Accompanied by beautiful interludes like 'Anyways' and the great keyboards and drumming of Banks and Collins... that's why Selling England and The Lamb are the top for me... painfully beautiful.
Selling England by the pound was the album that got me into Genesis. Previously I only heard their later era songs such as Mama and Land of Confusion on radio but I never listened them properly. Then someday I decided to check some of their Peter Gabriel era albums since I love prog music. I started with Selling England and the first time I heard Dancing with the Moonlit knight I was hooked. It is still my favorite album from them. That Firth of fifth guitar solo is my favorite guitar solo on any song.
As soon as Phil Collins took over Genesis that was the beginning of the end. Every album was a further departure from the sound that Genesis was known for.
@@jeffreykaufmann2867 Well of course, they lost they're magical signature that made them a beloved band, but what they lost (when Phil took over,) they gained in fame and fortune. With Phil and the gang, they're popularity in the 80's soared to heights that probably even THEY couldn't imagine....not to mention wealth too.
In 1980 a friend and I got to interview Steve Hackett at his flat in Holland Park for our Genesis fanzine. After the interview he asked if there was anything else and we asked if he would play something, and he played 'Horizons' for us - a wonderful experience I'll never forget (Foxtrot was always my favourite, and this just adds to it). We all know that Steve is a true gentleman, and he certainly was for us that day.
Me too!! the first time I heard the acappela of Gabriel in Dancing With The Moonlit Knight was absolutly astonished, and it was just the first seconds of the album
Since I was a teen, Wind And Wuthering has always been my "rainy day" album. The mood of the music, like the cover art, just seems to fit a gray and cloudy, rainy day. That being said, I agree with your pick of Foxtrot as number one. My introduction to the band, and still my favorite.
Rainy day, indeed! I hate rain, but I love rainy mood. I want to love the album so badly, as much as I love the cover the most out of theirs, but... I can't...
Love this ranking of Genesis albums. I would say that the Gabriel/Rutherford/Hackett/Banks/Collins lineup is one of my all time fave prog rock groups-I definitely rank them up there with King Crimson, Moody Blues and Pink Floyd (never got too much into ELP or Yes, but that's another discussion). I pretty much agree with your ranking however, I would switch the order of your top 3 for my personal faves, with Nursery Crime at number 1, Foxtrot at 2 and Selling England...at 3. Here's my reasoning: Nursery Crime was the first Gen album I bought and listened to all the way through and it dropped my jaw to the floor, so it will always have that impact on me. I remember back in the early nineties and I Can't Dance was a huge hit on the radio, so too at the time were Peter Gabriel's songs Digging in the Dirt and Steam. Then my dad told me about how he remembered when Gabriel was in Genesis and he saw then for the first time on Midnight Special and he was reminiscing about PG singing these weird fantasy songs, wearing equally strange costumes and makeup. At the time I thought, "Wait a minute? PETER GABRIEL? In Genesis!?!" Again, at the time I was only aware of the hits Genesis had during the eighties and early nineties. Growing up during the eighties, the Phil Collins era hits were the ones given the most exposure. If you remember, songs like That's All, Mama, Tonight Tonight Tonight, Invisible Touch, Land of Confusion, No Son of Mine were just as big and played on the radio just as much as anything else at the same time as fill-in-the-blank with whatever songs you can think of from the same period by Prince, Madonna, U2 or Michael Jackson. Anyway, a short time later, I heard a college radio station playing songs like Time Table and Carpet Crawlers, then some months later a friend of mine gave me a cassette of 1973's Genesis Live and I was floored. Anyway, love Genesis, love Peter Gabriel; not that I don't like Phil Collins, great singer, I think he was an even better drummer, though. But, I love their run of albums from Trespass to Wind and Wuthering (by the way, do you notice how A Trick of the Tail and W&W have quite a fusion rock type flair to them?). But from And Then There Were Three onwards, I don't know, I am just not able to listen to those albums all the way through. I enjoy the Collins era hits, some of them are undeniable, but the Collins era albums, especially throughout the eighties, don't hold my interest as much as their prog material.
That's interesting. I've got 900 CD's. All The Beatles, almost all The Stones, all of Costello, and most of Bowie,but I've never been more surprised than Phil Collins and Genesis. My impression all these years since the 80's was that Phil Collins was Slick Willie the worst of the era, and Peter Gabriel was the real Artist. So after recently picking up both of their Greatest Hits CD's. I couldn't believe how good they were. So, then I git Invisible Touch and We Can't Dance, which are solid very good albums. Fact the latter starts off with No Son Of mine,Jesus He Knows Me and Driving The Last Spike-How can you get any better than that?
Trick of the Tail is my all-time favorite album & one of the best 51 minutes ever commited to vinyl.... The pressure the band were under losing Gabriel was immense & they delivered a classic with Phil singing that just knocked everyone out!!
I was very pleasantly surprised by "Trespass". Since it is rarely mentioned I thought it be like "early album" which mostly are diehard-fans.. The kind of album that mostly just "sits" in a collection and never plays. Boy was I wrong. A really good album that deserves to be mention a lot more!
Great video and ranking the albums is difficult indeed. My top 5 for what it's worth. 1- The lamb lies down on Broadway 2 - Foxtrot 3 - Selling England by the pound 4 - Trespass 5 - Nursery Crime As you can see, I love the early stuff and am a huge fan on Anthony Phillips as well. The geese and the ghost, Wise after the event and Slow Dance are classics.
Re: Anthony Phillips ... I really really like side 2 of his 'Sides' album. Very proggy ... in the Trespass sense I think. Absolutely love the track 'Bleak House'.
Ironically, the most played Genesis track in our home remains "Dance On A Volcano". At least it's one that won't cause our dinner guests to leave early.
Selling England has always been my fav. One of my top prog albums. Firth of Fifth gives me chills and Cinema Show has sections of pure beauty. Such a unique sounding album with brilliant performances.
When I walk my dog I listen to Cinema Show (what is the time signature during the keyboard solo?) and Firth of Fifth because Steve's solo is one of the best ever. Thanks for reminding me.
Genesis is one of my favorite bands of all time. I am also big into the early 70’s albums as well. I like the 80’s pop, because that’s what I grew up on first and was never aware of their earlier work until I got older and found out that Peter Gabriel was their first singer, so of course I delve deeper and found I love that decade better. Here goes my rankings for Genesis: 1. Nursery Crime 2. Trespass 3. Foxtrot 4. Selling England By The Pound 5. Invisible Touch 6. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway 7. Abacab 8. A Trick of the Tail 9. Wind & Wuthering 10. Duke 11. Genesis 12. And Then There Were Three 13. From Genesis to Revelation 14. We Can’t Dance 15. Calling All Stations
Hey, Pete. I discovered your channel and i love it. I'm also a colector of music (i have now over 3.000 titles) and you vive me something that i lost over the years - someone to talk about music, albuns, songs. Really cool. Thanks.
Pete do you have the cd dvd 5.1 Box sets from 2007? Tony Banks was in charge of the remasters and they are very impressive sound quality and some great exclusive interviews with band members.
I've seen Steve Hackett and his current band play Genesis stuff live four times now and its honestly incredible. Hes obviously doing to it to put food on the table but he genuinely seems to enjoy revisiting this material and it's a joy to watch. Watching and hearing him play the solo from Firth of Fith is simply amazing
Though he's had several incarnations of this "tribute" band, Hackett is the only one of the Genesis band who is trying to keep the legacy alive. None of these shows were near enough for me to see, but I've watched and own several of the DVD's of these performances. All of those were stellar. Hackett has every reason to be proud of his contributions to this band's legacy. I know the guitar work here is not bluesy, metallic or brutal. Yet, his playing is stellar for what it is--and his command of effects and atmospheres is among the best. As a consequence of his guitar work, this output is both sublime and timeless.
Hackett is worth somewhere between $50 million and $100 million. Word is that Hackett made $75 million in 2023. He definitely has no issue with keeping himself fed. Hackett has gone on tour more than any other musician from those years. I believe he does it because he loves the music. And obviously playing concerts and having that love from fans is likely addicting. Judging from how good his concerts sound, he puts an unbelievable amount of work into those concerts. The tour bands he's put together are incredible. I can watch his concert videos all day long every day. They're that good! I must say that his discovery of Nad Sylvan to sing Gabriel songs was genius!
I'm glad to see this. "Selling England By The Pound" seems to be the #1 favorite of most Genesis fans (or Gabriel-led Genesis fans, at least) and I agree it's a terrific album, but I've always preferred "Foxtrot". My #1 Genesis album as well.
Nice breakdown Pete of some classic Genesis albums. Lamb has always been number 1 for me. I think it's such an outstanding album. Never tire of listening to it.
Calling All Stations is a terribly underrated album. I have listened almost since release as a teenager. Many memories. My second full Genesis album I heard. It still impresses me today
Hey man, I'm having a blast every day checking out your lists, and even if I disagree, i love it, because we are dissecting music and great musicianship which is sorely needed in this American Idol/plastic pop mentality world that we are currently in. I'm close to you on this one. I love Selling England by the Pound, and that Gabriel era is tremendous to me. It went downhill in my opinion when Hackett left, so to me Wind & Wuthering is the last great Genesis work. They didn't get a dynamic guitarist to replace him, so an element of their dynamic suffered greatly. Keep up the great work. I'm curious to know if you will do any Soul albums such as Stevie Wonder, EWF, or Curtis Mayfield. I'm not sure if you're into those folks or not, but I would love to see your take if you have those albums. Great job man. Keep up the excellent work. Peace friend!
