A Lukewarm Defence of Calling All Stations by Genesis
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
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Ray still plays a lot of this stuff around Poland, where he lives, and Germany.
I agree. One Man's Fool is one of my favorite Genesis songs and I will defend it until the day I die. It's stupidly catchy, the melodies are great, the lyrics are great, and it's surprisingly emotional. Extremely underrated track.
Had the privilege of seeing this tour (in Madrid). And it was...amazing.
I love this album even the B sides are great.
I came into Genesis in the early 90's bout the time they were wrapping up the We Can't Dance Tour. My friend and I had gotten into the band around the same time. We both went and collected all their back catalog on cassette, special ordering each one from the local music store as our allowances allowed. I was familiar and a huge fan of Peter's solo work (Secret World live) and some of Phil's solo work before exploring Genesis. I remember being shocked and surprised learning Peter used to be the lead singer from the Genesis: A History documentary. Nursery Crime was my first intro to Peter era Genesis, I admit it did take me a little while to warm up to the older stuff at first, it was probably more due to the sound quality of the tapes at the time. I grew to love both era's of Genesis and never had that resentment of Peter leaving. This album holds a special place for me as it was the first album to be released while I was an avid Genesis fan. Different, absolutely but I cherish this album to this day as it feels this was my era of Genesis and would love to have seen that flourish, I wish they would have carried on with Ray but I understand as well. Regardless, from the very first to last album, I love them all! Genesis will always be my #1 band :D
I couldn't have said it better! I think that I 100% agree on you comments. I never understood why this album has such a bad press. For example the title track "Calling All Stations" has a certain vibe that makes it one of my favorite Genesis tracks. Every time I that I have a positive talk about this album, most of my progrock friends smile, look at me as if I am completely crazy. Luckily I got used to it. I am glad that you also have a more positive opinion about this album. And yes, it's a shame that there wasn't a second album with this formation.
Totally agree that it's a better album than many fans give it credit for and sure, it would have been interesting to hear what that trio might have come up with had they stuck with it for another album. My least favourite Genesis record is tied between Genesis and Abacab: if you compiled Mama, Home By The Sea/Second Home..., Silver Rainbow, It's Gonna Get Better from the former and Abacab, Dodo/Lurker, Who Dunnit?*, Me And Sarah Jane and Keep It Dark from the latter you have a decent album. I also think that in purely killer/filler ratio, CAS is a better album than WCD. As far as 'pop' Genesis goes I think that IT is their best - a concise recording with some prog moments but still accessible. Duke is also very good. I mostly agree with your comments re CAS except that I do really like Uncertain Weather - it has a classic Genesis melody and feel...
*Yes I like Who Dunnit? Yes I am weird 😉
There Must be Some Other Way is an absolutely gorgeous track! That keyboard passage in the middle of the song just blow me away everytime. The same can be said for one of the b-sides: Anything Now. That track is unbelievable! I cannot understand how is that they choose not to include that song in the final cut for the album. I always liked to imagine an alternate version of Calling All Stations without the weakest tracks (e.g. Shipwrecked, If That's What You need & Uncertain Weather) and with Anything Now in it. It would have been a much better album...
Be it good or bad, it was my first Genesis album, and so has a special meaning to me. It some sense it was the gateway album which eventually put me on the path to harder prog.
Alien Afternoon is where Ray sounds most like Peter. I love that track.
I’ve always liked Calling All Stations. I got the album on CD when it came out in 1997 and I played it continuously. I also saw the band play live on the Calling All Stations Tour in March 1998.
But it wasn’t until 30 years later, when I picked up the album on vinyl LP, that I formed the opinion that the original album would definitely have benefitted from dropping four songs - Not About Us, If That’s What You Need, Uncertain Weather and Smalltalk. If those four songs had been cut, that would make it a seven song, 48 minute album instead of a 68 minute album. That would render this album a completely different listening experience. It would flow better and it would be much more concise, cohesive and coherent, especially the vinyl version .
