Third Time's the Charm

Genesis: 1970-75 (Rhino/Atlantic)—This final and most anticipated boxed set of classic albums by the vintage British progressive rock band contains five recordings made while Peter Gabriel was the guiding force: the first album, From Genesis to Revelation, is not included, but Trespass, Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Selling England by the Pound, and the bloated concept album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway all sound splendid thanks to Nick Davis’ brand-new remixes. The audio options are stereo, Super Audio Surround Sound and–on separate DVDs–crystal-clear DVD Audio, a sonic revelation for music recorded more than 30 years ago. Along with the music, plentiful extras include new interviews with the band members (even with Gabriel, who’s often seemed happier to leave his Genesis past behind him), several television appearances, extra tracks that never made it onto the original albums, and even a French concert performance from 1973. The only drawback is that there apparently is no surviving footage of the seminal Lamb tour, in which Gabriel’s theatrics reached their apogee. Needless to say, he felt he’d gone as far as he could with Genesis and soon left for a solo career, paving the way for the band’s drummer, Phil Collins, to become vocalist and, eventually, superstar.

originally posted on timessquare.com