Platinum Collection - Disc 3 of 3
2005 Atlantic Recording Coporation/Rhino
Originally Released November 16, 2004
AMG EXPERT REVIEW: Platinum Collection is a triple-disc covering the biggest hits and anthems from Genesis' career. Not a bad idea for a set, especially because it does contain the relatively rare non-LP single "Paperlate," but it's not necessarily executed as well as it could be. First off, there are the inevitable omissions, highlighted by such Genesis standards as "Man on the Corner" and "No Reply at All," but also extending to such smaller '80s hits as "Just a Job to Do" and "Anything She Does," not to mention various album tracks, particularly from the Peter Gabriel era. Nevertheless, Platinum Collection handles the Gabriel years better than 1999's Turn It on Again: The Hits, primarily because it has the space to stretch out and serve up a full disc of early Genesis, and while "Watcher of the Skies" is missed, it's hard to argue with any Gabriel comp that includes "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway," "Counting out Time," "Carpet Crawlers," "Firth of Fifth," "The Musical Box," "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)," and a full-length "Supper's Ready." Actually, that's not entirely true -- there is one complaint that can be lodged against the Gabriel disc and that can be lodged against Platinum Collection as a whole: it's sequenced in reverse chronological order (with the notable exception of the post-Phil Collins cut "Calling All Sections" being tucked away at the end of the first disc, since there's absolutely no way that even the most devoted Genesis fan would stick with rest of the comp if it began with that tune). While it's not a fatal blow to the value of the compilation -- this does, after all, contain most of the songs casual fans would want in one handy little set -- starting with We Can't Dance and slowly rolling back over the years makes for some uneasy listening, since the reverse order not only prevents the album from gaining momentum, it doesn't provide any new insights to the band's work, the way that Jimmy Page's non-chronological sequencing on the Led Zeppelin box did. If the entire set was flipped around, beginning with "The Knife" and ending with "No Son of Mine," it would be a better listen as an album, but as a clearing-house for most, but not all, of the big Genesis songs, Platinum Collection is worthwhile for casual fans. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Amazon.com Product Description
Founded in the late '60s in Surrey, England, Genesis rose out of the ashes of earlier bands formed by schoolmates Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Michael Rutherford, and Anthony Phillips (who departed after 1969's Trespass, the album providing the final track on this stellar retrospective). Guitarist Steve Hackett soon signed on, as did drummer/vocalist Phil Collins, who'd later emerge (as would Gabriel) as a solo superstar. Following Gabriel's 1975 departure, Genesis grew from a progressive art-rock outfit into one of the biggest arena rock acts ever, with a long string of platinum-sellers and chart smashes. On this, their most comprehensive career-spanning collection to date, Genesis' remarkable evolution is revealed.
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An Almost-Perfect Genesis Retrospective, August 13, 2006
Reviewer: Alan Caylow (USA)
Genesis are my favorite band in the whole universe, so naturally I'm thrilled to see my boys finally get a 3-CD retrospective set. "The Platinum Collection" greatly honors the band by choosing a vast array of songs from almost all of their studio albums, from 1997's "Calling All Stations" all the way back to 1970's "Trespass." I also appreciate that the tracks progress *backwards* in time, starting with the Phil Collins era and ending with the Peter Gabriel era (although Ray Wilson is still allowed a cameo track from his brief 1997 sojourn as the group's frontman). Not only that, but many of the tracks have been remixed by Genesis producer Nick Davis, who worked with the band on their albums "We Can't Dance" and "Calling All Stations." To Davis' credit, he really does strengthen the sound of the songs, and you can hear notes played that you couldn't hear before. Also, some of the vocals, both lead and background, also sound much clearer than ever before (such as on "Illegal Alien," "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway," and "Counting Out Time"). Davis' impressive remix work on "The Platinum Collection" also serves as an excellent sneak preview to the upcoming re-release of the band's catalog, remixed and remastered, now presumably scheduled for sometime in 2007 (but don't quote me on that!). I'd love to give "The Platinum Collection" a perfect 5-star rating, but I can't quite do it for two reasons. One, there's the remix of "Misunderstanding." Sounds great for the most part, but for some reason, Nick Davis removed a brief guitar part that Mike Rutherford plays towards the end of the song. Why? What was wrong with it? It's not like Rutherford was playing any bum notes. I don't get it. Also, nothing from the band's 1969 debut, "From Genesis To Revelation," is featured. I realise this is most likely because Atlantic/Rhino Records don't own the rights to the first Genesis album, but still, *something* should've been included from it, like "In The Beginning," "The Serpent," and the very first Genesis single, "The Silent Sun." It's a very regrettable omission. But other than those two criticisms, I am still very satisfied with this 3-CD set. "The Platinum Collection" is, for the most part, a marvelous retrospective & history lesson about my favorite band.
