and this particular band came together.
The set list is similar to Hackett's Casino du Lac Leamy show, but there are differences, like the inclusion of "Shadow of the Hierophant," making Genesis Revisited: Live at Hammersmith both a perfect document of one of Hackett's most successful tours and a harbinger of things to come, as demands for this show have been so great that he's now booking dates into 2014, albeit with Nick Beggs replacing Pomeroy.
Some groups—Yes comes immediately to mind—now sound like pale versions of their former glorious selves; Hackett, despite leaving the group more than 35 years ago, has been a relentless torch-bearer for the music from Genesis that time has proven to be most enduring. His current band, Genesis Revisited II and now Genesis Revisited: Live at Hammersmith prove that this is no mere tribute, though there would be nothing wrong with that. Instead, Hackett, his group and this exhilarating live set—as much as it is, indeed, a trip down memory lane for many—also successfully brings the progressive-era music of Genesis into the new millennium, proving it fresh, enduring and, most importantly, relevant.

Live, released in 2013

Songs / Tracks Listing: 
CD1
1. Watcher of the Skies
2. The Chamber of 32 Doors
3. Dancing with the Moonlit Knight
4. Fly on a Windshield
5. Broadway Melody of 1974
6. The Lamia
7. The Musical Box
8. Shadow of the Hierophant
9. Blood on the Rooftops

CD2
1. Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers
2. In That Quiet Earth
3. Afterglow
4. I Know What I Like
5. Dance on a Volcano
6. Entangled
7. Eleventh Earl of Mar
8. Supper's Ready

CD3
1. Firth of Fifth
2. Los Endos

DVD1 - Full live show
DVD2 - Behind the scenes featurette

Line-up / Musicians: 

- Steve Hackett / Guitars, Vocals
- Roger King (Gary Moore, Snoop Doggie Dog, Jamelia) / Keyboards,
- Gary O'Toole (Kylie Minogue, Chrissie Hynde) / Drums, Percussion, Vocals
- Rob Townsend (Eddie Henderson, Bill Bruford, Django Bates) / Sax,Flute, Percussion,
- Lee Pomeroy (Take That, Rick Wakeman) / Bass
- Nad Sylvan (Abba's Michael B Tretow) / Vocals
With:
- Nik Kershaw / Vocals
- Steve Rothery / Guitar
- John Wetton / Bass, Guitar, Vocals
- Jakko Jaksyzk / Guitar, Vocals
- Amanda Lehmann / Guitar, Vocals

Releases information:
Label: Inside Out Music 2013.
Available as: 3CD/2DVD Box Set & Digital Download
Out 21st October 2013 (EU) & 29th October 2013 (US).

Genesis - Live in Poland DVD

By D. Negrin
I was thrilled to see that the Genesis 1998 Calling All Stations Tour was finally getting officially released on DVD (NTSC, Region 0). For those who do not know, it was the (often forgotten) tour after Phil Collins officially announced his departure from Genesis. The band line up included co-founding members Mike Rutherford (guitars/bass) and Tony Banks (keys) with new lead singer Ray Wilson and backing musicians Nir Z (drums) and Anthony Drennon (guitars/bass).

All of that being said, I was extremely disappointed to find out upon playing the DVD that it is the same quality as the bootleg in wide circulation (from Polish television) and the claimed '5.1 surround sound', is completely bogus. It's actually audio that is equally disbursed through four stereo channels. So, the quality is only so-so, and the audio is only so-so overall. The only positive is that the discs and packaging are attractive. I later came to learn that this DVD is not sanctioned by the band or their management, which explains why the item is sub-par in comparison to the band's other DVD releases.

While its nice to have this largely undocumented tour on a pressed DVD set (only excerpts appear on the video portion of the official 1983-1998 Box Set 5CD/5DVD), it will leave some people feeling disappointed.


By Seamonkey
Yes..this is a bootleg! the video quality leaves much to be desired, I have VHS tapes of concerts that look much better than this.
It's a shame Genesis never released this concert, especially after seeing the 2 songs(Some other way & The Dividing Line)from this concert included in the 5.1 remastered CAS DVD. Both songs are crystal clear and the audio is superb.
Genesis had a perfect opportunity to include this show in a quality format in the box set and for some reason they seem to want to delete it's existence from their past...GET OVER IT! it's part of your history and I think it's a good concert.
I have seen every Genesis tour since seeing them on the Selling England by the Pound tour, including the reunion tour of several years ago.
I had tickets for this tour(N America)and was very disappointed when it was cancelled, like other Genesis fans, I have always wanted to see them perform this tour live but never had the opportunity. I did hear of bootlegs of this show being available, but I don't belong to any trader club or don't have a DVD recorder on my computer.
I only skimmed through this DVD when it was delivered and will watch it all this weekend.
First impressions:
The video is 5 out of 10
The audio is not true 5.1 as the other reviewer has written but it sounds pretty good, not great but good.
It's nice to hear a different approach on the songs, especially the addition of Nik and the guitarist. I think they add a freshness and rejuvination to material that has been played so many times it's predictible.
When I listen to Nik playing on The Dividing Line..I think..Phil who???
On the second DVD Genesis peforms 3 unplugged numbers,Dancing with the Moonlit Knight, Follow You, Follow Me and Suppers ready. Tony even steps away from the keyboards and plays guitar.
It's a nice touch and perfectly suits Ray's vocal styling.
Maybe I will update this after viewing the entire package this weekend.
In summary, it's a bootleg, the video quality leaves a lot to be desired but the stereo mix sounds good and allows one to hear Genesis live with Ray Wilson.
His vocals are off a bit now and then but unlike most DVD concerts where the rough spots are fixed in the studio, this is raw as it was that night.
I'm sure if Genesis had taken the time to release this themselves, everything would sound fantastic and the rough bits fixed.
If you're like me and you enjoyed Calling All Stations and like Ray Wilson, then you will like the concert.
I would recommend picking up one of the used ones for half the price or check one of the Genesis trading sites to see if someone will give you one but most I've seen don't have all the setlist that's included here.
I have a feeling this will sell quite well and Genesis will wished they had released it.
I also have a feeling there will be a cease and desist order on this DVD and CD and copies will no longer be available.
Do I feel bad I bought a bootleg? No
Do I feel bad I had to because Genesis wouldn't release this? Yes
thanks guyz
a disappointed lifetime fan.

Steve Hackett - Genesis Revisited II

By Ryan Reed at ultimateclassicrock 
Ever since vocalist Peter Gabriel abandoned Genesis‘ classic quintet line-up in 1975, following the release of the double-album concept-epic ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway,’ the band’s ’70s purists have pined for a full-prog reunion.
The closest we’ve come was in 1999, when all five members (Gabriel, drummer-vocalist Phil Collins, bassist Mike Rutherford, keyboardist Tony Banks, guitarist Steve Hackett) joined forces for a stylish re-interpretation of ‘Lamb’ highlight ‘The Carpet Crawlers,’ released on the compilation ‘Turn it on Again: The Hits.’ But in 2012, it appears that dream is dead: Gabriel’s far too focused on his solo career and humanitarian efforts, while Collins — saddled from drumming by a debilitating spinal injury — announced his retirement last year.
Throughout it all, Hackett has always embraced the material from Genesis’ peak-prog period, reflecting fondly in interviews, constantly expressing his interest in a possible reunion (which is sad considering he was left out of the 2007 trio reunion), and playing the ’70s classics on-stage. His critics (and even his former bandmates) seem to feel Hackett’s stuck in the past — but he clearly still loves interpreting these songs, adding new textures and flourishes as the years go by.
The double-disc ‘Genesis Revisited II’ is Hackett’s second collection of updated Genesis tunes, and it’s a far more cohesive and inventive set than 1996′s ‘Watcher of the Skies.’ Utilizing the same basic format as that album, ‘Revisited II’ is almost entirely comprised of Genesis material, balanced out by a handful of solo Hackett tunes, most of which were originally rehearsed by Genesis in the ’70s.
As with any ‘Revisited’-style album, it’s tough to know where to draw the line. What’s the point of a note-for-note cover (especially since the early albums have been remastered)? On the other hand, is diverging from the source material prog-rock blasphemy? Hackett strikes a mostly successful balance: adding a few new intros, expanding a few Guitar Hero-style solos, and taking some bold liberties with his taste in singers, all-the-while keeping the songs’ core mysticism in-tact.
‘Lamb”s ‘The Chamber of 32 Doors’ is given a glistening classical guitar intro, while vocalist Nad Sylvan nails the nuance of Gabriel’s theatrical vocal; Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson adds warmth and color to ‘Foxtrot”s overlooked ‘Can Utility and the Coastliners,’ which is augmented by live orchestrations; ‘Wind & Wuthering’ highlight ’Blood on the Rooftops’ perked up by some excellent soprano sax. The album’s true highlight is, unsurprisingly, the 23-minute epic ‘Supper’s Ready.’ Hackett utilizes several vocalists, none of whom — at least on paper – -seem logical singing on the same track: Opeth’s Mikael Akerfeldt belts passionately; Simon Collins echoes the smooth delivery of his dad, and …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead’s Conrad Keely adds a punk edge to the track’s ripping mid-section. Hackett adds extra guitar flourishes throughout, ending with a furious finger-tapped solo.
There are numerous reasons why Hackett’s ‘Revisited’ project works so well. One is that he joined forces with some of prog-rock’s finest players and singers; another is that he never views the material through a nostalgic lens. ‘Revisited II’ has an urgency most ‘tribute albums’ don’t, mostly because Hackett’s so liberal about letting the songs go to some often strange new places.
Sometimes, though, the risks don’t pay off — mostly due to some awkward vocalist choices: Gary O’Toole is distractingly macho on ‘Broadway Melody of 1974′; Amanda Lehmann’s throaty vibrato is distracting amid the swirl of ‘Ripples” tender acoustics; meanwhile, Nik Kershaw’s more straightforward, sleepy vocal interpretation on ‘The Lamia’ feels out of place given the track’s absurd lyrics.
But without taking a few gambles, the project wouldn’t feel so vital. Warts and all, ‘Revisited II’ is the stuff diehards dream about — and in 2012, it’s about as close to in-the-flesh classic Genesis as it gets.


