Genesis
Live

THE REVIEW

A slender figure in the middle of the stage, dressed in a tight-fitting all-black suit, the face covered with white foundation, the eyes outlined with a fluorescent color, long black hair, the head shaved to form a triangle just above the forehead: his name is Peter Gabriel.
Gabriel is most probably the greatest frontman in the history of rock up to today, seeing the rare images of Genesis concerts makes clear his originality, the costumes, the movements, the interactions with the audience and the band, just remember he was the first to throw himself onto the crowd during a concert, a crowd that promptly moved aside, and he broke an ankle. Genesis has always been synonymous with theatricality, the ability to blend music with images, forerunners of multidimensionality and of a concert format superior to simply performing the songs from their repertoire. Their music, especially the lyrics, is ideal for recreating the stories told in the songs on stage. Gabriel is an extraordinary well of ideas, and the others love to accommodate him and make him comfortable. He proposes, and together they do their best to turn the singer's fantasy into reality.

"Genesis Live", released in 1973, partly captures this magic, as without video it's difficult to understand what these English lads were capable of. The album is pure perfection marked by Banks and company, the performance of the tracks on the setlist is a remarkable emotion and shows how the live dimension is an essential prerogative for this group. Collins, Gabriel, and the others know how to perform, and they will always demonstrate this until the end of their career. The defect of the record is that it’s not double, in fact, the poor Charisma doesn't have the money for a second LP, so there's no space for "Supper's Ready", which with Gabriel was a total immersion in a magical world. He uses his masks, the flower, the red box, and then the silver suit at the end with a blue neon in hand as he colors himself in reflection with a mysterious and fascinating light. But despite this, the choice is textbook, opening with the foxtrot of "Watcher Of The Skies", the financial troubles in "Get'em Out By Friday", tracks taken from "Foxtrot" and then "The Return Of The Giant Hogweed", all sublime. "The Musical Box" is pure poetry, an incredible track that Peter introduces in concerts by telling the story of poor Henry who loses his head due to a blow from a croquet mallet used by his friend, and thus his spirit is trapped in a music box, denied adult life with all its sexual joys. Peter performs the end of the track wearing the famous mask of old Henry, who, coming out of the music box, screams "Touch Me, Touch Me, Touch Me, Now! Now! Now!..." for a finale of pure sonic orgasm sublimely supported by Tony's organ. "The Knife" closes the album, if you don’t have this record you’re crazy, they are the best live band in history, in any lineup, no one has ever reached them, especially in the Peter era.