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Good Collection, Bad "Remixing", June 19, 2006
Reviewer: General Breadbasket (Melbourne, Australia)
"Genesis: The Platinum Collection" is a great value best of. Across three discs, the listener goes backwards through the hits of the 1990s and 1980s all the way back to the band's second album, "Trespass" of 1970. I bought it in a sale, so it was more than worth it for me, but it is a collection flawed in more ways than one.
The first disc spans the hits from the albums "We Can't Dance" (1991), "Invisible Touch" (1986) and "Genesis" (1983). Basically, you could call it "The Best of Phil Collins' Genesis". They're very catchy, very poppy songs. The newcomer will have heard many songs from this disc on the radio. In addition, this disc also contains the horn powered title track of the Paperlate EP (which apparently is pretty rare) and the guitar heavy title track of 1997's "Calling All Stations", with vocals by Ray Wilson. For this era of Genesis, I couldn't be happier with the selection.
The second disc gathers various tracks from "ABACAB" (1981) "Duke" (1980), "And Then There Were Three" (1978), "Wind and Wuthering" (1976) and "Trick of the Tail" (1976). You could call this disc "The Rise of Phil Collins". If you play the tracks in chronological order (the track order backwards) you'll hear Phil's first tracks as official lead singer of the band, and then hear him grow more confident (and commercial sounding) as time goes on, eventually writing song or two all by himself (Misunderstanding being the first). Tracks newcomers may recognise include "ABACAB" and "Follow You, Follow Me". It's a very curious, transitional era. There were a couple of songs from this time that I would have liked to have had included here on this disc, but no matter.
The third disc covers Genesis' classic lineup, that of Peter Gabriel on vocals, Phil Collins on backup vocals and drums, Steve Hackett on guitar, Mike Rutherford on bass and Tony Banks on keyboards, covering the albums "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" (1974), "Selling England By the Pound" (1973), "Foxtrot" (1972), "Nursery Cryme" (1971) and "Trespass" (1970, though Phil Collins isn't drummer and Steve Hackett isn't guitarist here) It could be practically called "The Best of Peter Gabriel's Genesis". This era is pure progressive rock, and an era that many fans (including myself) are very passionate about. If you listen to tracks like "The Musical Box", you'll soon see why. It's a fairly good selection, including classics like "The Knife", "Supper's Ready" and "Carpet Crawlers", though I did find the inclusion of "Counting Out Time", a "Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" song all about those 1970s sex self help books rather odd. Its an amusing song, but I would have preferred a whole bunch of songs on that album instead of that (like "The Cage", "The Lamia", "Lilywhite Lilith", etc). I'm also partial to "Harold the Barrel" from "Nursery Cryme", which also isn't here, but anyway, everyone will have their favourites. It's good to see this era properly recognized on a Genesis compilation.