The four songs that I’ve listed could easily have been released as a separate bonus CD in a deluxe version of the original album, perhaps even with some more outtakes like Papa He Said, Phret, Banjo Man and maybe a few other unreleased tracks.
I suppose that demonstrates the value of having a really good, strong willed and opinionated producer. Nick Davis wasn’t that, though he is certainly a technically very proficient engineer.
CAS is one of my favourite Genesis albums!! And I totally agree that One Man's Fool is a massive song, especially in terms of build up. Same goes with Alien Afternoon. These songs build up to something epic, just like "Driving The Last Spike" does..
Also, they could've easily made a new album with the stuff they saved for the B-Sides. A song like "Sign Your Life Away" always gives me a glimpse of what early 2000's Genesis might've sounded like😊
I agree completely. Thank you for this. I would really enjoy a ranking of the genesis catalog. Not sure you do that but as a fan it’s very entertaining to watch and comment on.
Great idea to have a lukewarm defense of Calling All Stations! I also like this album a lot, more than some of the previous ones. I consider One Man's Fool among the greatest Genesis epics, and I also love the title track, and even Not About Us, up there against any Phil's era ballads (for us who like ballads of course). Also check out Sign Your Life Away, awesome B-side! Should've been on the album.
A very well thought out video, I agree with the premise. Banks and Rutherford made it difficult for others to collaborate with and contribute to their records - see Steve Hackett's departure. They couldn't deny the pop powerhouse that Phil Collins became, for better or for worse (the latter in my opinion). Another comment here says that Ray Wilson was never given a chance and I agree! A missed opportunity to continue and grow in my opinion.
The Dividing Line is fantastic! I also enjoy Shipwrecked. They should’ve been bigger hits.
And they didn't need to turn every musical idea into a full song, Alien Afternoon intro is so cool, just leave the soundscape as Radiohead was doing
Like your review, and I like some songs in this album pretty much
The album is way more progressive than the likes of In Too Deep, so it is rather good.
Ray Wilson never had a fair shot. Most of the tracks were written before he was even hired. Had the album was not rushed, it could have been a decent album. Wilson's vocals are a mix of Peter and Phil. I don't think any singer could match the success of the Collins era for Genesis. I do enjoy the album occasionally. It would have been refreshing to see Genesis make more darker records.
Hey thanks so much for this review! Only listened to this record when it came out and remember feeling kind of meh about it, however based on this review, I did a deep dive into the album, its bsides and outtakes, and realized they had the makings of a great record, they just put it together wrong. I swapped out half the tracks and changed the order. The result sound like a great genesis record, balances concise pop tunes with some of the lengthier proggy pieces.
This recorded should have absolutely opened with dividing line, great tune. Completely disagree about alien afternoon, though, its a wonderfully quirky keeper.
This all got me thinking though, about bands, still in their reasonably popular phase who tried to switch to a THIRD lead vocalist; outside of Van Halen, can't think of another, and wonder if anyone has ever been able to pull off that trick?
I enjoy it as flawed as it is. It is overlong as WCD is, but it’s got some gems. Along with those you mentioned, for me Uncertain Weather is classic late seventies Genesis, love it. Part 2 of Alien Afternoon is magnificent.
I don’t know if you’ve heard the B sides from the album, especially the Not About Us single. Sign Your Life Away, Run Out of Time and Anything Now are far better than the ballads and Small Talk, and they would have made a far better album. I actually have a playlist with them included as an alternate album and it’s far better.
I should listen to this album sometime. Don't think I've listened to much of Genesis past 'And Then There Were Three'.
Also, 'lukewarm' is written as one word.
Just after catching up on this. Glad I did. I think the problem is that the public opinion just didn't particularly care for Genesis at that point and the band (or at least what was left) will admit they were going stale at the time. I don't believe Ray Wilson's vocals especially suited what they were going for even if he has done wonderful work on Steve Hackett's tours in recent years.