By Xapam/USA
I was in line for the pre-order of this superlative CD set. My vinyl copies of most of the originals that were culled for this song roster have suffered a strange fate that I can only account for by vaguely remembering that I had my records stacked on the floor and leaning against a heat-radiator which (while a student in Buffalo NY), was hot for endless winters... Stunned to find them warped beyond playability I have lived without this music for a long time. I find much of digital (CD) music generally sonically disappointing these days and was hesitant to replace my now-useless LP's with dubious digital versions.

But still I could not resist the compulsion to go after this set and I will testify that I am not disappointed. This is a highly recommended re-creation of much of the classic-period (as I would define it) Genesis repertoire.
These kinds of musical exercises can pretty much go in one of two basic directions, a faithful recreation, maybe with a few of the original cast being one; I was pleased to see that Mr. Hackett and company took the other fork - avoiding the county-fair 'oldies-show' pitfall while re-imagining the music from a modern point of view and taking advantage of the bias of your particular instrument/s while opening the process up to folks who are equally enthusiastic about the journey.
I can see that a fair amount of time has gone into the track sequence and the various ways these songs were re-conceived and performed. The engineering of the material (primarily Roger King) is wonderful in it's innovation, punch and clarity and the reclamation of Steve Hackett's guitar authority within these songs, for my ears, reinvigorates and expands the originals. That hanging guitar sustain at the commencement of 'The Chamber of 32 Doors' will tell you all you need to know about Mr. Hackett's approach to this music and his role in it's original conception.
I confess that I went out and bought a sub-woofer, to upgrade the near-antique conglomeration of Hi-Fi (see how old I am?) components I cling to, essentially at the time of committing to this music purchase. I was stunned at the contribution to the output of my almost silly-looking paired Tandberg Fasett speakers those new-found lower bass notes made and this recording has plenty of those, even at the more subtle, low bass setting I prefer to maintain.
There are so many exemplary performances and vocal treatments here that both pay homage to and build upon the originals. I was afraid I would miss Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins' voices but after a couple of playings and the expected getting-used-to period, I came to realize that it was the music that held steadfast and the new players brought something to the endeavor.
I have read through the various reviews here and agree with many of the comments; I also disagree with a few perspectives. So, I think that Gary O'Toole hit his marks on all his vocalizations; these never sounded better. Contrary to some opinions here, I greatly enjoy Amanda Lehmann's handling of 'Ripples' and found that it opened up a new way of hearing that song, so-far "owned" by Phil Collins. Forget about who she is or is not sounding sort-of like; just listen to the intent of the music. I hit the repeat button a few times here (I had a similar reaction to hearing Shelby Lynne sing 'Surfer Girl' on Brian Wilson's Musicares tribute video; I think some of this may involve getting over the gender bias of an original music and see what new may come of it). Rob Townsend's wind contributions really do nudge a lot of this music into the improvisational jazz arena that it often tends toward. I have greatly enjoyed Mr. Hackett's association and projects involving Steven Wilson and have yet to be disappointed with those outcomes; in so doing, I have become a huge fan of Mr. Wilson's work with Porcupine Tree and on his own - this originating with these more recent collaborations of two creative thinkers. The participation of the Hungarian jazz ensemble Djabe in support of this music (and vice-versa) seems like a natural collaborative extension of their combined musical capabilities and interests.
Without pursuing the 'favorites' quagmire (okay, I'll allow Musical Box...), I highly recommend this music purchase: obviously to Genesis freaks but also to younger listeners possibly new to what we still call 'progressive rock' - those who may find something missing or redundant in much of the musical out-pour these days. The long form, epic, 'tone poem-ish' nature of Mr. Hackett's recent original works and now this particular 'musical rehash' - which may suffer under the "progressive" moniker - lends itself to introspection, absorption and a degree of musical feeling that remains with you after the demands of the day inevitably take you back over. The original or traditional classical and other musical references (the music-box intro; Greensleeves) which 'set up' or embellish certain selections help to redefine, enrich those pieces and bridge the chasm to other music forms and your own music memory.
Get it, queue it up, crank it up (I definitely agree with that fellow!) and sit down and listen. It's quite excellent.

Tracks:
Disc: 1
1. The Chamber of 32 Doors
2. Horizons
3. Supper's Ready
4. The Lamia
5. Dancing With the Moonlit Knight
6. Fly on a Windshield
7. Broadway Melody of 1974
8. The Musical Box
9. Can Utility and the Coastliners
10. Please Don't Touch

Disc: 2
1. Blood on the Rooftops
2. The Return of the Giant Hogweed
3. Entangled
4. Eleventh Earl of Mar
5. Ripples
6. Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers
7. ...in That Quiet Earth
8. Afterglow
9. A Tower Struck Down
10. Camino Royale
11. Shadow of the Hierophant

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.

1976-1982 Vinyl Box Set

By D. Davis
Back in the late 2000's, Genesis began re-releasing their entire back catalog in remastered & remixed CD / DVD sets. There were three sets which were released to reflect three distinct periods of the Genesis timeline: 1970-1975 (The Peter Gabriel years), 1976-1982 (the early Phil Collins years), and 1983-1998 (later Phil Collins years / Ray Wilson era). The sets were greeted with mixed reviews from the fans. Some panned them as being harshly remixed with compressed sound and an increased loudness factor, while others praised the new mixes which weren't as muddy as the previous ones and revealed new details within the music. Nonetheless, of the box sets that were re-released, only one of them had a vinyl release to coincide with the box, and it was the 1970-1975 Peter Gabriel years set. I previously reviewed the vinyl release of that set here on Amazon and still listen to it frequently. I, like many fans, was hoping maybe the other box sets would get the vinyl treatment as well. Years passed and nothing came about....until now.... :-)....and I am personally thrilled because this was my favorite of the sets when the CD / DVD re-release came out. And to have it now on vinyl is very exciting!!

As the description states, this "new" 1975-1982 LP box set contains five classic albums on thick 180 gram vinyl:

1-Trick of the Tail
2-Wind and Wuthering
3-And Then There Were Three
4-Duke
5-Abacab

