Pink Floyd
PINK FLOYD - WISH YOU WERE HERE
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Roger Water's tribute to Syd - the recording was attended by Syd himself!
NINE INCH NAILS
Nine Inch Nails were the most popular industrial group ever and were largely responsible for bringing the music to a mass audience. It isn't really accurate to call NIN a group; the only official member is singer/producer/multi-instrumentalist Trent Reznor, who always remained solely responsible for NIN's musical direction (he was, however, supported in concert by a regular backing band). Unlike the vast majority of industrial artists, Reznor wrote melodic, traditionally structured songs where lyrics were a focal point. His pop instincts not only made the harsh electronic beats of industrial music easier to digest, but also put a human face on a style that usually tried to sound as mechanical as possible. While Ministry crossed over to heavy metal audiences, NIN built up a large alternative rock fan base right around the time of Nirvana's mainstream breakthrough. As a result, Reznor became a genuine star and his notoriously dark, brooding persona and provocateur instincts made him a Jim Morrison-esque sex symbol for the '90s. A long period of inactivity and writer's block followed, which gave virtually every alternative metal band of the late '90s a chance to rip off elements of NIN's sound. By the time Reznor's five-year hiatus finally ended, he was still a popular figure but his commercial momentum had slowed somewhat.
Michael Trent Reznor was born May 17, 1965, in the small town of Mercer, PA; he went by his middle name to avoid confusion with his father, Michael. At age five, Reznor's parents divorced and he wound up being raised mostly by his maternal grandparents; even so, Reznor stated repeatedly that his childhood was mostly happy. He began playing the piano at age five, studying classical music, and later learned tenor sax and tuba in the school band; he also acted in musicals and became an avid Kiss fan. Reznor spent a year studying music and computers at Allegheny College, but dropped out after a year to pursue music full-time; he soon packed up and moved to Cleveland with high school friend Chris Vrenna. Around the same time, he was discovering new wave and assorted underground music; he was most fascinated with early industrial, since it offered an edgy, aggressive way to use electronic instruments. At age 19, he successfully auditioned to join an AOR band called the Innocent, which released one album, Livin' in the Streets (Reznor's picture does appear on the jacket). He quit the Innocent after just three months and subsequently gigged with local bands; he also worked in a keyboard store and as a janitor in the local Right Track recording studio. Eventually, he became a studio engineer, teaching himself various computer applications and working on his own material during off hours. In 1987, Reznor appeared in the Michael J. Fox/Joan Jett film Light of Day, where he played keyboards with a trio dubbed the Problems during a bar scene.
As Nine Inch Nails, Reznor began recording his own Ministry- and Skinny Puppy-influenced compositions in 1988, playing all the instruments himself. At first, he simply hoped to release a 12" single on a small European label, but when he sent demo tapes to around ten American labels, nearly every one offered him a deal. He wound up signing with TVT, which released NIN's debut album, Pretty Hate Machine, in 1989 (after having rejected an initial effort called Industrial Nation). Reznor quickly assembled a backing band and toured with Skinny Puppy for a short time, but soon tired of playing for strictly industrial artists. With a tighter outfit featuring Chris Vrenna on drums and Richard Patrick on guitar (plus several revolving-door keyboardists), he consciously chose to open for alt-rock acts (including, early on, the Jesus and Mary Chain and Peter Murphy), partly for the challenge of winning over fans who might not have liked industrial music. The strategy helped expand Nine Inch Nails' fan base substantially; the single "Down in It" got some airplay in dance clubs, reaching Billboard's dance and modern rock charts, and MTV later picked up on the video for the more rock-oriented "Head Like a Hole." In 1991, after settling on keyboardist James Woolley, Nine Inch Nails became part of the inaugural Lollapalooza tour, which expanded their fan base by leaps and bounds. Pretty Hate Machine's momentum kept building slowly, and although it never climbed higher than number 75, it spent over two years on the album charts and eventually sold over a million copies -- one of the first indie-label rock albums to do so.