Its certainly not as bad as some of the low moments that preceded it for example
To their defence, Congo was a nice radio ear worm for a while. Aaand that's it really.
Wait did I hear you cuss in a video!? 😂
My first exposure was the fact that my parents were part of that Columbia House music club thing in the 90s and this album was advertised kind of heavily in it. Didn't hear it until adulthood long after I became a fan of the band. I think it's... okay. Has some good moments that make me think of darker modern prog like Porcupine Tree or Pineapple Thief or Riverside, but not quite as "ballsy". It's a shame Ray Wilson hasn't really done much since because he'd have made a great modern prog vocalist.
It’s actually pretty good. And it’s definitely not the worst Genesis album. Abacab is my second favorite Genesis album, behind Foxtrot.
Did you know Zio have released a new album? Have you listened to it yet?
I did and I have, I hope to get a review out this week 😁
That's the problem with this album that you stated in a nut shell, the 'Genesis Legacy'.
Abacab bad? For me that's And Then There Were Three. I can't stand it.
But we are talking about Calling... I remember buying it, listened to it once, and was very very disappointed. Tried it again years later, and it seemed a bit better, or to say less worse. After this video I need to revisit. I want to listen open minded, and that's the problem. It says Genesis on the cover, I have to put that aside I think.
Thanks 👍
I really like Calling all stations....the reviews it got from the critics (bitter failed musicians) is criminal
The biggest stigma Calling All Stations has for me is not if David Longdon and Nick D'Virgilio would have ended up on this or any follow-ups, but the fact KEVIN GILBERT was actually being looked at to audition for the band as well in the mid 90's. From most accounts, he was going to be flown to England to audition like 1 week after he died in May of 1996.
And even knowing Kevin Gilbert's personality and history, even if he had not been chosen to become the singer/frontman, he may have at least been involved in this album's production potentially. Maybe played or sang on some of it.
The fact Nick D'Virgilio was on some of it, would have supported that even more given his relationship/work history with NDV. In fact NDV actually benefited from his work playing at ProgFest 1994 with Kevin's reformed GIRAFFE playing The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Kevin and/or NDV's agent sent Mike and Tony a recording in fact.
That being said, I don't mind it. The Dividing Line is the standout track on it.
Love Beach for next episode? Myehem myehem myehem
I think I would cover "Works" first :D
Alien Afternoon is probably my favorite track, I love that weird, eerie atmosphere. The album is... fine, the songs by themselves are not bad, but as a whole it's just too long, kinda gets boring after a while
Can tell me please which is the background album?
That's An Abstract Illusion's album "Woe"
Not bad, certainly better than Abacrap, And Then They Where Tripe & We Cant Dance . However I did see the tour in London and it was bad!
Take away genesis connection, and it's actually a good album, or it would be perceived as such, I think it's a good album either way! What certain 'rabid stalwart gabriel' fanatics fail to realize, it was never meant to sound like albums of old, get over it people, it's actually a good listen🔊🎶👌
The album does has it moments, but no phil collins, no genesis
Not their worst album. Abacab gets that trophy. I agree with you on The dividing line. That is a great song. Love the title track too. It just builds and builds, live Driving the last spike does.
Good album without context, but pretty mediocre/bad for a Genesis album. To me Genesis really ended at We Can’t Dance. This album is a lot better as it’s own entity. I love There Must Be Some Other Way and One Mans Fool and the title track is a great opener
ABACAB is terrific! Just sayin'.
I'll listen to CAS 100 to 1 over WCD.
I never understand the hate this album seems to receive. I thoroughly dislike almost all of the Collins era and I love this album. Does it sound like any other Genesis album? No. Is it as good as the original classic Gabriel era? No. Is it better than anything they had done for years? Absolutely!
The last is a no for me as well. Solo Peter and Phil stuff is waaay better than that catastrophe of an album.