Now let me back up for a second. When these five albums were re-released on the CD / DVD box set, I personally loved the new version of "Wind and Wuthering" as it sounded like a fresh new album thanks to the remastering. I felt the same way about "Trick" as well. However, "Duke" sounded like a harsh mess, with very chaotic sound. "Abacab" and "Three" were marginal. I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this new vinyl set, but I'm glad I did, because each of these LPs sound fresh and vibrant, with very little (if any) compression in the mixes. A definite improvement over the harsher sound of the CDs.
"Wind and Wuthering" is amazing! As great as it sounded on CD, it practically soars to new heights on vinyl. The "choral" parts of "Blood on the Rooftops" and crystal clear, adding yet another added piece of depth to an already classic song. "All In A Mouse's Night" sounds like it was recorded this year. The end of "Afterglow" sounds more beautiful than ever. Phil's drums sound great throughout this entire album, and many lost sounds of cymbals and crashes are now more pronounced. Very good bass as well. I will be playing this one non-stop!
"Trick" is fantastic as well. "Mad Man Moon" and "Entangled", two gorgeous songs, shine even greater on this set. The quiet parts are enhanced, in that they sound very clear, nothing muddy in the mix, while aggressive tunes like "Squonk" and "Los Endos" will give your subwoofer a good workout! Good clear bass without overkilling it.
Without a doubt, though, the best improved of the bunch is the aforementioned "Duke". It sounded muddy on the original vinyl, thick on the '94 CD remasters, and a big loud mess on the CD / DVD re-release last decade. This version on vinyl is the one I will now return to again and again. I longed to hear a good, clean, clear sounding "Duchess" and that's exactly what is here. Two underrated gorgeous tracks, "Heathaze" and "Please Don't Ask", are VERY clean and the mud has been kicked off them, so to speak. "Duke's Travels / Duke's End" also shine. I can hear previously buried sounds now, with Tony's keyboards leading the way with a more definitive bass groove. This album really rocks, and now the thick sound has been lifted and it sounds the way I always wanted it to !!
"Three" and "Abacab" sound pretty much as they did on CD, which is good. I concentrated mostly on "Wind", "Trick" and "Duke" as these were the strongest of the albums. I'll add the other two in time.
So far, I have encountered zero surface noise or drop-outs, which some fans said were present on the 1970-1975 vinyl set. The packaging is the same as that set, which has a big box that the LPs slide into from the side. All five albums have protective sleeves covering the inner LP and all have faithful renditions of the original covers / gatefolds. "Wind" even has a textured cover. The covers are all heavyweight cardboard and look quite handsome.
I was told that only 1000 of these were made (although I'm still looking for confirmation and none of them are numbered), so we'll see what comes of that. Anyway, I don't think you'll be disappointed in this set. Great quality music, great quality packaging, and a boxful of memories for vinyl junkies like myself. Perhaps Genesis will finish things off by properly re-releasing the 1983-1998 box set on vinyl too (I'd love to hear "Calling All Stations" remastered for vinyl!!).
Prog on, my friends.

1970-1975 Vinyl Box Set

By D. Davis (Austin, TX)
As a big fan of the Peter Gabriel era, I had always hoped another series of reissues would come about after the early / mid 90's Definitive Edition CDs (which I wasn't a big fan of, although others were). Luckily, all these years later, Genesis started to release their back catalog, remixed with bonuses.
And now it's time for the Peter Gabriel era.
Not only was this newest set announced in a CD/DVD box (as were the other two eras, 1976-1982 and 1983-1998), but this particular set was also released as an LP vinyl set. And if you loved those old Charisma LPs, and the warm analogue sound the provided, you'll flip for these.
EMI delayed this set twice over the past few months, but it was worth the wait. This LP set contains all five Gabriel-era non-live albums, each housed in an album cover with the original art work. Each also has a gatefold, except for "Selling England" which has a regular jacket, but includes a lyric insert sheet. The LPs themselves are pressed onto thick 200 gram vinyl, and all can be stored in the "big green box" which comes with the set. The box itself doesn't open, but rather, it is cut on the side (a hollow strip, if you will), allowing you to slip the LPs into it as you would books on a bookshelf. The overall packaging is very nice, and will make a grand display item in your collection
As for the sound....well.....prepare to enjoy nice thick slabs of analogue heaven. I have a mid-level turntable (a good one, not a great one), and the music sounds incredible. You won't need a state-of-the-art sound system to enjoy the warmth of these recordings. New sounds which were previously buried in the mixes are now alive and vibrant, sounding as amazing as any CD recording (really). Nick Davis and company did a fantastic job on these. Here are some of my personal highlights listening to these LPs:
TRESPASS --
Sounds like a brand new album. The previous mixes were so muddy it sounded like they recorded it in a well. "Stagnation" is absolutely gorgeous, and "The Knife" will knock your speakers over if you're not careful.
NURSERY CRYME --
My favorite album of the Gabriel-era gets an awesome makeover. "Seven Stones" has fresher sounds from Tony's mellotron that I've never heard before, and "The Fountain of Salmacis" almost sounds brand new, especially the ending when Hackett's guitar is soaring.
FOXTROT --
"Can-Utility and the Coastliners", a vastly underrated Genesis song, is full of punch and life in these mixes, with the orchestral sounding feel of the mid-portion is crystal clear.
SELLING ENGLAND --
"Dancing w/the Moonlit Knight" has that powerful chorus choir, just before the "There's a fat old lady...." line. I've never heard it more powerful than on these new LP mixes. It will knock your socks off. And "Epping Forest" almost sounds like a rock song now; so many new sounds, so many hidden pieces now coming to light. And you'll shed a tear listening to "Firth of Fifth." Very powerful.
THE LAMB --
The entire 2 LP set now sounds thicker and more aggressive. Songs like "Fly on a Windshield" and "Lilywhite Lilith" will rattle your windows. The clarity of this album is amazing now. I wish I could say more for this album. The entire thing is now fantastic.
While I was hoping we'd get an extra LP, maybe with some of the extra tracks that were on the CD set, I am thrilled that EMI and Genesis decided to approve an LP release for those of us who still love to spin vinyl. This set is a limited edition pressing, only 1000 were made (although none are individually numbered).
Well done Genesis and Nick Davis! Amazing work on this set. Now when will we get reissued LPs for those other two box sets???? ;-)

Live In Poland 1998 - CD´s

By Leonardo Barroso
This is the only recording live with Ray Wilson on vocals.
This was the Tour of  the album "Calling All Stations".
Recorded in Poland on Jan. 31, 1998.
But only released in 2009, and was not included on the Box Set "Live 1973-2007", why not ?
Sound is not that good, and the material received no attention by engineer Nick Davis careful mastering/mixing or by any of the founding members of Genesis.

Disc 1 
Title Composer Time
1- Intro/Land of Confusion Banks, Collins, Rutherford 5:11
2- The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway 5:43
   Composed by: Banks, Collins, Gabriel, Hackett, Rutherford
3- Calling All Stations Banks, Rutherford 6:48
4- Alien Afternoon Banks, Rutherford 9:08
5- Carpet Crawlers  5:05
   Composed by: Banks, Collins, Gabriel, Hackett, Rutherford
6- There Must Be Some Other Way Banks, Rutherford, Wilson 9:18
7- Domino Banks, Collins, Rutherford 11:04
8- Shipwrecked Banks, Rutherford 5:46
9- Firth of Fifth 5:13
   Composed by: Banks, Collins, Gabriel, Hackett, Rutherford

Disc 2
Title Composer Time
1- Congo Banks, Rutherford 6:52
2- Home by the Sea Banks, P.Collins, Rutherford 12:52
3- Dancing with the Moonlit Knight  2:12
   Composed by: Banks, Gabriel, Hackett, P.Collins, Rutherford
4- Follow You Follow Me Banks, Collins, Rutherford 2:55
5- Supper's Ready: Lovers' Leap  2:22
   Composed by: Banks, Collins, Gabriel, Hackett, Rutherford
6- Mama Banks, Collins, Rutherford 6:43
7- The Dividing Line Banks, Rutherford 11:25
8- Invisible Touch Banks, Collins, Rutherford 5:29
9- Turn It on Again Banks, Collins, Rutherford 5:39
10- Throwing It All Away Banks, Collins, Rutherford 6:12
11- I Can't Dance Banks, Collins, Rutherford 6:32