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TVT had a massive hit on their hands, and to ensure that Reznor would produce another one, they attempted to take control of the follow-up's creative direction. Enraged by the outside meddling, Reznor tried to secure a release from his contract, leading to a vicious court battle. His only recording outlets were side projects; in 1990, he co-wrote and sang on "Suck," a track on Pigface's debut album, Gub, and also sang on the Al Jourgensen-led 1000 Homo DJs cover of Black Sabbath's "Supernaut." (TVT ordered Reznor's vocals removed from the track, but Jourgensen actually just altered them slightly and said he'd re-recorded it.) Eventually, he was able to sign with Interscope, which helped him set up his own label, the Cleveland-based Nothing imprint. Reznor had been recording new material on the sly, and in 1992 Nothing released the EP Broken as well as a concurrent remix disc titled Fixed. Broken featured more (and heavier) guitars than Pretty Hate Machine, partly in response to NIN's live sound and partly as a sonic evocation of Reznor's boiling frustration in the wake of the legal wars; it also featured two bonus cuts, a version of "Suck" and the Adam Ant cover "(You're So) Physical," a nod to Reznor's new wave roots. Despite many reviews characterizing the EP as a harrowing, difficult listen, Broken -- supported by NIN's now-considerable fan base -- debuted in the Top Ten and the first single/video, "Wish," won a Grammy for Best Heavy Metal Performance. Reznor enhanced his reputation as a provocateur with a widely banned clip for "Happiness in Slavery," which depicted S&M performance artist Bob Flanagan being torn apart by a machine; there was also a long-form clip for Broken that was never released commercially due to its graphic content (a torture victim is dismembered while viewing NIN videos).
Reznor moved to Los Angeles to craft the second full-length NIN album, assembling a studio in the house where actress Sharon Tate was murdered by Charles Manson's associates. The Downward Spiral was a highly ambitious work, a concept album indebted to progressive rock that featured the most detailed, layered studio craft of any NIN release yet. Hugely anticipated, the album debuted at number two and became one of the bleakest multi-platinum albums ever. Richard Patrick had departed the touring band to form Filter, and Reznor revamped the group with drummer Vrenna, keyboardist Woolley, guitarist Robin Finck, and bassist Danny Lohner. NIN caused a sensation at that summer's 25th-anniversary Woodstock concert, performing a ferocious set after horsing around and covering themselves in mud just before hitting the stage. Meanwhile, MTV had put an edited version of the video for "Closer" in heavy rotation and NIN scored one of the year's unlikeliest hits: a song whose chorus began "I want to f*ck you like an animal," which helped make Reznor one of alternative rock's biggest sex symbols. The subdued ballad "Hurt" gained some further airplay, even though it lacked the titillating shock value of "Closer." Later in the year, Reznor assembled the soundtrack of Oliver Stone's controversial Natural Born Killers, editing the songs together to create an innovative collage; he also guested on "Past the Mission," a track on Tori Amos' second album, Under the Pink. In 1995, with new keyboardist Charlie Clouser, Nine Inch Nails hit the road with David Bowie, whose late-'70s albums (along with Pink Floyd) had been a major influence on The Downward Spiral. He also contributed a cover of Joy Division's "Dead Souls" to the soundtrack of The Crow and issued the remix album Further Down the Spiral, which nearly reached the Top 20 (a testament to his popularity).
Using money from The Downward Spiral, Reznor built a state-of-the-art studio in New Orleans in a building that had once been a funeral home. While pondering his next move in the wake of his sudden stardom, he produced Nothing signee Marilyn Manson's second album, Antichrist Superstar, which did indeed make him a superstar. In 1997, longtime friend Vrenna had a falling out with Reznor and eventually was replaced by Jerome Dillon; Reznor's maternal grandmother also passed away that year and his friendship with Manson soon deteriorated. Even so, he produced another movie soundtrack, for David Lynch's Lost Highway, and contributed the new single "The Perfect Drug," which flitted unpredictably between several different rhythm tracks. Though "The Perfect Drug" kept him in the public eye for a time, Reznor was still unsure what kind of statement would be an appropriate follow-up to The Downward Spiral; that uncertainty resulted in a severe case of writer's block. In the meantime, NIN were proving vastly influential on a new crop of bands; major labels signed up industrial metal outfits like Filter and Stabbing Westward, and an assortment of alternative metal bands started grafting industrial production flourishes onto their music; Guns N' Roses lead singer Axl Rose even fired the rest of his band and holed up in a studio to pursue a more NIN-influenced direction.
