The Underrateds: Genesis

Towards the end of 2018, with Bohemian Rhapsody on its regrettable way to box-office and awards-season success, my good friend and fellow Cinema Joe Justin Mancini took to Facebook for a run-down of the entire discography of Queen. Specifically, he highlighted and praised a specific track from each album that he felt was underrated, stuff that tends to get overlooked when people talk about the band in favor of "We Are The Champions" or "We Will Rock You."

This is an absolute gem of an idea and it got me thinking- why not do the same with my favorite band of all time, Genesis? Spanning three decades and 15 studio albums (not to mention a number of live albums and EPs), Genesis has one of the most varied and unique ranges of musical work out there. I religiously maintain that every single person, regardless of the specifics of their musical taste, can find at least one Genesis song that suits them. That's how far the band was able to cast their artistic nets over the years they were together. And this is to say nothing of the five different (and equally unique) solo careers that each main band member went on to have both during and after their Genesis tenure. It is no exaggeration to say that Genesis literally spawned 6 lifetime's worth of great music, something pretty much no other band can lay claim to.

And so, in conjunction with a new podcast project that I, along with Justin and my brother Luke, launched on The Pop Break earlier this month called Pod on the Rooftops, here is my definitive list of the top 15 underrated Genesis songs, one from each of their official albums.

From Genesis to Revelations (1968)

Underrated Track: The Conqueror

For this album in particular, I could pick literally any track, since practically no one talks about it and none of the songs ever survived as part of the band's live repertoire. Even the band members do not speak fondly of their first time in a recording studio, which I think is a crying shame, because I find a lot to like on it, especially one of the middle tracks, "The Conqueror." Featuring driving piano chords, this is an early taste of the aesthetic Tony Banks would bring to his keyboard parts throughout the band's history and that defines so many of their greatest hits. This track was the first indication to the world of what was to come.

Trespass (1970)

Underrated Track: Dusk

Though a noticeable advance from their first album, ultimately only one song from this album broke through as a mainstay- the concluding power ballad, "The Knife." Which is a shame, because as great as "The Knife" is, the rest of the album is just as solid. My personal favorite is "Dusk," which is almost the exact opposite of "The Knife" as far as sound and tone is concerned. "Dusk" is far quieter, more finely-crafted, with a gentle, almost meditative feel to its melody and chorus. It's an amazing mood piece and one of the album's best tone-setters.

Nursery Cryme (1971)

Underrated Track: Seven Stones

This album is one of the odder ones. The first and last tracks, "The Musical Box" and "Fountain of Salmacis," are titanic musical masterpieces, two of the definitive tracks of Peter-Gabriel-era Genesis. The rest of the album.....isn't. The other songs aren't bad of course, but they just aren't on the same level.

Nonetheless, I do retain a certain affection for Seven Stones, which has a nice, contemplative flow to it, quietly building to a nicely emotional middle section. I don't think this song would have worked as well in a live setting, but the studio recording is just lovely.

Foxtrot (1972)

Underrated Track: Can-Utility and the Coastliners

Like Nursery Cryme, this album starts and ends about as majestically as possible. "Watcher of the Skies" and "Supper's Ready" were centerpieces of Genesis' live sets throughout Gabriel's time, with "Supper's Ready" in particular still standing as one of the most astonishing musical creations Prog Rock has ever produced.

Often lost amidst the well-earned hype, though, is "Can-Utility and the Coastliners;" though comparatively short by this album's standards, it packs just as intense a musical punch as the leading tracks, with a resounding instrumental section in the middle and an absolutely hair-raising finale; the effect of Peter Gabriel's voice and Steve Hackett's guitar effectively bleeding into a single sound, underlaid with Tony Banks' keyboard chords, is so guttingly effective I can't help but feel a bit disappointed that none of the later albums tried something similar.

Selling England by the Pound (1973)

Underrated Track: After The Ordeal

Many fans, myself included, consider this album to be the gold standard for early-era Genesis. It is packed from start to finish with many of the band's greatest long-form musical compositions, like "Dancing Out with the Moonlit Knight," "Firth of Fifth," and "Cinema Show," plus "I Know What I Like," the first song of theirs to inch towards the pop charts.

