h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I am old enough to remember atleast one of your descriptions - but I'm not saying which.
I agree. That is just how it was.

I guess we ought to contact the BBC to ask if they have a grainy old video to support your words. Then we could make a documentary to put across the full drama of GENESIS to an unbelieving world.

Well done

Too late. BBC Scotland have already done it!

IMHO, Peter Gabriel is mostly harmless. It's Phil Collins that the universe should be wary of, along with all other singing drummers.

I do not remember - I am too young, and my mother was kind enough not to subject me to such things in utero. I did enjoy Invisible Touch...when I was 12.
Singing drummers are not all bad. It worked for the Carpenters (anorexia aside) and is working quite nicely for an Australian band called Spiderbait - to whom I have no connection but as a fan.
Their drummer's name is Cram, and he doesn't sing so much as shout tunefully.
The only people who truly seem to appreciate both types of Genesis are Christian Youth Group leaders.

I am not old enough to remember either, although my significant other is fond of subjecting me to "Apocalypse in 9/8" whenever I don't run away fast enough.

Such is life.

About those 6-hour songs. Aren't you mixing up Genesis with the Grateful Dead ?

Sounds more like 'Tales from Topographic Oceans' to me.

I am old enough and the longest song they did was "Supper's ready"
which lasted about 30 mins and was ok. The length of the song is
irrelevant it was the weird surreal Peter Gabriel lyrics that made
them original and different especially at the time. Now they just seem
out of date...

They have a certain charm, though, don't you think? "Selling England by the Pound" makes me all patriotic. I don't know why, cos Genesis were a bunch of public schoolboys from the home counties and I'm just a scumbag from Geordieland. And a big Marillion fan.

Genesis WAS - for a couple of years - the greatest, most innovative band on the whole miserable little blue-green planet. Never content with their sound they had AMCO (in the states) build them a completely new P.A.-system, Disaster Area-like ! And Hey, what are these stupid lights ? Let's build a new laser-guided stage-show, etcetera. The fact that they had a 5.000.000 pounds debt in 1976 didn't interest them in the least until they got a new manager(that's what they're for right..).
I don't think you have to actually like the music to respect those guys for that...I mean all major bands use the technology that Genesis made available and we all benefit from that. I hate Tinnitus, I'll put up with a limiter/compressor anyday. If Jimi hadn't died so young he probably would be deaf anyway today without bands like G.

Is this getting too technical fellow-researchers..?

Or Mike Oldfield?

His songs go on for half an hour ......... but it feels like a fortnight.

They should also be praised for their amazing technical skills: the single "I Know What I Like In My Wardrobe" also goes on for what seems like six hours...

Why are they only six hour songs...did they rest on the seventh hour?

I think that Madness was the best group ever. Therefore every one should listen to them.

That's Madness !

Genesis was/is a British band and they started out in the 70-ies. Can anyone still remember what the Unions were like in those days ? I remember that UK had a big hit with Rendez-vous 6:02 but they had to hire real violinplayers(instead of using a mellotron) and their drummer was actually thrown out of the country because he wasn't allowed to play without a permit ! Six hours must have been the
union-limit for a song.

Agreed. Don Henley is the Antichrist of rock.

Was there a music union in those days, it sounds like a very odd concept to me.
Do musicians really need someone to stand up for their rights to have a tea break in the middle of a session.
Most peculiar.

I don't, you know. He's making it up as he goes along.

You don't know what?? I have read through the postings and have yet to make sense of this remark. Perhaps my short term memory is playing up. Perhaps my short term memory is playing up.

I do gfind it odd that in the 70's there were many 'concept' bands, of which Genesis, and Yes are top of my persoanl lists, and although there seems to be a retro movement going on, it does not seem to include this type of music.
Any I deas fellow H2G2ers?