Nine Inch Nails finally returned in 1999 with the double-CD opus The Fragile. It debuted at number one with massive first-week sales, but slipped down the charts rather quickly afterward, perhaps because the musical climate had changed a great deal over the past five years. The remix album Things Falling Apart followed a year later, as did an extensive world tour. An album of live performances culled from the tour, And All That Could Have Been, was released in early 2002. Reznor was largely quiet during the next three years, finally re-emerging in 2005 with another chart-topper, With Teeth. Touring continued into 2006, where NIN spent the spring and summer on the road with various support acts including Saul Williams, Bauhaus, TV on the Radio, and Peaches. The EP Every Day Is Exactly the Same appeared in April 2006; it contained the title track and five various remixes (all originally from With Teeth). Touring America followed, and then late in the year Reznor was back in the studio working on the next album. In early 2007 the band resumed touring, this time in Europe. A viral marketing campaign began when USB key chains that contained new songs were found in the restrooms during NIN shows. These key chains also contained a noisy audio file that, when run through a spectrum analyzer, drew an audio wave in the shape of a phone number. The phone numbers were answering machines filled with conspiracy theories, there were fake websites strewn across the net, and busy Internet forums and wikis appeared to theorize about and document it all. The big payoff appeared in April when the dystopian concept album Year Zero arrived. A year later Reznor began experimenting with different methods of distribution when he made the Saul Williams album The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust available as a digital download.Reznor had helped produce the album and had planned to release it on his Nothing imprint but as his distaste for the major label system increased, so did the possibilities of digital distribution. He completely broke free from the system when he left Interscope and released the entirely instrumental album Ghosts I-IV on his own in 2008, making it available in both digital download and CD formats. The album's release also marked the end of his Interscope distributed Nothing label and the beginning of a new imprint, Null Corporation.
Discography:
Source: Steve Huey, All Music; eNotes
This information is provided as a brief overview and not as a definitive guide, there are other sources on the net for that. If however you have a story or information that is not generally known we would love to hear from you. Content@rokpool.com
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The Sophomore Slump?
The Sophomore Slump?
To the memory of two rock stars who died young
Mea maxima culpa. I've been finishing a novel for the last decade or so and recently got selfish about completing it. Rokpool was one of the things that suffered so I was fiddling around with some ideas for a warm-up article and something lightly polemic for summer reading. It happened to be Saturday the 23rd of July, portentously the eve of my late and (by and large) lamented father's 80th birthday.
A LIFELONG FASCINATION WITH GUY EVANS
If the later seventies and the eighties saw musical shifts arising from the development of the synthesizer, the sixties and early seventies heralded the rise of the drummer in importance. Rival for drumming GOAT Stephen Morris (Joy Division/New Order) represented the shift from acoustic drumming to the ubiquitous drum machine of the eighties by creating the sound acoustically.
THE TEN UNLUCKIEST ROCK STARS
Unlucky these guys certainly were, as they just weren't around when success arrived, does that suggest that maybe the catalyst was the change, or that some don't get the breaks? What do you think?.
10. Dave Mustaine, first guitarist for Metallica.He left to form his own metal band, Megadeth. Perhaps not as much money in his pocket but at least he was his own man.
PINK FLOYD - THE BEHIND THE WALL STORY
THE PINK FLOYD BEHIND THE WALL
Part 2
Gentle Giant
After a musical upbringing, encouraged by their father, three Shulman brothers, Phil, Derek and Ray, gravitated towards the R&B scene that was starting to make an impact in the early 1960’s. Derek and Ray formed a band and encouraged their elder brother to join, calling themselves at various times The Howling Wolves and The Roadrunners. After a while, their sound developed and became more soul based. To reflect this transformation, they changed their name again. As lead singer, Derek became Simon Dupree and the backing band, including both his brothers, The Big Sound.
