From Genesis to Revelation (album)
| From Genesis To Revelation | ||
|---|---|---|
| LP by Genesis | ||
| Released | March, 1969 | |
| Recorded | August 1968 | |
| Genre | Pop rock | |
| Length | 43 min 25 sec | |
| Record label | Decca (UK) and London (USA) | |
| Producer | Jonathan King | |
| Professional reviews | ||
| Allmusic.com | 2.5 stars out of 5 | [1] |
| Genesis Chronology | ||
| n/a | From Genesis To Revelation (1969) | Trespass (1970) |
From Genesis To Revelation was the first album by Genesis, released in March 1969 on Decca Records in England (London Records in North America). It was produced by Jonathan King, the man who discovered them back in 1967 while the members of Genesis were pupils at Charterhouse School, King's alma mater as well.
Upon their inception in early 1967, Genesis originally consisted of Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Anthony Phillips. Once one of their demo tapes caught the attention of Jonathan King, he took them under his wing and - with the addition of schoolmate Chris Stewart on drums - recorded "The Silent Sun" as their first single. It was later described by the band as a "Bee Gees pastiche" to win King's approval. Its February 1968 release on Decca Records - where The Rolling Stones were contracted at the time - was not a commercial success. Neither was the follow-up "A Winter's Tale" three months later. Undeterred, King decided that Genesis would be best heard on LP. After replacing Chris Stewart with John Silver on drums, Genesis' producer had them compose an album's worth of songs loosely based on the Bible. This slightly pretentious venture was cut in August 1968 - while the boys were on school holidays - and later overdubbed with strings, much to the band's chagrin.
Sequenced together like a concept album (with no gaps in between the tracks), the music sounds nowhere near what Genesis would be producing even 2 years later. It is important to note that in 1968 when this was recorded, the ages of the band members ranged from 16 to 18, and none of them considered themselves proficient musicians at the time, with hardly any studio experience. Still, there were some very good tracks and Genesis already had a knack for melody, even in these embryonic times. Its clear standout, "In The Wilderness" is indeed a fine song - despite the intrusive strings. From Genesis To Revelation was issued several months later in a black sleeve with its title scribed in gothic gold on the top lefthand side. With little else to go by, the record shops stacked the LP in the religious sections and it was consequently impossible to find. Its initial sales tally was an embarrassing 600 copies (compared with the 10+ million worldwide sales of Invisible Touch and We Can't Dance roughly 20 years later). However, once the band began achieving worldwide success, From Genesis To Revelation briefly dented the US charts in 1974, peaking at # 170.
Genesis soon split with both Decca and Jonathing King, preferring to strike out on their own musical terms. Although King had more experience and was aiming to present Genesis in a marketble way, they were feeling more and more constrained by King's attempts to curtail and limit their increasingly lengthy and adventurous new compositions (a definite hint of things to come...). The band went professional in the autumn of 1969, and after replacing John Silver with John Mayhew - Phil Collins' predecessor - on drums, the five-piece Genesis began formulating the music that would lead to Trespass the following year and were soon signed to Charisma Records.
Although initially released on Decca Records, From Genesis To Revelation has since been licensed to many smaller labels, who often issue it with different artwork - even different titles. It may not bear much of a resemblance to Selling England by the Pound or Invisible Touch, but for those predisposed to leave all expectations at the door, From Genesis To Revelation - despite its naivety - is an endearing and historical listen.
| Contents |
Personnel
- Peter Gabriel: Vocals, Percussion
- Tony Banks: Organ, Guitar, Piano, Keyboards, Vocals
- Mike Rutherford: Bass, Guitar, Vocals
- Anthony Phillips: Guitar, Vocals
- John Silver: Drums, Vocals
- Chris Stewart: Drums on "Silent Sun"
Track listing
- "Where The Sour Turns To Sweet" (Banks/Gabriel/Phillips/Rutherford) – 3.16
- "In The Beginning" (Banks/Gabriel/Phillips/Rutherford) – 3.44
- "Fireside Song" (Banks/Gabriel/Phillips/Rutherford) – 4.58
- "The Serpent" (Banks/Gabriel/Phillips/Rutherford) – 3.58
- "Am I Very Wrong?" (Banks/Gabriel/Phillips/Rutherford) – 3.31
- "In The Wilderness" (Banks/Gabriel/Phillips/Rutherford) – 3.39
- "The Conqueror" (Banks/Gabriel/Phillips/Rutherford) – 3.22
- "In Hiding" (Banks/Gabriel/Phillips/Rutherford) – 2.38
- "One Day" (Banks/Gabriel/Phillips/Rutherford) – 3.21
- "Window" (Banks/Gabriel/Phillips/Rutherford) – 3.33
- "In Limbo" (Banks/Gabriel/Phillips/Rutherford) – 3.30
- "Silent Sun" (Banks/Gabriel/Phillips/Rutherford) – 2.13
- "A Place To Call My Own" (Banks/Gabriel/Phillips/Rutherford) – 1.59
Releases
U.K. LP Releases
- Decca SKL 4990 (1969): 1st issue, with art, lyrics and credits.
- Decca SKL 4990 (1974): Reissue, retitled In The Beginning
U.S. LP Releases
- London XPS 643 (1969): 1st issue, with art, lyrics and credits.