The Genesis Documentaries

There have been many documentaries on Genesis. From their own incarnations, to VH1 and MTV, the band's history has been documented throughout the years. A@E also did a documentary on the band and it is personally my favorite. Which documentary is your favorite?

Tribute Bands - A Legacy For Future Generations

Tribute bands are not uncommon. However, Genesis Tribute bands are unique in that they painstakingly focus on one era, all eras, and the history of the band. The Musical Box is without the box the gold standard. True to form, they painstakingly recreate the era of early Genesis.

Fans however have many options. Bands all across the world are working to honor the sounds we simply know as Genesis. New interpretations of the music also can be found. Martin Levac brought a unique sound to Genesis's new music with some of his jazz reissues. Then there is Hydira's version of Entangled that is a fresh take on a Genesis classic. Philharmonic Orchestras and contemporary musicians have collaborated with Steve Hackett to reinvent some of the earlier songs of the group.

His most recent addition of Supper's Ready is a testament to his love of the original songs he helped create.

Tribute bands also help new generations discover the music. With Steve being the only member out on the road, future fans may rely on the tribute bands to discover the music. Future fans will be watching tribute shows for the first time and discovering the magic of all eras. They will run home and discover the originals on youtube and purchased concerts online. Tribute bands preserve the past, and provide future fans an open door to the music quite simply known as, Genesis.

Did Phil Collins Help Genesis Be Introduced To Future Generations?

Genesis fans, we are getting older. The base is shrinking a bit, yet their seems to be an interest in the music from the generation that follows us. It is probably to early to tell, but one has to ask, will the music be reborn after the founder members have passed away?

An interesting historical footnote. For years, 78 records were collectable and very expensive to collect. Today, you can't even give away 78 records collections. Why?  Once the artists were forgotten by a new generation, the value of 78s dropped significantly.  If history gives us any clues to an artists resiliency, it has shown us that very few artists have stood the test of time. Many popular artists from generations past have been archived, somewhat permanently. A few, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis Presley, nd bands like the Beatles seem to cross the generational barrier. Their music is listened to be a new generation. Their audio collections are still valued and cherished be a new generation of fans.

There are many ingredients to an artist's success to cross generations. A band or single artist has to have a catalog that speaks to future generations. Both musically and culturally, their has to be a catch. Frank Sinatra for example has a catalog this is very rich, however some of the attraction is the cultural background of being an Italian American during a time when America was, and continues to be fascinated by Italian American Contributions to music. Also the connections to stories of the Mob help keep the interests levels high. Will Genesis have something that sticks long after the members have passed?

The key to Genesis being remembered will most likely be Phil Collins. Progressive music lovers will surely hate to hear this, however his song catalog is consistently being covered by new artists. This is the commonality of artists that cross generations. Peter Gabriel and Mike Rutherford will also have smaller contributions to generations of music, however Phil far exceeds their appeal to reinvent their songs. Phil also crossed over to many genres of music during his career, which allows for multiple hooks for future generations to find and enjoy. He always included Genesis in his journey, which is another key factor. For example, when Phil did his big band projects, he included a mix of Genesis and solo songs that appealed to big band enthusiasts. By accident, he expanded the base through multiple projects for people to discover Phil Collins, and Genesis.

It is not just In The Air Tonight that gets recognition. Many of Phil's songs have been recognized by newer artists. Hellyeah released a new version of I Don't Care Anymore and there is an admiration from metal bands and hip hop artists with Phil that has benefitted Genesis. Land of Confusion was also honored with a remix by Disturbed and many hip hop remixes from artists such as Brass Knuckles and Christian Clay.

Will Genesis be a presence 25, 50, or 100 years from now? Most likely they will and new people will find the cherished catalog of music. To quote a Genesis song from their past, "The path is clear
Though no eyes can see The course laid down long before." Genesis will surely cross into future generations.

The Emotional Side Of Genesis

For long time fans, Genesis can evoke emotions from moments in time. For some, "that song" can remind them of a special time in their life. For others, Genesis provided comfort and support during difficult times.  An old song from the Gabriel era can remind us of the progressive years. A post-Gabriel song can also provide the same feeling. Whatever the reason may be, Genesis provided music for fans to find solace and comfort whenever they hear a song.