Now singed to EMI, a number of unsuccessful releases followed until, in 1967, the single “I See The Light” just scraped into the top 50. As with many bands around this time, the burgeoning psychedelia sound was seen to be an attractive way forward and although reluctant, Simon Dupree And The Big Sound were pushed by both label and management to follow this perceived profitable trend. Their next release, "Kites" became one of the hits of the “Summer Of Love” perfectly capturing the “vibe” of the time, this beautifully produced slab of psychedelic pop remains one of the most evocative and integral tracks of the era. An album “Without Reservations” was released shortly after to very minor success and the follow up single “For Whom The Bell Tolls” also failed to make the same impact as “Kites”.
Upset and frustrated by the musical corner they had been pushed into and considering themselves to be a soul band, they called the bluff of the record industry and released a single under the pseudonym “The Moles” which received considerable airplay. The joke backfired when rumours began to circulate that the band were in fact The Beatles when Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd eventually revelled the true identity, disappointment across the industry was rife and both The Moles and Simon Dupree disbanded.
After a break of six months and despite the desire to return to their R&B roots, the new band they were to form was to be a huge jump away from their somewhat simplistic roots. Now able to flex their musical muscles and put their instrumental education and skills to good effect, Gentle Giant was launched in 1970. First recruiting Gary Green and Kerry Minnear, both multi instrumentalists and, in the case of Minnear, a graduate from the Royal College Of Music, they then added Martin Smith from the Big Sound on drums.
Signing to the recently launched “Vertigo” label, which became home for many Progressive Rock bands, they released their fist album, "Gentle Giant", in 1970. This keyboard heavy debut with its complex time changes highlighted the bands many influences from classical, medieval, jazz and, rock . Containing fine harmonies and interplay from the vast array of instruments, it is perhaps too reliant on showcasing the new sounds of synthesiser and Mellotron as on the track “Alucard” The nine minute “Nothing At All”, with fine soulful vocals and heavy guitar is wrecked by a drum solo and discordant keyboards, but, when reigned in with self –discipline, as with the more traditional rock of “Why Not” the album is overall an impressive and brave first effort.
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1971 saw the second release; “Acquiring The Taste” was a huge leap forward. Considerably more experimental and adventurous, you must first get over the pretentious sleeve notes proclaiming the desire to “expend the frontiers of popular music” before the first track and the first highlight. “Pantagruel’s Nativity” sets the tone for the album with its blend of instruments, this time complimenting and not conflicting with each other. The vocals are gentler and have an almost choral feel and the production is clear. Comparisons with the lighter side of King Crimson are inevitable. However, the songs of Gentle Giant are always structured and accessible.
Following the release of “Acquiring The Taste”, Martin Smith left and was replaced by Malcolm Mortimore who recorded with the band for the next album, 1973’s “Three Friends” Inevitably, a concept album, it is one of the bands simpler efforts but still contains all the usual qualities associated with the band. The final, title track is the standout with some superb guitar underpinning some fine organ and vocals.
Following a motorcycle accident, Mortimore was forced to leave the band and was replaced by John Weathers, who had previously played in the Grease Band and with Graham Bond’s Magic. In late 72, this line up released “Octopus” What had gone on before had only been a build up to this. This was the band at its peak and would be the album that established the sound of Gentle Giant. Drawing heavily on medieval and classical influences with tracks such as “Raconteur Troubadour” yet still hitting a harder edge with “A Cry For Everyone” and “Knots” which in extended form would become staples of their live show. With its Roger Dean cover the album is a Prog Rock Classic!
