Abacab!

I know you’re writing about the track,  but the album is a fantastic gem and a game changer for Genesis. This was a big high school record for a bunch of us in East Lyme, CT. So many moments on that record. The title track, “No Reply At All” (that bass line!), “Dodo/Lurker”,  and possibly the greatest unsung Genesis song “Man On The Corner”. Even a couple of the B Sides are worthy! (“Paperlate”, “You Might Recall”)

Great album!

Ed Toth

PS- On the “Three Side Live” version of “Abacab”, that’s Chester at the beginning. Phil joins him at 4:19 and they take it out together.

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Love the Genesis ode, and I’m right there with you – Trick of the Tail was my entry point when I heard it playing at the local Wherehouse in Cupertino, CA. And all of the sonic alchemy you recount is on point with one notable exception: it’s Mike Rutherford playing those guitar parts on ‘Abacab’ while Daryl is holding down the 8th note bass. I saw this tour – and many since – and the interplay between Mike and Tony is extraordinary.

Saw them again in 2021 at MSG because we’d heard Phil wasn’t doing well and I just needed to see the band together (hopefully not for the last time). Watching the three 70 year olds on stage, playing with a vigor worthy of musicians decades younger, I was reminded of a quote that I think Tony Banks gave back in the early 80s, when asked in some MTV interview about the staying power of classic rock bands. He said “Well the Rolling Stones are still playing shows in their 40s now! So maybe this (touring) can continue for a bit.”

John Loken

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Stuermer played bass on the track:

Joey Sasson

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So that’s Chester Thompson starting out on the drums in Abacab with Phil just milling about the stage waiting for the vocals to start. But at that four-minute mark you noted, Phil joins Chester for one of the greatest orchestral interludes since Mahavishnu Orchestra’s “Dream” from 1973. Wagnerian in power.

Sadly missing from streaming versions of “Three Sides Live” are the original studio tunes on side 4. “Paperlate” is as good a Genesis pop tune as they wrote. And the introspective “Me and Virgil” reminds me of Rod Stewart song “Mandolin Wind” with its reference to winter and family hardship.

Peter Duray-Bito

Littleton, Colorado (just over an hour from Vail)

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Great article as usual. I think Genesis do not receive the credit they deserve, partly I think, because their last album was We Can’t Dance in 1992 (not mentioning the Calling All Stations 1998) and also they have not been that active in the ‘reissue circuit’. I have high expectations with the Lamb expanded version they will be releasing shortly. I was reminded of how great they were/are when I saw Phil Collins’ recent documentary. Loved their songs, specially the long ones. While Phil’s son is an awesome drummer, I think people are forgetting how amazing Chester Thompson was with them.

Best.

Daniel Costano

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So pleased to read this write-up Bob – as a lifelong prog rock fan. I’ve been a reader of yours forever, and while arguably a lurker most of the time I had to chime in on this one re Genesis. My favorite part of your insights on Genesis was calling out Tony Banks (!) – arguably a mostly unsung hero, and without a doubt my favorite keyboard player of all time. These guys were masters of their craft, and Tony was exceptionally flawless. For some wild throwback fun, check out this footage of early Genesis performing “The Return of the Giant Hogweed” live in a studio in 1972; it features a very young and skinny Peter Gabriel in full dramatic flair.

Kelli Richards

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They were fantastic on that tour.

Peter Mccolm

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When I was a kid and heard “Squonk” on the radio for the first time I thought it was a Led Zeppelin tune. It truly rocks.

Andy Maroney

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Good to see you talking about prog!  I’ve always believed that the birth of prog was Sgt. Peppers – a concept album with orchestration and rhythmic complexity, but with pop sensibilities.  Never paid much attention to Nice, but Court of the Crimson King and Days of Future Passed opened things up.  Yes and ELP brought prog to the mainstream and Collins Genesis -which was still pure prog through Trick of the Tail and Wind and Wuthering – opened the door to explorations of Gabriel Genesis.  And then there was Rush, which brought in the hard rockers.