Selling England by the Pound was definitely their pinnacle album...the synth solo in Cinema Show is probably one of the best keyboard solo of all times and always sent shivers up my spine! My introduction to Genesis was Genesis Live and was completely entranced and hooked by Watcher of The skies and every song on it! My next favourite was Foxtrot...love Get Em out by Friday and Can Utility and the coast liners besides the Epic Suppers Ready...toss up between Lamb and Nursery Crymes...A Trick of the Tail was brilliant followed by Wind And Wuthering..And Then There were Three was well done but starting to get commercial...Duke was pretty good but I pretty much checked out by Grab A Cab and just listened to hits on the radio...Hackett is the only one who has held true to the early Genesis sound and has brilliantly revived that classic beauty...A water fall is madrigal , an inland sea is symphony...but there is in fact more Earth than sea.
I was right there with you until you put "Selling England by the Pound" as number two, but it's hard to choose between it and "Foxtrot". Nice analysis!
Selling England by the Pound is better. I love Foxtrot, but I honestly believe Dancing with the Moonlit Knight and Firth of Fith are both better than Supper's ready.
@@Haxprocess “Dancing with the Moonlit Knight” has been my favorite Genesis song since I first heard it. It blew my mind the first time I listened to the album and it’s blown me away every time I’ve listened since then.
First of all, great show Pete, can't stop watching it! My top is: 1-Trespass (my favorite prog record ever, listened to it when I was 14 in 2016, i was really more into metal stuff and that record really changed my way of viewing music) 2-...and then there were three (really love the dark melodic sound this record has) 3-selling England by the pound 4-foxtrot 5-Nursery cryme 6-A trick of the tail 7-wind and wuthering 9-the lamb lies down om Broadway (love it but it's Really a record that needs to be played in specific moods) 10-from genesis to revelations 11-genesis 12-Duke 13-calling all stations 14-abacab 15-invisible touch 16-we can't dance
@Martin Kulkarni the first time i heard it although I really loved it and considered it the best album with Collins on vocals i wouldn't either put it at nr two, but now I listened to it too much and it brings too much memories that I can't help putting it that high on the list, definitely an underrated great album by the band!
Nelson Robert Willis Especially Supper’s Ready, Peter And Phil’s voices on top of eachother is what creates the weird atmosphere of Lovers Leap and the reverie or Guaranteed Eternal Sanctuary Man. If there’s a song I think I’ve heard Phil do better than Peter, it’s probably Carpet Crawlers.
Genesis had a lot of pop sounding songs even in the Peter Gabriel era. So when Phil Collins takes the helm, he did a fantastic job on some of those pop sounding sings. Example; Carpet Crawlers.
Phil maybe a better singer than Peter??? What a strange opinion. To me, Phil is a good singer (and I really appreciate the job he did with genesis when gabriel left) but Peter is the best singer alltime.
Once I figured my way around the Battle of Epping Forest, Selling England became my favourite album. It all hangs together, and its flow is much more concise than Lamb. There's some better individual tracks on other albums, but as a whole album little out there stands up to it.
Pete, thanks for highlighting some of my favourite albums of all time. I too started when Duke was released in my second last year of high school. My order below. Depending on the time of year, any of the first five could be being spun the most and at the top of the list. The Gabriel Albums plus first two Phil Collins led albums could only have been made by British artists. They have that ineffable British air that the Kinks have.I also listen to Seconds Out. A lot. I rank it as one of THE great live albums. Cheers from Melbourne, Australia. 1 Selling England by the Pound 2 The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway 3 Foxtrot 4 Wind & Wuthering 5 A Trick of the Tail 6 Nursery Cryme 7 Duke 8 Trespass 9 ...And Then There Were Three... 10 Genesis 11 Calling All Stations 12 Invisible Touch 13 Abacab 14 We Can't Dance 15 From Genesis to Revelation
Mine also although for the longest time it was Selling England for me. Anything they did in the 70's is better than anything they did in the 80's though. Anyone who disagrees is probably more of a mainstream rock fan or pop fan than a prog rock fan.
@@mikereiss4216 Personally, although Peter Gabriel leaving marked the beginning of the end, I believe it was the departure of Steve Hackett that had the biggest (negative?) impact on the music
@@davidf6326 Absolutely. Their real decline in prog music started after Hackett left more than after PG left. I won't say the later stuff sucks(although some might)but I will say that they probably should have changed their name. Then again I also feel Yes shouldn't have called themselves Yes starting with 90125.
I can’t explain it but I adore Calling All Stations. I found it during what may have been the most difficult and life changing time I’ve experienced so far. Ray Wilson sounds beautiful and the overall empty yet still progressive sounds surrounding his voice is spellbinding for me. I could listen to it over and over.
1. LAMB 2. SELLING 3. FOXTROT 4. TRESPASS 5. TRICK 6. NURSERY 7. WIND 8. DUKE ETC. As far as the vocals I gotta say although my fav Genesis albums come from the Gabriel-era, no question about it, Id say as a singer he's one of those guys who got better with age, way into his solo career. Its also kinda funny how similar Collins sounds as vocalist compared to Gabriel, esp on Trick & Wind. What a wonderful band. Thanks for the vid Pete!
Pete Pardo knows whereof he speaks. Always enjoy his opinions/commentary. IMHO, Pete is largely right about best Genesis. Yeah, I bought most of their stuff that was produced after Gabriel and Hackett left the band but I rarely listen to it now. In contrast, I continue to regularly listen to their brilliant early material. The GREAT news is that you can still see Steve Hackett and band play classic Genesis music live. And play it at a very high level of fidelity. I’ve seen him every time he’s played LA over the last decade. Unlike Yes’ Steve Howe (another prog guitar hero who I dearly love), Steve Hackett can still faithfully reproduce all the notes from 1970s songs at the right tempo. At least he could two years ago when I saw him last before he was forced to take a Covid hiatus. I have front row seats to see Steve Hackett and crew in May 2022 at the LA Orpheum theatre. Can hardly wait. My short list: 1) Selling England by the Pound 2) Foxtrot (though I play the hell out of this album; so on any given day I might recategorize it as number 1) 3) Nursery Cryme 4) The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway 5) A Trick of the Tail Yes, I like The Knife from Trespass. And I like selected songs from later albums. But if I was stuck on a desert island, I’d be overjoyed to have these five Genesis albums with me. And I’d be inconsolable if I couldn’t have the first four.
Even though I wasn't born at the time that the classic albums came out, I always knew who they were as I remember growing up with the three piece lineup but had no idea at the time that Steve Hackett used to be a member of Genesis because I only knew him for his solo work until I heard his 'Genesis Revisited' album then I checked out the earlier stuff of the band. I would definitely say that the best music they made was in the 70s by the classic lineup with Steve Hackett and Peter Gabriel, for me 'Lamb Lies Down In Broadway' is their masterpiece that captured them at their musical creative peak.
I agree with all except Selling at #1 and Foxtrot at #2. All very fine albums. My favorite band of all time. I'm 60 and just missed seeing Peter with the band. First album I bought was Selling. Then I bought them all!
I missed most of the Peter Gabriel era, but saw him with Genesis in 1982 as “Six of the Best” at Milton Keynes Bowl in the UK. He said that he watching the audience singing because he couldn’t remember the lyrics. Great outdoor concert - rained all day!
...And Then There Were Three was the first Genesis album that I ever bought and then I got Winds and Wuthering. I still have a huge attachment to both of those. Good list!
Anybody who has a 2 story house with a deck - wait till it's pitch black at night, lie on a lawn chair facing the stars, and play Wind and Wuthering. That one and Then there Were 3 are winter albums. You almost want to put a jacket on when you hear them lol
Great list, Pete. Well done, sir. My rankings: 1. Trick; 2. Lamb; 3. Selling England; 4. Nursery Cryme; 5. Foxtrot; 6. Wind; 7. Trespass; 8. and then there were three; 9. Duke; 10. Abacab; 11. Genesis; 12. Revelation; 13. Invisible Touch; 14; I Can't Dance; (not ranked - calling all stations; have not listened to it, for after I Can't Dance... I just couldn't take it anymore, and I've had it!!)
What is the "Keep it dark" in? For some reason, after 38+ years of listening to that track I can never get the opening beat right. I always do my air drumming wrong for that song and I don't know why
1. A Trick Of The Tail 2. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 3. Selling England By The Pound 4. Duke 5. Wind And Wuthering 6. Nursery Cryme 7. Foxtrot 8. Trespass 9. And Then There Where Three 10. Invisible Touch 11. Genesis 12. We Can't Dance 13. Abacab 14. From Genesis To Revelation Haven't heard Calling All Stations
Agreed with Foxtrot being their best. Trespass has also become one of my favorites. Didn't blow me away first listen, but it's probably in my top 10 albums of all time now.
My first Genesis album that I listened to was Foxtrot and I couldn't stop playing it over and over again. No group had ever been so creative before in my opinion and the quality of the instrumentation and vocals was incredible. After that album I would be excited to hear the next newest album. I still play tracks from that album 50 years later! In my opinion 70s Genesis music is by far better than anything they released after that time.
well timed, Pete! It's Phil Collins' birthday today. Say what you want about the "pop" period of the band. His drumming (with exception of the last album) was influential to many drummers.
