Genesis; Or Can't We All Just Get Along?

     Time for another musical confession. I don't like when bands try to continue with a new singer. I love DLR Van Halen(well the first four albums) and can't stand Van Hagar. I love Bon Scott AC/DC and detest Brian Johnson AC/DC. There is one group I make an exception for... Genesis. Wait, don't stop reading! I know most people are diametrically opposed about Peter Gabriel Genesis vs. Phil Collins Genesis, but I love both incarnations of the band. Most people who know me assume I'm firmly in the Gabriel camp, because I'm a huge nerd for Prog Rock. I love the musicianship and bombast and concepts and pretention. I love Yes, ELP, King Crimson and even Marillion.  I don't understand Peter Gabriel's concept for Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, but I love how that album sounds. I'm also an enormous fan of Gabriel's solo career. But I also love Phil Collins Genesis.
     Contrary to popular opinion, Genesis didn't go from prog rock mastery to being pop sellouts when they changed singers. A Trick of the Tail is one of my favorite albums and it's also quite progressive and it's post-Peter Gabriel. The truth is, many prog rock bands of the 70's changed to more conventional pop rock in the 80's, such as Rush. I understand that old school Genesis fans didn't like this change and blamed Phil Collins for selling them out. Likewise, people who never heard of Genesis before Phil Collins would probably laugh at the sight of Peter Gabriel wearing a dress with a fox head mask and regard it as pretentious garbage. For me though, I look at the career of Genesis as a spectrum. Their song structure has changed over the years, but the musicianship and songwriting has remained consistently excellent. In fact, "Home By the Sea" from Genesis could easily have fit in the Peter Gabriel era canon. Give Phil Collins era Genesis their due respect for ABACAB, A Trick of the Tail, Genesis and songs like "Turn It On Again", "Paperlate" and "Dance on a Volcano".
     I own all the albums mentioned so far and would recommend them to my kids. I also have the two boxed sets, Archives and Archives #2. These are both excellent. Archives has the entire Lamb Lies Down on Broadway album performed live as well as other classic songs from that era. Archives #2 starts with a song called "On The Shoreline" which was from the We Can't Dance sessions. It's awesome and I have no idea how it didn't make the cut for that album. Finally, I'd be remiss not to mention Steve Hackett, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks who were virtuoso musicians and integral in creating the Genesis sound. If you are one of the people who has taken sides over the years, I would ask you to reconsider and give the other guy a chance. Peace.