If you haven’t seen Steve Hackett in the last few years doing his Genesis revisited tour, I strongly recommend it.  He is still quite brilliant and his band is fantastic.  And if the Musical Box (tribute band that tours the world recreating the early Genesis concerts) comes your way, you should catch them also.  Also, definitely try to catch Jon Anderson with the Band Geeks.  These guys play Yes the way it used to be and Jon’s voice is as beautiful as ever.

I believe, as you do, that the late 60s and 70s was a true renaissance of music, and that over the course of history, prog bands will be recognized as the true musical masters of our time.

Best,
Andrew Mehlman

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Thanks so much for bringing this album back from a dusty shelf for me.

 

I loved Genesis when I was a geeky 6th form student so was dismayed to find it wasn’t cool to listen to them when I went to university and this new band, U2, were gaining in popularity.

 

Many years later at MAMA we put on a festival called High Voltage in London which featured ELP, Steve Hackett and Marillion. Financial disaster but what a great vibe, proper musicians.

 

Listened to it in the gym this morning, thanks again.

 

Best

 

Dean

 

Dean James

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From: Vince Welsh

“The last time I remember my father showing me anything was when I was 12- or 13-years old; where there was a great drum fill on “Turn It On Again” by Genesis. There was a time change in there, and I couldn’t get this time change. My father came and he said, “Very easy. What you just do is, you clip the hi-hat, and it changes. And this is what the snare drum sounds like. We were both at these two kits playing to it. And he use to love playing to that song. It was one of his favorites to play to. And he respected Phil Collins’ drumming very much. But it was one of those songs where it really got me going, because I couldn’t figure out the little hitch in the timing. That little hi-hat part. He said, “Come on. Play it together, then.” We were there for hours and hours and hours, and we had great fun.”

Jason Bonham, 1988

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Love Genesis, but my favorite album is Seconds Out, another double live album just before Hackett left. His guitar has a distinctive sound. Squonk is great but crank up The Carpet Crawlers loud for a truly great listening experience. The live version of Supper’s Ready is amazing too.

Perry Resnick

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Great writing about Genesis.  Can we all agree now that Phil Collins got way too much hate back in the day?  Those Genesis records were terrific.  I love Abacab; the title track is great, but for me it’s all about the songs that weren’t big hits – I can always listen to “Dodo/Lurker” and “Man on the Corner.”  Even albums like Invisible Touch and We Can’t Dance, which had more of a pop sheen, were still pretty sophisticated.  “In the Glow of the Night” is so atmospheric, and I love it.  “Anything She Does” is a great pop song.  And “I Can’t Dance” is wonderfully fun.  I’m glad that enough time has passed where we can put the public backlash aside and just focus on the music.

 

Take care,

Wes R. Benash

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It’s a favorite album – as is Seconds Out, the live album with Steve Hackett still in. Can listen all day to “firth of fifth” or “suppers ready”.

Regards,

Ned Ward

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They still play “Abacab” all the time on BBC Radio 2. And even, on occasion, ELP’s “Fanfare For the Common Man,” which unbelievably made it to #2 in the summer of 1977, ironically the Queen’s Silver Jubilee year. Was in the front row for ELP’s last hurrah in London in 2010. Keith and Greg were shadows of their former selves, but the crowd was huge and adoring.

Where are the modern-day equivalents?

David Vawter

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The version of “Turn It On Again” from Three Sides Live still knocks me off my feet.  Great bit, Bob!

Paige Mann

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Thank you for taking my mind off the destruction in LA and DC.

Great song, though not anywhere to close to their best on record or live.

FYI – Rutherford played guitar on Abacab on the recording and live.  Stuermer played bass and the Moog Taurus bass pedals live.  I think they may have had a delay on the bass pedal hitting every other 1/8th note during the main groove so poor Daryl didn’t wear out his foot.

Rutherford deserves credit for his rhythm guitar playing and parts.  His leads, on the other hand, make me long for Hackett.