@@gwts1171 I totally agree Brian! Personally I don't mind one bit when prog rockers write tunes that have great melodies/feel. To me that leads to GREAT rock songs quite often. Mama is a great rock song. So is Abacab, Dodo, Behind The Lines.
Great!! Was hoping for this!!!! They are my favorite band of all time!! Better late then never !! 1. Selling England... 2. Nursery Cryme 3. Foxtrot 4. The Lamb 5. Trespass 6. Duke (My first CD I ever purchased) 7. ToTt 8. W&W 9. ATtWT 10. Genesis. The rest.. I'm a child of the 80s so it took me longer to get into the great stuff as I had to work my way back to the 1970s Gabriel era masterpieces .
Personally,Trick of the Tail is my favorite of all their records. Genesis has quite a few filler tracks on amazing albums, the Lamb Lies Down and its interludes, Nursery Cryme especially, Wind and Wuthering has one, Trespass, even Selling England has some more forgettable stuff. I can put on any song from Trick of the Tail and absolutely love it, each tune has so much substance.
@@davidsquonkbreeds8568 Well, For Absent Friends, Harlequin and Harold the Barrel are all right songs, but not the grand epics that are Fountain of Salmacis, Musical Box and Return of the Giant Hogweed.
@@landonpuckett1767 Can't just have Grand Epics. I love those 3 you mentioned. But this was the first Genesis album I bought and I always played it as a whole, so every bit of it was good stuff. I am not arguing with you and agree with Trick Of the Tail, such a great album and I think it was so good because they remaining four wanted to show that they could get along without Pete!
Thanks for that Mr Pardo, Genesis were the first band I got into, at the age of 12 back in the 80's. I still listen to them from time to time. It was nostalgic for me to hear you talk about them on this video, many thanks. I've subscribed to hear you speak about other great Rock Bands too. Cheers.
1. The Lamb lies down on Broadway 2. Trick of the Tail 3. Selling by the Pound 4. Abacab 5. Duke 6. Foxtrot 7. Wind and Wuthering 8. Nursery Cryme 9. And Then there were Three 10. Trespass 11. Invisible Touch 12. Genesis 13. We Can't Dance I haven't heard the others.
My Premier League Genesis: 1. Selling England by the Pound 2. Foxtrot 3. Trespass 4. Nursery Cryme 5. The Lamb 6. Trick of the Tail 7. Wind and Wuthering 8. And then there were Three Due for promotion: 9. Duke 10. From Genesis to Revelation Always second flight: 11. Abacab 12. Genesis 13. Calling all Stations 14. Invisible Touch Never left the wardrobe: We Can't Dance I think the very first album shows an enormous potential for good songwriting. It's very badly recorded and all that, but to me has something very special and promising. Trespass was my gateway to the earlier of the bands material, me growing up with Abacab and Mama being the current hits in my teens. And I still love it in all it's quirkiness.
My top 10 1. ' The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway' 2. 'Selling England by the Pound' 3. 'A Trick of the Tail' 4. 'Duke' 5. 'Abacab' 6. 'Foxtrot' 7. 'Nursery Cryme' 8. 'Wind and Wuthering' 9. 'Trespass' 10. 'Genesis'
1. Wind and Wuthering (as the most atmospheric album with an explicit instrumental work) 2. Nursery Crime (with the outstanding starting and finishing tracks) 3. Selling England by the Pound (as Gabriel's peak)
I've only watched a few of these "Genesis Album ranking "type shows and your has been by far the best.You obviously know the material very well,and I actually agree with some of your rankings. Thank you!I enjoyed your video.
In seeing the shirt you're wearing, I had to comment. The band photo was taken in '73, in Central Park South (Back in NYC....arf, arf... ) This is a stone's throw from The Plaza Hotel. Anyway, using the Essex House Hotel in the photo's backround as a gauge, I found that rock they'd posed on & had my photo taken on it as well, after taking the ex-wife on a buggy ride through the park. I still refer to it as the Genesis rock. It is now in a section that is either chained off or fenced off; I can't remember now. I found the Genesis rock & had my photo taken there in the mid-90s.... By the way, Essex House is the same placed that Donny Hathaway jumped from & killed himself in '79, I think it was '79 anyway.... I don't do NYC as much as I used to- the closing of some iconic deli locations like The Stage & Carnegie took away half of the reason I used to go up there. I also saw The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway at the Tribeca Theatre as performed by The Musical Box, back when they featured their dead-ringer for Phil's playing & singing. (2005, I believe) Dead-ringer named Martin LeVac. He played & sang JUST LIKE PHIL. He lead the band behind the kit, just like Phil used to, with the same exact kit that Phil employed during The Lamb era. To see Rael's story performed in Rael's backyard ? That significance was not lost on me. That I was wasted on pain killers (yes, I was addicted at the time...) during the show was not lost on me, either...😎
Top five for me personally (love your list btw)... 1 Selling England by the Pound 2 Foxtrot 3 Nursery Crime 4 Lamb Lies Down ok Broadway 5 Trick of the Tail
1 Fox trot 2 Selling England by the pound 3 Nursery cryme 4 Lamb lies down 5 Trespass 6 Trick of the tail 7 wind and Wuthering 8 Duke 9 then there were three 10 Invisible touch. Love all there music one of the first bands ever saw and followed them through the years .
My rank: 1 Selling England by the Pound 2 Foxtrot 3 A Trick of the Tail 4 The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway 5 Nursery Cryme 6 Trespass 7 Wind & Wuthering 8 Duke 9 And Then There Were Three 10 Invisible Touch 11 Abacab 12 Genesis 13 We Can't Dance 14 Calling All Stations 15 From Genesis to Revelation
@Donald Duck Why be worried? Genesis was one of the best pop rock bands of the 80s, if somebody prefers that music over the prog rock that they put out earlier, it is a personal matter.
Really enjoying your vids and I agree with your rankings for the most part. Not that anyone cares but here are my top 5. Based just on enjoyment, not really going into the sheer grandeur of the track lists. 1. Trespass - The story told in "White Mountain" is purely awesome and real evokes a lot of emotion. "The Knife" doing the same thing. I really dig all the tracks. 2. Foxtrot - "Supper's Ready" may be the finest prog song ever created and is possibly my favorite Genesis song. "Watcher of the Skies" is another masterpiece. 3. Selling England By The Pound - "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" is probably my second favorite song by the band. Overall great album. 4. Nursery Cryme - "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" is yet another great song filled with masterful musicianship and lyrics. Great story. "Harlequin" is a very beautiful little song. "Harold the Barrel" is fantastically humorous and unique. 5. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - From "Cuckoo Cocoon" to "Counting Out Time" and "Carpet Crawl" to "Lilywhite Lilith" and then on to "Riding the Scree" this album really covers all bases. An almost perfectly executed double album. Honorable Mention: From Genesis to Revelation - A great album done by a band that had no one older than 18. Really shows just how immensely talented these guys were. Filled with great tracks and a perfect opener for an all time great band.
Fantastic ranking I got into Genesis when I was 9 in 86 and picked up I know What I Like for 20p in a school jumble sale. I was more intrigued by its b side Twilight Alehiuse and then I believe invisible touch album came out and loved Land of Confusion. For a 9 year old who was into 80s pop at the time this was a good transition for me to get into Prog. I then bought Nursery Crime a few years later and was hooked from there.
Another excellent installment from Sea of Tranquility. Many of us prog rock listeners gain much from your videos. Keep up the fantastic work. (Totally shocked you don't have the last Genesis release! LOL)
Genesis is (for me anyway) the best band EVER. Genesis 1970-79 is by far the best discography of any band in any genre. Amazing musicianship and intricate and advanced chord progressions, superb vocals and guitar work. Top that off with great and meaningful lyrics. The reason I put Genesis above Yes is because IMO they're better storytellers, and Gabriel is a genious on that. Yes is for me more "look what I can do" type of stuff as fantastic as they are, while Genesis and Gabriel is art. It's simply ART. My top 10: 1. Foxtrot 2. Nursery Crime 3. Selling England by The Pound 4. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway 5. A Trick of The Tail 6. Duke 7. Wind and Wuthering 8. Trespass 9. Abacab 10. And Then There Where Three
Calling All Stations gets a bad rap. Very underrated album. I like all 3 eras of Genesis. There really isnt a bad one. Peter and Steve need to get with Tony, Mike and Phil and do a reunion tour. Mix some of the 70's with the 80's 1. Foxtrot (Supper's Ready enough said) 2. We Can't Dance (Fading Lights is Genesis best song, just an amazing song) 3. Wind And Wuthering (Amazing album, top to bottom) 4. Selling England By the Pound (Top notch prog) 5. Calling All Stations (Only a few bad ones) 6. Genesis (Killer album) 7. Invisible Touch (Tonight Tonight and the title track are amazing) 8. Abacab (Keep It Dark and Dodo are a great duo) 9. Duke (Man Of Our Times is classic) 10. Nursery Cryme (Such an amazing classic with the Musical Box) 11. Trick Of The Tail (Maybe the best opening song of all Genesis albums with Dance On A Volcano) 12. And Then There Were Three (Great album lack though in some spots) 13. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (Really like the album but there is some filler there) 14. Trespass (The Knife is a classic) 15. From Genesis To Revelation (Interesting beginning)
Man, it is hard to contest Selling vs Fox....for me it comes down to Firth of Fifth vs Supper’s Ready, my 2 fave Genesis songs. The Firth’s keys-to-guitar solos in the middle are tremendous beyond comparison only to be ended with my favorite Genesis lyric of all time, “The sands of time were eroded by the river of constant change” with the trailing piano scales...wow! Now compare that to the dozen song changes in Supper’s Ready, each building bigger arrangements & lyrics on the previous to all end with the haunting cries of Hackett’s guitar after Gabriel’s long bellow of “...the new Jerusalem” I cannot separate...1 & 1 to share. Great job on the picks...follows my mental listing. Thanks!
