Look, those of you who have been following my reviews know that I am a HUGE Genesis fan. My second favorite band perhaps (behind only Yes). But the line that divides many Genesis fans is that line between the Phil Collins era and the Peter Gabriel era. Most people are just unable to realize the difference. Well, they are COMPLETELY different bands. Genesis changed drastically after 1982 with 'Abacab' and became a pop rock act (or "progressive pop," as most people call it). They got big, and REALLY big.
So there seem to be Peter Gabriel/early Phil Collins era Genesis fans (1969-1982) and the Phil Collins era Genesis fans (1983-1993). Well, I like them both immensely. Yes, I said it. I like 'Invisible Touch.' And I'm proud too. Genesis were a fine pop group; with musicians like Rutherford, Banks, and Collins, how could you POSSIBLY go wrong? I can't think of any. And I've even grown to tolerate 'Calling All Stations,' the 1997 album with Ray Wilson on vocals.
But enough about me. Onto the review.
'The Way We Walk, Volume 1: The Shorts' spans Genesis' most radio friendly tunes from 1983 (the 'Genesis' album) through 1991 ('We Can't Dance'). It was recorded during various dates from 1986 and 1987 ('Mama' and 'That's All' both come from the Wembley Stadium show that has now become a classic concert film in 1987, and 'In Too Deep' was recorded at the L.A. Forum in 1986) through 1992, on the 'We Can't Dance' Tour.
And as a compilation of live tracks, this serves its purpose brilliantly. You get an overview of what Genesis sounded like live during the period. Some of the songs (like 'Mama') simply blow their studio counterparts away. The Wembley crowd is lively, and the band truly come alive for it. This was one of the highlights of the Wembley film, and it's great to have it on record. What a great crowd they had that day.
And the tracks from the 'We Can't Dance' Tour were great as well. 'Throwing it All Away' is great, better than the studio version, as Phil gets the crowd to participate in some vocal acrobatics with him at the beginning. Every track here is great, and I love the live versions of all of these. In fact, on most of them, I prefer these versions to their studio counterparts.
But I have some complaints too.
THE FLAWS:
* 'Tonight Tonight Tonight' from the Wembley show smoked. It was released as a b-side on the 'Never a Time' single in 1992. The band were tight, and it was easily the best performance of that evening. Why the band and Atlantic Records decided to include the shortened version that segued into 'Invisible Touch' from the 1992 tour is beyond me. The 1987 live version should have absolutely appeared on this set.
* Same with 'Invisible Touch.' There was some fine audience participation on the Wembley version, and that too should have seen the light of day on this live compilation. So I completely disagree with the compilers on that call.
Overall, this is an excellent sampler of Genesis live during their most successful years. You can hear Phil, Chester, Daryl, Mike, and Tony simply play their behinds off, and the crowd reception is overwhelmingly positive on all of these. Phil was a great showman, and the proof in that statement is all right here on this disc.
However, I wish they would release the Wembley show from July 1987 on CD. It's such a great video, and I can only imagine what it would sound like on CD. Oh well. One day Rhino will get around to releasing it, I'm sure. It's simply too good a concert NOT to release on CD.
I recommend this disc for the curious Genesis fan who wants a quick and dirty glimpse of what Genesis sounded like in concert from 1986-1992. It's cheap too, which always helps things.
Check this out. Three stars are more than deserved.
A Brilliant Genesis Live Set, Part 1
Interesting live document of Genesis, 1986-1992
11 tracks
