GENESIS レコード& CD

Review: The last Genesis album to feature Peter Gabriel on vocals is their most ambitious and audacious too, seeing them escaping their peculiarly English viewpoint to tackle American culture across four sprawling sides of vinyl. It's also their only concept album, centered around the brief life of a New York teenager called Rael from Puerto Rico, who is plucked from his everyday existence to embark on a number of fantastic adventures. The musical palate is wide, from the bombast of the title track to the frothy eccentric pop of 'Counting Out Time' and the oozing, harpsichord-swaddled 'Carpet Crawlers', which remained in their live set for many years after Gabriel's departure. Released in 1974, it was recorded at Headley Grange in Hampshire immediately after Led Zeppelin recorded their 'IV' LP, and a quick listen to Phil Collins' pounding, Bonham-esque drumming on 'Broadway Melody of 1974' will tell you that the studio settings probably weren't changed very much at all.