One of the first bands I ever saw back in 1971, Sunny Manchester UK Charisma did 30p (6/-) tours and you got to see 3 bands, first time I got to see Van der Graf Generator, Lindisfarne and of course Genesis..to put it into perspective an LP cost £2.00, even caught them at Friars at Aylesbury for me Nursery Cryme and Foxtrot are just sublime, cant split them, Caught the Lamb Lies down tour, Gabriel left and so did I
@@ronbo11It really was an entirely different world then..I think Genesis were like the under support band they came on first, Van der graf were the headliners, maybe half full (The Free Trade Hall held around 2000..they used one of the Manchester gigs for part of Genesis Live) Peter Gabriel just wore a pair of desert boots, jeans and any grey top, we asked him about the stories before each song and he said that, foremost he liked doing them but mainly it gave Tony Banks time to re-adjust his variety of keyboards..Mellotron being a tricky blighter at the best of times, I still have the ticket stubs...sad I know..I think their set was Stagnation, The knife, Fountain of Salmacis and Musical box, for me Nursery Cryme could have static on it apart from Fountain, Musical Box and Hogweed, it would still be in my top 3
For me my Top 5: 1: The Lamb 2: Foxtrot 3: Selling England 4: Nursery 5: Wind & .. Other than that I agree with all your rankings I do like Trespass alot but I would rank it No. 6...
The Musical Box are pretty good. Not as good as seeing Steve Hackett and band do the same material. When The Musical Box comes to San Francisco they always play at a terrible venue, wish they'd find another location.
@@silvertube52 They should try to book the Orpheum in SF or the Fox Theatre in Oakland. Maybe these venues don't accept tribute bands, and if that's the case, they should reconsider that flawed thinking!
1. Foxtrot 2. The Lamb lies down on Broadway 3. Selling England by the pound 4. Nursery Cryme 5. Trespass Post Gabriel: 6. A trick of the tail 7. Wind and wuthering 8. Genesis
1. Selling England By The Pound 2. Foxtrot 3. Nursery Cryme 4. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 5. Wind & Wuthering 6. Trick Of The Tail 7. Trespass 8. And Then There Were Three 9. Duke 10. Invisible Touch
Your positioning is amazingly close to mine. On all of them you are spot on with my list or perhaps one slot different. I do despise the We Can't Dance disc. The "pop" Genesis is just unpalatable to me. I know it's pretty good pop, but I never go back and listen to those tunes. From a long time Genesis fan...thanks for the list!
My introduction to Genesis was when their U.S. record company put out a double-album of Foxtrot and Nursery Crime. It was 1978 and I was probably 15 and had cut my teeth on Rush, Styx, Aerosmith, etc. Then I grew up and into Genesis, big time. Helped that some my other band-geek friends were into them too. Anyway, I'd have to go with The Lamb as #1. When you're talking albums, you're talking as a whole. And nothing beats The Lamb. Not a weak track on it. And any lyricist that can work "slubberdegullions" into a song, has to get the nod.
Yeah that's a widely held opinion, that Genesis died when Hackett left, but there is a lot of great music on some of the later albums, in between some awful pop.
Nice, I had never heard of From Genesis to Revelation. I started listening to Genesis in the Duke & ABACAB era, then backtracked to Trespass ... never knew there was an album before it!
Unless you like psychedelic pop you aren't really missing much. It's worth hearing for the super hardcore Genesis fan but that's probably about it. Also, if you are someone who doesn't like anything after Genesis or Invisible Touch then really no point in hearing the very first one either though.
For Genesis fans everywhere, and especially for the musicians among you, I HIGHLY recommend listening to their album reissue interview videos. The stories behind the making of the albums, told by the men who made them. I wish there were other such videos for other bands and artists. I was completely delighted to find them and to listen to them 2 or 3 times! You can find them right here on UA-cam. Answers many of the questions you might have had, like, why did Peter Gabriel have to leave, and what the heck were they thinking in the eighties? Lol.I am one of those who don't like eighties Genesis a whole lot, although I was always happy for their success. Well, hearing those interviews I completely respect the decisions they made and I am happy they had so much fun doing what they did! Wonderful.
I love Foxtrot so much that I bought a vinyl copy of it and I don’t even own a record player.
You should get one. It’ll be worth it
Foxtrot is great. But for me it's Nursery Cryme. An absolute epic album (Musical Box, Giant Hogweed, Fountain of Salmacis)
I love it so much that I never even heard it and own it on 8-Track,Vinyl AND Cd!!!
same here 😄
The Lamb has some of the most beautiful and haunting pieces of music, rock has ever given.
"lamia" is the under rated gem from the genesis canon.
It's a bit dense and hard to listen to. The production isn't great.
@@dougmphilly I will second that,along with Carpet Crawlers.
Accompanied by beautiful interludes like 'Anyways' and the great keyboards and drumming of Banks and Collins... that's why Selling England and The Lamb are the top for me... painfully beautiful.
On any given day, my fav. alternates between "Anyways" and "The chamber of 32 doors"
"I can't dance is a song that I don't ever need to hear again..." Lol. Agreed.
and Invisible Touch
@@berdi4berdi4 I like that one a little.
@@berdi4berdi4 no, Invisible touch has very beautiful harmonies
I love all the Genesis hits.....but I Can't Dance is the only one that gets on my nerves a little bit.
I Can’t Dance is actually a damn good song, tho I think Invisible Touch is not
I love Foxtrot, but would have had Selling England By The Pound as my number one.
Yeah - I've vacillated on those for years, but Selling England is now my number one as well.
Selling England by the pound was the album that got me into Genesis. Previously I only heard their later era songs such as Mama and Land of Confusion on radio but I never listened them properly. Then someday I decided to check some of their Peter Gabriel era albums since I love prog music. I started with Selling England and the first time I heard Dancing with the Moonlit knight I was hooked. It is still my favorite album from them. That Firth of fifth guitar solo is my favorite guitar solo on any song.
Yeah, I too think that Pete is in the minority on this one. Foxtrot would come in 2nd on most lists
As soon as Phil Collins took over Genesis that was the beginning of the end. Every album was a further departure from the sound that Genesis was known for.
@@jeffreykaufmann2867 Well of course, they lost they're magical signature that made them a beloved band, but what they lost (when Phil took over,) they gained in fame and fortune. With Phil and the gang, they're popularity in the 80's soared to heights that probably even THEY couldn't imagine....not to mention wealth too.
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is my favorite. Great album with amazing Peter Gabriel vocals. Never get tired of listening to it.
And with amazing music work from the others
In 1980 a friend and I got to interview Steve Hackett at his flat in Holland Park for our Genesis fanzine. After the interview he asked if there was anything else and we asked if he would play something, and he played 'Horizons' for us - a wonderful experience I'll never forget (Foxtrot was always my favourite, and this just adds to it). We all know that Steve is a true gentleman, and he certainly was for us that day.
Where can i see this interview?
Aw, man, why didn't you ask, "Can you play 'When the Heart Rules the Mind?"" Just to see the look on his face....
What a lucky guy you were. Intensely jealous rn i wont lie
@@kallikjartan7745 It was recorded on a cassette tape and unfortunately I've lost contact with my friend who had the only copy.
@@thatmatt41 Indeed - it's one of those experiences you never forget.
selling england by the pound, my desert island disc.
Mine too.
Ditto. Specifically, Cinema Show
Hopefully England isn't your desert island, then, or you'll have to listen to the album in the ocean.
1. Selling England by the Pound
2. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
3. Duke
4. Trespass
Nursery Crime
@@GUADALJARA Nursery Cryme
I could argue that selling England by he pound is the greatest album of all time.
And I often do!
I’d argue.
Me too!
Me too!! the first time I heard the acappela of Gabriel in Dancing With The Moonlit Knight was absolutly astonished, and it was just the first seconds of the album
Definitely one of the top 10 Prog. Lps in my book!🤘😝
Selling England by the Pound was the first progressive rock album that I purchased back in '01. It remains my favorite album by Genesis.
Since I was a teen, Wind And Wuthering has always been my "rainy day" album. The mood of the music, like the cover art, just seems to fit a gray and cloudy, rainy day. That being said, I agree with your pick of Foxtrot as number one. My introduction to the band, and still my favorite.
To me , too. But i will always wonder if it would be summer album if it had the same cover all green, clear sky and the sun shining. :)
Rainy day, indeed! I hate rain, but I love rainy mood. I want to love the album so badly, as much as I love the cover the most out of theirs, but... I can't...
I love Wind and Wuthering. One of my favorites.
I agree with the feel of this album being Autumnal and Rainy Day. The Band really died for me after Hackett left.