Stuermer is an unbelievable player (and a very nice guy per a former bandmate who took lessons from him).   But I never thought he was the right guy for Genesis because he could not match Hackett’s feel or creativity.  Stuermer is a jazz fusion guy.  Collins loved that genre (see Brand X) and wanted more of it in Genesis.  But it pushed them away from the classical influence that made Banks and Genesis truly transcendent.

Thanks again for the distraction today.
Be safe and well.

Warren Wellen
Brahms’ Third Racket

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Check out Voyage of the Acolyte by Steve Hackett if you have not already.  Collins and Rutherford play on the ‘75 album and it is considered a “lost genesis album”.  I like the first track Ace of Wands.  A Trick of the Tail is one of my favorite albums and the first Genesis Album I bought.   I enjoy your newsletter!

Sean Dunphy

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Since I heard it on my roommate’s copy of Trick of the Tail in the early 80s I’ve loved Squonk.   So much that I now use the word as a verb… “to reduce someone to a puddle of tears”.

Adam Pressman

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Interesing that you came around to Genesis in the post-Gabriel years. I started with Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot (containing the masterpiece Supper’s Ready), Selling England by The Pound (then went backwards to the first two albums – before Hackett and Collins joined – and they weren’t very good) and then The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway.. Friends first hipped them to me on the strength of their innovative live shows and Gabriel’s charismatic performances. After seeing the Selling England and Lamb shows, I was a card-carrying fanatic. Gabriel’s departure, I thought, would be catastrophic but I still bought Trick of the Tail and Wind and Withering because I knew Phil Collins could sing, I even saw the Trick of the tail tour and enjoyed it.

In the end, I chose to follow Gabriel’s career and, as the “new” Genesis hit mainstream success, I kinda stopped paying attention to them. Then Phil Collins blew up and let’s not forget the many hits from Rutherforrd’s Mike & The Mechanics! Gabriel finally found his audience (big time) too, and Hackett is still drawing crowds to his solo shows. Hard to think of another band whose various members have had the level of success this lot have and man, can they play!

You’re right to single out Tony Banks because he’’s a generally overlooked genius, not to mention a prolific songwriter and collaborator. If you haven’t already, go back and experience Foxtrot and Selling England, you won’t regret it.

Mike Campbell
Programming Director

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This is great.  Abacab has to be in my all time top 50 songs (a list that definitely has more than 50 songs in the top 50 lol) and I really enjoyed your breakdown of it.  Can’t wait to play it myself today, the live version, for the first time in a while.  Thanks!

 

Chris Reeser

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I was 12 when it was released and listen to this album nonstop when it came out. I already loved the favs, but “Paperlate,” “Me & Sarah Jane,” “Dodo / Lurker” pushed me in deeper. Was the perfect compliment to the B side album cuts from Aqualung that I was so into…”My God-Wind Up.”

Damn, I miss that feeling of firsts…loves etc. What I’d give for some for targeted selective amnesia.

Marty Winsch

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While being the furthest from the mainstream…

Prog hangs on due to its fervent fan base.

It’s almost as if they were born wired-for-the-weird.

(A smartly programmed prog station on SiriusXM would actually attract subscribers)

Bob, you mention you were/are a completist…

Many prog people are as well.

The collectable market for progressive music has always been lucrative.

And one more thing—

While I admire their commitment…

I also know better than to ask any Rush fan about the music or the band.

I just don’t have the time and patience for another onrush of Rush erudition.

Marty Bender

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True Tony did not have commercial success . However , he did put out a classical recording which is fabulous . There are some parts of it that you know instantly that the composer indeed a member of Genesis .Check it out .

Chris Chapin

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YES!… and then there is the In The Cage medley on Side 3. Ok, it’s a medley of bits from Lamb but so compelling and with roller coaster energy and incredible varied grooves that work seamlessly. Phil’s voice was tops and his playing was better than ever, Chester kept it all grounded and groovy by showing everyone exactly where one is (plus the tight double drumming is unrivaled) with Mike, Tony and Daryl playing harder than ever yet with tons of rhythmic taste. The finale of Afterglow shows their trademark landscape grace. I remember this tour. Equally mesmerizing was the lighting and the swivel pots creating the Genesis waterfall images – hypnotic. This medley was life changing for me and to have a really great recorded performance of it to immerse myself from time to time is a musical muscle memory narcotic.