Though often neglected, the shorter middle songs work as a perfect counterweight to the bigger, heavier stuff around it, often serving as quieter interludes between the album's biggest musical moments.  My personal favorite out of these is the all-instrumental "After The Ordeal," a quasi-epilogue to "The Battle Of Epping Forest" that acts as a segway between that and "Cinema Show."  Funnily enough, this track was not very well-loved by the band members themselves, and there was a bit of an argument over whether or not to cut it from the album entirely.  I shall always be grateful they didn't, because the album wouldn't quite be the same without it.

The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (1974)

Underrated Track: The Chamber of 32 Doors

This concept album is one of the most unique parts of the band's discography, a strange and wandering journey that, for reasons known only to Peter Gabriel, center around a Puerto Rican immigrant in New York. The opening track, "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway," is an instant classic, and later songs like "Carpet Crawlers" and "Into The Cage" have had excellent shelf lives on the live tours over the years.

My favorite song on the album, though, is this short work in the middle, where the main character sings of his indecision and struggles with choosing from the paths and choices laid before him. A song about the ever-uncertain nature of the future, it manages to pack a lot into a short amount of time. It's also unusual for having a very pronounced (and very catchy) bass line, which is not something Genesis was usually known for.

A Trick of the Tail (1976)

Underrated Track: Entangled

Phil Collin's debut as the lead singer following Gabriel's departure, given it's very trial-by-fire-nature, fittingly begins with the explosion of sound that is "Dance On A Volcano," which, alongside "Squonk," "Ripples," and "Los Endos," all help making this one of the strongest albums in the band's discography.

When I first listened to the whole thing, though, I found myself especially drawn to the second track, "Entangled." Beginning with the soft, dueling guitars of Hackett and Rutherford and ending with Tony Banks' haunting epilogue on the Mellotron, this song about a man being treated (or, possibly, trapped) in a mental health hospital offers up some really rich imagery to contemplate while listening to the song. Plus, the lyrics end with one of the funniest punchlines Genesis ever put into a song. They were no comedians, but when Genesis went for humor, they did not hold back.

Wind & Wuthering (1976)

Underrated Track: All In A Mouse's Night

Even if it is not as well-remembered and its predecessor, the final studio album to feature Steve Hackett has some of the most unique creations in the bands' history, with a much bigger emphasis on instrumental pieces than in most of their other albums. The concluding track, "Afterglow," was the one that endured the longest as a standard in the various "old school" medleys the band would do live in the 80's and 90's, and is that rare song that works even better live than it does in a studio.

For me, though, the definitive work of the album is the insanely-epic "All In A Mouse's Night." This, for me, is quintessential Genesis; taking something as small and, quite frankly, as silly as a mouse just looking for some food and weaving an Iliad-esque saga of danger and daring out of it, replate with insane Tony Banks power chords and thundering Phil Collins drumming. It also has that classic Genesis dialogue, where perspective and tone shift between characters- in this case, the mouse, the human couple, and their cat- with each new verse, with the final one featuring the cat's pathetic attempt to massage its own ego at being bested by a mouse. Plus, the lyrics include the single greatest metaphor for eating someone I have ever heard or read.

...And Then There Were Three... (1978)

Underrated track: The Ballad of Big

Genesis had been knocking on mainstream's door for awhile now- "I Know What I Like" and "Your Own Special Way" had come close to breaking through popular consciousness- but it wasn't until after Steve Hackett left and the remaining trio began to produce a far more focused sound than before that the band finally hit the charts with "Follow You, Follow Me," the concluding track to the very aptly-named album that announced definitely that the band would remain a trio.

As great and sweet as that song is, though, I tend to prefer the more bombastic-sounding songs on the album, my personal favorite being "Ballad of Big," a subtle dig at both the cowboy fantasies we've wrapped the history of "The West" in and at arrogant, pride-driven masculinity in general. The refrain is a real head-bopper, bouncing in on these jubilant chords even as the lyrics paint a picture of a man who's ego and rashness ultimately result in his own, gruesome end.

Duke (1980)

Underrated Track: Cul-De-Sac

After a brief hiatus, during which all three band members began to branch out into solo projects and Phil Collins in particular struggled with a messy divorce, the band returned with a definitive statement that Genesis was on the charts to stay. The heavies from this album- "Behind The Lines," "Duchess," "Turn It On Again," and "Duke's Travels/End" are some of the defining tracks of 80's Genesis and remained a huge part of their live repertoire right up until the end.