Agreed - my fav too (Banks / Hackett fav also)
THE SOIL THE SOIL THE SOIL THE SOIL!!!!
(the soil!...)
I always laugh in that part.
Trick of the Tail & Wind and Wuthering are my 2 favorites
Love this ranking of Genesis albums. I would say that the Gabriel/Rutherford/Hackett/Banks/Collins lineup is one of my all time fave prog rock groups-I definitely rank them up there with King Crimson, Moody Blues and Pink Floyd (never got too much into ELP or Yes, but that's another discussion). I pretty much agree with your ranking however, I would switch the order of your top 3 for my personal faves, with Nursery Crime at number 1, Foxtrot at 2 and Selling England...at 3. Here's my reasoning: Nursery Crime was the first Gen album I bought and listened to all the way through and it dropped my jaw to the floor, so it will always have that impact on me. I remember back in the early nineties and I Can't Dance was a huge hit on the radio, so too at the time were Peter Gabriel's songs Digging in the Dirt and Steam. Then my dad told me about how he remembered when Gabriel was in Genesis and he saw then for the first time on Midnight Special and he was reminiscing about PG singing these weird fantasy songs, wearing equally strange costumes and makeup. At the time I thought, "Wait a minute? PETER GABRIEL? In Genesis!?!" Again, at the time I was only aware of the hits Genesis had during the eighties and early nineties. Growing up during the eighties, the Phil Collins era hits were the ones given the most exposure. If you remember, songs like That's All, Mama, Tonight Tonight Tonight, Invisible Touch, Land of Confusion, No Son of Mine were just as big and played on the radio just as much as anything else at the same time as fill-in-the-blank with whatever songs you can think of from the same period by Prince, Madonna, U2 or Michael Jackson. Anyway, a short time later, I heard a college radio station playing songs like Time Table and Carpet Crawlers, then some months later a friend of mine gave me a cassette of 1973's Genesis Live and I was floored. Anyway, love Genesis, love Peter Gabriel; not that I don't like Phil Collins, great singer, I think he was an even better drummer, though. But, I love their run of albums from Trespass to Wind and Wuthering (by the way, do you notice how A Trick of the Tail and W&W have quite a fusion rock type flair to them?). But from And Then There Were Three onwards, I don't know, I am just not able to listen to those albums all the way through. I enjoy the Collins era hits, some of them are undeniable, but the Collins era albums, especially throughout the eighties, don't hold my interest as much as their prog material.
Please remember Trick of the Tail and W&W are Colin's era albums
That's interesting. I've got 900 CD's. All The Beatles, almost all The Stones, all of Costello, and most of Bowie,but I've never been more surprised than Phil Collins and Genesis. My impression all these years since the 80's was that Phil Collins was Slick Willie the worst of the era, and Peter Gabriel was the real Artist. So after recently picking up both of their Greatest Hits CD's. I couldn't believe how good they were. So, then I git Invisible Touch and We Can't Dance, which are solid very good albums. Fact the latter starts off with No Son Of mine,Jesus He Knows Me and Driving The Last Spike-How can you get any better than that?
Phil stepped up and not just kept the band alive but started making Hits....
Trick of the Tail is my all-time favorite album & one of the best 51 minutes ever commited to vinyl.... The pressure the band were under losing Gabriel was immense & they delivered a classic with Phil singing that just knocked everyone out!!
And Diana, Princess of Whales, agreed with you. It was her all-time favorite album as well.
@@uckbee how you know?
@@Lucasaraujo56749 Simple. She said so, and I remember seeing her quoted as saying it.
Not me, extraordinary drummer (one of the best ever) but I've never liked his sappy and thin voice...
@@uckbee and that's excactly the great issue: when they moved from track like "Dancing with the moonlit knight" to mushy ballads like "Ripples"...
I was very pleasantly surprised by "Trespass". Since it is rarely mentioned I thought it be like "early album" which mostly are diehard-fans.. The kind of album that mostly just "sits" in a collection and never plays. Boy was I wrong. A really good album that deserves to be mention a lot more!
THANK you for covering one of the best bands of ALL TIME!
Great video and ranking the albums is difficult indeed. My top 5 for what it's worth.
1- The lamb lies down on Broadway
2 - Foxtrot
3 - Selling England by the pound
4 - Trespass
5 - Nursery Crime
As you can see, I love the early stuff and am a huge fan on Anthony Phillips as well. The geese and the ghost, Wise after the event and Slow Dance are classics.
Re: Anthony Phillips ... I really really like side 2 of his 'Sides' album. Very proggy ... in the Trespass sense I think. Absolutely love the track 'Bleak House'.
Selling England by the pound - #1 for me! Period!
Ironically, the most played Genesis track in our home remains "Dance On A Volcano".
At least it's one that won't cause our dinner guests to leave early.
Love Genesis, thanks for posting this video Pete. Next up Ranking the Studio Albums: Yes
Selling England has always been my fav. One of my top prog albums. Firth of Fifth gives me chills and Cinema Show has sections of pure beauty. Such a unique sounding album with brilliant performances.
When I walk my dog I listen to Cinema Show (what is the time signature during the keyboard solo?) and Firth of Fifth because Steve's solo is one of the best ever. Thanks for reminding me.
@@kelvinturner2941 I believe it's in 7/8 time!
@@coolguitarchannel Correct.
Agreed totally...
Genesis is one of my favorite bands of all time. I am also big into the early 70’s albums as well. I like the 80’s pop, because that’s what I grew up on first and was never aware of their earlier work until I got older and found out that Peter Gabriel was their first singer, so of course I delve deeper and found I love that decade better. Here goes my rankings for Genesis:
1. Nursery Crime
2. Trespass
3. Foxtrot
4. Selling England By The Pound
5. Invisible Touch
6. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
7. Abacab
8. A Trick of the Tail
9. Wind & Wuthering
10. Duke
11. Genesis
12. And Then There Were Three
13. From Genesis to Revelation
14. We Can’t Dance
15. Calling All Stations
it depends on my mood which is the best , love them all
Thank you for ranking the Genesis cd's.🎤🎸🎵🥁
Hey, Pete. I discovered your channel and i love it. I'm also a colector of music (i have now over 3.000 titles) and you vive me something that i lost over the years - someone to talk about music, albuns, songs.
Really cool. Thanks.
Thank you so much, Sea of Tranquility!
Wonderful job, I would agree to most of it!
Thank you again.
The Lamb and Selling England By The Pound are my top 2 Genesis albums.
Mine too.
Mine too.
Pete do you have the cd dvd 5.1 Box sets from 2007? Tony Banks was in charge of the remasters and they are very impressive sound quality and some great exclusive interviews with band members.
I've seen Steve Hackett and his current band play Genesis stuff live four times now and its honestly incredible. Hes obviously doing to it to put food on the table but he genuinely seems to enjoy revisiting this material and it's a joy to watch. Watching and hearing him play the solo from Firth of Fith is simply amazing
I concur. His show last October in Sacramento was stunning!
Though he's had several incarnations of this "tribute" band, Hackett is the only one of the Genesis band who is trying to keep the legacy alive. None of these shows were near enough for me to see, but I've watched and own several of the DVD's of these performances. All of those were stellar. Hackett has every reason to be proud of his contributions to this band's legacy. I know the guitar work here is not bluesy, metallic or brutal. Yet, his playing is stellar for what it is--and his command of effects and atmospheres is among the best. As a consequence of his guitar work, this output is both sublime and timeless.
Hackett is worth somewhere between $50 million and $100 million. Word is that Hackett made $75 million in 2023. He definitely has no issue with keeping himself fed. Hackett has gone on tour more than any other musician from those years. I believe he does it because he loves the music. And obviously playing concerts and having that love from fans is likely addicting. Judging from how good his concerts sound, he puts an unbelievable amount of work into those concerts. The tour bands he's put together are incredible. I can watch his concert videos all day long every day. They're that good! I must say that his discovery of Nad Sylvan to sing Gabriel songs was genius!
Thank you for providing your honest assessments, it gives my students a great intro to the band and a guide on where to start their listening.
I'm glad to see this. "Selling England By The Pound" seems to be the #1 favorite of most Genesis fans (or Gabriel-led Genesis fans, at least) and I agree it's a terrific album, but I've always preferred "Foxtrot". My #1 Genesis album as well.
1st: The Lamb, 2nd: Selling England, 3rd:Foxtrot, 4th:Nursery, 5th: Trespass, THAT'S ALL
Nice breakdown Pete of some classic Genesis albums. Lamb has always been number 1 for me. I think it's such an outstanding album. Never tire of listening to it.
Wind & Wuthering top of my list .
A friend in High School taught me how to play Blood On The Rooftops... The only Classical piece I know!
Calling All Stations is a terribly underrated album. I have listened almost since release as a teenager. Many memories. My second full Genesis album I heard. It still impresses me today
Hey man, I'm having a blast every day checking out your lists, and even if I disagree, i love it, because we are dissecting music and great musicianship which is sorely needed in this American Idol/plastic pop mentality world that we are currently in. I'm close to you on this one. I love Selling England by the Pound, and that Gabriel era is tremendous to me. It went downhill in my opinion when Hackett left, so to me Wind & Wuthering is the last great Genesis work. They didn't get a dynamic guitarist to replace him, so an element of their dynamic suffered greatly. Keep up the great work. I'm curious to know if you will do any Soul albums such as Stevie Wonder, EWF, or Curtis Mayfield. I'm not sure if you're into those folks or not, but I would love to see your take if you have those albums. Great job man. Keep up the excellent work. Peace friend!
