Genesis - The Video Show


Year of Release: 2004
Label: Virgin/EMI
Catalog Number: 7243 5 44244 9 6
Format: DVD
Total Time: 00:00:00

Although the band's period with Peter Gabriel contained it's most theatrical output ever, the fact that this predates the video age means that most of the band's video output focuses on a later period in time. In fact it mainly concerns the Phil Collins era. To be honest I was very much surprised to learn that no fewer than twenty-four commercial Genesis videos are contained on this single DVD here. I mean, how many times have you seen a Genesis video on your TV? Exactly. So why were these (huge?) budgets ever used in the first place?* Were these videos shown in cinemas? Were they used as kind of an alternative support slot prior to the band's concerts? Simply which TV stations programmed these 24 mini movies?

What these videos do show is the humour contained in this band, which to most of the media is the kind of band that gets labelled "serious" most of the time. Just watch Collins' Michael Jackson routine at the end of "I Can't Dance," which is ever so funny! Also his role in "Jesus He Knows Me" illustrates his acting skills. However, the band's funniest highlight certainly has to be their Spitting Image video for "Land Of Confusion" featuring, amongst others, the late Ronald Reagan as Superman. In "Anything She Does," the late British comic Benny Hill plays the role of head of security so Genesis can rehearse without being disturbed. Also "Illegal Alien" brings a smile to your face especially when you see Collins and Banks walking in the streets of Mexico with false moustaches on (and I'm not even talking about Phil's wig here!). This collection of videos does not really follow a certain kind of logic, as we go from 1992 to 1986, 1983, 1981, 1980, 1978, 1976 and then back to 1997 before ending with the 1999 remake of "Carpet Crawlers," as produced by Trevor Horn. Every single video also includes some extra information, such as who the producer for that specific video is. Personally I would have loved to see things even more in depth here by adding sleeves from all over the world for that specific single. I'm sure there are Genesis fans out there who have collected all of this material over the years and it would be such a tribute for these people to be involved in this kind of DVD.

Collins becomes a scruffy creature during "That's All" with Banks and Rutherford becoming poor homeless souls as well. Similar characters pop up during "Duchess." However, a lot of images show Genesis playing their respective instruments, which is the way people love the band best. No doubt "Follow You Follow Me" has to be the band's most successful single. Dating from 1978, it still sounds as fresh today as when it was initially recorded. In "Robbery, Assault And Battery" Collins goes back to his early Artful Dodger days, whilst Banks delivers what probably has to be one of his best synth solos ever! Also three collaborations with Ray Wilson are included here, starting with "Congo," whose video certainly must have cost a bob or two. "Shipwrecked" is a splendid song which sadly drifted away amongst the many single releases around the time of its release. Wilson has never been credited in a fair way, although he was a perfect singer for Genesis, introducing the band into a new era. Judging from the MTV-style videos, I'm not sure what went wrong in the promotional process as I'm convinced that a song like "Not About Us" would have climbed the charts if sung by the likes of Bryan Adams (even with the hidden publicity for Sainsbury's!).

Often the band only uses black and white footage in order to create a bigger impact. "Tell Me Why" not only incorporates live footage featuring Chester Thompson and Daryl Stuermer, but also shows images of the injustice in the world, of dying people, of starving children and of powerful politicians who could, if only they wanted to, change it all in order to create a peaceful and honest world for all of us. In the end this song and video is a little controversial, as it gives Genesis a hit song, earning the band even more money, whilst the subject remains as poor as ever. I have no knowledge if the royalties for this song might have been given to UNICEF or a similar organisation, as this would have been the most logical thing to do.

Genesis' The Video Show is a wonderful collection of some of the band's best songs since the departure of Peter Gabriel. It might not have the visual impact of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, but it most certainly illustrates the diverse nature of this multi-talented band who, the world over, is truly recognized as one of the world's all-time best, whether from a musical or also from a visual perspective. Truly thumbs up for this great DVD!

[*Though, "Land Of Confusion" got a lot of play on MTV in the US, as I recall? and before that, "Illegal Alien"; nowadays, of course? there'd be nada? -PW ed.]


Tracklisting:
No Son Of Mine / I Can't Dance / Hold On My Heart / Jesus He Knows Me / Tell Me Why / Invisible Touch / Throwing It All Away / Land Of Confusion / Tonight Tonight Tonight / Anything She Does / In Too Deep / That's All / Mama / Illegal Alien / Home By The Sea - Second Home By The Sea / Paperlate / Abacab / Keep It Dark / No Reply At All / Man On The Corner / Turn It On Again / Duchess / Misunderstanding / Follow You Follow Me / Many Too Many / A Trick Of The Tail / Ripples / Robbery, Assault And Battery / Congo / Shipwrecked / Not About Us / The Carpet Crawlers 1999

Musicians:
Phil Collins - vocals, drums
Tony Banks - keyboards, vocals
Mike Rutherford - guitar, bass, vocals
Peter Gabriel - vocals
Steve Hackett - guitars, vocals
Ray Wilson - vocals
Daryl Stuermer - guitar
Chester Thompson - drums

Discography:
From Genesis To Revelation (1969)+
Trespass (1970)
Nursery Crime (1971)
Foxtrot (1972)
Live (1973)
Selling England By The Pound (1973)
Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (1974)
Wind And Wuthering (1976)
Trick Of The Tail (1976)
Seconds Out (1977)
And Then There Were Three (1978)
Duke (1980)
Abacab (1981)
Three Sides Live (1982)
Genesis (1983)
Invisible Touch (1986)
We Can't Dance (1991)
The Way We Walk: The Shorts (1992)
The Way We Walk: The Longs (1993)
Calling All Stations (1997)
Turn It On Again - The Hits (1999)
Archive #1 (1999)
Archive #2 (2000)

The Genesis Songbook (2001) (DVD/VID)
Live At Wembley Stadium (2003) (DVD)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin UK

Added: December 19th 2004
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.genesis-music.com
Hits: 2709
Language: english

  

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