Look at these gorgeous British lads. The top 4 look like any shaggy group from the 70s although sporting less facial hair. But check out that freaky dude on the bottom. He alone tips them from rock band over the cliff into the land of prog rock. What is going on here, Mr. Gabriel? How do you go from this (granted it's not a great start) to "Sledgehammer?" And you, Mr. Collins. How do you go from Genesis' bib overall wearing drummer to lead singer of the group that produced grade A stinkers like "I Can't Dance" and "Land of Confusion?" It's a pretty stunning decline from the glorious prog rock majesty of Foxtrot and Selling England by the Pound. Those albums are truly incredible if you can stand 23 minute suites about Revelation with passages in 9/8 time or songs about characters named "Bob the Knob." The 80s were not kind to the members of Genesis. Just ask Mothra about the travesty that is "Red Rain" and you will be met with a series of guttural groans and a diatribe on the utter worthlessness of Peter Gabriel. Phil Collins won over no one with his acting gig as the lovable scamp "Buster" in the titular film and Mike Rutherford was responsible for "The Living Years," which somehow reached number one on the Billboard charts. Please don't judge them on these sad statistics or that embarrassing picture alone and give their noodly indulgent years a chance. I promise you'll like them more than "Throwing it All Away." How could you not?
Friday, January 25, 2008
A Plea for Forgiveness
Look at these gorgeous British lads. The top 4 look like any shaggy group from the 70s although sporting less facial hair. But check out that freaky dude on the bottom. He alone tips them from rock band over the cliff into the land of prog rock. What is going on here, Mr. Gabriel? How do you go from this (granted it's not a great start) to "Sledgehammer?" And you, Mr. Collins. How do you go from Genesis' bib overall wearing drummer to lead singer of the group that produced grade A stinkers like "I Can't Dance" and "Land of Confusion?" It's a pretty stunning decline from the glorious prog rock majesty of Foxtrot and Selling England by the Pound. Those albums are truly incredible if you can stand 23 minute suites about Revelation with passages in 9/8 time or songs about characters named "Bob the Knob." The 80s were not kind to the members of Genesis. Just ask Mothra about the travesty that is "Red Rain" and you will be met with a series of guttural groans and a diatribe on the utter worthlessness of Peter Gabriel. Phil Collins won over no one with his acting gig as the lovable scamp "Buster" in the titular film and Mike Rutherford was responsible for "The Living Years," which somehow reached number one on the Billboard charts. Please don't judge them on these sad statistics or that embarrassing picture alone and give their noodly indulgent years a chance. I promise you'll like them more than "Throwing it All Away." How could you not?
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3 comments:
This Gabriel-bashing greatly disappoints me. He came to you, defenses down, and this is how you treat him? Have you seen this?
to this day hearing "In Your Eyes" conjures up one of my most cringe-inducing memories. it's near unbearable. but i think that Peter Gabriel made some worthwhile music over the years. you can't possibly convince me that "Shock The Monkey" is anything other than awesome.
No, Shock the Monkey is great as is Solsbury Hill an assorted other but there is no defense for "Big Time" and his whole world embrace nonsense really bugged me. His later one word title albums, "So" included, were all a bit too silly for me. It's as if he took his showmanship of the 70s and turned it from sci fi to ethnofabulousness. ick.
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