I've got one major gripe, and that's the remixing (not remastering) of many of the tracks in the collection by a chap called Nick Davis, the producer of many of the original Genesis albums. By "remixing", I don't mean he's gone and added a techno beat to "Cinema Show" or anything like that (now there's a disturbing thought!). No, by "remixing" I mean he's gone and tweaked the original volume levels and EQ of the instruments, and he's put a rather heavy audio compression over everything, meaning that everything in the songs is a level volume. Now, I don't know about you, but one thing I like about progressive rock is the dynamic range of the songs, and the way certain instruments sound, the way it was originally released, the levels as they were on the vinyl. Maybe it's just me, but I like the original way the tracks were mixed just as much as I like the melodies and lyrics. On the original "Carpet Crawlers", Peter Gabriel sings the verses and Phil does the chorus, with Peter quitely speaking what Phil is singing. Here, Mr Davis has turned down Phil's chorus a bit, and now Peter is louder, which isn't half as melodic, as he's only speaking, it kind of clashes with the song. There's a few other instances like this and it annoyed me. Plus, with all the compression, the heavier songs don't sound nearly as good turned up in the car. I was quite disappointed, I was. Why do it, Mr Davis? Why?
Mind you, I listened to a few of the tracks on my MP3 player (through the tinny sound you get on those little white earphones that come with the MP3 players) and I couldn't tell the difference between the original and remixed versions, so if you're an portable MP3 kinda person, you're not going to notice much.
Included with the CD is a great little booklet with pictures of all the albums, and liner notes by Hugh Fielder which include comments by Phil Collins about why the band went pop, which I found fascinating.
A good introduction for those new to Genesis, though it's definitely not perfect. If you're curious, do check it out, though a better buy may be "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" (for the progressive era) and "Turn it On Again: The Hits" (for the pop hit era).
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Genesis for Fans with Arrested Development, April 29, 2006
Reviewer: Daniel Rutkowski (Wernersville, PA USA)
Platinum Collection, released in 2005, presents an opportunity for old Genesis fans to connect with new fans and vice versa. With the exception of Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford, Genesis at the close of the 20th Century was not the same band that began the late sixties charting a course intent on setting themselves apart from the rest of a big crowd. In a class of progressive, art-rock bands that included Emerson, Lake and Palmer, King Crimson and Yes, Genesis was certainly influenced by the success of power-bands like the Who and Led Zeppelin. Soon, the Genesis experience became its fans waiting in anticipation of another new album and then trekking to the nearest rock palace (such as the Spectrum in Philadelphia) for their outstanding live shows that melded theatre, story telling and complex instrumental orchestration.
When Peter Gabriel left the band in 1975, some would say that it was the beginning of the end for Genesis; it was soon to be the end for many fans. After "searching" for a new lead singer, Phil Collins came out from behind the drum set and became the frontman. Genesis, anchored by Banks and Rutherford plus other fine musicians such as the outstanding guitarist Steve Hackett, went on for 22 years to become a popular, mainstream rock band while Peter Gabriel enjoyed a successful solo career. Along the way, the band was joined on tour by Bill Bruford (formerly of Yes) on drums, Chester Thompson on drums and Daryl Stuermer on guitar. At its end Genesis finished without Phil Collins, and, on their final studio album released in 1997, Banks and Rutherford attempted to return to their progressive rock roots with Calling All Stations and found listeners lacking an appreciation for the dynamics of their "new" sound and lineup.
Platinum Collection is nothing less than the best of the best songs that Genesis fashioned over a little more than three decades of existence. With forty songs spanning almost four hours, the collection does what most compilations set out to do by allowing listeners with an incomplete experience in Genesis fandom to connect the dots between the present and the past.
The songs are arranged across three discs from the most recent output to the oldest except that "Calling All Stations" from the album of the same name finishes Disc 1 rather than leading off. In its efficiency, Platinum Collection becomes a great value for the listener who wants simply to appreciate Genesis for the creativity that embodied their best musical efforts. More than a history lesson, Disc 3 contains the earliest work of the band and besides Gabriel's lead vocals demonstrates the keyboard mastery of Tony Banks, a genius on synthesizers and the Mellotron MkII and M400 that generated a huge orchestral sound from an electronic keyboard.
