The Granada Documentary - A Time Capsule for Fans to Enjoy

The Granada documentary on YouTube is an important archive of Genesis history. It captures a time of transformation for the band. Filmed during the Duke tour, it offers fans a window into the band's transformation to a much larger audience. Watching the documentary, you get inside the thoughts of the band members during this critical time in the band's history. You also get a nice sampling from the Duke tour which is an added bonus. The music and showmanship were in this author's opinion is probably the best live performances over their 50-year span of live shows. Less theatrical and reincarnations of the past that were closer to what they wanted to achieve after Peter had left. At least from Phil, Mike, and Tony's perspective. You can hear the appreciation in their interviews.

Fans Perspective - What makes this documentary unique is the fan interviews. Documentaries rarely capture a fan's perspective like this one does. One powerful statement that really stuck out for me was the fans talk about the history of the band from Nursery Cryme to Duke. They capture how the band is changing to meet a larger audience of musical tastes. The Prog wars within fans of Genesis are not at their peak and fans are still appreciative of their work. The other part of the band's history that was captured was the fan clubs. How many people remember when bands like Genesis had fan clubs that were unique to this time period. Lastly, the radio contests for meeting the band. Such an integral part of promotions back in the day. 

Band's Perspective - This documentary captures the importance of the following through the music. Each member believes that change is good. This is how you bring new fans into the arena. It is also how you connect people to the past. As the catalog increases, live shows provide the experience for new fans to visit the older catalog. I found this to be very true. The band never forgets the past. This could explain why the music has outlived many of their prog counterparts. 

Song compositions are changing but the reasons for it are clear. A 3-minute song can be just as "hip" as long songs. The band recognizes that their changing tastes rub some people the wrong way. New material needs confirmation just like the older material from the overall fan base. Fans of this era are recognizing some music is not as fashionable as in the past, but it is great music. Genesis now and Genesis can coexist during this time period. It is the later records when the criticisms increase. It is such a shame that the changing tastes in later albums did not have the same respect that existed during this time period. 

The legacy of Genesis - What stands the test of time is the intent of Phil, Mike, and Tony to preserve the legacy of Genesis. For every album and tour, the band wants to expand upon the history. They understand giving 100 percent means the fan base expands. The voyage of discovery continues to new generations. This is why the music is rediscovered on YouTube and social media. The many
incarnations allow for history to speak for itself. This is why the Last Domino Tour is so important in my mind to the band. The legacy continues to bring new fans to the archive of 50 years of music. This is a great documentary that captures the transformation of this journey. It connects the past to the present. 

Author's Note: The entire documentary can be viewed on our Positively Genesis Blog

Archived Radio Shows - Can't Get Any Better Than This

If you grew up in the 70's and 80's, long before YouTube and MTV, you lived for archived concerts and radio shows from your favorite band. Genesis has a rich history during this time period. Until now, you would have to do extensive searches for old broadcasts that brought back fond memories. 

Look no more. We recently added an archived website

to our blog that is probably one of the best out there. The website is easy to navigate. The website is not the actual broadcasts. Moreover, it is the complete history behind the broadcasts. 

What I find interesting is you can use this website as a companion for your music on Youtube. Channels and YouTube like Orlando's Bootlegs may have the actual broadcasts or portions of the concerts that are played. Now you can learn the history behind the bootleg and concert. Give it a try. There was a lot of research and history that went behind this site. Die-hard fans will truly appreciate the efforts. 

Website Author: David Dunnington (drd@delcam.com)

Covid 19 and the Domino Principle

Genesis songs have a complexity to their writing that allows for stories to be timeless. They have a shelf life that will last for generations of music aficionados. When a group of talented songwriters comes together, they may not realize at the time they are creating post-modernistic impressions that can be revisited through the course of human history. This is certainly true for Genesis.
Currently, as I write this article the world is going through a pandemic crisis. We look for answers to the complexity of why the world is shutting down. My own children are wondering what is happening. We look for clues to explain the current state of affairs.
This morning, one song in the Genesis archive came to mind. The song is Domino from the Invisible Touch album. Originally, the song was about the war in Beirut in 1982. While a reflection of events back then, the lyrics can be applied universally to life-changing events.
Part I of the song is a personal reflection of how one's actions can impact others. It is a quiet and eerie introduction that sets a great tone for what is about to happen. Part-II is a typical melodramatic orchestration of lyrics and sound that places us in the confusion of the Domino effect. It is a wild ride that reflects the confusion set off by singular events.
Phil Collins would open up the song live with an explanation of the Domino-Principle. When he says, "Everyone's actions over here, impact everyone else's actions over there.", it captures the Covid 19 talking points in every country. The actions of individuals, thus leading us through a crisis can increase or decrease fatalities worldwide. Their actions and lack thereof can lead to a domino effect.
Invisible Touch was an album that had songs that also reflected the actions of our leaders throughout the world. It was written during a time when the world grew tired of the Cold War. The rapid change came in as a short period of time as a reflection of the domino principle in action. While written during a time of post-apocalyptic songwriting that reflected the cold war, it is truly applicable to any human condition. It will be interesting to see how the domino principle plays out after the impact we experience from Covid 19.