Eager to promote this well received release, the band had first to fulfil a US tour. Remarkably they were to support Black Sabbath! This totally inappropriate pairing understandably resulted in poorly received sets and would have dramatic repercussions as a frustrated and discouraged Phil Shulman had had enough and left the band. Deciding to continue as a five piece, they recorded “In A Glass House” in 1973 and “The Power And The Glory” the following year, both concept albums. Still showing an experimental desire, tracks like “An Inmates Lullaby” and “Proclamation” are unusual and beautifully played. “Freehand” came next and proved to be their most commercially successful release to date making the US Top 50 and rewarding the band for simplifying the sound reflected in the tracks “On Reflection” and “Time To Kill”.
By the time of the release of “Interview” and the live double “Playing The Fool” in 1976 a decline in the bands output had begun. Although only gradual, some of the inventiveness had disappeared. Following the release of “Missing Piece” and “Giant For A Day”, they relocated to the USA and the resulting “Civillian” was recorded in 1979 but these all fell short of the high standards previously reached.. These final three albums were a last shot at the sort of stardom enjoyed by the likes of Yes and Genesis and craved by some members of the band. When success did not materialise, the band split in the summer of 1980 and have so far resisted any temptation to reform as Gentle Giant although various members do come together from time to time as Three Friends and Rentle Giant.
Derek Shulman swapped sides and worked for Polygram and Mercury and became president of ATCO and Roadrunner records.
Ray Shulman went into production and records soundtracks for TV and adverts.
Phil Shulman retired from music but helps his son Damon with his music career.
Martin Smith died in 1997 aged 50
Kerry Minnear runs Alucard music, which handles Gentle Giants royalties.
Malcolm Mortimore has continued to work as a session musican.
John Weathers played with Man for many years.
Gary Green continues to play in the USA.
Never achieving great commercial success, their reputation ensures that they remain big players in the Prog Rock world. Gentle Giant had an original and instantly recognisable sound. By placing themselves on the esoteric side of rock, they sit comfortably along with the influential Canterbury rock scene along side the likes of Caravan, Egg, Gong and Hatfield And The North. Never compromising, their first five albums remain high points of the genre and should be in every prog fans collection.
The track here is the live “The Advent Of Panurge” taken from a rare American radio broadcast from 1975.
Roger Gibbens
This information is provided as a brief overview and not as a definitive guide, there are other sources on the net for that. If however you have a story or information that is not generally known we would love to hear from you. Content@rokpool.com
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Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Yes
King Crimson
King Crimson By Roger Gibbens
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Genesis
Formed in 1967 from two Charterhouse Public School bands (The Anon and Garden Wall), they recorded some rough demos and sent these to performer and producer Jonathan King, himself a former Charterhouse schoolboy.
King took the band under his wing and arranged for them to be signed to Decca. He gave them the Genesis name and recorded a couple of singles from the demos, which were released in 1968. Although both decent stabs at flower power pop, they sank without trace. With the lack of commercial success, Chris Stewart left the band to continue his education. (He later had success of his own with a number of best selling books about his life in Spain). His place behind the drum kit was taken by John Silver.
Despite the commercial failure of the singles, King booked some studio time during the bands summer holidays to record a full album. Released in 1969, " From Genesis To Revelation" is a keyboard heavy debut with lush orchestration. It was an ambitious attempt and very much influenced by the psychedelic pop so popular at this time. How much input the band had in its conception is, however, debatable. It is known that the band deliberately wrote songs in the style of one of Kings favourite bands, The Bee Gees, to ensure his continued support. The most obvious reference point is The Moody Blues with echoes of early Pink Floyd. What is clear however, is Gabriel’s voice. Bearing in mind they were schoolboys, his voice was instantly recognisable, strong and assured. As a debut, it stood up remarkably well with a number of potential “hits”. Had Decca not lost interest in the band, who knows?
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After the commercial failure of the album (rumours have it that it sold just a few hundred copies), the band decamped to a cottage to write and rehearse. Now released from their contract with Decca, they were free to take their time to find their own sound. By now John Silver had left and John Mayhew became yet another of the band’s drummers. The result was a much more confident group who were quickly picked up by a new label, Charisma. The first album for the new label was "Trespass" (1970). Although a somewhat patchy affair, it contained some of the elements that would later become trademarks, particularly the standout last track "The Knife", which soon became a firm live favourite for many years. Having to tour the album did not suit Phillips who suffered from stage fright so he left, along with -surprise surprise - the drummer. Their replacements, Steve Hackett and Phil Collins joined to become what many people believe to be the classic Genesis line up.