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Do you like Phil Collins?, February 17, 2006
Reviewer: Turkish (Quote from ''American Psycho'')
Do you like Phil Collins? I've been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. Before that, I really didn't understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Duke where Phil Collins' presence became more apparent. I think Invisible Touch was the group's undisputed masterpiece. It's an epic meditation on intangibility. At the same time, it deepens and enriches the meaning of the preceding three albums. Listen to the brilliant ensemble playing of Banks, Collins and Rutherford. You can practically hear every nuance of every instrument. In terms of lyrical craftsmanship, the sheer songwriting, this album hits a new peak of professionalism. Take the lyrics to Land of Confusion. In this song, Phil Collins addresses the problems of abusive political authority. In Too Deep is the most moving pop song of the 1980s, about monogamy and commitment. The song is extremely uplifting. Their lyrics are as positive and affirmative as anything I've heard in rock. Phil Collins' solo career seems to be more commercial and therefore more satisfying, in a narrower way. Especially songs like In the Air Tonight and Against All Odds. But I also think Phil Collins works best within the confines of the group, than as a solo artist, and I stress the word artist. I highly suggest anyone who is a fan of Phil Collins or Genesis to purchase this album.
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A Good Story Told Backwards, October 3, 2005
Reviewer: B. Niedt (Cherry Hill, NJ United States)
This is a pretty generous three-disc collection of the whole of Genesis' career, about as comprehensive a collection of their released repertoire as one can get, shy of a full-blown box set. There are no real rarities, except the hard-to-find "Paperlate", which has had enough radio airplay to be familiar anyway. The reverse chronology of the songs is a rather odd, and to me, annoying choice. Genesis is one of those venerable bands that evolved into something completely different than their original incarnation, like Jefferson Airplane/Starship and Fleetwood Mac, so it would have made more sense to show their evolution than their devolution. Needless to say, there will be fans out there who will enjoy the first half of this collection more than the second, or vice versa. And of course some fans will quibble with omissions (like "No Reply at All" and "Man on the Corner" from the "Abacab" album). But overall it's a fair and equitable collection, including the long early classic "Supper's Ready" as well as a track from their post-Phil Collins release "Calling all Stations." If you're a diehard fan, you probably already have everything contained here. But for the more casual fan like me, this is a convenient and reasonably-priced way to add them to your CD collection.
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Must-Have For Fans Of Any Period Of Genesis!, September 22, 2005
Reviewer: K. Gress "CD Lover" (Pennsylvania, United States)
Regardless of which period of Genesis' history you prefer, this collection is definitely required listening. Here are 3 reasons why: Sequencing, Sound, Price.
Some have complained about it being sequenced chronologically backwards, but that works for me for two reasons: 1) I like to save the best for last; 2) the Gabriel years are my favorite. Collections that go from oldest to newest often get tiresome towards the end, because the best music was on the first few disks. I must say, however, that there's very little weak material here. Even the newest songs are solid.
The remastered/remixed sound was the biggest shock to me. When I started listening to the first disk with the songs from We Can't Dance, Invisible Touch, and Genesis, I didn't expect much improvement over the original cd's. Wow! Was I wrong! I heard details and depth in those tracks that I've never heard before. And those are only the remastered ones! When you get to the remixed tracks, it's like hearing them for the first time. Most of the mixes are very true to the original, but the clarity and separation bring a whole new experience to the songs. Maybe the remixer, Nick Davis, and I have similar audio tastes, because I feel the frequency range is very well balanced. I can't wait for the full albums to released with the new mixes.
And finally the price - less than $20 for 3 full disks?? That's a steal. For someone like myself who has all the Genesis cd's and box sets and a boot or two, I didn't think I'd want to spend any money on this set. But after I read other reviews about the sound quality and the USA price was so low, I went for it. Am I ever glad I did!
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to remix, or not to remix?,, September 15, 2005
Reviewer: Cesar "juliomontoya2000" (San José, Costa Rica)
I bought this collection because something called my attention: more than 50 % of the songs were indicated as "Newly Remixed by Nick Davis". "Newly remixed?" I thought..."did they do to other songs what they did to 'Carpet Crawlers' in the last collection?" I asked myself. Then I remembered that 'Carpet Crawlers' was then RE-RECORDED, not just remixed, so this new collection would possibly retain the spirit of the original songs, making them more polished. So I took the risk.