Rich Pagano, NYC

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Love it.  Some of my MOST fav music ever!!

Thanks for the reminder!  I used to play all these songs in my band in the 80s. SO FUN.

OH. and saw steve Hackett last year in Seattle. Brought me to tears.  Never thought I’d hear those tracks again “live”.

Andrew Johns

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I bought Three Sides Live on vinyl upon its June 1982 release because I was already enamored with Abacab and Duke — plus, Side 4 had studio material like “Paperlate” (with those horns!) and other songs not easily found via their original sources (like the 3×3 import EP) for us then-young U.S. buyers with limited income to spare. Three Sides Live was what I called a “two lawn” investment — as in, its SRP was the equivalent of whatever disposable, discretionary funds I had available for vinyl purchases after cutting two lawns in the summertime. In this case, I may have even had to borrow a few bucks against my allowance to buy this one — but I digress.

Selling England by the Pound is my favorite Genesis album, and I play “Firth of Fifth” every year on my birthday, like clockwork. Tony Banks’ piano intro and outro and those keyboard sequences of his, and Steve Hackett’s majestic guitar solo, which he (and many others, including me – and him!) feel is his best, signature moment in Genesis — never gets old. Viva la prog!!

Mike Mettler

Editor, Analog Planet

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Steven Wilson’s “Home Invasion” concert, recorded at the Royal Albert Hall, is available now on Prime.  Incredible show and recording.  Prog rock lives today in Steven’s work.

Best,

Kelly Yaksich

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Spot on, Bob, as per usual.  I’ve always enjoyed the music of Genesis and many other prog rock artists of the day.

You mentioned the eventual overexposure of Phil Collins…I couldn’t agree more.
His music was ubiquitous on FM radio.  Just spin the dial and there Phil was, pounding away on the drums yet again.  But he is certainly a talent.  There were songs only he could have sung.  Check out “Long Long Way to Go” from “No Jacket Required”.
Great work; one of many.

As is the art rock of Peter Gabriel, but that’s a subject for another day.

Keep doing what you’re doing,

Art Velordi

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A Trick of the Tail has always been my favorite Genesis album.  Another great live track is ‘The Carpet Crawl’ from 1977’s Seconds Out. Saw them in ’82, the best part of the show was a medley of their 70’s highlights that was a little different than the one on Three Sides Live.

Greg Miller

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As a self proclaimed prog freak/expert a couple things about this awesome email Bob.

1. Seconds Out is the better live album for me. It’s a weird thing to say but they actually performed the Peter Gabriel songs better without him – Suppers Ready, Carpet Crawlers, etc are all bigger and fuller with that line up. Chester Thompson brought a certain explosiveness to the live band. Not to mention your beloved Squonk!

2. Prog is kinda cool again. Dunno if you went to any shows from the recent BEAT tour but there were young people there. It wasn’t all fifty something prog nerds. I was surprised at how diverse the crowd almost was. Perhaps there is still an audience out there that appreciates great musicians and the magic of live music and not an over produced backing track driven “show”.

Love this and that you gave this music some love.

Zach Leary

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Genesis is one of the best bands ever in rock, with or without Peter and Steve.

 

I first saw them at a place called Kahn Auditorium on the campus of Northwestern U in Evanston.

 

The hall held about 1000 and wasn’t sold out on a freezing December, 1973 mid week evening, and I was the only one waiting to get in when the band pulled up and saved me, bringing me inside for sound check and some warmth. Score! The show didn’t sell out because ELP, who was very established already as a supergroup had sold out 2 shows in the old meat packing Amphitheatre on the south side of Chicago. Hated the place, loved the shows. This was before the Blackhawks opened the doors for rock shows, which they scorned for so long (Just stupid).

 

Years later, experiences like this drove me to promoting shows and I got to work with all of the members, as a band and solo. I love the sound, the style, and the Genesis audience. Steve Hackett has endured the best and longest with his incredible shows. If you haven’t seen him lately, it’s a must.

 

I got into Genesis as a result of my fondness for prog masters Crimson, then ELP of course and Yes – the success of the Beat tour in 2024 proves there is a great appetite for the prog music we grew up with. Odd that the young’uns don’t embrace this when they are into so much left of center music. But I’m glad it is still here for the asking.

Danny Zelisko

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Hi Bob

Only last week I started a new playlist called Prog oh no!, so named simply because my 13 year old 1977 punk loving self would be horrified!

In the UK if you liked punk, and there were only 3 of us in a school of 1,000, you could not like or listen to any prog or rock, ever.

Aided by elder brothers I bunked off school to see bands such as The Buzzcocks (with Joy Division supporting), Adam & The Ants, The Jam, The Clash, The Police, all during their punk years, whilst my school friends would go to see AC/ DC, UFO, Status Quo, Genesis, why???

Tuesday lunch music club, two teachers played a mix of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Sex Pistols, The Clash, Steel Pulse & Bob Marley.

By the rules of punk, I had to hate everything other than punk, new wave and reggae, and yet………during these Tuesday lunch music club days, the oft played albums of Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin seeped into my system, a seed had been sown.

One that would lay dormant for decades as the 80’s saw the end of punk with The Clash clinging on for the first couple of years, pushed aside by the start of the UK club scene mixed and indie music, the birth of Ibiza, Super Clubs et al.

Fast forward to now and the excellent Rockonteurs podcast with Gary Kemp (Spandau Ballet) and Guy Pratt (Pink Floyd, David Gilmore), surprising me with their love and frequent mentions of prog rock, and in particular their Steve Hackett interview, tentatively leading to a reappraisal of all things prog.

It wasn’t easy, slowly loosening firmly held punk views, swearing my (bemused) family to secrecy if they caught me listening to “Firth of Fifth”, previously over looked in favour of “I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)”.

A favourite song during this difficult period was the simply beautiful Dana Gavanski version of “I Talk to the Wind”, painful as my younger punk self wrestled deeply with my listening to and liking, no loving a King Crimson song!!!!

But I persevered, revisiting Pink Floyd via Syd Barrett albums as punk rules were ok with Syd era, culminating in going to see the Saucer Full of Secrets tour, being the Nick Mason led revisiting of the first 5x Floyd albums, with the aforementioned Gary Kemp (lead guitar & vocals) and Guy Pratt (bass & vocals) in the band. It was amazing.

All leading to my prog playlist including “Roundabout” but not “Lucky Man” (now added) and so far, only early Genesis ie well before Duke, some John Lydon approved Van der Graaf Generator, Hawkwind, ELP, Yes, Soft Machine, Caravan, Floyd, Zeppelin, Queen and some Radiohead to add a modern prog-twist/ pacify my early punk ruled self.

The playlist in true prog fashion includes so far only 20 songs, but is 2 hours+ long, over 6 minutes per track average.

I will add to it with some of your suggestions, though will I ever listen to it as to steal from your notes below, can I ever admit to listening to PROG ROCK?????

Regards

Robin Hill

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Hi Bob,

This proves how subjective life-music experiences are.  Your Genesis experience is post-Peter.

The Spring 1976 Genesis tour, with Phil on lead vocal for the first time, and Bill Bruford on drums for the only time ever, performed Trick of the Tail along with selections from their Peter years.  I saw both nights at the Beacon in Manhattan (amazingly the board mix is on Youtube!), and it was (to this day) one of the most viscerally emotional artist-audience experiences I’ve ever witnessed.  The stakes were unimaginably high for the Phil and the band after Peter had departed.  They opened with Dance on a Volcano, and their final encore was a Tony Banks genius arrangement that had Watcher of the Skies morphing into It (the closing track on The Lamb).  It was an astonishing and virtuosic night of thrilling prog rock.

