genesis

Genesis composed together in the studio to complete their transition to a pop group with the art rock atmospherics of this sinister and silly shape-shifting simplification of their sound.  In the two years since their last album, the individuals of the group had all released solo albums.  Tony Banks released 'The Fugitive' and did the soundtrack for 'The Wicked Lady'; Mike Rutherford put out 'Acting Very Strange'; and Phil Collins had massive success with 'Face Value' and 'Hello, I Must Be Going'. 

After experimenting with more commercial songs on 'Duke' and 'Abacab', the trio dove headfirst into the pop pool for their eponymous twelfth album.  The sessions were produced by Genesis and Hugh Padgham at The Farm in Surrey with Tony Banks on keyboards, drum machine, and vocals; Phil Collins on lead vocals, drums, and electric & acoustic percussion; and Mike Rutherford on guitars, bass guitar, bass pedals, and vocals; with Daryl Stuermer on guitars, bass guitar, and backing vocals; Chester Thompson on drums and percussion; and the group's road crew adding backing vocals on "Illegal Alien".  

Banks revealed at the time:  "Our method of writing has changed quite a lot over the years.  At first we started by sitting around with a piano and we all played what we had written. That was unfair because Peter [Gabriel] could sing better than Steve or myself; so his songs tended to be the ones that were played with, while I played the piano better and managed to lodge some of my work in there too. It was all a bit hit and miss.  Up until around 'Duke' that was the way we worked.  With that album we began a slow process that changed the sound to something a lot closer to what we were actually writing.  'Abacab' as well was a change towards us writing together - we had simply used all the ideas up on our solo efforts and we were left in a situation where we had to write the material 'on the spot'.  The new album is a result of our taking a decision to write and album and record it in one go, from start to finish." 

'Genesis' went to number twelve in Sweden, nine in the US; five in France; two in Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland; and number one in Germany.  It also became their third of five consecutive number one albums in the UK.  






http://genesis.m3w.com/home-flash.html

http://www.thegenesisarchive.co.uk



'Genesis'
full album:



"Mama" – 6:46
"That's All" – 4:22
"Home by the Sea" – 4:46
"Second Home by the Sea" – 6:22
"Illegal Alien" – 5:12
"Taking It All Too Hard" – 3:54
"Just a Job to Do" – 4:44
"Silver Rainbow" – 4:27
"It's Gonna Get Better" – 5:00



'Mama' charted at number seventy-three in the US, forty-five in Australia, forty-three in Canada, ten in Austria, four in Germany and the UK, three in France and Norway, and number two in Sweden and Switzerland.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1LOWEufAH0



'That's All' went to number sixty-two in Australia, twenty-seven in Germany, nineteen in Austria, sixteen in the UK, fifteen in Switzerland, fourteen in Canada, and became their first US top ten peaking at number six.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOUm8u2BBgQ



'Illegal Alien' made it forty-six in the UK and forty-four in the US.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_61hzuGGJX0




'Taking It All Too Hard' hit number fifty on the US pop chart and eleven on the US adult contemporary chart.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhHUgDCE11A