Genesis (music group)

Genesis is a British musical group that rose to fame in the 1970s and 1980s on the strength of its unique blend of eccentric progressive rock and more traditional, radio-friendly pop sounds. With a primary lineup that included Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Tony Banks, Steve Hackett, and Mike Rutherford, Genesis first established itself in the early 1970s as a purely progressive band specializing in epic ballads and theatrical live performances. After Gabriel's departure in 1974, the band reassembled with Collins as frontman and began to tone down its progressive sound in favor of a more broadly appealing pop-oriented approach. Genesis arguably hit a peak with the 1986 release of Invisible Touch, the most commercially successful album in the band's history. Over the years, several Genesis band members, most notably Gabriel and Collins, also went on to have equally successful solo careers. Despite largely going dormant after 1997's Calling All Stations, Genesis remained one of rock's most recognizable and popular acts.

Brief History

The history of Genesis can be traced back to 1965, when the young members of the Garden Wall and the Anon, two bands composed of students from the Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey, came together to form a new joint group. Featuring Gabriel, Banks, Rutherford, and fourth founding member Anthony Phillips, the quartet originally called itself the New Anon before settling on Genesis. Early on, Genesis favored a folk-inspired progressive pop sound that carried through its initial singles and first two albums, From Genesis to Revelation and Trespass. Shortly after the latter album's 1970 release, Phillips and original drummer John Mayhew bowed out from the act. The two were soon replaced by Collins on drums and Hackett on guitar.

With its classic lineup in place, Genesis embarked on the most successful period of its early career. For the next several years, the band released a series of eccentric progressive rock albums such as Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, and Selling England by the Pound that firmly established its reputation for fantastic lyrical narratives and epic "prog-rock" orchestration. The artistic flair for which Genesis quickly became known was also furthered by the members' remarkably theatrical live performances, which typically featured state-of-the-art visual effects and creative stagecraft helmed by unrelenting showman Gabriel. The culmination of Genesis's early progressive stage act came with the 1974 release of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, an expansive concept album with a complex story and a full cast of characters that marked the band's first major commercial success. At the conclusion of the album's exhausting tour, however, Gabriel announced his decision to leave the group.

After Gabriel's departure, Collins was elected to take on his duties as lead singer and frontman. Under Collins's direction, the band gradually distanced itself to some degree from its progressive roots and came to embrace a more pop-inspired sound. Although Hackett also elected to leave the band in 1977, Genesis's commercial success only grew as it released increasingly pop-oriented albums such as Duke (1980) and Abacab (1981). Its greatest success came with Invisible Touch (1986), which featured the smash hit "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight." Genesis continued producing albums until the release of Calling All Stations in 1997. After that, the group essentially disbanded, later reuniting only for a 2007 reunion tour and a 2014 BBC documentary. Rutherford and Collins reunited once again in 2021 for the The Last Domino? Tour. Collins stated that this would serve as the band's farewell tour.

Impact

Genesis's impact on the music industry and popular culture at large is unique among bands of its kind in light of the fact that its body of work was divided into two so clearly distinct, but yet not entirely unrelated, phases. Early on, with its progressive lilt and lyrical artistry, as well as the members' penchant for creative stage performances, Genesis proved its creative skill and earned its place in the ranks of such great progressive rock acts as Yes, Jethro Tull, and the Moody Blues. In reaching that pinnacle, Genesis produced several of history's most influential progressive rock albums and inspired many of the genre's future stars, such as Brian May of Queen and Alex Lifeson of Rush. Later, as the Collins-led version of Genesis developed a more pop-rock sound and climbed to a new level of mainstream stardom, the band's remaining members demonstrated that it was possible for even a still essentially progressive rock band to achieve broad commercial success. While fans may continue to dispute which version of the band was superior, it is clear that Genesis has cemented its place as one of both progressive rock and pop rock's all-time great acts. In recognition of its achievements, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

From the time the band made its professional debut, Genesis sold an estimated 150 million albums worldwide and published numerous hit songs that made it to the top tier of the recording charts. Genesis's legacy does not end with just its achievements as a unit, however. Several of the band's members also went on to have successful solo careers that reaffirmed their musical skills and creative ingenuity. Gabriel and Collins, in particular, became megastars in their own right.

After stepping away from Genesis in 1975, Gabriel embarked on a prolific solo recording career that yielded such hits as "In Your Eyes," "Shock the Monkey," and "Big Time." He also founded the World Music Arts and Dance organization and Real World Records in an effort to help popularize non-Western music. In one of his most unique post-Genesis projects, Gabriel scored and recorded the music for director Martin Scorsese's 1989 feature film The Last Temptation of Christ.

Although he remained with Genesis for most of the remaining years after Gabriel left, Collins also pursued a solo career, starting with his 1981 album Face Value. Some of his most recognizable solo hits include "In the Air Tonight," "I Don't Care Anymore," and "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)." In addition to Face Value, Collins released an array of memorable albums, including Hello, I Must Be Going!, No Jacket Required, and …But Seriously.

Other members of Genesis also enjoyed some measure of solo success. Most notably, Rutherford assembled a band called Mike and the Mechanics in 1985. While he did not achieve the same level of independent success as Gabriel or Collins, Rutherford did manage to produce a number of hits with Mike and the Mechanics, including "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)" and "All I Need Is a Miracle."

Bibliography

Collins, Phil, et al. Genesis: Chapter and Verse. St. Martin's Griffin, 2007.

DeRiso, Nick. "Genesis Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide." Ultimate Classic Rock, ultimateclassicrock.com/genesis-lineup-changes/. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Eder, Bruce. "Genesis." AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/artist/genesis-mn0000199995/biography. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

"Genesis." Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, www.rockhall.com/inductees/genesis. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

"Genesis Bio." Rolling Stone, www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/genesis/biography. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Greene, Andy. "Watch Genesis Play the Final Song and Take a Last Bow at Their Farewell Concert." Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2022, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/genesis-final-song-farewell-concert-1328152/. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

McGuire, Colin. "In Defense of Both the Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel Eras of Genesis." PopMatters, 10 Jan. 2014, http://www.popmatters.com/column/177820-in-defense-of-both-the-phil-collins-and-peter-gabriel-eras-of-ge/. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Rutherford, Mike. The Living Years: The First Genesis Memoir. Thomas Dunne Books, 2015.

Singh, Anita. "Genesis Back Together after Nearly 40 Years." Telegraph, 16 June 2014, www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/10903747/Genesis-back-together-after-nearly-40-years.html. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.