And then early in 1977, Peter resurfaced after 2 and a 1/2 years with a warm-up show at the old Capitol Theater in Passiac, NJ, a month before a routed appearance at the old New York Academy of Music on East 14th Street.  And for those who were knocked out by the first Genesiis show sans Peter, yet still missed Peter leading the band, well Peter had something all his own in store for us.

That first Peter Gabriel album, while it did include Solsbury Hill, was best captured by the opening track Moribund The Burgermeister.  Gabriel embodied over the top other-worldly characters, as if the Slippermen from The Lamb were now in a twisted Dickens novel.  And that first Peter album – and those NYC area concerts in ’77 – featured no less than Robert Fripp – a most genuine progfather – bringing his Frippertronics on guitar and loops to the places Peter was exploring post-Genesis.   The only Genesis song Peter performed in those shows was the encore – Back In NYC from The Lamb – storming back on stage wearing Rael’s black leather jacket.  At the Passiac concert Peter stormed off before the song ended, because he was so upset that many fans were calling out for old Genesis songs throughout the night.  The audience at the NYC show a month later was more excited about Peter’s own new music.

Phil went on to become a pop star with Genesis and on his own, creating music far removed from the bold thrilling experimentation of Genesis from 1971-1977… and Peter went on to become a truly avant-garde rock star, hewing much closer in spirit to his early Genesis music.

Those fortunate to have been invested in Genesis’ music from 1971 to 1974 as the albums were released experienced something entirely exalted inspired and utterly original.  Yes and Crimson were utterly brilliant, but the Peter-led Genesis albums – Trespass, Nursery Crymes, Foxtrot, Selling England By The Pound, and The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway – set the bar so high by creating an incredible story and character based prog – and it was Tony Banks and Peter Gabriel who did that.

Best,
Danny Kapilian

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Three Sides Live!! Abacab! Yep!!! Wow I never thought I’d see someone laud this record because so many indeed seem to think Genesis’ creativity stuttered and/or vanished after Peter left.  I have many muzo friends that swear by “The Lamb Lies Down…” and that’s where it stops.

But I’m an age where a guy dressed as a flower wearing his wife’s dress didn’t- immediately connect.  Gabriel showed up in my “feed” when Shock the Monkey appeared on MTV.  Then I was all in, bought “Security” (as we knew it) with my allowance.

But my entry to Genesis showing their incredible musicality- and like we hear on Three Sides Live and you so eloquently point out- toughness and showing they’re here with something to prove!  As a keyboard player, Tony’s live playing was astounding.  And hearing when it goes from one drum set to two (slight flamming) was exciting for a listener like me.  I felt I was RIGHT THERE! Thick sounds- thrilling energy!!!  I’m sure Padgham was a great asset there.  Phil on fire- vocals and drums.  Then they launch into that In The Cage medley and, to me anyway, all the prog information is still right there. They plucked Chester Thompson straight from Zappa and Weather Report, for Pete’s sake!   But it wasn’t just brains like some prog hit me- it was grit and bottom!

What was to follow didn’t have this fire, to me anyway.  And I still don’t know what a “paperlate” is.  But you better believe I was there at Dodger Stadium for the Invisible Touch tour, and say what you will, but when they went into the raw stuff and Phil hopped on drums, they brought the juice.
Hearing “Misunderstanding” on my flight w my folks to Hawaii on the little armrest radio in 1980 with those odd rubber earbuds hardly prepped me for what was to come, but man Bob- I was really excited to read that this pumping live record still reaches you too. I may have to listen again tomorrow as I won’t likely be busy watching “the news.”

Jeff Babko

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And on the European issue and American issue of three sides live the 4th sides have entirely different tracks

Peter Gianakopolous

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This is missive pretty much sums up why I e been a subscriber for the last decade or two.

I’ve been evangelizing about this live version of Abacab for as long as it’s been out.

Pure

Jon Langston

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Stick to the business this superficial review really taints your rep.

David Ames