Genesis Live 1973 - 2007 - Box Set

By John Kelman
Rhino Records 2009
With all of British mega-group Genesis' studio discography now available in remixed/remastered form, including 5.1 surround mixes and a bevy of bonus audio and video features, the only commercial material left to receive engineer Nick Davis' careful attention is its series of four live albums. These begin with Genesis Live (Charisma, 1973) and end with The Way We Walk--originally issued as two separate releases, The Shorts (Atlantic, 1992) and The Longs (Atlantic, 1993).
While Davis' work on the previous boxes--1970-1975 (Rhino, 2008), 1976-1982 (Rhino, 2007) and 1983-1998--has been the subject of some controversy, Live 1973-2007 is going to be the most contentious box amongst hardcore Genesis fans, for a number of reasons. Unlike many bands that evolve over the years, Genesis morphed from its early, progressive rock beginnings into a stadium act in the 1980s and 1990s, one that could also be found in heavy rotation on MTV--appearing, at least on the surface, to have deserted its art rock roots. While it is true that the group adopted a more decidedly pop approach in its later years, longer songs like "Driving the Last Spike" from We Can't Dance (Atlantic, 1991), "Domino" from Invisible Touch (Atlantic, 1986), and "Dodo/Lurker" from Abacab (Atlantic, 1981), while less complex than, say, the group's epic "Supper's Ready" from Foxtrot (Charisma, 1972), were all far from radio-friendly. In their largely episodic construction, they were clear descendents of early masterpieces like "The Knife" from Trespass (Charisma, 1971) and "The Cinema Show" from Selling England By the Pound (Charisma, 1973).
Equally, while early episodic pieces like "The Musical Box" from Nursery Cryme (Charisma, 1972) and Selling England's "Firth of Fifth" were filled with shifting meters and challenging, interlocking parts, shorter songs like Selling England's "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)," Nursery Cryme's "Seven Stones" and Foxtrot's "Time Table" all demonstrated a group more concerned with songs than the grandstanding instrumental virtuosity so often at the root of early 1970s progressive rock.
In the final analysis, even amidst the instrumental brilliance, Genesis was always a songwriting band--a characteristic revealed, perhaps, most vividly by listening to the group's discography chronologically, from its earliest days to its final studio gasp on the unfairly overlooked Calling All Stations (Atlantic, 1998). More than the previous boxes, which capture specific periods in the group's development, Live 1973-2007 documents the group's evolution in a more self-contained fashion. As such, it's bound to have fans who prefer the "prog" Genesis to the "hit making" Genesis content (or vice versa). But it's also possible--hopeful, even--that this box might make at least partial converts of both factions; uniting, rather than polarizing.
Still, there's plenty more controversy to be found. Unlike previous boxes--which had, in addition to 5.1 surround mixes on either SACD (in the UK) or DVD (in North America), a wealth of audio and video extras including interviews with the band, hard-to-find or previously unreleased odds and ends, and some terrific concert footage--Live 1973-2007 has but three bonus DVD discs with only 5.1 surround mixes and no video content, and the transitional Three Sides Live (Atlantic, 1982) and The Way We Walk excluded (though they do receive new stereo mixes.
The reason for the 5.1 omissions on Three Sides and The Way We Walk is because the DVD box that's to come will have surround mixes of the concert performances from those tours. Still, it's nice to see the running order of The Way We Walk restored to concert sequence over its two discs, with the three tracks either not performed or recorded on that tour--"Mama," "That's All" and "In Too Deep"--appended as bonus tracks at the end of the second disc. With the previously unavailable (other than as the "flip side" of the 1992 Tell Me Why single/EP) "Turn It On Again" added, it makes a complete performance from the We Can't Dance tour. There is a reason why there's no video footage, however: the next Genesis box will be an all-video one, reissuing its commercially available concert DVDs and, hopefully, more.
The addition of a full CD and DVD from the group's 1973 performance at The Rainbow in London, England raises yet another contentious issue: the dearth of previously unreleased material in this box set--although, in truth, there's more than meets the eye. It's true that the five tracks from The Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles performance of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (Atco, 1974), that are appended to the end of Genesis Live as bonus tracks, first appeared on the Genesis Archives, Vol. 1: 1967-1975 (Virgin, 1998) box set. It's equally true that five of the Rainbow tracks also appeared on Archives.
When Archives was released, despite a full, two-disc performance of The Lamb being its major attraction, there was a sore point amongst fans that remains to this day. A combination of vocal flaws and logistical problems with Gabriel's elaborate costumes used on the tour (and an inherent inability to sing close enough to his microphone) making some original vocal tracks unusable, the decision was made to rerecord a substantial number of vocals by Gabriel in the mid-1990s, by which time his voice had changed considerably, being much huskier and deeper. He also rerecorded some of the vocals to "Supper's Ready," from the Rainbow set. The performances may have been more technically perfect (and audible), but the difference in the complexion of Gabriel's mid-1990s voice was simply too dramatic, offending purists who, having heard bootleg recordings from the same period, would have preferred the undoctored vocals from back in the day.
Here, Gabriel's original vocals are largely restored, and they do, at least to some extent, explain the vocalist's decision to re-record his tracks on a technical level: he lacked the stamina and, at times, range in live performance that would improve significantly in his post-Genesis solo career, and there are some major flaws to be found in these recovered vocals. Imperfections aside, however, the spirit of Gabriel's original performance is, most importantly, also largely restored, making these versions--also remixed/remastered by Davis--clearly the definitive ones. Where re-recorded vocals remain, they're less jarring, less in-your-face (except to die-hard Genesis fans who are familiar with every note, every nuance).
With the outcry against Gabriel's decision to re-record his vocals for Archives, this restoration should be met happily--though, no doubt, there will be those who will complain that the entire Lamb show hasn't been restored and included. Of course, the songs that have been included are ones that didn't involve complex costumes, rendering vocal issues technical rather than logistical. Without hearing the original vocals, of course, and considering the flaws that Gabriel lets through here, it's impossible to know the shape of those other vocal tracks. Hackett also made some overdubbed fixes on Archives, but those remain intact on Live 1973-2007.
All of this means that Live 1973-2007 possesses only four absolutely brand-new, never-before-heard bonus tracks, all from the Rainbow show: "Watcher of the Skies" and "Musical Box," both only available on the DVD (a sensible decision, since they're very close to the versions on Genesis Live and including them in CD form would have necessitated stretching the single, full Rainbow CD into a less-than-packed double) and, on both CD and DVD, "The Cinema Show" and "The Battle of Epping Forest."
So, with all these potential issues, what does Live 1973-2007 have going for it?
Plenty.
First, Davis' remixes/remasters are as good as those on 1970-1975, which has been met with less criticism for what some consider excessive compression on the other two studio box sets. All four live albums sound richer, fuller and more alive than earlier versions. There will be the inevitable discussion about Davis' mixing choices--decisions that have been approved by the band--the truth is that there are now plenty of hidden details revealed for the first time. Genesis co-founder/keyboardist Tony Banks may consider Genesis Live to be an inferior performance (originally a radio broadcast, but the only one available from that time with multi-track masters), but equally, he's said that Davis' remix/remaster significantly improves the disc, and he's absolutely right. This new version possesses far more of the power, energy and, especially, magic of Gabriel-era Genesis--a quality that, despite plenty of other positives to describe post-Gabriel incarnations, was lost when the singer left after the Lamb tour completed in 1975.
Seconds Out, often considered the group's best live release, has never sounded better, and Three Sides Live, which suffered from especially poor sound on initial release, now matches the rest of the albums in sonic depth. It's great to have the running order of The Way We Walk restored, especially with the curious decision to end the original The Longs with a drum duet (The Drum Thing"). The group has, smartly, not remixed or remastered the double-disc from its 2007 reunion tour, Live Over Europe 2007 (Atlantic, 2007), but space is left in the box to slide that set in, making Live 1973-2007 a complete document of Genesis' entire, commercially available live albums.
Hearing Gabriel's original delivery on the Rainbow disc--especially on "Supper's Ready," for which the Seconds Out version has long been considered the gold standard--and the five bonus live Lamb tracks demonstrates the significant difference between his approach and that of Phil Collins. Even in the drummer-turned-lead vocalist's early days as Genesis front man around the time of Seconds Out, where he was intentionally aping Gabriel's delivery, Collins may have possessed greater range and stamina, but he lacked Gabriel's narrative beauty. Gabriel always was--and would remain, in his solo career--a more considered singer, but it was that very consideration which made Genesis' early, tale-driven material especially compelling, in particular songs like "Epping Forest" and "Get 'Em Out By Friday"--miniature musical theater both, with Gabriel assuming multiple roles.
Live 1973-2007 encapsulates, in one self-contained box, the remarkable evolution of Genesis, from its progressive roots on Genesis Live and Seconds Out, through the transitional period of Three Sides Live, through to the arena and million album-selling megastars of The Way We Walk and Live Over Europe.
Yes, there are plenty of radio shows out there but Live 1973-2007, like the previous box sets, is about releasing Genesis' commercial releases in significantly improved form. Despite less overt bonus material (though, with Gabriel's restored vocals, there's actually nearly 100 minutes of music that's not been commercially available in precisely this form), that should be reason enough. But if another one is need, it's this: there's no other place to experience, so clearly, the constant thread that winds through Genesis' lengthy existence--and, despite a number of emphatic shifts over the years, there is a thread. Genesis, an emphatically songwriting band with the added benefit of outstanding instrumental performances, is all here on Live 1973-2007, a box set that suggests serious reconsideration of the clear arc that defines its entire career.
And that is, in the final analysis, the purpose of Live 1973-2007. There are plenty of radio shows out there, of near-excellent quality, that the group could have culled for this box, but the entire Genesis box set series has been about releasing its already available commercial discs, in significantly improved sonic form.