(The remixed songs are, from the first CD, Illegal Alien and Paperlate; from the second CD, ALL except Behind the lines and Your own special way; and from the third CD, ALL except Supper's Ready).
Overall, I was pleased to hear that most of the original sound was respected, in the sense that you don't hear different rhytms or shortened or extended parts. And my expectations were met about the better sound: in most remixes, you hear a clearer voice (specially in "Follow you follow me" and "Carpet crawlers"), and from there you have more clarity in all the instrumentation.
Of course, any remix have the risk of enhancing instruments that were not as sharp in the original mix, and lower some others that were more present before. So there might be a possibility that for those very familiar with the original songs, you will identify something that was not originally clear, while miss something that originally was.
That would be the reason why purists will reject "remixes". Why change things? Why not to leave the sound alone, as part of the history? A classic old painting might look dark to some, but nobody will ever dare to suggest to release it with enhanced colors and contrasts just to make it "look better".
And the remixing proccess has another consequence: the sound of the songs is kind of leveled, very alike. But if you are familiar with a group, you know that part of its history is not only the style, but also the recording sound of the time in which the songs were recorded. If you take a song like "The musical box" from the early 70's, and remix it now, no matter how close to the original sound you stay, there's no doubt that you are "modernizing" it.
Is that allright for you? If so, you would like this collection. It didn't bother me a lot: in a time in which songs and complete CDs are remixed in five channels for DVD audio, SACD, DVD video and others, I'm more than used to rediscover, through a new mix, the sound of a song or cd that I knew. And I'm disappointed when they sound almost the same.
When you hear the oldest songs, like "Musical Box", "The Knife" of "Firth of fifth", you have to admit that the clarity provided by the new mix really does them a favor. But there are exceptions of course: "A trick of the tail" and "Ripples" come from the CD "A trick of the tail" from 1976. If you hear the REMASTERED version of that cd, you have to say that there's nothing wrong with the sound, it couldn't be better. So, why remix those songs for this collection?. The truth is that in these two cases, and "Illegal alien", the sound is "overloaded": instead of give clearity to the sound and instruments, everything is in a high level (in the case of Ripples, the piano gets lost). That "overloading" is more favorable to a song like "Los Endos" because of its rockish sound.
But as I said, I was overall pleased with this collection of alternate sound songs. At least, they provide something different. If you don't like it, just stick to the originals, or better, the remastered versions. I've got nothing against them, for nostalgia's sake.
I give only 4 stars because of the "Illegal-Trick-Ripples" flaw, and also beacause songs like "Man on the corner" "Robbery assault and Battery", "In the cage" or "Dance with the Moonlit knight" are missing.
NOTE: of course the ideal companion of this collection would be the simultaneously released DVD "The video show". Both of this items were available in England since almost a year ago. About time!!!.
Half.com Details
Producer: David Hentschel, Hugh Padgham, Nick Davis
Album Notes
Genesis: Phil Collins (vocals, drums); Ray Wilson (vocals); Michael Rutherford (guitar, bass guitar); Anthony Phillips, Steve Hackett (guitar); Tony Banks (keyboards); John Matthew (drums, percussion); Nir Zidkyahu (drums); Peter Gabriel.
Liner Note Author: Hugh Fielder.
Recording information: 1971 - 1997.
From the prog-rock majesty of its Peter Gabriel-fronted era to the smooth pop of its later Phil Collins-helmed years, Genesis created a fascinating catalog that spanned decades. The British group's finest tracks are compiled on this three-disc PLATINUM COLLECTION, which proceeds in (roughly) reverse-chronological order. While the hits are plenty (and mostly featured on the first disc), this thorough set also includes many revered album tracks from Gabriel's wonderfully quirky tenure with the ensemble (see the epic "Supper's Ready" and the lilting "Carpet Crawlers"). Although Genesis fans often fall into distinct Gabriel and Collins camps, this comprehensive set provides a solid bridge across the two notably different periods.
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