Prog Snobs Can You Do Us A Favor: STFU

It is finally here, a Genesis reunion. 13 years and a lot of hopes and dreams for fans from all eras that the band would get back together. We are excited to share the magic with our kids and grandkids.  But wait, what's that you hear? Ah yes, the prog snobs are at it again. Fans from the first era of Genesis love to share their hatred of Phil, Mike and Tony with any opportunity they can to suck the life out of our enjoyment. A 40-year tradition that is still going strong.

For over 40 years, they have repeated the same mantra. It's like a divorce in which both spouses just can't let go of the past. They just whine and whine and whine about a 5 year period of Genesis history.

Think about it, 1970 - 1975. Five years out of a 50-year history of the band. They want to hold the rest of us hostage that love all eras of Genesis. We can't enjoy anything after 1975. It's against the prog constitution in their minds. (Is there such a thing?) Why can't they just go in their basement, wear out their records from 70-75 and just well, let's say shut the front door to be polite?

The bottom line is more fans love the entire catalog. Most of us love every era, the solo albums, and any references to Genesis. Yet, when something like a reunion happens, they come out of the shadows to rain on our enjoyment.

I have to say the Hackett fans are also getting on my nerves. That's another group of snobs. For them, Genesis ended in 77. Add two years to the misery we have to experience from this group. Nothing good came after 77. I am a fan of Steve, but I have to say he loves to join in the game. Why? In my opinion, cha-ching is his biggest motivation, not what he claims the music. He rants for his own well being. Here's why I think this is true:

Let's say the boys called it quits in 75 or 77. Who would be the fan base if they just called it quits? Men from the 70s that loved to smoke pot, do some shrooms, and pretend they were Rael during their hallucinatory state in their basement (sarcasm folks but somewhat true regarding the demographics). Like many groups in this era, Genesis would have faded and had a much smaller fan base as it surely would have shrunk after the 1970s. They would have joined Kansas, REO Speedwagon ELO, and STYX and played your local casino or state fairgrounds year after year.

The fact that Phil Mike and Tony stayed together brought them new audiences. They filled arenas of 30 -50 thousand fans all around the world as new fans discovered their music. They always introduced the new fans to early Genesis. They kept the music alive for 40 more years. Here is my point about Steve. Think about it, he has over 20 albums he put out since he left the band. What has he played over the past 10 years? Hmmm... Genesis? What does that speak to regarding his own catalog of music? The reason he has to play Genesis is the promoters and audiences will not support his solo work. Maybe Steve should think about how Phil Mike and Tony play a bit of roll in his last 10 years of earning a living, instead of knocking the band and whining any chance he gets. We get it, Steve, they did not call you. Who wants to call the ex that constantly complains about their previous marriage?

Finally, let's talk about the prog snob keyboard warrior. The guy that loves to post this kind of criticism that I recently read online:  "Here is the setlist from the new tour: I Can't Walk, Cripples, Slippers Ready, etc." I bet this guy is just a joy to be around. A real-life of the party. He probably makes in fun of your mole, hairline, and any other imperfection. If I had to guess, most people like him just love to spend hours on the keys (the keyboard that is...) and post all day about their gripes. Talentless angry men from the 70's wanting us to suffer from our enjoyment that the boys are getting back together again. This cruel and ridiculous behavior has been a long tradition for over 40 years.

So, for the rest of us. We are going to enjoy the reunion. We will get excited about inside information building up over the coming months. Every step of the way the prog snobs will try their best to kill the joy of Genesis playing again. To them I say, please go back to your basement and wear out those 70-75 era LPs and STFU.