Genesis Live

At the time, Genesis Live (Charisma, 1973) seemed largely intended to maintain group's momentum since guitarist Steve Hackett and drummer Phil Collins joined original group members Tony Banks, Peter Gabriel and bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford for its second Charisma disc (and third overall release), Nursery Cryme (1971). As strong as that album was, with three major epics in "The Musical Box," "The Fountain of Salmacis" and "The Return of the Giant Hogweed," Foxtrot (1972) was even better, with its dramatic album and live show opener, "Watcher of the Skies" and nearly side-long epic, "Supper's Ready," an episodic masterpiece that's still considered one of the pinnacles of progressive rock.
Genesis Live--a performance originally recorded for a radio broadcast--was released while the group was in the studio, preparing for Selling England By the Pound (1973)--considered by many to be its best overall Gabriel-era album. Genesis Live may well be less-than-perfect, both to Banks' ears and to careful listeners, but Nick Davis' remix/remaster restores much of its vitality, revealing a group that may still have been finding its performing legs, but possessed a distinctive narrative magic unique amidst its British progressive rock brethren.
While Yes' Jon Anderson was writing incomprehensible lyrics that still sounded right with the group's music, and King Crimson was shifting from the early, flowery poetry of Peter Sinfield to Richard Palmer-James' more direct prose, Genesis was creating a small theatrical universe through its story-telling lyrics. The subjects were broad--from the science fiction-informed "Watcher of the Skies" to the curious tale of sexually deprived ghosts in "The Musical Box" and a cautionary tale of big business and overcrowded housing in "Get 'Em Out By Friday"--and lent themselves to the group's increasingly theatrical presentation. No usual walls of amplification for Genesis; its stage was spare and clean, with all but Gabriel seated, placing the visual focus on Gabriel, his masks and his costumes. Genesis Live may suffer from the lack of those visuals, but there's still plenty to recommend.
While the group almost painstakingly avoided overt virtuosity, it had, instead, established a wealth of personal stylistic markers. With Rutherford using bass pedals so that he could also play 12-string electric guitar alongside Hackett on songs like "The Musical Box," Genesis had a clearly recognizable harmonic and textural voice, owing something small to the traditional folk tradition and unmistakably English but, with Collins' muscular drumming, also possessing no shortage of rock and roll strength. Banks' dramatic mellotron opening to "Watcher of the Skies" remains one of progressive rock's most spine-tingling moments, while his organ work--a particularly dominant voice on early Genesis music that, sadly, gradually diminished as the band evolved--may not posses the fire of Keith Emerson or Rick Wakeman, but it was as compositionally strong as either--in some cases, perhaps, even more, as the focus on writing and not "look at me" grandstanding yielded far more memorable melodies and dramaturgy.
Only the closing "The Knife" comes from the pre-Hackett/pre-Collins incarnation and, while founding guitarist Anthony Phillips' work Trespass' original from 1970 was far from shabby, Hackett proves himself the superior guitarist, one who may not have taken the spotlight in Genesis often, but whose supporting contributions and stylistic innovations are even more impressive in the previously unheard clarity of this remix/remaster.
The inclusion of five bonus tracks from the January, 1974 performance of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway in Los Angeles initially seems like an odd choice. The group had evolved considerably between the time of Genesis Live and The Lamb a couple years later, but as a self-contained, five-song medley, it's a nice addition to flesh out the length of the CD. "Back in N.Y.C.," "Fly on a Windshield," "Broadway Melody of 1974," "Anyway" and "Chamber of 32 Doors" are not in even proper sequential order, but still work even out of context. With Gabriel's vocals restored, replacing the re-recorded tracks heard on Genesis Archives, Vol. 1: 1967-1975, the spirit is back but so, too, are the flaws in range and stamina, most noticeably on "Back in N.Y.C," where he almost painfully misses a couple of high notes. Rather than detracting from the performance, however, Gabriel's imperfections just make the performance more human, and his original delivery is far more in-character as The Lamb's hero, Rael.

Live at The Rainbow 1973

Containing the most new material in the box, much of Live at the Rainbow has been available before (in the Archives, Vol. 1 box), but not in exactly this format. Like the bonus Lamb tracks on Genesis Live, "Supper's Ready" featured, in the Archives box, some re-recorded vocals by Gabriel in the mid-1990s. The rest of the material--Selling England's "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight," "Firth of Fifth" and "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)"--is largely the same as on Archives, including the less-vilified guitar overdubs by Hackett. Only Selling England's Rutherford/Banks duet, "More Fool Me," was issued in completely original form.
Live at the Rainbow restores everything largely to its original form, though Hackett's overdubs and some of Gabriel's remain. Expanded out to a full CD, it also includes Selling England's "Cinema Show" and "The Battle of Epping Forest." The DVD disc also includes two additional songs that, since already appearing on Genesis Live, were deemed if not exactly superfluous, then an unnecessary duplication that would have necessitated stretching the single CD to a double-disc set. Given the group's largely literal, solo-light performances, the Rainbow takes of "Watcher of the Skies" and "The Musical Box" are simply not different enough to warrant changing the formatting of the release, but for those who want to experience a full Selling England concert (minus the group's usual encore, "The Knife"), it's all there on the DVD.
Equally, in order to fit all the material onto the CD--and another potential bone of contention for Genesis purists and completists--Gabriel's curiously enigmatic introductions to songs like "Supper's Ready," originally included on Archives, Vol. 1, have been excised here. A purely practical decision, and thankfully it's still possible to hear them on the less time-constrained DVD version.
With a couple of almost cringe-worthy flaws in Gabriel's Lamb performances (that still don't stop them from being a significant improvement over his re-dos), it's hard to imagine why he was so unhappy with his original Rainbow performances as to compel him to re-record them with a voice that had aged considerably, deepened and no longer sounded the same as it did back in the day. There are, indeed, a few pitch problems in the Rainbow show, but in this case authenticity trumps perfection, with Gabriel's delivery far more in context with the music--and possessing a certain in-character playfulness as well. Gabriel's delivery on "The Battle of Epping Forest," surely Genesis' zaniest epic, is a treat as he shifts persona throughout its constantly shifting 12 minutes--as are Banks' dramatic mellotron parts, especially near the song's end, pushed up in the mix by Davis. And even though Collins replaces Genesis' touring drummer, Bill Bruford, behind the kit during Banks' iconic keyboard solo on Seconds Out's version of "Cinema Show," there's a transcendent vibe on the Rainbow take that, with the Gabriel-era line-up, simply couldn't be duplicated.
While Seconds Out has long been considered the pinnacle of Genesis' live recordings, the energy and theatricality of the Rainbow set makes it less clear. Certainly "Supper's Ready," "Cinema Show" and "Firth of Fifth," being closer to the studio recordings with Collins behind the kit, feel somehow truer to their original spirit. There's no denying Collins had, at that time, a better voice from a technical perspective; but Gabriel-era Genesis was a group that transported its audiences with performances that surpassed faithful replication of its studio material, and it's all here, again even without the visuals. With Gabriel a mysterious and charismatic front-man, in contrast to Collins' more direct and audience-friendly approach, Genesis' focus was different--this wasn't so much a playing band as it was one telling tales through music--and as close as Collins came to replicating Gabriel in his early days as the group's front man, there's still no replacing him.
Taken together with Genesis Live performance, live versions of almost all of Genesis' Gabriel-era classics--certainly all of its epics, with the exception of "Fountains of Salmacis," which can be heard in a post-Gabriel version on Three Sides Live--are now available in one place. And it's also possible to look at Seconds Out from a different perspective, now that all the Gabriel-era classics are available with their original singer, where Phil Collins' assumption of vocal duties, but just as importantly his overall desertion of the drum seat, make for a very different set of performances, despite the largely scripted nature of the writing.