The next album, released in 1971, "Nursery Cryme", was a big step forward and established the Genesis sound with tracks like "The Return Of The Giant Hogweed" and another long lasting live favourite, "Musical Box" However, once again the album failed to sell in large quantities. Their live shows were gaining much media attention, most notably for Gabriel’s many and varied costume changes and surreal song intros. They were building up an ever growing and loyal following. The big breakthrough came the following year with the release of "Foxtrot". Their first chart album, it reached the dizzy heights of number 12. Music and performance came together brilliantly. A virtuoso group performance, each track allowed members the opportunity to showcase their considerable musical ability. Once again Gabriel was the centre point for the live shows. The massive 24 minute long "Supper’s Ready" closed most of their performances and climaxed with him changing into a flying angel after a giant thunder flash. Now under the management of label boss Tony Stratton-Smith, they were ready to have a crack at the States and toured in late 1973. Always popular on the continent, sell out tours around Europe followed and a live album was released which made the UK Top 10 and just crept into the US Top 100. Despite the busy schedule, they found time to record the next album "Selling England By The Pound", which gave the band their highest chart placing in both the UK and US so far. Perhaps lyrically inferior to "Foxtrot", musically the band were on a spectacular high. The album is notable for producing Genesis first chart single, "I Know What I Like", and for having one track with vocals from Phil Collins - a sign of things to come! After years of hard work, their popularity was sealed and with the next album, super stardom was awaiting.
This album was the 1974 release, "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway". A double concept album it told the tale of Rael and his journey to find freedom and identity. A collection of shorter songs joined by lengthy instrumentals, it was the arch typical prog rock album and showcased the band at its musical peak. The shorter tracks resulted in a couple of well-received singles ("Counting Out Time" and "Carpet Crawlers") and a couple of tracks produced by Brian Eno. The stage shows for the world tour were spectacular with innovative lighting and many set and costume changes. After performing the show over 100 times and seemingly on a steady upward path to even greater success, the bombshell came in mid 1975. Gabriel was unhappy with the band and left for “personal reasons”. To most this marked the end of the group. After all, wasn’t Gabriel the vocal, visual and spiritual centre of the band? If the remaining members thought this, it must have been only briefly for pretty soon they were auditioning for a new vocalist (rumour has it that nearly 400 hopefuls were tried out). No one proved satisfactory and drummer Phil Collins took over as lead vocalist.
To ensure they maintained as much momentum as possible, two albums were quickly released in 1976. Remarkably, they proved to be their most successful yet. "Trick Of The Tail" went to number 3 and "Wind and Wuthering" number 7 in the UK, while both reached the US top 30. The decision to have Collins as lead singer proved to be inspired. They continued touring to sell-out crowds with Bill Bruford then Chester Thompson taking the drum seats while Collins carried out his vocal duties. After the recording of the live album with this line up, "Seconds Out" in 1977, guitarist Steve Hackett decided to leave to concentrate on his thriving solo career. Flushed with the success of the last time this happened, once again the band looked to within to fill the gap. Up stepped Mike Rutherford to play lead in addition to his role as bass guitarist. This prompted the title of the 1978 release "And Then There Were Three". Astonishingly, the smaller the band the bigger the success. The hits kept on coming. "And Then There Were Three" went top three while the next 4 albums, "Duke" in 1980, "Abacab" in 1981, "Genesis" in 1983 and "Invisible Touch" in 1986, all went to the top of the UK charts and top 10 in the States. Another live album, released in 1982, "Three Sides Live", reached no 2 in the UK. For a band that started out bathed in psychedelia they became the very definition of Prog Rock. Their success with singles is remarkable, with in excess of 15 top twenty hits in the UK, and many more in the US. They continued to tour the world using session musicians to bolster live performances and were established as one of the world’s top bands.