I'm just getting into them, so this is super useful, thanks!
Selling England by the Pound was definitely their pinnacle album...the synth solo in Cinema Show is probably one of the best keyboard solo of all times and always sent shivers up my spine! My introduction to Genesis was Genesis Live and was completely entranced and hooked by Watcher of The skies and every song on it! My next favourite was Foxtrot...love Get Em out by Friday and Can Utility and the coast liners besides the Epic Suppers Ready...toss up between Lamb and Nursery Crymes...A Trick of the Tail was brilliant followed by Wind And Wuthering..And Then There were Three was well done but starting to get commercial...Duke was pretty good but I pretty much checked out by Grab A Cab and just listened to hits on the radio...Hackett is the only one who has held true to the early Genesis sound and has brilliantly revived that classic beauty...A water fall is madrigal , an inland sea is symphony...but there is in fact more Earth than sea.
I was right there with you until you put "Selling England by the Pound" as number two, but it's hard to choose between it and "Foxtrot". Nice analysis!
Selling England by the Pound is better. I love Foxtrot, but I honestly believe Dancing with the Moonlit Knight and Firth of Fith are both better than Supper's ready.
@@Haxprocess “Dancing with the Moonlit Knight” has been my favorite Genesis song since I first heard it. It blew my mind the first time I listened to the album and it’s blown me away every time I’ve listened since then.
@@Aweso1974 It might also be my favorite song from them, you have good taste!
First of all, great show Pete, can't stop watching it!
My top is:
1-Trespass (my favorite prog record ever, listened to it when I was 14 in 2016, i was really more into metal stuff and that record really changed my way of viewing music)
2-...and then there were three (really love the dark melodic sound this record has)
3-selling England by the pound
4-foxtrot
5-Nursery cryme
6-A trick of the tail
7-wind and wuthering
9-the lamb lies down om Broadway (love it but it's Really a record that needs to be played in specific moods)
10-from genesis to revelations
11-genesis
12-Duke
13-calling all stations
14-abacab
15-invisible touch
16-we can't dance
@Martin Kulkarni the first time i heard it although I really loved it and considered it the best album with Collins on vocals i wouldn't either put it at nr two, but now I listened to it too much and it brings too much memories that I can't help putting it that high on the list, definitely an underrated great album by the band!
A famous Peter’s quote is that “Phil maybe a better singer but he can’t sing like me”
Nelson Robert Willis Especially Supper’s Ready, Peter And Phil’s voices on top of eachother is what creates the weird atmosphere of Lovers Leap and the reverie or Guaranteed Eternal Sanctuary Man. If there’s a song I think I’ve heard Phil do better than Peter, it’s probably Carpet Crawlers.
But can Pete sing like Phil?
Genesis had a lot of pop sounding songs even in the Peter Gabriel era. So when Phil Collins takes the helm, he did a fantastic job on some of those pop sounding sings. Example; Carpet Crawlers.
Phil maybe a better singer than Peter??? What a strange opinion. To me, Phil is a good singer (and I really appreciate the job he did with genesis when gabriel left) but Peter is the best singer alltime.
Congratulations Pete for the excellent show!! Greetings from Greece! 🇬🇷
Κι εδω Ελλαδα!!!Τυπαρα ο Pete!
Ακριβώς! Γνώστης και σοβαρός!
Σιγουρα γνωστης,με ροη στο λογο κ με χιουμορακι!
Once I figured my way around the Battle of Epping Forest, Selling England became my favourite album. It all hangs together, and its flow is much more concise than Lamb. There's some better individual tracks on other albums, but as a whole album little out there stands up to it.
Pete, thanks for highlighting some of my favourite albums of all time. I too started when Duke was released in my second last year of high school. My order below. Depending on the time of year, any of the first five could be being spun the most and at the top of the list. The Gabriel Albums plus first two Phil Collins led albums could only have been made by British artists. They have that ineffable British air that the Kinks have.I also listen to Seconds Out. A lot. I rank it as one of THE great live albums.
Cheers from Melbourne, Australia.
1 Selling England by the Pound
2 The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
3 Foxtrot
4 Wind & Wuthering
5 A Trick of the Tail
6 Nursery Cryme
7 Duke
8 Trespass
9 ...And Then There Were Three...
10 Genesis
11 Calling All Stations
12 Invisible Touch
13 Abacab
14 We Can't Dance
15 From Genesis to Revelation
Trick of the Tail is my favorite.
Mine also although for the longest time it was Selling England for me. Anything they did in the 70's is better than anything they did in the 80's though. Anyone who disagrees is probably more of a mainstream rock fan or pop fan than a prog rock fan.
@@mikereiss4216 Personally, although Peter Gabriel leaving marked the beginning of the end, I believe it was the departure of Steve Hackett that had the biggest (negative?) impact on the music
@@davidf6326 Absolutely. Their real decline in prog music started after Hackett left more than after PG left. I won't say the later stuff sucks(although some might)but I will say that they probably should have changed their name. Then again I also feel Yes shouldn't have called themselves Yes starting with 90125.
@@mikereiss4216 Yes, in both cases a change in the bands' name would have been artistically appropriate, but commercially suicidal I suspect.
Squonk is one of my favorite songs of all time.
I can’t explain it but I adore Calling All Stations. I found it during what may have been the most difficult and life changing time I’ve experienced so far. Ray Wilson sounds beautiful and the overall empty yet still progressive sounds surrounding his voice is spellbinding for me. I could listen to it over and over.
You should do a Frank Zappa rate the albums, that might be a 2 hour episode though
@@Jerknoir-a-saurus would love to see them one day. I have the first Dvd he put out it's awesome
1. LAMB 2. SELLING 3. FOXTROT 4. TRESPASS 5. TRICK 6. NURSERY 7. WIND 8. DUKE ETC. As far as the vocals I gotta say although my fav Genesis albums come from the Gabriel-era, no question about it, Id say as a singer he's one of those guys who got better with age, way into his solo career. Its also kinda funny how similar Collins sounds as vocalist compared to Gabriel, esp on Trick & Wind. What a wonderful band. Thanks for the vid Pete!
Really great channel. Simple concept but well executed. Genesis is an amazing band.
Pete Pardo knows whereof he speaks. Always enjoy his opinions/commentary.
IMHO, Pete is largely right about best Genesis. Yeah, I bought most of their stuff that was produced after Gabriel and Hackett left the band but I rarely listen to it now. In contrast, I continue to regularly listen to their brilliant early material.
The GREAT news is that you can still see Steve Hackett and band play classic Genesis music live. And play it at a very high level of fidelity. I’ve seen him every time he’s played LA over the last decade. Unlike Yes’ Steve Howe (another prog guitar hero who I dearly love), Steve Hackett can still faithfully reproduce all the notes from 1970s songs at the right tempo. At least he could two years ago when I saw him last before he was forced to take a Covid hiatus. I have front row seats to see Steve Hackett and crew in May 2022 at the LA Orpheum theatre. Can hardly wait.
My short list:
1) Selling England by the Pound
2) Foxtrot (though I play the hell out of this album; so on any given day I might recategorize it as number 1)
3) Nursery Cryme
4) The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
5) A Trick of the Tail
Yes, I like The Knife from Trespass. And I like selected songs from later albums. But if I was stuck on a desert island, I’d be overjoyed to have these five Genesis albums with me. And I’d be inconsolable if I couldn’t have the first four.
Even though I wasn't born at the time that the classic albums came out, I always knew who they were as I remember growing up with the three piece lineup but had no idea at the time that Steve Hackett used to be a member of Genesis because I only knew him for his solo work until I heard his 'Genesis Revisited' album then I checked out the earlier stuff of the band.
I would definitely say that the best music they made was in the 70s by the classic lineup with Steve Hackett and Peter Gabriel, for me 'Lamb Lies Down In Broadway' is their masterpiece that captured them at their musical creative peak.
I agree with all except Selling at #1 and Foxtrot at #2. All very fine albums. My favorite band of all time. I'm 60 and just missed seeing Peter with the band. First album I bought was Selling. Then I bought them all!
I missed most of the Peter Gabriel era, but saw him with Genesis in 1982 as “Six of the Best” at Milton Keynes Bowl in the UK. He said that he watching the audience singing because he couldn’t remember the lyrics. Great outdoor concert - rained all day!
@@jonparsons363 lucky you! I saw Peter Gabriel early 80's. He was fantastic live.
...And Then There Were Three was the first Genesis album that I ever bought and then I got Winds and Wuthering. I still have a huge attachment to both of those. Good list!
Those 2 are very underrated, imo. A nice mix of prog and pop that make for a highly enjoyable and unique listening experience.
Anybody who has a 2 story house with a deck - wait till it's pitch black at night, lie on a lawn chair facing the stars, and play Wind and Wuthering. That one and Then there Were 3 are winter albums. You almost want to put a jacket on when you hear them lol
Great list, Pete. Well done, sir. My rankings: 1. Trick; 2. Lamb; 3. Selling England; 4. Nursery Cryme; 5. Foxtrot; 6. Wind; 7. Trespass; 8. and then there were three; 9. Duke; 10. Abacab; 11. Genesis; 12. Revelation; 13. Invisible Touch; 14; I Can't Dance; (not ranked - calling all stations; have not listened to it, for after I Can't Dance... I just couldn't take it anymore, and I've had it!!)