Seconds Out

A lot had happened by the time Seconds Out was released in 1977. Gabriel had left the band, and was already in the process of kick-starting a solo career that would grow in parallel with Genesis' (it's curious how, together, the two would likely never have achieved the commercial success both managed separately). Collins had taken over lead vocals and, on the group's first two post-Gabriel releases--the stunning one-two punch of Trick of the Tail (Atlantic, 1976) and Wind & Wuthering (Atlantic, 1976) that proved Genesis could easily withstand the loss of a figure once considered essential--he'd largely tried to replicate Gabriel's vibe, range and courser texture. Hackett had also left the band, though he was still a participant on Seconds Out, documenting, as it did, the tours following each studio release.
Considered by many, at least until now, to be Genesis' best commercial live release, Seconds Out also documented an equally important instrumental shift. With Collins' out front and center, he had to relinquish the drum chair, outside of longer instrumental passages, where he could jump back behind the kit. For the group's first post-Gabriel tour, Bill Bruford was recruited to take over, and it seemed like a logical choice given the percussionist's art rock background with Yes and King Crimson. As it turns out, it was a less-than-perfect marriage. Bruford was focused increasingly on improvisation, a position that couldn't have been more diametrically opposed to Genesis' tight arrangements. Bruford's live performance on the DVD that accompanies the Trick of the Tail remix/remaster of 1976-1982--as undeniably good as he is--feels strangely out of place, as he turfs scripted rhythmic ideas for in-the-moment spontaneity. The solution was, just as surprisingly, the recruitment of ex-Weather Report/Frank Zappa drummer Chester Thompson. But while Thompson's résumé would suggest a player with an equal improvisational bent, he was also a consummate session musician--ready, willing and able to stick with the group's arrangements and only inject his personality within its confines.
The result is that the Gabriel-era material that makes up much of Seconds Out nicely mirrors earlier performances, but there are differences. During the instrumental "Apocalypse in 9/8" section of "Supper's Ready," for example, while Banks' organ lines are melodically definitive, so, too, does it become a rhythm feature as Collins and Thompson attack its driving "da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da" rhythm together. The two also solo in the medley of Trick's "Dance on a Volcano" and "Los Endos" that closes the double-disc set. But Thompson's drum tone, echoing the more muted tom sound of American studio recording of the time, is very different from Collins' more expansive tone, and it changes the texture of the material when Collins' is out front singing and he's the sole drummer. It's not better, not worse; only different.
Past complaints that Hackett was brought down in the mix during the post-production of Second Out--leaving, as he did, with a phone call during the mixing sessions--may have had an element of truth, possibly not; here, detractors won't find any noticeable difference in his levels. Certainly his solo in "Firth of Fifth" is as dominant as it needs to be, although some of his ensemble work remains further down in the mix than might be expected--a function, no doubt, of Davis trying to retain the overall authenticity of the new mix while still adding more detail, depth and clarity.
Wind & Wuthering marked a change in direction, with the radio-friendly "Your Own Special Way" the most direct, pop-friendly song the group had ever written, and a significant move towards a simpler "verse-chorus" style. While not on Seconds Out, it still loomed over the group at the time, as its album sales, rather than being hurt by Gabriel's departure, appeared to be on the ascendancy. Collins was still, at this point, searching for his own voice, so his singing is largely literal, something that would change in later years when singing not only material from the Gabriel-era, but also songs from this period. Still, his increased range and accuracy made some of the performances here definitive at the time of release. With the Rainbow performance now available in the box with Gabriel's original vocals restored, it's a tough call. Gabriel's careful delivery of "Supper's Ready," "Cinema Show" and "Firth of Fifth," was more about theater, while Collins was more about the singing.
Collins' drumming behind Gabriel possessed a different kind of edge, a different kind of sound and the kind of élan that only comes from being the one who defined what the parts were, as opposed to Thompson, whose job was to replicate them. Still, Thompson, who would become Genesis' permanent touring drummer from this point on (with the exception of the Collins-less Calling All Stations tour), was already forging a real role in the overall group sound, and his more direct approach was clearly an inspiration for the increasingly pared down approach that Collins would begin taking from Duke (Atlantic, 1980) forward.

Three Sides Live

If Seconds Out represented a change in Genesis' direction, 1982's Three Sides Live augured a virtual paradigm shift. With "Follow You, Follow Me" the group's biggest radio hit yet, from the transitional ...And Then There Were Three (Atlantic, 1978)--the group's first recording without Hackett, and with Rutherford assuming all the guitar duties--Banks, Collins and Rutherford began a gradual move away from their progressive rock roots and an evolution towards simpler, more widely accessible form. Duke, considered by purists to be the group's progressive rock swan song with the multi-part, continuous titular suite that opened and closes the album, also continued the group's commercial climb with two huge hits--the easy shuffle of "Misunderstanding" and more driving "Turn It On Again," which proved that was possible--even in 1980 after the popular death-knell for progressive rock--to have a hit in an irregular meter.
Abacab (Atlantic, 1981) continued the stylistic shift, though with longer tracks like "Dodo," it still possessed some of Banks' unmistakable voicings. Still, Genesis had gone from being a progressive rock band to, well, just plain rock, with Abacab's title track a pulsing, four-on-the-floor piece of dance music. The original US release of Three Sides originally comprised three vinyl sides of the group's more radio-friendly live performances and one studio side of EP material including the Top 40 hit "Paperlate" and other tracks that would later surface on the 1976-1982 box. The rest of the world was treated to a fourth side of more progressive material, a cross-section culled from the Second Out tour of 1976/77, the 1978 tour in support of ...And Then There Were Three... (Atco, 1978), and the 1980 Duke tour. In some ways, it was all a bit confusing for new Genesis fans, and a tease to its longtime progressive contingent. It was this latter version that would later be released on CD, and it's this version that's included here.
Longer tracks like Wind & Wuthering's outstanding "One for the Vine" and a powerful live version of Nursery Cryme's "Fountain of Salmacis" went a long way to appease the increasingly alienated progressive contingent, but with "Misunderstanding" back-to-back with a lengthy medley of The Lamb's "In the Cage" and "Colony of Slippermen," and an excerpt from "Cinema Show," it felt, at the time, like an album that didn't know what it wanted to be. The good news is that, with the perspective of time, the majority of the music on Three Sides sounds remarkably unified, still the voice of as single group.
With Hackett gone and Rutherford assuming all string instrument duties, Genesis badly needed to recruit another member for its touring band. Fortunately, Collins--whose voice had emerged from Gabriel's shadow by this time and who'd had a major hit of his own with his first solo album, Face Value (Atlantic, 1981) and its massive radio single, "In the Air Tonight"--already had the perfect musician in mind. Enter guitarist Daryl Stuermer, who had emerged in the 1970s fusion arena with violinist Jean-Luc Ponty and was Collins' guitarist on Face Value, though he'd been touring with Genesis since 1978. Like Chester Thompson, Stuermer was a studio chameleon; a guitarist who could fit into almost any context and was also capable of doubling on bass. He was just what Genesis needed to replicate Rutherford's layered studio parts and provide greater virtuosity as required, to handle Hackett's parts on older material.
The problem with the initial release of Three Sides was the sound, but Davis has done an especially good job at making it sound as good as the rest of the discs in Live 1973-2007. With this album, the touring Genesis took on a personality of its own, as Collins' confidence increased from both his and Genesis' seemingly meteoric success and even older material took on a somewhat stripped-down sound. If anything, the only flaw with Three Sides is the dated "yooows" that Collins used to great excess throughout the album. By this time Gabriel-era Genesis was a thing of the distant past and, even when the group tackled older material, its choices seemed to fit in the context of its now leaner approach. The only odd man out, though a welcome one, is the closer to the second disc. A medley of The Lamb's "It" with an excerpt from "Watcher of the Skies" from the group's 1976 tour with Hackett and Bruford--despite a clear line through the group's entire history--only serves to highlight the radical shift that had taken place in the ensuing five years.
A full decade--the longest gap between Genesis live albums--passed before The Way We Walk, first releases as two CDs a year apart--1992's The Shorts, a collection of its shorter hits, and the 1993 follow-up, The Longs, featuring longer, more progressive-oriented tunes. The touring unit remained the same as on Three Sides, but even more had changed around it.