With all group members involved in non-Genesis work, it would be a whole five years before a new Genesis album was released. "We Can't Dance" continued the success; topping both the UK and US charts and featuring 5 hit singles.
In 1996 Phil Collins announced he too would be leaving the band. The most successful of the band as a solo performer, he would now be concentrating on his solo work and various film projects. It was also reported that he was suffering with hearing problems and would be reluctant to tour.
Surprisingly, Banks and Rutherford continued as Genesis. The old trick of doing it all themselves would not work this time and after a long search to recruit a new vocalist, they decided on Ray Wilson, the ex lead singer of Stiltskin. They recorded just one album with this line up, the 1997 release "Calling All Stations". Successful in Europe but not in the all-important American market, they were forced to cancel a planned tour of the States. Wilson was sacked shortly after and the whole band operation went on hold.
In 1999 the “classic” line up reunited to record a new version of "Carpet Crawler" for inclusion on the "Turn It On Again - Hits" compilation. This prompted much speculation over the band reforming and continued until 2007 when Banks, Rutherford and Collins surprisingly announced a new tour. This was hoped to have been a full reunion but neither Gabriel nor Hackett was able to commit to the dates and in June 2007 just the three, along with live show regulars Daryl Stuermer and Chester Thompson commenced the Turn It On Again world tour. This took in over 50 arena-sized dates and inevitably saw the release of yet another live album with DVD.
It is unlikely any new material will be recorded and that’s how it is left with Genesis. In every interview the three are always asked if a full reunion of the classic line up will ever happen. The answer is always, “Never say never”, and this is why you will always see old Genesis fans with their fingers crossed.
Genesis was a strange band. Despite a privileged start and a lot of early luck, they never seemed to be resented or hated by their peers, public or press unlike many other bands of their type. The legacy they leave behind is of a overtly British band conveying eccentricity and weirdness. Their early work remains a lasting example of all that was good about Prog Rock. The later period shows that even sitting at Rock’s top table, they were never afraid to take a chance or two and were comfortably at home as either an album or singles band.
If we have seen the last of Genesis, we should celebrate their success. They are one of the top 30 selling bands of all time. The works individuals have produced outside the band have also been outstanding. Peter Gabriel remains a highly respected artist after releasing a number of successful albums, singles and influential videos. While his stage shows are as ambitious as ever. He is the founder of the WOMAD world music festival. Mike Rutherford formed Mike And The Mechanics in 1985 to great success having hit albums and singles including the poignant "Living Years". Tony Banks has composed much music for films and TV and continues to release solo recordings. His value to Genesis has probably been underrated over the years. Steve Hackett has released dozens of solo albums, formed the prog rock super-group GTR and is cited as an influence to many guitarists such as Brian May and Eddie Van Halen. And Phil Collins, the most successful of them all, as singer, songwriter, actor, film theme song composer etc. etc. With many hit singles and albums all over the world, he is one of the biggest artists on the planet.
We should celebrate their uniqueness and remember them with affection.
Roger Gibbens
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Phil Collins
Peter Gabriel
Pink Floyd
The Moody Blues
Mike + The Mechanics Video
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band established in 1965 by Syd Barrett (lead vocals and lead guitar), Nick Mason (drums), Roger Waters (bass guitar) and Richard Wright (vocals and keyboard). They became famous for their psychedelic and space rock music which later evolved to progressive rock. The band is known for its imaginative live shows, album cover art, philosophical lyrics and experimental music.
Pink Floyd have sold more than 200 million albums globally making them one of the most successful rock acts of all time and they have also been an influence to many 1970s bands such as Yes and Genesis. Pink Floyd enjoyed relative success in the late 1960s especially in the London underground music scene before Barrett’s erratic behavior led to him being replaced by David Gilmour. Bass player Roger Waters then became a tour de force within the band and remained dominant until his departure in 1985.
'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn', released in 1967, was the band’s debut album and was well received at the time and is now considered a prime example of British psychedelic music. The reason Barrett was let go from the band was for his excessive use of LSD causing him to spend concerts staring into space or playing one chord for the whole performance.
