Hetzer

You don't know Genesis, and you're totally ignorant about how they worked. That's the only thing I can say reading your post #77. Can Utility IS NOT by Peter Gabriel. Maybe it doesn't sit well with you, maybe it's hard to acknowledge, but the author is Steve, one of those "losers" who writes sappy pop-rock... Get informed.

The circumstances under which The Lamb was composed were not so linear. First of all, the lyrics and the music were written simultaneously and separately; this resulted in some cases where there were lyrics but no music (as with Carpet Crawlers and The Grand Parade), and on the other hand, Peter found himself singing over pieces that were actually instrumental. This underscores how the two "factions" worked in a distinct and poorly organized manner. Moreover, the dirty and gloomy sound of the album was determined solely by the quality of the recording, as at that time the Genesis were suffering from poor production. Among other things, the concept was arranged and mixed by Phil Collins. It's the concept of a gabriel-like or genesian atmosphere that doesn't work, because it simply doesn't make sense; atmosphere is created by the music, not the lyrics, and Peter was not a composer. The artistic directions of the band were never guided by Peter, perhaps only during their debut. The musical continuity between The Lamb and A Trick Of The Tail is there, and it can be felt. Wind and Wuthering is more melancholic, more autumnal, sumptuous and muted, but it is an artistic choice, not a lack of Peter's influence.

A small note.. In the comments, the song "Can-Utility And The Coastliners" is mentioned multiple times as an example of Gabriel's compositional skills.. This is also a historical mistake, as the music and lyrics belong to Steve Hackett.

By the way, Skassailcazz, you know that one of the hardest tracks from The Lamb, maybe the most "proto-punk" of them all, namely Lillywithe Lilith, was written by our dear friend Phil Collins?

The Lamb was conceived and composed in a state of complete upheaval: if it weren't for Tony Stratton Smith, it wouldn't have even happened. Peter wanted to leave, to work with William Friedkin on a screenplay, but the record label convinced him to stay. It wasn't a warm and fuzzy atmosphere; Peter was tucked away in his corner writing lyrics, while the others were busy working on the music, and everyone had their resentments eating away at them. In such a climate, it was difficult for Peter to direct the others and impose his own vision; rather the opposite, because after "Selling England," Tony, Mike, and Steve knew that it was time to put an end to the "symphonic" rock. If it were true that Gabriel was the conductor, the band would have simply fallen apart after his departure. Anyway, does Dance On A Volcano sound soft to you? Does Squonk sound soft? Is Los Endos soft? What about Wot Gorilla, In That Quiet Earth—are they soft? If so, then we're really speaking two different languages.

The cover looks like a futuristic painting, it's truly a spectacle-genius.

The vote..

I downloaded it and I'm listening to it.. Honestly, I don't find it that awful, for now; of course, if I remember that we're talking about Tony Banks, I get a shiver down my spine.. I haven't reached the Island in the Darkness yet, though, so I'm waiting hopefully.. I didn't mention it in the comment from over a year ago, but.. great review, really.. Well done!

In my opinion, this is better than Labyrinth, which is an amazing work by the way.. It's my favorite album of theirs. However, when it comes to instrumental skill, every single album by Nucleus is an immense gem..

I didn't say you're a Taliban, I would never presume.. And I won't even say that the post-Hackett albums are better than Gabriel's solo works (even though Pietro has made his own mistakes, but who knows why no one remembers, oh well..) What bothers me the most is hearing about melodic pop-rock in songs like Entangled, One For The Vine, Blood On The Rooftops; beyond the clichés, which are abundant when it comes to Genesis, it seems quite a stretch to talk about bland pop... Damn, we're talking about symphonic atmospheres, like in a Gothic cathedral, instrumental bursts of astounding vigor, sublime lyricism.. For me, the power of One For The Vine has nothing to envy from Cinema Show and Firth of Fifth, just to avoid listing all the examples that come to mind. Gabriel was not a useless accessory, but he wasn't the soul of Genesis, who, even without him, managed to create music as good, if not better, than before.. Not a single piece from The Lamb was discarded, and even songs from four or five years earlier were revived (Anyway, Lillywhite Lilith); the truth is that Tony and Mike composed a monumental amount of music, so much so that in the end Pete had to hastily write lyrics he hadn't planned; some, like The Light Dies Down On Broadway, were written by Mike. As Savickas said, your claims are a historical fallacy..