The Way We Walk

Collins' commercial success continued to rise on a sharp trajectory with no sign of letting up, but so, too, did Rutherford's. Mike + The Mechanics began humbly as a side project, but took on a life of its own with hits like "All I Need is a Miracle" and "The Living Years." What was, perhaps, most significant about the massive success both Rutherford and Collins had achieved outside of Genesis was just how much their flagship group remained a different project for both of them--a true collective with Banks, that was greater than the sum of its parts. Gabriel-era Genesis credited all songs to the group, even though there were plenty of individual contributions and collaborative subsets within the quintet. As post-Gabriel albums deserted collective crediting for individual songwriting acknowledgement, the music became more personal. Despite contributions from Rutherford, Hackett and Collins, Wind & Wuthering, for example, was largely driven by Banks--whose role in the overall Genesis sound may have initially seemed less dominant because of his reticent nature, but over the years has become increasingly clear.
The group returned to collective songwriting with Genesis (Atlantic, 1983) and the emphasis remained on more direct song-form, even on longer tracks like We Can't Dance's rock-heavy "Driving the Last Spike." But the group was, in its own way, as experimental as ever, with a song like the thundering "Mama" accessible, but hardly catchy in the conventional sense. Progressive rock had, in some ways, taken on the same kind of label-mania and rigid definition that was truly anathema in its earliest days, but it's clear, with tracks like "Mama" and "Silver Rainbow," also from Genesis, that there was no lack of forward-thinking going on in the Banks/Rutherford/Collins writing camp.
The restoration of The Way We Walk to proper concert sequence makes it a welcome addition to Live 1973-2007, providing a solid document of Genesis' final tour before Collins decided to throw in the towel. There's a greater emphasis on hits like "Land of Confusion" and No Son of Mine," though recent epics like "Driving the Last Spike" and "Domino" are well represented. The group's earlier progressive roots are represented only by a 20-minute "Old Medley," beginning with Trick of the Tail's "Dance on a Volcano" and seamlessly incorporating excerpts from "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway," "The Musical Box," "Firth of Fifth" and "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)," where Collins also tosses in quick references to radio hits that didn't make it into the tour's set list--"Illegal Alien," "That's All," "Your Own Special Way" and "Follow You, Follow Me." The group dips right back to Trespass with a closing reference to "Stagnation" that had been part of its live arrangement of "I Know What I Like" beginning with the Trick of the Tail tour, and can also be heard on Seconds Out. What's perhaps most remarkable is that, by this time, Genesis had racked up so many chart hits that it couldn't fit them all into a single concert.
While certain markers would always define Genesis' songs, by this time the group had broken some of its own sacrosanct arrangements as Stuermer, in particular, takes greater liberties with Hackett's guitar parts, especially in the instrumental section of "Firth of Fifth," where he gets his biggest feature. Collins rarely jumps behind the drums by this point, with Thompson driving the entire set with power, economy and unshakable groove, though he works hand-in-glove with the ex-Weather Reporter on the six-minute "The Drum Thing" which, positioned before the group's 1991 hit "I Can't Dance," makes far more sense than its original place at the end of The Longs, where it seemed almost an afterthought.
By this point Collins was truly an iconic pop personality--like it or not--who had, thankfully, deserted some of the dated phrasing and exclamations of Three Sides Live. His approachable stage presence turned Genesis into a group that was as much about entertainment as it was content, despite the Banks and Rutherford's more distant personae. It was the end of a long evolutionary path for a group that started as a "serious" art rock group but, by the 1990s, had become more easygoing and fun, albeit somewhat fluffy with songs like "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" (despite admittedly deeper subject matter) and "In Too Deep."
While some might say they'd devolved, the truth is that Banks, Rutherford and Collins had evolved as songwriters, now just as capable of finding accessible hooks and memorable melodies as they were complex and epic epics in the past. Still, supported by Banks' still unmistakable harmonies and Rutherford's deceptively simple but effective guitar and bass work, there was a depth to the writing that remained at the core of every song the group produced. It's too easy to accuse songs like "Invisible Touch" of being simplistic, of a song like "Follow You, Follow Me" being overly sentimental. But the reality is that Genesis, more than most groups, managed to straddle the fence between greater depth and leaner, pop simplicity. For every "I Can't Dance" there's a "Domino"; for every "Hold on My Heart" there's a "Home By the Sea."
While not exactly bonus tracks, "Mama" "In Too Deep" and "That's All"--either performed occasionally or not at all during the We Can't Dance tour from which The Way We Walk is culled--have been placed at the end of the second disc. "Turn It On Again," which closed the show during the tour and was curiously left off the original The Shorts, has been restored, making The Way We Walk a complete concert, and will be new to those who don't have the Tell Me Why CD-single/EP.

Live Over Europe 2007

While not included in the Live 1973-2007 box, there is a space for Live Over Europe 2007, released after Genesis' heralded 2007, 48-city reunion tour. While there was plenty of speculation before the tour details were announced--would Gabriel be back? would Hackett return to the fold?--it ultimately turned out to be the same core trifecta and touring group that, coming together as a five-piece in 1978 in support of ...And Then There Were Three, has ultimately proven to be Genesis' longest-lasting and most stable line-up.
While the expectation, once the line-up was confirmed, was that the music would weigh heavily on Genesis' radio-friendly music from the 1980s on, both the tour and Live Over Europe proved to be a far more balanced repertoire than on The Way We Walk. Given its recent release, there was no reason to remix/remaster the disc, and with Davis the same engineer, sonically it fits in perfectly with the remixed/remastered music of Live 1973-2007. Yes, there are all the chart-toppers, including "Turn It On Again," "No Son of Mine," "Land of Confusion," "I Can't Dance," "Invisible Touch" and more; but there's also a 13-minute medley of "In the Cage," with excerpts from "Cinema Show" and "Dukes Travels"; the opening salvo of "Dukes Intro," which is a powerfully proggy way to open the show; and an excerpt from "Firth of Fifth" that, featuring Stuermer, leads into the audience participation of "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe." For the first time in 30 years, the group revisits Trick of the Tail's compelling "Ripples," and Collins' drum duo with Thompson, "Conversation With 2 Stools" leads more appropriately into "Los Endos." The final encore is even a look back at The Lamb, with the soft "Carpet Crawlers."
Banks' synth tones are better than on The Way We Walk and, while a physical condition that has recently been announced as permanently scuttling Collins as a drummer (and, most likely, any future Genesis reunions) could be seen to be painful to the Genesis front man on the DVD release from the tour, When in Rome (WEA, 2008), without the visuals he sounds as good as ever. Nick Davis feels that Collins wasn't at his best, vocally, on The Way We Walk, but he's at his absolute best on Live Over Europe. There are no dated exclamations as on Three Sides and, taken as the end of a long journey that began with Seconds Out, where he had all the building blocks but no personal direction, his voice has clearly come a long way in the 30-plus years since he first took center stage with the group.
The instrumental performances of older, more progressive material on Live Over Europe almost all surpass those from The Way We Walk as well, even though the rhythms that drive them remained just as stripped down. Proof that good music transcends time and avoids being dated, what's perhaps most impressive about the entire Live Over Europe 2007 is just how relevant everything still sounds. By tempering some of the earlier versions' dated sounds with newer, more organic-sounding technology, Genesis may not surpass some of its original, more progressive music in terms of innovation, but it brings the music into the 21st century with a set list that was surprising in its coverage of the group's music, from 1971 on.
There will, no doubt, be plenty of discussion about the merits and omissions of Live 1973-2007. Still, perhaps the most important aspect to the box set--eight CDs (not including Live Over Europe) and three DVD-As--is its portrayal of Genesis as a group that evolved gradually over time, but never completely deserted its roots. While its music simplified and became more pop-oriented, Genesis was a band always devoted to song, regardless of the context; a fact that has never been clearer or more self-contained than in this career-spanning box set. It's a set that, if nothing else, will spark revisiting/ reevaluation by some, the surprise of discovery for others. For those who have followed the group during any of its stylistic periods, any of its gradually diminishing creative line-ups, the beautifully packaged Live 1973-2007 provides hours of sonically upgraded material, bolstered with bonus tracks that may have largely been available in other forms in the past, but have never been presented as they are here: as they were first recorded, with original performances intact