After Barrett’s departure and the introduction of David Gilmour the band released the album 'A Saucerful of Secrets' which reached No.9 in the UK charts and is the only Pink Floyd album not to chart in the US. It featured the 12 minute epic title track and hinted at what was to come from this band. They were then recruited to produce the soundtrack for the film, ‘More’, which was released in 1969. The music was released as an album in its own right called 'Soundtrack from the Film More'. They then released the double album, 'Ummagumma' which was an avant-garde mix of solo projects, studio experimentation and live recordings. The album was critically acclaimed and proves Pink Floyd’s most popular release yet charting at No. 5 in the UK. Their next album, 'Atom Heart Mother'. proved a great success and reached No.1 in the UK and No. 55 in the US. This allowed Pink Floyd to embark on their first full US tour.
1970-75 was the bands big breakthrough period and produced what many consider the band’s two masterpiece albums, 'The Dark Side of the Moon' and 'Wish You Were Here'. 'The Dark Side of the Moon' became the band’s first No.1 in the US and is the third highest selling album of all time (behind 'Thriller' and 'Back in Black') selling over 45 million copies worldwide. It stayed in the US Billboard Top 200 for 741 weeks. It only ever reached No. 2 in the UK but staying in the charts for an incredible 301 weeks. 1975 saw the release of 'Wish You Were Here' which was just as well received by critics and fans alike and is the only Pink Floyd album to chart at No.1 in both the UK and the US.
'Animals', their next album release was a highly political album and although reaching No. 2 and No. 3 in the UK and US charts respectively it wasn’t well received by critics. 1979 saw the release of “The Wall” which gave Pink Floyd new acclaim and included the likes of 'Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)', 'Comfortably Numb' and 'Run Like Hell'. It sold over 11.5 million copies and was certified 23x platinum by the RIAA.
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1985 saw Waters leave the band and Gilmour take up the leaders mantle and enjoyed success with the release of “A Momentary Lapse of Reason” which charted at No.3 in both the UK and US and then in 1988 released the double album, 'Delicate Sound of Thunder'. In 1994 the band released 'The Division Bell' which was the 2nd Pink Floyd to reach No.1 in both the UK and US. 1996 saw the band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Pink Floyd appeared at Live 8 and it was hoped that the band would take up a $250 million dollar offer of a world tour but they refused.
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Kate Bush
Kate Bush caught the attention of David Guilmore of Pink Floyd, whilst studying piano and violin and London, who helped fund her first demo sessions. She went on to sign a a contract with EMI when she was 16. In the first two years of her contract, Bush did not release an album, instead continued to study music and made demos of almost 200 songs.
Her first album, ‘The Kick Inside’, was released in 1978, and featured songs she had written during the previous two years, including the single ‘Wuthering Heights’, which topped the UK charts and became an international hit.
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A second album, ‘Lionheart’ was quickly recorded; Bush has often expressed disatisfaction with it, feeling she needed more time to get it right. Then there was the endless promotional work and an exhausting tour, the only one of her career. Kate disliked the exposure and the celebrity lifestyle, feeling it was taking her away from her main priority: making music. She moved into producing her own work with ‘Never for Ever’.
A pattern began to form in the eighties where Kate would disappear for up to four years while she produced her new material until it was ready for release. After the release of ‘The Red Shoes’ in 1993 there was no reason to suppose that she wouldn't reappear in three or four years with another set of songs. But the period of silence that followed her seventh studio album was much longer than anyone had anticipated.
Bush dropped out of the public eye for many years, although her name occasionally cropped up in the media in connection with rumours of a new album.
On 31 August, 2005, EMI put speculation to rest and confirmed that Kate's eighth studio album Aerial will be released on a double CD in November, after a single release "King of the Mountain" in October.
On 13 March 2006, EMI re-released all Bush's previous albums, including her greatest hits album The Whole Story, on compact disc with cardboard cases made to look like the original vinyl pressings.
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