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Before you go to Revelation, go to Genesis! From Genesis to Revelation to My Bed
Overall Album Score: 7.0 out of 10 I'm serious when I tell you that this is a GOOD album. Not great, mind you, but really quite good. This is the very first album by what's one of my most favorite bands (The Sex Beatles) and it's quite indicative of the successes that the band will later achieve (though not obviously indicative, but the album does show surprising skill that dudes like Styx and Billy Joel could merely have dreams about). It's all very pleasant music, with sweet melodies, nice orchestration, and just ... sa-weet! Well, perhaps I'm a little biased here. I like classical music. This concept shouldn't be a surprise to the Genesis fan (as long as they realize that they did stuff before We Can't Dance), because all their progressive stuff shares very close ties with classical music. However, the fan is used to Genesis playing modern classical stuff (as in the essential Selling England By the Pound), but in this early album, it's closer to 19th Century Romantic Era music. But of course! This ain't no stinkin' classical music album! It's good old rock'n'roll! On most of the tracks, the guitar is still very prominent. But remember that this album was made in 1969--the same year that the peaced out hippies were doing drugs and making out with each other--and this selection of songs might seem a little dated. But don't worry. It's nothing a little LCD can't cure. I like the dated stuff anyway. So, you had better, too. Even though the All Music Guide trashed it like an ex-wife, it made an accurate comparison of this album with The Bee Gee's Odessa. Both albums do share the same rich atmosphere. They are both products of the late 60's. They both have some sweeping orchestration, and they're both just good combinations of classical music and rock. That said, this album sold POORLY, which might account for the reason everyone hates it (I mean, if nobody bought it, then it's no good. Right? RIGHT???!). And, can you believe it??? These guys were in their bleepin' teens! It was headed by the 19-year-old Peter Gabriel (who stuck with the band until 1975) and it sounds VERY mature for such a young age. Young Tony Banks (on da keyboard) and Michael Rutherford (on da geetar) are also here. But Philly-boy Collins hadn't arrived yet to grace the band with his bongos. Instead, the drums were played by John Mayhew, who I bet would have been very ticked to find out that his future replacement would become the coolest pop star of the 80's. Okay, I'm going to admit something here. I romanticized this whole review ... I mean, I was excited like a valley girl to have unearthed such a minor gem! It's that "EVERYONE HATES THIS ALBUM! BUT EVERYONE'S AN IDIOT!" kind of thing. Really ... this album isn't such a peaches'n'cream affair. While, there isn't really a BAD track to speak of, there are no great tracks. And none of this stuff is particularly special; it's not something you can't get from the Moody Blues or Odessa for better the price. It might also be easy to think that the band was taking itself seriously with these songs, but I don't really think so. These are over-pretentious lyrics, sure, and Senor Gabriel was still working out his skill in that area. And the songs lack the same polished-ness that the band shows in all their albums starting with the next one (Trespass), which is really quite a significant deviation! But these songs are not offensive, and as long as you don't take them seriously, it's quite easy to enjoy this album ... that is, unless you hate classical music or something. And also a major strike against it is its lack of diversity. I mean, most of the songs use the same basic instruments (usually a piano, an acoustic guitar, echoey backup vocals, and probably what's a violin synthesizer) and there's very little to keep these songs separate from one another unless you actually listen to the stuff. There are a few deviant tracks, though, to keep the album from becoming tedious. All in all, this is a good album that doesn't deserve the negative criticism it gets. Overall Album Score: 7.0 out of 10 (Well, this isn't such a high rating ... but it's still MUCH better than those other critics-who are undoubtedly possessed by a hamster--seem to make it out as. It's just an unabashedly pleasant album. It lost points due to the lack of invention and lack of diversity.) Song Score Average: 7.4 (Probably a higher score than it has any right to be, but it is still a very pleasant collection of tunes. Some are catchy, even.) Album Tilt: 7.0 (I enjoy listening to this album, but it could have stood a little more diversity.) Artist Tilt: 6.5 (This is a strong start for one of the greatest bands ever, BUT there's nothing artistically interesting or inventive on this album. They'll start doing that on their next album, Trespass ... so never fear.) Track Reviews Where the Sour Turns to Sweet 10/10 This completely excellent track starts out rather bluesy, but quickly turns into a very effective marriage of classical music and rock equipped with sweeping violins and strumming guitars. This is easily the best track of the album, but it still has more to offer. In the Beginning 7.5/10 This track has a more harder sound than the previous one, and the melody ... while not fully developed ... is quite nice. Catchy even. Though the song is entirely unmemorable, and it is evident of a lack of skill. The Fireside Song 6.5/10 This song starts out with a minor solo played out by Herr Tony Banks ... which is pretty boring ... but then it turns into another marriage of the acoustic guitar and violins. And the tune Gabriel sings is very pleasant and enjoyable even though it sounds like a family movie soundtrack from the year of Wood-Spock. (Live long and have lots of pointy-eared babies.) After three minutes of this four minute song, it gets boring ... and the lyrics, interesting as they are, make me groan. The Serpent 7/10 Sort of strange, this song starts with a sort of mediocre Western-film sounding instrumental. Then that fades out, and we get something like what we got from "In the Beginning" ... a harder sounding rock song (with little classical influence), that sounds so dated that I can just see the flower hippie children streaking in the streets. (Ooo! I like THIS song!) Lyrics? Eh! Don't pay attention to them. They're interesting, though, but I'm not going to take it seriously. This song runs well over four minutes and it fails to bore me. Am I Very Wrong? 