I wish I had gone to see Genesis perform in the 70s. Being about 20 years younger than these guys, though, I was unaware for a while that the "Games Without Frontiers" guy used to perform in the same band as the "Follow You, Follow Me" guys. So when I went to the record store and saw this album cover, it kind of blew my mind. They were such an interesting band -- visually, lyrically, musically. As brilliant as they are in the studio, they often perform their songs even better live. "The Musical Box" is a real highlight here; it sounds like there are dueling lead guitars in the middle, but actually it's Steve Hackett on guitar dueling with Tony Banks on a clavinet; you also get to hear Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins sing in a call & response manner -- the sort of thing that's been missing since Pete's departure; and let's not forget Mike Rutherford's unacompanied bass pedal solo (though don't we hear him tuning his cello there?). One thing that made them so interesting to listen to is that they went to great lenghts to get a variety of tones and it worked out really beautifully. You hear both Mike and Steve using 6-string electric and 12-string accoustic guitars. Mike would also use a double-neck instrument that allowed him to instantly switch between electric bass and electric 12-string guitar while supplementing his sound with bass pedals. Tony was already using several different keyboard instruments, and he would also play a bit of 12-string guitar. Phil had his drum kit, but he also had a set of bells. Pete not only had the same unique, beautiful, powerful voice he does today, but you also hear him playing wonderful flute lines as well as suplementary bits of percussion. [If you are lucky enough to see footage from this period, you will see that Pete was as much an actor & dancer as a musician when Genesis performed live.] The other thing that makes them so interesting to listen to is the way the songs are written. There is so much dramatic contrast, both from song to song, and within individual songs. One passage or song can be really mellow and pretty, while the next can be hard as nails. Either way, the rhythms, melodies, and harmonies were almost always worth many listenings.

1973's "Genesis Live" is the only live album in the Genesis catalog from the Peter Gabriel era, documenting the band on tour for their 1972 album, "Foxtrot." It's a brilliant but much-too-brief live Genesis set, leaving the listener hungry for more. Still, what the album does contain on it is classic live Genesis, with Gabriel, Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford & Steve Hackett rocking through their prog classics "Watcher Of The Skies," "Get 'Em Out By Friday," "The Return Of The Giant Hogweed," "The Musical Box," and the grand finale, "The Knife," with great relish. Also featuring the occasional bit of song introductions from Gabriel, "Genesis Live" also gives glimpses into what a grand showman Gabriel was as the group's flamboyant frontman.But with just five tracks on it (albeit long tracks), "Genesis Live" is still too darn short. It was originally planned as a double live album that also would've included the band's magnum opus, "Supper's Ready," at the album's conclusion, but was trimmed at the last minute in order to make the album more affordable. Thankfully, the problem has been corrected somewhat, as there's now more live Gabriel-era stuff to be found on the band's "Genesis Archives Vol. 1" box set, including the coveted live version of "Supper's Ready." However, keep in mind that that's a bigger, separate purchase (though totally worth it).Still, "Genesis Live" is a great little slice of vintage live Genesis, so if you love the band's early days with Peter Gabriel, you can't go wrong by adding "Genesis Live" to your collection. :-)

Many remember Genesis live shows as Broadway-esque affairs with laser light shows, smoke machines, medleys and Phil Collins in chinos shaking his tambourine. Those were certainly fun, but in the early days Genesis concerts were an altogether different beast. I'm not old enough to have experienced them, but "Genesis Live" offers a tantalizing snapshot of the band's performances from the Peter Gabriel era.

Gabriel was best known for wearing bizarre costumes during Genesis concerts, to illustrate the whimsical characters from his lyrics (the old man of "The Musical Box," the title character of "The Return of the Giant Hogweed"). The cover gives you some idea of the visual aspect. More importantly, you get the music - a rawer, more energetic brand of progressive rock than that presented on "Seconds Out" or "Three Sides Live."

The song selection isn't perfect, mainly due to the time constraints of the vinyl era. Most notably absent are "Supper's Ready" and "Can-Utility and the Coastliners." But you get a representative sample of songs from "Trespass," "Nursery Cryme" and "Foxtrot." While the live versions remain essentially true to the studio versions, the band infuses the music with new levels of energy, particularly on "Watcher of the Skies," "The Musical Box," and "The Knife."

"Genesis Live" is a great introduction to the band's early years. In terms of running time, it's less generous than the band's subsequent live albums. But in its ability to capture the power of Genesis live, it's unmatched.

For many years this was the only available live document of Peter Gabriel's Genesis days, and it still is unless you can afford to shell out for the box set. As such it is frustratingly short, originally released as a single vinyl LP. There's nothing wrong with the tracklist at all, but it's sad to think that "Supper's Ready," "The Fountain of Salmacis" and "Can-Utility and the Coastliners" were left off because the record company was looking for a quick buck at the time. I remember the original vinyl album having that thin cardboard cover that said "budget album" back then. Yeah right, prime live Gabriel-era Genesis treated like a budget album.

But enough of my grumbling, here's what it sounds like: quite simply this is the rawest, grittiest and rockingest you'll ever hear this band. I was struck by the resemblence to Van Der Graf Generator's sound more than what one expects from Genesis. The down and dirty sound is no fault of the nicely-done remaster, it's just the way the band sounded live at that time, sort of grunge-prog (the ultimate oxymoron.)

This edgy, louder sound suits the rocker "The Knife" perfectly, while making this version of "The Musical Box" the standard one for me over the badly produced and badly edited original. Steve Hackett's rousing guitar finale to "The Musical Box" is a showstopper and makes me jump up and say YEAH every time! "Watcher of the Skies" is terrific too, and again I like it better than the original.

This is a record filled with regretful "if-only's" but I enjoy it for what it is, an enjoyable, unique addition to the prog collection or Genesis collection.

For anyone interested in finding out about old Peter Gabriel Genesis, this might be the CD to begin with...though "Supper's Ready" is absent, as a whole this live album represents most of the best music from their first four LP's (though there's nothing here from their debut).

Just switching the lights off and listening to "Watcher of the Skies" is an amazing experience. The 'live' sound is so rich and full, as Chris Welch wrote of this album many years after this lineup disbanded, it really makes you wish you could walk down the street tonight and see this band play...they were fantastic!

Great versions of "Get 'Em Out By Friday" and "Giant Hogweed" follow, as one also gets a slight glimpse of Peter Gabriel's interaction with the audience (much more of which is brought forth in the boxed set). "Hogweed" especially is much better here than in the studio.

The best live performances here are on side two, however..."The Musical Box," through all its authorized incarnations (Nursury Cryme, Genesis Live, Seconds Out, The Way We Walk, Vol. 2) has never sounded better than it does here. The song is so powerful, there are a dozen moments when I get chills. And the album ends with an a...-kicking version of "The Knife," the only authorized version with Phil Collins of drums and Steve Hackett on guitar...it's great to hear the lineup best known for "The Lamb" and "Selling England" rocking on one of the bands early classics.

All together, a wonderful live album, originally supposed to be a double album with "Supper's Ready" taking up one whole side, but that didn't happen...instead, "Supper's Ready" turns up on the next live album, Seconds Out, which is why the latter is better, even though Peter doesn't sing on it.