By Alan Caylow 

The Genesis box set releases continue! This time around, the band focuses on their live albums for this particular set, "Genesis Live 1973-2007". Four live albums: "Genesis Live," "Seconds Out," "Three Sides Live," and a re-sequenced "The Way We Walk," all remastered and remixed by Nick Davis, who worked on the band's previous box sets of studio albums. There is also an empty slot in the box to put in 2007's "Live Over Europe" (as the band wisely assumes that most diehard fans have already bought it), AND, as an added bonus, you get a CD and 5.1 DVD of the band's complete "Live At The Rainbow" concert from 1973! Also included is an excellent 52-page booklet, with insights from the band members, and wonderful photographs of the band taken from many years of live concerts. Overall, I'm very happy indeed with this live box set, but I still have to agree with other reviewers that "Live 1973-2007" still falls short of perfection. Let's briefly go through the live albums:
"Genesis Live"---the band's only proper live album with Peter Gabriel, recorded in 1973, sounds great, but it now includes 5 bonus tracks from the 1975 "Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" show in Los Angeles, and they're not even in the correct order---"Back In NYC," "Fly On A Windshield," "Broadway Melody Of 1974," "Anyway," and "The Chamber Of 32 Doors." On the one hand, yes of course it's great to hear some live "Lamb" material in this box set, but why not give us the *whole* "Lamb" concert? In fact, why didn't they just expand "Genesis Live" into a double album so it's now the complete 1973 show (and not just five songs), and throw in the entire L.A. "Lamb" show as a bonus? That, I think, would have been the much better way to go. (At least the whole L.A. "Lamb" concert---more or less---is available on the "Genesis Archives Vol. 1" box set).
"Seconds Out"---this classic Genesis live album, recorded in Paris in 1976 and '77 on the "Trick Of The Tail" and "Wind & Wuthering" tours, sounds amazing, and the slipcase packaging is excellent, but dammit, there are a couple of CD glitches: the second song on Disc One, "Carpet Crawlers," starts to play, only to restart itself before it plays properly (the very beginning of the song is mistakenly attached to the end of Track One, "Squonk"---the CD player then switches over to Track Two and restarts "Carpet Crawlers"). The exact same problem happens again with the second song on Disc Two, "Cinema Show," the beginning of which is mistakenly attached to the end of Track One, "Supper's Ready," so it too begins to play, and then restarts itself. Sure, we're still getting the complete performances of both songs, as neither of them are chopped up in any way, but it's still an annoyance. May as well keep your old CD copy of "Seconds Out" until the folks at the record label can fix the problem, and I hope they do.
"Three Sides Live"---mostly recorded in 1981 on the "Abacab" tour, as well as some concluding live material taken from the "Trick Of The Tail" and "Duke" tours, this re-issue replicates the UK release of the album, and, once again, the sound quality is excellent, but I do have one very minor quibble---I always liked the album's concluding touch of hearing Ethel Merman singing "There's No Business Like Show Business" over the PA system as the album fades out, after the band conclude "It/Watcher Of The Skies". Alas, Ethel has been removed, and that's a shame.
"The Way We Walk"---recorded on the "We Can't Dance" tour from 1992, this a GREAT revamping of this live album, as the original release cut the album in half: "Vol.1: The Shorts" was all the shorter hit songs, and "Vol. 2: The Longs" was the longer, more art-rock sounding stuff. This new version of "The Way We Walk" re-sequences the songs in the correct performance order, and combines them into the complete double album that "The Way We Walk" should've been the first time around. There's also some extended bits of inbetween-song dialogue from Phil Collins that wasn't heard before, which is really nice. I couldn't be happier with this new, improved version of "The Way We Walk".
The bonus set "Live At The Rainbow 1973"---*of course* I'm thrilled to have a complete live concert of Genesis with Peter at the microphone, and it sounds awesome, but there's a catch: the 5.1 DVD has the complete concert, but the accompanying CD omits "Watcher Of The Skies" and "The Musical Box," presumably for CD time limitations, and also because the band didn't want to give us *two* live versions of the same song (there's still the live versions of "Watcher" and "Musical Box" on the "Genesis Live" CD). It's understandable, but it still ticks me off that I can't play the *entire* concert in my car or on my home stereo system, just only on my DVD player. Also, the CD of the "Rainbow" concert also omits some of Peter and Phil's inbetween-song dialogue with the audience. Luckily, some of the Rainbow material was previously released on the "Genesis Archives Vol. 1" box set, including Peter and Phil's spoken-word stuff. The only way you can have the complete Rainbow concert on CD (sort of) is if you splice together the Rainbow material from *both* box sets, and throw on "Watcher Of The Skies" and "The Musical Box" from "Genesis Live" to fill in the gaps, and burn it onto a CDR for your own personal private pleasures. It's crazy, but I just might do it.
Insert your copy of "Live Over Europe" into the empty slot, and your Genesis live box set is complete!
So yes, I'm very happy with "Genesis Live: 1973-2007," even though it's not a perfect representation of these live albums. It's still great that the band decided to give the live albums a box set of their own, and I will treasure it. But guys, PLEASE fix those glitches on "Seconds Out," will ya? Thanks. Now, bring on "The Movie Box"....


Tracks and Personnel:
Live (CD1/DVD1)
Tracks:

CD1: Watcher of the Skies; Get 'Em Out By Friday; The Return of the Giant Hogweed; The Musical Box; The Knife. Bonus Tracks (The Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, 01/24/1975): Back in N.Y.C.; Fly on a Windshield; Broadway Melody of 1974; Anyway; The Chamber of 32 Doors. DVD1: Watcher of the Skies; Get 'Em Out By Friday; The Return of the Giant Hogweed; The Musical Box; The Knife. Bonus Tracks (The Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, 01/24/1975): Back in N.Y.C.; Fly on a Windshield; Broadway Melody of 1974; Anyway; The Chamber of 32 Doors.
Personnel:

Peter Gabriel: vocals, flute, tambourine, bass drum; Tony Banks: keyboards, acoustic guitar, background vocals; Phil Collins: drums, percussion, vocals; Steve Hackett: guitars; Mike Rutherford: bass, guitars, bass pedals, background vocals.

Live at The Rainbow 1973 (CD2, DVD2)
Tracks:

CD2: Dancing With the Moonlit Knight; The Cinema Show; I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe); Firth of Fifth; More Fool Me; The Battle of Epping Forest; Supper's Ready. DVD2: Watcher of the Skies; Dancing With the Moonlit Knight; The Cinema Show; I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe); Firth of Fifth; The Musical Box; More Fool Me; The Battle of Epping Forest; Supper's Ready.
Personnel:

Peter Gabriel: vocals, flute, tambourine, bass drum; Tony Banks: keyboards, acoustic guitar, background vocals; Phil Collins: drums, percussion, vocals; Steve Hackett: guitars; Mike Rutherford: bass, guitars, bass pedals, background vocals.

Seconds Out (CD3-4/DVD3)
Tracks: 

CD3: Squonk; The Carpet Crawl; Robbery, Assault & Battery; Afterglow; Firth of Fifth; I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe); The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway; The Musical Box. CD4: Supper's Ready; The Cinema Show; Dance on a Volcano; Los Endos. DVD3: Squonk; The Carpet Crawl; Robbery, Assault & Battery; Afterglow; Firth of Fifth; I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe); The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway; The Musical Box; Supper's Ready; The Cinema Show; Dance on a Volcano; Los Endos.
Personnel: 

Tony Banks: RMI electric piano, Hammond T. organ, ARP Pro Soloist, Mellotron 400, Epiphone 12-string guitar, backing voices; Mike Rutherford: Shergold Electric 12-string and bass, 8-string bass, Alvarez 12-string guitar, Moog Taurus bass pedals, backing voices; Steve Hackett: Gibson Les Paul, Hokada 12-string guitar; Phil Collins: voice, Premier and Gretsch drums (CD3#3, CD3#5, CD3#8, CD4#1 ("Apocalypse in 9/8" section only), CD4#2, CD4#4, DVD3#3, DVD3#5, DVD3#8, DVD3#9 ("Apocalypse in 9/8" section only), DVD3#10, DVD3#12); Chester Thompson: Pearl drums and percussion (CD3#1, CD3#2, CD3#4-8, CD4#1, CD4#3-4, DVD3#1, DVD3#2, DVD3#4-12); Bill Bruford: Ludwig and Hayman drums and percussion (CD4#2, DVD3#10).

Three Sides Live (CD5-6)
Tracks:

CD5: Turn It On Again; Dodo; Abacab; Behind the Lines; Duchess; Me & Sarah Jane; Follow You Follow Me. CD6: Misunderstanding; In the Cage (Medley: Cinema Show/The Colony of Slippermen); Afterglow; One for the Vine; The Fountain of Salmacis; It/Watcher of the Skies.
Personnel:

Phil Collins: drums, vocals; Tony Banks: keyboards, backing vocals; Mike Rutherford: guitar, bass, bass pedals, backing vocals; Daryl Stuermer: guitar and bass (CD5, CD6#1-5); Chester Thompson: drums (CD5, CD6#1-5); Steve Hackett: guitar (CD6#6); Bill Bruford: drums (CD6#6).

The Way We Walk (The Longs and the Shorts) (CD7-8)
Tracks:

CD7: Land of Confusion; No Son of Mine; Driving the Last Spike; Old Medley (Dance on a Volcano/The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway/The Musical Box/Firth of Fifth/I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)); Throwing It All Away; Fading Lights; Jesus He Knows Me; Home By the Sea/Second Home By the Sea. CD8: Hold on My Heart; Domino (In the Glow of the Night/The Last Domino); The Drum Thing; I Can't Dance; Tonight, Tonight, Tonight; Invisible Touch; Turn It On Again. Additional Tracks Not Performed On the We Can't Dance Tour: Mama; That's All; In Too Deep.
Personnel:

Phil Collins: vocals, drums; Tony Banks: keyboards, vocals; Mike Rutherford: guitar, bass, vocals; Daryl Stuermer: guitar, bass, vocals; Chester Thompson: drums.

Live Over Europe 2007 (CD9-10)
Tracks:

CD9: Dukes Intro; Turn It On Again; No Son of Mine; Land of Confusion; In the Cage, including excerpts from Cinema Show and Dukes Travels; Afterglow; Hold on My Heart; Home By the Sea; Follow You, Follow Me; Firth of Fifth (excerpt); I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe). CD10: Mama; Ripples; Throwing It All Away; Domino; Conversations With 2 Stools; Los Endos; Tonight Tonight Tonight (excerpt); Invisible Touch; I Can't Dance; Carpet Crawlers.
Personnel:

Phil Collins: vocals, drums; Tony Banks: keyboards, vocals; Mike Rutherford: guitar, bass, vocals; Daryl Stuermer: guitar, bass, vocals; Chester Thompson: drums.