Live music has the same effect. The concerts would combine those special moments in medleys. Often times, the medleys would take us on a time travel. Long sets such as Home By The Sea can inspire a memory. There are so many moments in their song catalog. Which one is your song?

The Other Band That Wanted To Be Genesis

Back in the 1970s, there was another band that wanted to be Genesis. Not the band we know as Genesis, but a rock band none the less. Two brothers choose the name Genesis for their band only to learn that one had already existed. In fact, they learned during the Collins era by searching in a record store, and one brother said to the other, "I never knew we had an album out."

You might think this was a band that lived under a rock. At the point Collins took over, Genesis was well known. You might even assume a band like this was not very well known. In fact,this band would fill arenas as large as Genesis did so in the 1980s along side the rapid growth of Genesis.

Eventually the boys choose a name for their band that would stick. First they chose Mammoth and then finally settled for Van Halen. Named after the famous duo of Alex and Eddie Van Halen. While just a footnote in music history, it does provide for a fun fact for fans of both bands.

What The "Progs" Are Missing About Genesis Post Gabriel

What are "Progs" or fans of progressive rock?  Progressive music is  defined as a rock music subgenre that originated in the United Kingdom with further developments in Germany, Italy, and France, throughout the mid-to-late 1960s and 1970s. For some Genesis Fans, their is only one genre of Progressive music and that is the Gabriel years.

Many groups defined this era including Genesis. Most groups however faded into obscurity. Genesis however remained relevant much to the disdain of people fond of progressive music. Many loathe the Phil Collins era as being "POP", and refuse to listen to the albums post Gabriel. This in itself is short sighted. They will post forever that Phil killed Genesis and never give the new music a chance. To each it's own when it comes to their choice of music.

The problem with their thinking is that Genesis, while changing always stayed true to their progressive roots through clever incarnations. Sure there were pop songs, however each album consistently stayed true to a progressive format with many of the songs. In a sense, the "POP" music introduced new generations to progressive music. This led to an interest into learning about the Gabriel era. POP kept the Gabriel era from falling in obscurity.

Dukes Suite, Say It's Alright Joe, Squonk, Domino, Mama, Dodo and Home By The Sea, are examples of songs with complexities that brought new audiences to consider the older music. Plus, the live shows were creative and stayed loyal to providing audiences with a concert that introduced them to all eras of Genesis.

Progs will never give Invisible Touch, Misunderstanding, or Illegal Alien a chance. Of course this makes sense. However, they dismiss the other great songs the were the gatekeepers to future generations loving Genesis. It is this generation that embraces the old and new. It is this generation that truly appreciates that Genesis had multiple albums after Pete left the band.

Mama Was "That Song" What Was Yours?

We all have a time when it happened. That one song that made us realize, "whoa." My time was back in 1983. I was 16 at the time. Musically, my brother grew up with the Lamb. He loved early Genesis. I was sad that he moved away from NY. When home one weekend, he told me he had a friend that had connections at Atlantic Records, and he said Genesis was trying something new. You know, the shapes album, Genesis-Genesis etc....

I bought the album and fell in love with Mama. would see them play it live in Syracuse NY. The slow amber of stage lighting introducing the song with a pulse. Goosebumps for me. That song, would lead to further exploration of the band. From old to new, each album had "that song", that I fell in love with. However, all things have a beginning, and Mama started it all.

Mama was dark and haunting. It explored the darkest side of humanity. Phil's "heh heh heeh" was awesome to me at the time. Tony's keyboards were dark. When needed, his chords carried the lyrics to their darkest depths. Then came the drum intro in the middle. Whoa. Combine that with the MTV video and I fell in love with Genesis.

Each album had "that" song. Call it a hook or whatever you want. No matter what direction the group went, they always seemed to have that one song that encouraged listeners to want to learn more. It leads one to ask another Genesis fan, "what was your song?"