7.5/10 Well, if you (my ever faithful reader) said you were smart, you would be very wrong, indeedy ... Nah! Just kidding! I'm sure you are very smart. And so is your cat. But enough of that ... This song has one of the more developed and more complex melodies on the album. This one, perhaps, has closer ties with Baroque music than Romantic music. And it's fun to listen to, but it's really quite on the el-cheezo side if'n you know what I mean (and if you don't I won't hold it against you). Also, very dated, but it's not so obvious like that last one. In the Wilderness 9.5/10 Oooo! Good song! This one has a very well realized melody, and the chorus ... ooo that chorus! It's singable! Wow! Yes, this is the second best of the album, certainly. I knocked it down a half a point 'cause I'm not a big fan of them bland but brief piano interludes. The Conquistador 5/10 You know, Procol Harum is another band you might want to compare this album with ... the reason I mention this is that Procol Harum has a song very similarly-titled "Conquistador." Was this an attempt to copy them? Well, they didn't do a very good job at concealing it. Well, this particular song is entirely unremarkable. It leaves me with an almost bitter attitude, so I had better get on to the next track quickly. In Hiding 8/10 Okay ... this song is much better than that last one. It's a relatively simple song with Monsieur Gabriel singing a pleasant melody with an echoy piano (sorry, I'm not too learned on the subject of instruments ... maybe it's a honky-tonk or prepared piano or something) and soon the violins come in making this song one of the more beautiful of the album. That said, it's not readily memorable. One Day 7.5/10 A very bold song ... the piano borders on modernism (pointing the direction the band would take in their next album), and it's good. It's one of the more developed songs on the album and sounds more progressive than anything else on here. Window 6.5/10 Now this REALLY sounds like a 60's movie soundtrack song! Not that it's particularly a bad thing... but this is more pleasant than it has any right to be. Nope. The melody isn't good enough. It nevertheless makes a pretty good listen. In Limbo 7.5/10 It starts out pretty slow and boring (with keyboard notes) but then picks up into another generic 60's pop number. Actually, I'd bet this one would be mistaken for a Beach Boyz song if they used different instruments and they figured out how to sing like them. The melody is very pretty and the instrumentals are -- well -- okay. I have a beef with that horn section, but what Kenya do? Silent Sun 6.5/10 Nothing really we haven't heard on this album so far. (This isn't really a DIVERSE album, is it.) It's another decent marriage of rock and classical. The melody here isn't too special ... nor is this song ... but it remains listenable. A Place to Call My Own 6/10 Holy Jimbo! How many songs are on here???!!! This is a very slow song with Sir Gabriel singing with Tony "Lets Go Rob Some" Banks on the pie-an-oh, and then grand instrumentals picket up from there. Completely unremarkable, but it's only two minutes long, so I won't complain too much. A Winter's Tale 6.5/10 Hark! Is that an ORGAN I doth hear? Indeed, 'tis. However, I cannot sense whether 'tis the heart or 'tis the liver. Naaaaaaaaw! 'Tis an instrument! So, this song is like ev'rythin' else 'cept there's an organ! Dat said, 'tisn't a bad sawng 'tall. It's a fairly bold one ... but the melody ain't nothin' speshal. One Eyed Hound 9/10 Hoooooooooooooooo! The album picked up with a VENGEANCE!!!! It's like Peter Gabriel screamed: "Hey!!!!!! Let's do something that will wake my SLEEPING LISTENERS UP!!!" And it works! GOOD SONG! Nice melody, nice chorus, nice instrument arranging and stuff-everything just works VERY well. That's Me 8.5/10 This is the TROO album closer (there's a single version of the Silent Sun after dis) ... and it's entirely a good album closer! Actuuuuually, this is the best rockin' number on here, and there's really not much of a classical music influence. I won't call this QUITE the best song on this album, but it's one of the best definitely. BoNuS tRaCk(S): Silent Sun (single version) I wasn't much of a fan of the album version. And I won't review the same song twice. (I'll review yo momma twice, though.) Is this review correct in your opinion. Or am I more wrong than an alligator in the Antartic? Leave your comments here. majslf@aol.com (Sandy) received Jan. 29, 2004 I like this album, too! Yes, it's not a masterpiece, but it's worth a listen. It's cool to see where Peter and the boys began. slb23@shaw.ca (Simon B.) received Nov. 27, 2004 I'm just going to make this short because I don't want to do
a full track rating on this record. (and i only have the LP version).
Note: The song you have titled as "The Conquistador" is actually called
"The Conqueror".
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All reviews are copyrighted by *THE* Michael Lawrence.
