"We're waiting for you, Come and join us now"

From Genesis to Revelation is the end result of the collaboration between the young men from Charterhouse College in Surrey and record producer Jonathan King. Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Anthony Phillips were sending demos to King, which included the Bee Gee-ish "Silent Sun," in the hopes that he could advance their careers. King decided they should release an album (a big step in early 1969 when singles usually predominated). Wanting to name the band Genesis (i.e. a "new beginning" in music), King learned there was already an American R&B band with that name, so he did not give the band a name on their first studio album, but gave them a concept of "From Genesis to Revelation" for which to write their music. They were to start the album with "From the Beginning" and go through the history of man through Revelation. Quite an undertaking for such young men with little experience in the music business.

The music on From Genesis to Revelation is raw but very innovative with a lot of variety from the soft peaceful songs like "The Fireside Song" to cute love songs like "One Day" to rockers like "That's Me," "One Eyed Hound," and "In the Beginning" (Gabriel's voice on the latter actually sounds like Ozzy Osbourne's and the dark sound of the track could have even fit on an early Black Sabbath release). The songs are simple with piano and acoustic guitar. King wanted them to release a soft sounding album to set them apart from the prevailing music of the time. A lot of strings and brass are added to the tracks ostensibly to give the songs a fuller sound. According to Armando Gallo's book I Know What I Like, the band members were not very pleased with the addition of strings to their music. Often, they do not blend in well with the music and sound like "add-ons." On this album, Tony Banks really stands out. He was definitely the more accomplished musician of the group in these very early years. His piano in the opening of "In Limbo" is amazing as it is throughout "Where the Sour Turns to Sweet" and parts of "Am I Very Wrong?." I really enjoy this album. The songs are interesting and have a lot of depth. I recommend it to anyone interested in the roots of Genesis or overlooked gems of the 1960s. This album does not have the complex 7-minute plus pieces to which many fans of early Genesis are accustomed (the longest track here is 4:32). It is also nothing like the more commercial music of the Phil Collins era. Although there is supposed to be a concept here, it sounds like a late 1960s singles oriented album. Those buying it to hear another Foxtrot may be disappointed. Keep an opened mind and you'll appreciate these 17 examples of young brilliance.

An early turning point...

Probably the most important aspect of this album is the crucial turning point it represented for the band: after this album they took themselves seriously as career musicians and gained hordes of confidence to go on recording and become the band Genesis. They could have been doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc., but the producer of this album (according to one of the interviews included on disc 2) encouraged the band (who also gained their name during these sessions) to continue on in the music business.

This album clearly lacks the "umph" of later Genesis recordings. It's by no means terrible, but it's so different from other albums the group went on to record that it's hard to compare it to anything else in their catalog. It sounds like a late 60s/early 70s recording. Deep reverb and walls of strings right out of the era decorate the songs. Gabriel's singing is much less confident here than on the follow-up "Trespass" where he's more or less found his voice. On "From Genesis to Revelation" he sounds frightened at times, or at the very least weak (the liner notes reveal that he was incredibly nervous and supposedly had to take a cold shower before recording to calm his nerves). The musicianship is also lackluster compared to subsequent recordings (much of it is hidden by the sometimes boisterous strings), which may explain the band's changing members over the next few years.

There are some very good songs on this album. They have a different energy than other Genesis recordings, but they still have energy. The producer, whom they never worked with again supposedly by choice of the producer, obviously had a vision in mind for this album: pop hits. The longest song is 4:38, the shortest one 1:59. The music is not incredibly challenging overall, but it's a great effort for a group of guys in their late teens who weren't yet sure if they wanted to be musicians.

The 2 disc set of this album includes over 20 minutes of an interview with the producer, Jonathan King. He mostly talks about himself, how "ahead of his time" he always is, and even has the gall to take credit for an aspect of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper concept. He's obviously concerned about his legacy. The interviews finally become interesting when he talks about Genesis, about the differences between Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel, and about the recording of "From Genesis to Revelation." The interviews in general could have been dramatically shortened.

Genesis fans will doubtless love this album for what it is and stands for. The population in general will probably be less enthusiastic. It sold poorly when first released, and disappeared into the rare bins after Genesis signed with Chrysalis. It does not stand up to subsequent Genesis recordings, but it remains a fascinating document of the origins of a great band.

Not Prog, but great.

Their first. This Criminally underated album was how they started off, as an almost Cat Stevens like band. Don't dudge this album by what Genesis became but dudge for what it is-a gentle little album. The music here is so cool, mellow and relaxing. Beautiful-not Genesis, but great...