Turn It On Again: Only Genesis can produce a poppy 'radio track' in 13/8.
true
the best riffs
incredible and more
ua-cam.com/video/FjhO_zfFg0Q/v-deo.html
@The Supervillain Hardly 'poppy' though
@@davidf6326 but still, like turn it on again another great song. I prefer freewill but I love them both
What is the "Keep it dark" in? For some reason, after 38+ years of listening to that track I can never get the opening beat right. I always do my air drumming wrong for that song and I don't know why
One of the very few rankings with Trespass higher than A Trick, which is absolutely correct of course. Well done!
1. A Trick Of The Tail
2. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
3. Selling England By The Pound
4. Duke
5. Wind And Wuthering
6. Nursery Cryme
7. Foxtrot
8. Trespass
9. And Then There Where Three
10. Invisible Touch
11. Genesis
12. We Can't Dance
13. Abacab
14. From Genesis To Revelation
Haven't heard Calling All Stations
It's actually pretty good. I've listened to it more than We Can't Dance, From Genesis to Revelation, and Abacab
Undertow is probably my favorite Genesis song. And I am a HUGE fan of both eras
Agreed with Foxtrot being their best. Trespass has also become one of my favorites. Didn't blow me away first listen, but it's probably in my top 10 albums of all time now.
My first Genesis album that I listened to was Foxtrot and I couldn't stop playing it over and over again. No group had ever been so creative before in my opinion and the quality of the instrumentation and vocals was incredible. After that album I would be excited to hear the next newest album. I still play tracks from that album 50 years later! In my opinion 70s Genesis music is by far better than anything they released after that time.
well timed, Pete! It's Phil Collins' birthday today. Say what you want about the "pop" period of the band. His drumming (with exception of the last album) was influential to many drummers.
If only he had remained a drummer.
Errr did they actually make any good music ???.
I've always been a fan of both eras. I like the Gabriel alums best, but the later albums each had some great pop singles.
@@gwts1171 I totally agree Brian! Personally I don't mind one bit when prog rockers write tunes that have great melodies/feel. To me that leads to GREAT rock songs quite often. Mama is a great rock song. So is Abacab, Dodo, Behind The Lines.
How about Brand X drumming by Phil?!!
Great!! Was hoping for this!!!! They are my favorite band of all time!! Better late then never !! 1. Selling England... 2. Nursery Cryme 3. Foxtrot 4. The Lamb 5. Trespass 6. Duke (My first CD I ever purchased) 7. ToTt 8. W&W 9. ATtWT 10. Genesis. The rest..
I'm a child of the 80s so it took me longer to get into the great stuff as I had to work my way back to the 1970s Gabriel era masterpieces .
Personally,Trick of the Tail is my favorite of all their records. Genesis has quite a few filler tracks on amazing albums, the Lamb Lies Down and its interludes, Nursery Cryme especially, Wind and Wuthering has one, Trespass, even Selling England has some more forgettable stuff. I can put on any song from Trick of the Tail and absolutely love it, each tune has so much substance.
Wow. That's the most pussyish thing I've ever heard. Trick of the Tail is a lame-ass album made for pop wimps.
Dude, Totally agree with your assessment, exactly what I was thinking when I did my list.
Nursery Cryme has a filler?
@@davidsquonkbreeds8568 Well, For Absent Friends, Harlequin and Harold the Barrel are all right songs, but not the grand epics that are Fountain of Salmacis, Musical Box and Return of the Giant Hogweed.
@@landonpuckett1767 Can't just have Grand Epics. I love those 3 you mentioned. But this was the first Genesis album I bought and I always played it as a whole, so every bit of it was good stuff. I am not arguing with you and agree with Trick Of the Tail, such a great album and I think it was so good because they remaining four wanted to show that they could get along without Pete!
Thanks for that Mr Pardo, Genesis were the first band I got into, at the age of 12 back in the 80's. I still listen to them from time to time. It was nostalgic for me to hear you talk about them on this video, many thanks. I've subscribed to hear you speak about other great Rock Bands too. Cheers.
Do you have Anthony Phillips 'The geese and the ghost'? Brilliant album.
1. The Lamb lies down on Broadway
2. Trick of the Tail
3. Selling by the Pound
4. Abacab
5. Duke
6. Foxtrot
7. Wind and Wuthering
8. Nursery Cryme
9. And Then there were Three
10. Trespass
11. Invisible Touch
12. Genesis
13. We Can't Dance
I haven't heard the others.
My Premier League Genesis:
1. Selling England by the Pound
2. Foxtrot
3. Trespass
4. Nursery Cryme
5. The Lamb
6. Trick of the Tail
7. Wind and Wuthering
8. And then there were Three
Due for promotion:
9. Duke
10. From Genesis to Revelation
Always second flight:
11. Abacab
12. Genesis
13. Calling all Stations
14. Invisible Touch
Never left the wardrobe:
We Can't Dance
I think the very first album shows an enormous potential for good songwriting. It's very badly recorded and all that, but to me has something very special and promising.
Trespass was my gateway to the earlier of the bands material, me growing up with Abacab and Mama being the current hits in my teens. And I still love it in all it's quirkiness.
My ranking exactly! We must have the same ear.
@@JamesMcLeod463 Is that right?
We must claim consensus then ;)
My top 10
1. ' The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway'
2. 'Selling England by the Pound'
3. 'A Trick of the Tail'
4. 'Duke'
5. 'Abacab'
6. 'Foxtrot'
7. 'Nursery Cryme'
8. 'Wind and Wuthering'
9. 'Trespass'
10. 'Genesis'
1. Wind and Wuthering (as the most atmospheric album with an explicit instrumental work)
2. Nursery Crime (with the outstanding starting and finishing tracks)
3. Selling England by the Pound (as Gabriel's peak)
I've only watched a few of these "Genesis Album ranking "type shows and your has been by far the best.You obviously know the material very well,and I actually agree with some of your rankings. Thank you!I enjoyed your video.
In seeing the shirt you're wearing, I had to comment. The band photo was taken in '73, in Central Park South (Back in NYC....arf, arf... )
This is a stone's throw from The Plaza Hotel. Anyway, using the Essex House Hotel in the photo's backround as a gauge, I found that rock they'd posed on & had my photo taken on it as well, after taking the ex-wife on a buggy ride through the park. I still refer to it as the Genesis rock. It is now in a section that is either chained off or fenced off; I can't remember now. I found the Genesis rock & had my photo taken there in the mid-90s.... By the way, Essex House is the same placed that Donny Hathaway jumped from & killed himself in '79, I think it was '79 anyway....
I don't do NYC as much as I used to- the closing of some iconic deli locations like The Stage & Carnegie took away half of the reason I used to go up there. I also saw The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway at the Tribeca Theatre as performed by The Musical Box, back when they featured their dead-ringer for Phil's playing & singing. (2005, I believe) Dead-ringer named Martin LeVac. He played & sang JUST LIKE PHIL. He lead the band behind the kit, just like Phil used to, with the same exact kit that Phil employed during The Lamb era. To see Rael's story performed in Rael's backyard ? That significance was not lost on me. That I was wasted on pain killers (yes, I was addicted at the time...) during the show was not lost on me, either...😎
Top five for me personally (love your list btw)...
1 Selling England by the Pound
2 Foxtrot
3 Nursery Crime
4 Lamb Lies Down ok Broadway
5 Trick of the Tail
I agree wholeheartedly with your list...but I would rank "Selling England by the Pound" over "Foxtrot"
1 Fox trot
2 Selling England by the pound
3 Nursery cryme
4 Lamb lies down
5 Trespass
6 Trick of the tail
7 wind and Wuthering
8 Duke
9 then there were three
10 Invisible touch.
Love all there music one of the first bands ever saw and followed them through the years .
The Best album is the Live "Seconds Out" withe the bombastic interpretation of "Firth of Fifth". Definitively !
That song floored me, when I was a teenager! ...that was my intro to Genesis!
Yes Sir
My rank:
1 Selling England by the Pound
2 Foxtrot
3 A Trick of the Tail
4 The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
5 Nursery Cryme
6 Trespass
7 Wind & Wuthering
8 Duke
9 And Then There Were Three
10 Invisible Touch
11 Abacab
12 Genesis
13 We Can't Dance
14 Calling All Stations
15 From Genesis to Revelation
The Duke and the self titled 80s album are probably my two favorite.
Not to be that guy, but it's just Duke not "The Duke." :)
@Donald Duck Why be worried? Genesis was one of the best pop rock bands of the 80s, if somebody prefers that music over the prog rock that they put out earlier, it is a personal matter.
Really enjoying your vids and I agree with your rankings for the most part. Not that anyone cares but here are my top 5. Based just on enjoyment, not really going into the sheer grandeur of the track lists.
1. Trespass - The story told in "White Mountain" is purely awesome and real evokes a lot of emotion. "The Knife" doing the same thing. I really dig all the tracks.
2. Foxtrot - "Supper's Ready" may be the finest prog song ever created and is possibly my favorite Genesis song. "Watcher of the Skies" is another masterpiece.
3. Selling England By The Pound - "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" is probably my second favorite song by the band. Overall great album.