Author's Note - We are on Facebook are yes, you have to be positive about Genesis to join. 
One more thing - the article is supposed to be a bit tongue and cheek. You have to be a long term fan that endured all the Prog arguments, cracks on Phil, and general distaste towards the big 3 for the past 40 years. This article is dedicated to you.

Genesis and the World of Zelda

Encouraging your children to love Genesis has some benefits you may not realize. Unbeknownst to most fans, there are connections to the games our children play.





For example, my sons and I were making breakfast one morning, listening to Foxtrot when we discovered a section of a song that sounded like it came straight out of The Legend of Zelda. My kids said, "Hey Dad, this song sounds super familiar!", intrigued by this I said, "Tell me more..."



To my surprise, this song had a sample from "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past" which came out in 1991. The song is from Can Utility and the Coastliners. Check out the video to the left and you be the judge. This sampling sounds very familiar. This sample is from an instrumental break at 3:50 in the Genesis song. The amazing part is that the whole song continues this way.




The early mythology of Genesis makes a great fit for a game like Zelda which is based in a fantasy world called Hyrule. This is a great tribute to Genesis, as the music reflects their own imagery and imagination during the progressive years.

We could not help but ask, are there more examples from Genesis that might have inspired the music of Zelda? Delving further, we found an interesting sample in Zelda that is very similar to a scetion of Supper's Ready. Listen closely to Midinas Lament from "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess". The intro sounds like a section two minutes in of Supper's Ready. 

What other samples might be out there? We will continue our search in the world of Nintendo for additional samplings. If you find any samples in video games go ahead and let us know in the comment section below.

Anything She Does and the Musical Box

Songs like "Anything She Does" may get dismissed by some who can not cross over to the modern era of Genesis. However, take a minute to listen to the song and you will learn it has a close connection to "The Musical Box." Lyrically, the story is very similar. "The Musical Box" from the Victorian era was a center of fantasy.  The pinup posters of  models replaces the musical box in the modern era. Men all across America would fantasize about the women in the poster. Both obsessions past and 20th century would lead some men to a path of pornographic obsession as they get older. This is the dark side of both songs which is cleverly weaved throughout the lyrics.

"The Musical Box" is a bit more complex, as it explores themes of nursery rhymes, aristocracy and the mixed messages of being pure during this time in history. The dark side of purity is the obsessions that can be created by controlling one's feelings of arousal. People were subjugated to hide their sexual desires, and show restraint. Ironically, the Queen, Prince Albert and the ruling class did not practice what they preached. This paradox was part of story - it truly is an incredible song from this era. 

Now, fast forward to "Anything She Does." It was written during the Reagan/Thatcher years. People were told to "Just s\Say No" to their inhibitions by leaders. Unfortunately, the human mind does not work that way. During the 70s and 80s, men were obsessed with the pinup poster, a modern day replacement for the musical box. It was naive to think what was supposed to be just a poster of a model would not become a symbol for fantasy. 

As men get older, they long to have a relationship with the item that was objectified in their youth. Whether a musical box, or a poster of a model, men can get lost in their fantasies. "Anything She Does" is another clever take on this obsession; do not let the video fool you. The choice of Benny Hill in the video was a clever, as his humor on his TV show reflected the themes of both songs. This is the genius of "Anything She Does" and worth a second look if you passed this over in your Genesis music catalog. 

Rethinking Invisible Touch.

The "Invisible Touch" album is a very clever album. It came out at a time when the band's popularity reached it's peak. Unfortunately, the critics panned the album due to "Phil Burnout" and never gave the album a chance. They called it, "The Phil Collins Solo Album." Phil was everywhere during this part of his career. Therefore, this album must be an extension of his work, not Genesis. 33 years later, nothing can be further from the truth.  

"Invisible Touch" has all the makings of a Genesis album.The songs are deeper than originally credited. The band touched upon themes that were dark and original. Cleverly, disguised as pop, some songs pay homage to the past. Other songs explore modern issues such as addiction and self destruction. "Land of Confusion" infused a brave critique of modern governments. Even the love songs were darker than people realized. "In Too Deep" is more complex than people realize; it is more about the complexities of love than love itself. 

The track "Domino" was a great prog song that would become a staple for future concerts. A song about actions and unintended consequences, it reflects not only our past, but our present. One person can impact the next in line and the next in line....

Prog haters of the 3-man era, take a step back, and give the newer albums like "Invisible Touch" a chance. There are no more distractions, just the music. Rediscover the complexities of "Invisible Touch." You might discover what I did; this is truly a great album.