Genesis – “And Then There Were Three” (1978)

Is there something that makes two people connect more than admiration of, or even love for, Marillion - probably the world’s most underrated band? I can’t think of anything. I found myself at a party in Lund (in the south of Sweden) during the last of my years as a student there, when the host (whom I knew from before) and I suddenly got a deeper relationship. We discovered that we both had a deep admiration for this band. The conversation of course continued in the field of music, and among other things the host told me about the album that is today’s theme - "Genesis best album", according to him. Since Marillion lovers share a strong trust in each other and have a great respect for each other’s musical knowledge, I bought this album as soon as I got the chance. This was probably around the turn of 1998/99.

At this time Genesis was a relatively unexplored concept for me and I had therefore no specific expectations of what I would hear. The first few times I heard the album I did not think it was anything special, it was not bad, but nor left any larger footprints. But as it often is, the album grew for each listening and I began to see the beauty of it and all its hidden jewels. Finally, it became one of the favorites among my vinyl records, top 10 no doubt, and it’s one of the LPs that have been played most during my adult years.

As the record's title suggests, Genesis consisted at this time of three persons - Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford. Guitarist Steve Hackett had just left the band. Genesis continued as this trio until 1996, the longest period with an unchanged line-up for the band. Many people think this was Genesis first step towards the more commercial and easily digestible pop they created in the 80s, but that they still had one foot in the progressive genre they belonged to during the earlier years in the 70s. I think that’s a description that fits quite well -  it’s not a "difficult" album with odd arrangements, strange time signatures, unusual musical instruments or songs that are 20 minutes long. At the same time it’s not a straight forward and simple pop record, most songs contain details or arrangements that makes them different from a lot of other music and you can often hear echoes of the epic suites Genesis created in their earlier years. The songs are usually 4-5 minutes long, yet I find many of them, yes - epic (no, don’t ask me to define that word, thank you).

Most songs are really good and unique in there own way, there are a few rather boring and uninteresting tracks, but overall it’s a very strong line-up. One thing that brings down the experience half an inch is that I have never really liked Phil Collins’ voice, he sings on all tracks. Although I really like the album, Phil Collins voice together with something in the sound, makes me feel a little bit down when I hear the album, it leaves a slight sense of hopelessness. I don’t know, maybe I had a difficult experience in my childhood.

The song Follow You Follow Me became a hit and helped the record sales. And Then There Were Three became Genesis first gold album in the U.S. (later also platinum). There’s nothing to say about the production and sound quality, in my opinion. It could have been recorded today. All three members contributed to songwriting, Phil Collins is the one who hasn’t written any songs on his own.

I like a lot of progressive music but can sometimes feel it is too "difficult", therefore this album fits me well - a mixture of "light progressive" and pop. That many choruses are bombastic and sweeping makes me even happier. So is this Genesis best album? I don’t know if I want to go that far, much of what they did earlier in the 70's is really good, but it’s a good record and I am glad that I bought it. The sense of hopelessness as mentioned above, is weak in comparison to the beauty the music exhibits. Markus recommends.

Favorite Songs

Undertow

Burning Rope

Scenes From a Night’s Dream

 

Tracklist

Side A

1. "Down and Out"  – 5:26
2. "Undertow" – 4:46
3. "Ballad of Big"  – 4:50
4. "Snowbound"  – 4:31
5. "Burning Rope"  – 7:10

Side B

1. "Deep in the Motherlode" – 5:15
2. "Many Too Many"  – 3:31
3. "Scenes from a Night's Dream" – 3:30
4. "Say It's Alright Joe"  – 4:21
5. "The Lady Lies" – 6:08
6. "Follow You Follow Me" – 3:59

 

Nick Mason’s Fictitious Sports (1981)

Most people associate Nick Mason with handling the drums in Pink Floyd. No one can claim that he’s been a particularly intense songwriter in that band, in addition to his own side on Ummagumma he only pops up as co-writer on a few songs. Imagine then my surprise when I one day in my youth, as always on the lookout for cheap second-hand records, came across this LP. A solo album by Nick Mason? I had never thought such a thing could exist. Curiosity and admiration for Pink Floyd made me buy the album without much hesitation. What, you think that the cheap price tag also affected the decision? Tsk, tsk, now you disappoint me.

It should directly be made clear that it’s debatable whether this really is an album by Nick Mason. Sure, it bears his name and he sits behind the drums, but have perhaps not really contributed with much more. All songs are written by Carla Bley and she has also co-produced the album (with Nick Mason). Robert Wyatt sings on all songs except the opening track, some of you may remember him as the drummer of Soft Machine, he has also had his own long solo career as a singer. The album was released in 1981 but was recorded as early as 1979, for various reasons its release was delayed.

When I got home and listened to the album, I spontaneously found it very strange and didn’t like it. And then I never listened to it again. You want to know what's really strange? It is that my memory of the album is that it’s full of strange drumming on various mysterious percussion and extremely difficult to access. When I now listen to it, it's not like that at all, far from it even. As mentioned in a previous post, I don’t know much Frank Zappa, but the spontaneous comparison I want to do is with this man. I get the idea that many of the songs are creations that Zappa could have done, or at least something in that direction. The texts are, for example, about cars that don’t want to start or a skeptics meeting with a flying saucer. Isn’t that Zappa? No?

