Genesis Archives, Vol. 1: 1967-1975

RELEASE
June 16, 1998
LABEL
Virgin

Album Review

Prog rock audiences have always been receptive to box sets, especially sets that include an abundance of rare material -- witness the success of the numerous King Crimson sets. When it came time to assemble their own box sets, Genesis chose to follow the path of rarities instead of merely rehashing their old hits. That means, of course, that Genesis Archives, Vol. 1: 1967-1975 is the province of hardcore fans and collectors, not casual listeners, since there is nothing but unreleased material on the four-disc set. The first two discs are devoted to a live performance of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on January 24, 1975; the third has a selection of live material from the London Rainbow Theatre on October 20, 1973, plus a handful of rare singles and a BBC session; the fourth has alternate mixes, BBC sessions, and demos from 1967-1969. It's a virtual cornucopia of rare material, much of which will be necessary to dedicated fans. However, for some listeners, the set may be frustrating, and not because it contains rarities -- it's because those rarities have been tampered with. Peter Gabriel recut some of his vocals for The Lamb in 1998, claiming that he didn't give his best possible performance because his elaborate costumes were constricting. Steve Hackett followed suit and "brushed up" some guitar lines. This may frustrate some fans who would prefer to have the original tapes preserved, but it may be a minor thing to collectors, who will likely delight in having all these rare recordings -- many of which are quite terrific -- in one place.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

Track Listing

  1. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway [Live]
  2. Fly on a Windshield [Live]
  3. Broadway Melody of 1974 [Live]
  4. Cuckoo Cocoon [Live]
  5. In the Cage [Live]
  6. The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging [Live]
  7. Back in N.Y.C. [Live]
  8. Hairless Heart [Live]
  9. Counting Out Time [Live]
  10. The Carpet Crawlers [Live]
  11. The Chamber of 32 Doors [Live]
  12. Lilywhite Lilith [Live]
  13. The Waiting Room [Live]
  14. Anyway [Live]
  15. Here Comes the Supernatural Anaesthetist [Live]
  16. The Lamia [Live]
  17. Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats [Live]
  18. The Colony of Slippermen: The Arrival/A Visit to the Doktor/The Raven [Arri
  19. Ravine [Live]
  20. The Light Dies Down on Broadway [Live]
  21. Riding the Scree [Live]
  22. In the Rapids [Live]
  23. It [Live]
  24. Dancing With the Moonlit Knight [Live]
  25. Firth of Fifth [Live]
  26. More Fool Me [Live]
  27. Supper's Ready [Live]
  28. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) [Live]
  29. Stagnation [Live]
  30. Twilight Alehouse [Single B Side]
  31. Happy the Man [Single A Side]
  32. Watcher of the Skies [Remix]
  33. The In the Wilderness [Rough Mix Without Strings]
  34. Shepherd [BBC Nightride]
  35. Pacidy [BBC Nightride]
  36. Let Us Now Make Love [BBC Nightride]
  37. Going Out to Get You [Demo Version]
  38. Dusk [Demo Version]
  39. Build Me a Mountain [Rough Mix]
  40. Image Blown Out [Rough Mix]
  41. One Day [Rough Mix]
  42. Where the Sour Turns to Sweet [Demo Version]
  43. In the Beginning [Demo Version]
  44. The Magic of Time [Demo Version]
  45. Hey! [Demo Version]
  46. Hidden in the World of Dawn [Demo Version]
  47. Sea Bee [Demo Version]
  48. The Mystery of the Flannan Isle Lighthouse [Demo Version]
  49. Hair on the Arms and Legs [Demo Version]
  50. She Is Beautiful [Demo Version]
  51. Try a Little Sadness [Demo Version]
  52. Patricia [Demo Version]