Between these classics, though, the album is suffused with hidden gems from start to finish, many of which continue Genesis' grand tradition of perfecting the power chord. Revisiting the album recently, I found myself most surprised by "Cul-De-Sac," one of the later songs on the album I had never really given much thought to before. So much of the album revolves around things like love, fame, and power being transient things that can disappear in an instant, leaving you empty and embittered in its wake. "Cul-De-Sac" fits perfectly into this miluie, with a grand, resounding reframe and crashing symbols accompanying Collins' desperate-sounding vocals.

Abacab (1981)

Underrated Track: Me & Sarah Jane

This is an especially frontloaded album, where the first half is one excellent track after another, while the second album drops off in its intensity by the end. As much love as "Abacab," "Keep It Dark," and "Dodo/Lurker" (rightfully) get, I wish more people appreciated the masterful subtleties Tony Banks builds into the album's third track, "Me & Sarah Jane." This song builds from a quiet, very underplayed beginning into a soaring ending, going on an incredibly structured musical journey along the way. Is this about a breakup? Lovers who go against the grain of society and are shunned as a result? Something else entirely? I have heard this song more times than I could possible count, and I still feel like I've only scratched the surface of its mysteries.

Genesis (1983)

Underrated Track: Silver Rainbow

Sadly, this is one of the band's weakest albums. The two main tracks, "Mama" and the two-part "Home By The Sea," are phenomenal mood pieces that stand as two of the best Genesis songs of all time, but nothing else on the album is able to measure up to their standard. The sense of drop-off is not helped by the fact that the Sea tracks are followed by "Illegal Alien," which I can, without reservation, officially title The Worst Genesis Song Ever.

It's not all bad, though. Though no masterpiece, "Silver Rainbow" provides a fun, up-beat tune to liven up the album's second half. It won't find its way onto any "Best of" compilations, but it's worth a listen.

Invisible Touch (1986)

Underrated Track: The Brazilian

By far the most commercially-successful album the band ever produced, this represented the absolute height of 80's era Genesis, led, of course, by its immortal title track. And it is a packed album, a joy to listen to from start to finish, even if it doesn't make my personal Top Five list.

And yet, there still aren't too many people who remember the all-instrumental final track, a funky mish-mash of keyboard and synth noises tossed together by Tony Banks that sets a new standard for quirkiness in a discography defined by being as damned quirky as possible. Not that it's all Banks though; Mike Rutherford comes crashing in at the end at what is easily one of his all-time best guitar licks.

We Can't Dance (1991)

Underrated Track: Driving the Last Spike

The final Phil Collins album (and the penultimate of Genesis as a band, though no one knew it at the time) doesn't hit quite the same heights that its predecessor did, but it's still frontloaded with several of the band's most well-known hits, most notably "No Son Of Mine," "I Can't Dance," and "Jesus He Knows Me."

And yet, even though it featured prominently in their subsequent tour, I get the sense that "Driving The Last Spike," the bands long-form and incredibly moving tribute to the workers whose lives and safety were sacrificed to build the West's mighty railroads, has faded from people's consciousness. Which is a shame, because my God, is this song good. It combines the best of old and new Genesis in taking us on a journey both lyrically and musically, while still having the relative tightness of the band's later work.

Calling All Stations (1997)

Underrated Track: The Dividing Line

This final effort by Rutherford and Banks to keep the lights on ultimately landed with a dud, effectively ending Genesis for good. And I won't be so bold as to claim that the critics missed something; this is not a strong album by any measure. It hits a decent stride around the middle, but the disjointed beginning and downplayed end don't make for very satisfying listening. Nonetheless, there are a few tracks that shake out fine. "The Dividing Line" stands out in particular for me, largely because it's the track that feel most like an old-school Genesis tune, thanks to an extended and engaging instrumental section and its big power chords. If the rest of the album had matched it, I think it would be remembered far more favorably than it is.

Well, there you have it. The results of my massive revisitation of the entire Genesis discography. There is something immensely rewarding in returning to great works of art, time and time again. I think I'll do this again at some point. Maybe for Billy Joel.

-Noah Franc