Despite there being a clear distinction between the Peter Gabriel-led Genesis era and the Phil Collins years, co-founding keyboardist Tony Banks saw little difference in the band’s music over the years.
During a chat with Classic Rock, Banks was asked if he saw any line in the sans between the two periods, and said, “I don’t feel that. There is a hard-core who feel the days with Peter are the glory days, but I never really saw a big change in Genesis. It was a slow thing. We got better at the short stuff. Once we did (1978’s) ‘Follow You Follow Me,’ the singles became something we were able to do, even quite complex songs like ‘Turn It On Again’ and ‘Mama.’ “
Banks, who wrote some of the band’s most beautiful — and catchy — musical moments, went on to explain, “In many ways it’s more difficult to write a good simple song. And some people are very good at it – the Beatles, the Bee Gees, ABBA. I love a well-done single, even nowadays when I hear something like ‘Let It Go’ from Frozen — that’s a really good pop song! There’s a real art to that.”
There’s been no word on any further Genesis activity since the band wrapped its final European dates back on March 26th at London’s O2 Arena.
SIDE NOTES
- Genesis recently released The Last Domino? — a double disc 27-track “collection of the band’s best-loved songs, including their biggest hits and legendary album cuts.”
- The album covers the band’s entire career — including six tracks from the Peter Gabriel-era.
The tracklisting to Genesis’ ‘The Last Domino?’ collection:
Disc One
“Dukes End”
“Turn It On Again”
“Mama”
“Land Of Confusion”
“Home By The Sea”
“Second Home By The Sea”
“Fading Lights”
“The Cinema Show”
“Afterglow”
“Hold On My Heart”
“Jesus He Knows Me”
“That’s All”
“The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway”
“In Too Deep”
“Follow You Follow Me”
Disc Two
“Duchess”
“No Son Of Mine”
“Firth Of Fifth”
“I Know What I Like”
“Domino Medley”
“Throwing It All Away”
“Tonight, Tonight, Tonight”
“Invisible Touch”
“I Can’t Dance”
“Dancing With The Moonlight Knight”
“Carpet Crawlers”
“Abacab”
CHECK IT OUT: Genesis on May 6th, 1980 performing “Follow You Follow Me” live in London: