Second's Out, by Genesis, turned my life around. Don't you just love overenthusiastic statements like that? Well, I remember sneaking into my brother's room when he was out, snatching a copy of Second's Out from his turntable, putting on the headphones, listening to it from start to finish in the dark, while looking out the window waiting for his car to pull back into our driveway, so I'd have enough time to run back into his room (still in the dark) and place it back onto his turntable at exactly the right axis he left it at. If the inside record label was even slightly too much to the right, I was always paranoid that he'd find out I was playing his records again and he'd yell at me! He was 8 years older than me and much bigger! He was an avid prog-rock fan and had dozens of albums, and treated them all like gold.
ELP was my first love and I thought no other band could amaze me so much, until my brother bought Second's Out and I heard it playing in his room all of the time. I was too young and poor at 13 and my mother wouldn't buy albums for me because she thought I'd scratch them all, so I would listen to my brother's.
Second's Out, from the Chester Thompson stick-click count off into Squonk, to the very exhausting end of Los Endos, was nearly a spiritual album for me. It was the first time I heard magic on a record. Like being a child and hearing fairy tales, but now being older and hearing how they would sound. I was unaware of even who Peter Gabriel was, so I had no compunction about calling Phil my favorite singer and the only one for these songs. Today, of course, I could not be more of a Gabriel fan and have seen every tour since the Security tour of 1982-83!
But Phil's smoky voice and warmly passionate delivery was the best voice I'd heard to that date. Each song was rendered so magical and potent, that it's still hard to believe this was a live concert recording in Paris. I guess we credit David Hentschel for his production, and the band for their artistry and transcendence. Everything had the right amount of reverb on it. Even the synth solo on Robbery, Assault & Battery should have no right to sound as not dated as it does! Banks and Hackett truly carry the melodic brilliance and performance of these songs, on the backs of the most musical, dramatic and firey rhythm section work you're likely to hear. To me, there is more fire in these performances than in any Metallica or Sex Pistols album recorded. This music was edgy, and ballsy. Today there are still metalheads and jazzers going 'How the heck did they write and perform something as mind-boggling as Apocalypse in 9/8??!!'. How did they, indeed? Speaking of which, Supper's Ready always intimidated me. I broke into this album side by side. First it was Side one. Then Side Two, with Firth of Fifth, and Hackett's pained seagull dives and swipes, and that guitar solo having three or FOUR climaxes! I Know What I Like introduced me to the silly side of Phil Collins and was a nice
breath-catching moment. Today, I'd give anything to replace it with a performance of Eleventh Earl of Mar from that era. Or, Ripples, or In That Quiet Earth. But I Know What I Like probably was their biggest 'hit' to that date.
When I did listen to Supper's Ready, each section captured me and sucked me in until I had to listen to the whole song at every sitting, each time taking me on a musical journey in my head. I thought, 'How could there be 5 individuals on the planet who were so on the exact same wavelength to create music so seamless and transcendent as this? Why am I getting so high off this music??!! Is it effecting anyone else out there as much as it was me??!!'. Yes came close at times, but even their individuality often threatened to split apart the majesty of their collaborations, and did on 'Tormato'. Second's Out is a documented treasure of those 5 individuals in Genesis and their timeless music. There is no more exciting live album than Second's Out.
U2 came close with 'Bad', but that's not a full-length live album. Can they ever capture their music as passionately as Genesis did with theirs on Second's Out? I haven't heard it yet. Has Radiohead? "I Might Be Wrong" is great, but they haven't yet, either.
Last word, on Cinema Show. Bill Bruford threatens to steal the whole album with his performance on drums there. I love King Crimson, but I can't think of many times when he has bettered himself in a live album than what he plays on Cinema Show. How about those synth solos? Still damn impressive! I was CRUSHED when Steve Hackett left the group. I enjoyed his solo albums, but I knew he could not end up doing anything as brilliant as Second's Out. On Supper's Ready. Or Trick of the Tail. Or Ripples. Or Eleventh Earl of Mar. The man had Phil Collins as his drummer!! Tony Banks as his keyboardist!
Mike Rutherford as his bassist!! Hackett's departure, especially after the release of Second's Out, hit me more hard than Gabriel's actually did! Nonetheless, this classic album needs to be heard and appreciated for what it is: One of the best representations of any live band recorded in concert. At the top of their game. A live album of previously-recorded material that nearly beats every studio version of the songs it repeats. Presenting perfect performances that are so well blended as one, you wish other bands could do theirs as good.
Oh, and if you didn't know, while all of this was going on, as this music was pouring out of their souls, Genesis had one of the best light shows ever. They always had state of the art lighting systems, lasers and fog that could create heaven or hell along with their music in concert. Sometimes on this album, you can hear the French audience gasping and cheering for no apparent reason ("Afterglow"). The reason was the lights, so meticulously choreographed to the songs as to create a thrilling, never before seen audio and visual emotional spectacle in real time. If you don't believe me, read some of the reviews from the time. I saw it on the And Then There Were Three tour of 1978. There were lasers bouncing off of six giant mirrors above the band's heads and fog swirling through it all. By the time Genesis ended up playing stadiums, they were so far ahead of the live show that they were selling tickets based on their word of mouth alone.
I believe Cirque du Soleil is STILL trying to out do them with their sound and lighting nearly thirty years later!! But with no DVD of the show to view in 5.1 Surround from that date, we're left with the music, gloriously on display.
Buy the new mastered version of Second's Out, put on a good pair of headphones, relax and put on Supper's Ready. From the moment Collin's casually announces 'Supper's Ready', you will be taken on a ride. By the time you reach Phil angelicly singing '666 is no longer alone', if you are not completely moved, than you probably have no pulse. Or taste.