My guess is that I was rather suspicious of the album the first time I listened to it. Mason's side on Ummagumma is not a favorite of mine, and this gave me almost certainly an expectation that this album would be something similar. This expectation created then the memory I have carried with me through life. I have surely also confused Nick Mason's Fictitious Sports with his side on Ummagumma, a creation that I think is more consistent with the memory at hand (although I have rarely had the patience to listen to this part of Ummagumma). My life has been a lie, dear friends, but the lie has finally been exposed.

Today, I find this album quite easily accessible and to some extent pleasurable. Just as my idea of Zappa, I feel this music is not very serious but rather humorous. Generally I have a hard time with humorous music, I do not know why, but memories of Eddie Meduza always come up and I find it hard to take seriously. Texts may in itself well be fun, but in combination with "funny" music I lose interest easily. Nick Mason's Fictitious Sports balances on the edge but manages to stay just on the right side.

Conclusion: An OK album which I will probably begin listening to more, but not a must-have in your record collection. If someone expects anything like Pink Floyd, this person will be disappointed.

Favorite Songs

Can’t Get My Motor To Start

I Was Wrong

 

Tracklist

Side A

1. "Can't Get My Motor to Start" – 3:39
2. "I Was Wrong" – 4:12
3. "Siam" – 4:48
4. "Hot River" – 5:16

Side B

1. "Boo To You Too" – 3:26
2. "Do Ya" – 4:36
3. "Wervin"' – 3:58
4. "I'm a Mineralist" – 6:16

 

 

David Bowie – “Let’s Dance” (1983)

My dad gave me this album for my birthday. Probably it was the year of its release, possibly the year after. In other words, I was 11 or 12 years old. I remember this birthday morning well. I was in Jämtland (in the northern part of Sweden) at my grandmothers place with the rest of my family. Of course I recognized the shape of the present and understood what was hidden inside. Let's Dance had been on my wish list, thanks to the hit Let's Dance, so you can believe I was surprised when I opened the present and looked down on the album in my hand. Sure, it was a Bowie album, but not Let's Dance. Instead, it said Hunky Dory on it. What was this? I will not deny that a certain feeling of disappointment appeared.

My dear father, whose interest in music was primarily focused on jazz and classical music, had a vague idea about modern music. Therefore, he had walked into a music store and simply asked for a Bowie album. I imagine that the business owner probably had a pretty good knowledge of music and thought Hunky Dory was the Bowie album to own.

Like my son today sometimes says he doesn’t want to hurt my feelings if he thinks he will make me disappointed, I had a feeling this birthday morning of not wanting to make my dad sad by refusing to accept the gift. He had meant well, so I said with concealed disappointment that this album was problably also good and that I could keep it. However, my other family members said I should change it to the album I actually wanted, and so it was.

Bowie had already at this time had a relatively long and interesting career with a long list of hits. The album Let's Dance must probably still be said to be the first truly commercial album he did. The album earned three big hits - the title track, Modern Love and China Girl (which Bowie wrote together with Iggy Pop and appeared on the latters album The Idiot, 1977). Bowie’s videos for the songs China Girl and Let's Dance also caught a lot of attention and were played heavily on MTV. Bowie had by this time become one of the most important video artists.

When I listen to the LP today, I think it’s a good commercial pop record, but there is some sort of twist, something that makes it a bit different from other commercial pop music - as if someone has tuned the music an inch to the left. Maybe it's Bowie's voice that evokes this feeling. I have listened to some of Bowie's other creations, most not as commercial, and perhaps this has led me to associate his voice with a touch of weirdness. He doesn’t always seem to have been the most uncomplicated person.

I liked this album as a child and still think it’s alright. I don’t know what kind of audience Bowie had in mind when he made this record, if he had any such in mind, but it’s impressive to make an album both a 11-year-old and a 38-year old can enjoy and discover quality in. I'm not listening to this LP today, since this kind of pop music is not what I now prefer, but would recommend it if you want a good pop record. All the songs are not good, some are a bit boring, but overall it’s an okay album. The production is quite timeless and is not suffering from a typical 80's sound, according to me. It can be mentioned that Stevie Ray Vaughan plays guitar on the album, he later got a successfull solo career of his own.

Although I give this album an OK, I think today that I should have kept the Hunky Dory album. What had my (musical) life looked like if I, as an 11-12 year-old, had been spinning that album on the turntable on a nearly daily basis? How would it have shaped my mind and my perception of music? Maybe I would have been a totally different person than the one I am today – I might have been successful, well liked and admired. On the other hand, I might not have understood anything of it, lose my belief in music and eventually become a bitter man. I guess there’s no idea to regret things in past. Let’s dance, baby!

Favorite Tracks

China Girl

Without You

Cat People

 

Tracklist

Side A

1. "Modern Love" – 4:46
2. "China Girl"  – 5:32
3. "Let's Dance" – 7:38
4. "Without You" – 3:08

Side B

1. "Ricochet" – 5:14
2. "Criminal World"  – 4:25
3. "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" – 5:09
4. "Shake It" – 3:49