4. Nursery Cryme - "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" is yet another great song filled with masterful musicianship and lyrics. Great story. "Harlequin" is a very beautiful little song. "Harold the Barrel" is fantastically humorous and unique.
5. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - From "Cuckoo Cocoon" to "Counting Out Time" and "Carpet Crawl" to "Lilywhite Lilith" and then on to "Riding the Scree" this album really covers all bases. An almost perfectly executed double album.
Honorable Mention: From Genesis to Revelation - A great album done by a band that had no one older than 18. Really shows just how immensely talented these guys were. Filled with great tracks and a perfect opener for an all time great band.
I personally think the band has never released a bad album
OwensOwen I completely agree. My favourite band of all time
You gotta be kiddin! Calling all stations, we can’t dance and Invisible Touch are absolute garbage!
@@Carlos-xz3vi we cant dance and invisible touch are masterpieces
Carlos - I happen to really like WCD and IT. Not big on CAS but it has moments
Well, think again.
What about the first two albums? Those are pretty bad...
Fantastic ranking I got into Genesis when I was 9 in 86 and picked up I know What I Like for 20p in a school jumble sale. I was more intrigued by its b side Twilight Alehiuse and then I believe invisible touch album came out and loved Land of Confusion. For a 9 year old who was into 80s pop at the time this was a good transition for me to get into Prog. I then bought Nursery Crime a few years later and was hooked from there.
I love we can't dance, fading lights and driving the last spike are the bomb.
Another excellent installment from Sea of Tranquility. Many of us prog rock listeners gain much from your videos. Keep up the fantastic work. (Totally shocked you don't have the last Genesis release! LOL)
Genesis is (for me anyway) the best band EVER. Genesis 1970-79 is by far the best discography of any band in any genre. Amazing musicianship and intricate and advanced chord progressions, superb vocals and guitar work. Top that off with great and meaningful lyrics. The reason I put Genesis above Yes is because IMO they're better storytellers, and Gabriel is a genious on that. Yes is for me more "look what I can do" type of stuff as fantastic as they are, while Genesis and Gabriel is art. It's simply ART. My top 10:
1. Foxtrot
2. Nursery Crime
3. Selling England by The Pound
4. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
5. A Trick of The Tail
6. Duke
7. Wind and Wuthering
8. Trespass
9. Abacab
10. And Then There Where Three
1, Foxtrot
2, Nursery Cryme
3, The Lamb
4, Selling England
5, Trick of the Tail
6, Trespass
Calling All Stations gets a bad rap. Very underrated album. I like all 3 eras of Genesis. There really isnt a bad one. Peter and Steve need to get with Tony, Mike and Phil and do a reunion tour. Mix some of the 70's with the 80's
1. Foxtrot (Supper's Ready enough said)
2. We Can't Dance (Fading Lights is Genesis best song, just an amazing song)
3. Wind And Wuthering (Amazing album, top to bottom)
4. Selling England By the Pound (Top notch prog)
5. Calling All Stations (Only a few bad ones)
6. Genesis (Killer album)
7. Invisible Touch (Tonight Tonight and the title track are amazing)
8. Abacab (Keep It Dark and Dodo are a great duo)
9. Duke (Man Of Our Times is classic)
10. Nursery Cryme (Such an amazing classic with the Musical Box)
11. Trick Of The Tail (Maybe the best opening song of all Genesis albums with Dance On A Volcano)
12. And Then There Were Three (Great album lack though in some spots)
13. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (Really like the album but there is some filler there)
14. Trespass (The Knife is a classic)
15. From Genesis To Revelation (Interesting beginning)
I like how you think
I love how unique this ranking is. High five for not being influenced by everyone else's reviews!
Man, it is hard to contest Selling vs Fox....for me it comes down to Firth of Fifth vs Supper’s Ready, my 2 fave Genesis songs. The Firth’s keys-to-guitar solos in the middle are tremendous beyond comparison only to be ended with my favorite Genesis lyric of all time, “The sands of time were eroded by the river of constant change” with the trailing piano scales...wow! Now compare that to the dozen song changes in Supper’s Ready, each building bigger arrangements & lyrics on the previous to all end with the haunting cries of Hackett’s guitar after Gabriel’s long bellow of “...the new Jerusalem” I cannot separate...1 & 1 to share. Great job on the picks...follows my mental listing. Thanks!
One of the first bands I ever saw back in 1971, Sunny Manchester UK Charisma did 30p (6/-) tours and you got to see 3 bands, first time I got to see Van der Graf Generator, Lindisfarne and of course Genesis..to put it into perspective an LP cost £2.00, even caught them at Friars at Aylesbury for me Nursery Cryme and Foxtrot are just sublime, cant split them, Caught the Lamb Lies down tour, Gabriel left and so did I
You are a very lucky man to have caught them on that package tour and at the legendary Friars!
@@ronbo11It really was an entirely different world then..I think Genesis were like the under support band they came on first, Van der graf were the headliners, maybe half full (The Free Trade Hall held around 2000..they used one of the Manchester gigs for part of Genesis Live) Peter Gabriel just wore a pair of desert boots, jeans and any grey top, we asked him about the stories before each song and he said that, foremost he liked doing them but mainly it gave Tony Banks time to re-adjust his variety of keyboards..Mellotron being a tricky blighter at the best of times, I still have the ticket stubs...sad I know..I think their set was Stagnation, The knife, Fountain of Salmacis and Musical box, for me Nursery Cryme could have static on it apart from Fountain, Musical Box and Hogweed, it would still be in my top 3
For me my Top 5: 1: The Lamb 2: Foxtrot 3: Selling England 4: Nursery 5: Wind & .. Other than that I agree with all your rankings I do like Trespass alot but I would rank it No. 6...
Seeing The Musical Box tomorrow in Swansea...20 minutes from my home...setlist is fucking awesome can't wait..saw them on their last tour here.
The Musical Box are pretty good. Not as good as seeing Steve Hackett and band do the same material. When The Musical Box comes to San Francisco they always play at a terrible venue, wish they'd find another location.
@@silvertube52 They should try to book the Orpheum in SF or the Fox Theatre in Oakland. Maybe these venues don't accept tribute bands, and if that's the case, they should reconsider that flawed thinking!
1. Foxtrot
2. The Lamb lies down on Broadway
3. Selling England by the pound
4. Nursery Cryme
5. Trespass
Post Gabriel:
6. A trick of the tail
7. Wind and wuthering
8. Genesis
1. Selling England By The Pound
2. Foxtrot
3. Nursery Cryme
4. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
5. Wind & Wuthering
6. Trick Of The Tail
7. Trespass
8. And Then There Were Three
9. Duke
10. Invisible Touch
i rank lamb below 5 & 6.
I haven’t watched the video yet, but foxtrot is my favorite album of all time. My favorite band, excited to give this a watch later!
Your positioning is amazingly close to mine. On all of them you are spot on with my list or perhaps one slot different. I do despise the We Can't Dance disc. The "pop" Genesis is just unpalatable to me. I know it's pretty good pop, but I never go back and listen to those tunes. From a long time Genesis fan...thanks for the list!
A pleasure to listen to your comments about this fantastic band!
Cualquier disco desde Nursery hasta Wuthering podría ser elegido como el mejor.
Mi top: 5) Wuthering 4) Lamb 3) A trick 2) Foxtrot 1) Selling
Probá con Trespass
Es genial!!!!!
@@rafaelgarcia9501 es hermoso Tresspass
My introduction to Genesis was when their U.S. record company put out a double-album of Foxtrot and Nursery Crime. It was 1978 and I was probably 15 and had cut my teeth on Rush, Styx, Aerosmith, etc. Then I grew up and into Genesis, big time. Helped that some my other band-geek friends were into them too.
Anyway, I'd have to go with The Lamb as #1. When you're talking albums, you're talking as a whole. And nothing beats The Lamb. Not a weak track on it. And any lyricist that can work "slubberdegullions" into a song, has to get the nod.
I was ok after Gabriel left, I thought Phil did a great job But when Hackett left
That was the final nail for me.
Exactly my thoughts! Because Steve (and Tony) contributed much more to the fabulous Genesis sound than Peter.
Yeah that's a widely held opinion, that Genesis died when Hackett left, but there is a lot of great music on some of the later albums, in between some awful pop.
5 - Duke
4 - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
3 - Genesis - S/T (1983)
2 - Abacab
1 - Invisible Touch
Nice, I had never heard of From Genesis to Revelation. I started listening to Genesis in the Duke & ABACAB era,
then backtracked to Trespass ... never knew there was an album before it!
Unless you like psychedelic pop you aren't really missing much. It's worth hearing for the super hardcore Genesis fan but that's probably about it. Also, if you are someone who doesn't like anything after Genesis or Invisible Touch then really no point in hearing the very first one either though.
For Genesis fans everywhere, and especially for the musicians among you, I HIGHLY recommend listening to their album reissue interview videos. The stories behind the making of the albums, told by the men who made them. I wish there were other such videos for other bands and artists. I was completely delighted to find them and to listen to them 2 or 3 times! You can find them right here on UA-cam. Answers many of the questions you might have had, like, why did Peter Gabriel have to leave, and what the heck were they thinking in the eighties? Lol.I am one of those who don't like eighties Genesis a whole lot, although I was always happy for their success. Well, hearing those interviews I completely respect the decisions they made and I am happy they had so much fun doing what they did! Wonderful.