Seconds Out is one of the most amazing live albums I've ever heard. And this "Definitive Edition Remaster" edition makes it even better.

This album is, in all respects, perfect. It's equal cannot be found anywhere. Musically, these guys are at the top of their craft. (Particularly with the addition of drummers Chester Thompson and King Crimson/Yes beatmaster Bill Bruford.) Lyrically, this album -- although it borrows heavily from Trick of the Tail -- runs the gamut, going back all the way to "The Musical Box" from Nursery Cryme.

And, glory be!, it features the entire 25-minute epic "Supper's Ready" from Foxtrot. This version, even though Phil Collins is singing it instead of Peter Gabriel, is dramatic, powerful and guaranteed to give you goosebumps.

Speaking of Phil Collins, this live album sounds so much like Peter Gabriel in parts that you'd swear he was still in the band.

So, the good news is this 1977-released 2-CD set is a perfect representation of Genesis at their peak. The recording is flawless. The song selection is impeccable.

Now for the bad news...

This was the last great Genesis album. Shortly after its release, guitarist Steve Hackett left the band, bringing the members of Genesis down to three (hence, the title of their next studio release: And Then There Were Three...). Genesis would never recover from the loss, and would slide inexorably closer to Top 40 Hell with each subsequent release.

If you want a very good representation of what Genesis used to sound like before everyone left and Phil Collins took over, Seconds Out would be a very, very good place to start.

Seconds Out is certainly one of the greatest live albums ever recorded. Recorded primarily during their 1977 tour, This collection captures Genesis at their best..in concert.

A nice mix of songs from their previous six albums are performed here on this sparkling live set. Standouts include I Know What I Like, in which the band sets off a terrific jam, Afterglow, a romantic ballad which sounds even more powerful than it's studio version, The epic Supper's Ready, which is absolutely mindblowing and the explosive finale of Dance On A Volcano/Los Endos.

Phil Collins powerful vocals clearly shows he's perfect for the new sounding Genesis and does an amazing job on the Peter Gabriel songs as well. Tony Banks creates an masterful atmosphere with his keyboard and mellotron playing. Steve Hackett's unique and tasteful guitar playing and Mike Rutherford's bass sound terrific. Touring drummer Chester Thompson is awesome and complements Phil Collins perfectly.

If you're a newcomer to the music of Genesis or only familiar with the 80's Phil Collins era, then Seconds Out should be one of the first albums added to your collection. As both a live album and a solid collection of their 70's songs, Seconds Out is a must have.

When I first borrowed this album from my friend back in 1978, I really hadn't heard any Genesis yet. They were never on the radio, believe it or not, and they truly were a cult band at the time. I put the first side on the turntable and heard "Squonk." I was blown away. I'd never listened to such music before. It was almost like being deaf and blind your entire life and suddenly you could see and hear! The rest of that first and second side were just as mind blowing. Songs like "Afterglow" and "Carper Crawl" were equally chilling. Then there is the incredible number "Firth of Fifth" where I discovered a new type of guitar playing (by the already recently departed Steve Hackett). All of this with their drummer, Phil Collins, as their lead vocalist, not the incredible Peter Gabriel who left after the "Lamb Lies Down On Broadway." As it turned out, this was their last anonymous effort. About a year or so later, "Duke" came out with "Turn it On Again" and the overplayed "Misunderstanding." They eventually developed into another Fleetwood Mac (in terms of radio overplay). So listen to this album by yourself when you're missing someone or when you just want to get away from it all. You won't believe how great this cd is!

When this album first came out I wasn't too familiar with a lot of earlier Gabriel Genesis- Mostly Collins first 2 outstanding efforts. So I found myself skipping to songs that seemed to fit that category. With my exposure to Genesis broadened over time, and after seeing them live for the first time on the "Duke" tour, my appreciation for this CD and their live experience was solidified. The hooks in their music whetted my appetite for further sampling their earlier efforts and my love for the entire CD was entrenched, moreso once I finally got a quality sound system for the first time in my life to experience the finer nuances of their songs. And the song selection is superb. The performances by all band members, including their well traveled sessionists, outstanding. Once you've seen them live and experience a drum duet between Phil Collins and Chester Thompson you hear this CD with significantly more appreciation and goose bumps. And Collins' performances of songs put out during Gabriel's years doesn't miss a beat. Indeed, he delivers them flawlessly while leaving his own stamp on them. This is the stronger live CD when compared to "Three Side Live," released not too far after "ABACAB," in both sound quality (especially with the remastering) and song selection. And that's coming from one whose fandom was grown between "Trick of the Tail" and "Invisible Touch," which the latter live CD reflected more in content. Though no live CD ever is the same as seeing the band in concert- missing from the audio of "I Know What I Like" is the visual acrobatics Collins performs in his tambourine solo- "Seconds Out" more truly reflects the style, power, and cohesiveness that was a live Genesis concert. This is my favorite live CD of any band, though admittedly my taste for live recordings has dwindled in favor of the studio versions over time. Most live recordings try to over sensationalize for the sake of promoting tours or other CDs. While this one may result in the latter, it's because it so accurately frames this band's reputation as one of the best live concerts over the past three to four decades. The only thing missing is the light show that Genesis became renowned for.