Platinum Collection (box set)

by

Genesis

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For the Genesis Beginner -

There have been several Genesis compilations released to date: (1) "Turn it On Again - The Hits" is essentially Disc 1 of this 3 disc set, culling most tracks from their hit albums "We Can't Dance" and "Invisible Touch". If you mainly are interested in Genesis for these tunes (ie, Land of Confusion, In Too Deep, Thowing it all Away, No Son of Mine, etc) you can save $10 by simply buying the one-disc set; (2) "Genesis Archive 1967-1975" is mainly live material from early Genesis' magnum opus "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" - for hardcores only; (3) "Genesis Archive 1975-1993" is mainly B-sides and random live cuts from this era of Genesis - also for hardcores only.

THIS compilation is BY FAR the best accumulation of Genesis songs across their entire career, released to date. Disc 1 covers the Phil Collins pop machine years; Disc 2 covers some of their pop years, moving more into their "introspective" period in the early years of Collins as front-man; Disc 3 covers the progressive rock era Peter Gabriel-fronted Genesis from the early '70's.

I would suggest that a "casual" fan of the band buy this set in order to give the tunes on Disc 3 a shot, among other reasons. For those of you who may have NO idea what to expect, and have never listened to other bands like King Crimson or Yes in their early years - these songs are more musically intricate, and generally of greater length, than their pop songs. They are less about hooks and catchy riffs, and more about telling a story, or creating a particular mood. They are more challenging, and less accessible. However, if you're looking for something different, look no further.

For Genesis Hardcore Rabid Fans -

I will not argue over song selection. This is the best anyone could have done over 3 discs. Personally speaking, the collection would have been perfected for me with the exclusion of "Illegal Alien," "Your Own Special Way," and "Calling All Stations" (the latter I like, though it just seems out of context here); and the addition of "Dance on a Volcano" and "One for the Vine." Otherwise, perfect.

Despite what others have noted, I do not detect a significant overall improvement in sound on Discs 1 and 2 over the "definitive edition" remasters released years ago. If there are improvements on certain songs, the effect is minimal, or even innocuous to the quality of the song (ie, sometimes I think they change things just for sake of changing).

However, I believe it's worth shelling out the $20 to buy this album for the improvement on Disc 3. There is a discernable sonic improvement on these cuts, especially for "Cinema Show" and "The Knife" (especially for those of us here in America where the definitive edition remaster of Trespass never made it to this side of the Atlantic!). I should caveat that statement, however, by adding that evidently "Supper's Ready" is not among those tracks newly remastered. It's the same version from the definitive edition remaster of Foxtrot; therefore, if you buy this compilation solely for a new and improved version of this cut, please do not.

Other comments for all -

I'll just add that a cool companion piece to this compilation is the newly released DVD with the same cover, and all of the videos (aptly titled "Cinema Show" - although ironically there was no video released for that particular cut). It is also worth picking up - and incidentally includes certain tracks excluded from the CD's, such as "No Reply at all" and "Man on the Corner" from the Abacab album.

Platinum Collection is the first non box set collection that spans Genesis' entire career from the Peter Gabriel days to the Phil Collins' pop days. The disk are set up in reverse chronological order going from their most recent songs back to their early 70's output. The difference in sound is startling. The 80's & 90's version is a slick pop-rock band clearly aiming for mainstream radio, while the 70's music is long, classic prog-rock. The early songs like the over-the-top, but brilliant "Supper's Ready", "Firth Of Fifth" and "The Knife" are superior to their 80's output. Although Peter Gabriel is a more intense artist, Phil Collins' work isn't without quality and merit. "Misunderstanding", "Paperlate" and "Abacab" have great hooks and are extremely catchy while "Land Of Confusion" is topical and politically charged.