You've Got To Get In To Get Out

A look at the songs that have shaped
my life and ended up on my devices.

I have never seen my favourite band, Genesis, live in concert -- at least not live in person. I have several bootleg CD's and recordings, including their 1976 concert film. I originally taped it off USA's "Night Flight" when they broadcast it circa 1987. I made a cassette recording of that concert and played it over and over, especially while riding the bus to speech and debate tournaments. Once again, my musical tastes diverged from the pack, but I couldn't resist trippy sets like this: a mashup of "Broadway Melody of 1974" and "Carpet Crawlers" from The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, that double-album rock opera which the band doesn't seem to want to call a rock opera.



This version of "Melody" is my favourite. Omitting Peter Gabriel's lyrics makes the piece stronger -- along with Tony Banks' combination of RMI Electric Piano (which has been run through a chorus pedal, as far as I can tell) and Mellotron M400 (featuring string section tapes likely embellished with echo or reverb). Notice also that guitarist Steve Hackett is wearing a puffy Jacobite shirt!

When I needed to think, I put this on. When I needed to write, I put this on -- along with a lot of other Genesis music. But ultimately I wouldn't be able to either think or write because I would be too busy listening.