Genesis: Chapter and Verse Review

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Genesis: Chapter and Verse ReviewSome Genesis fans might come across this book and wonder if it is worth buying. These are times that definitely try the wallets and household budgets of Genesis fans: Boxsets of surround-sound reissues, a tour of Europe and America that some fans were lucky to see (I'm one!), and a forthcoming live album/DVD of said tour! Some fans might place a measly book about Genesis at the bottom of their "To-Do" lists, if they put it on at all.
However, fans might want to reconsider that. This autobiography of sorts pieces together the story of Genesis through the best perspective available - the band members themselves. Remarkably, every single musician who has participated in Genesis' 40-year history is present and accounted for in this book, offering their recollections of the band through interviews conducted as recent as 2006. As editor Philip Dodd notes in his introduction, Genesis were not a part of the sex, drugs, and rock n' roll crowd of legend. With Genesis, it has always been about the music and, as this book shows, that's certainly something to be proud of!
The standard plot of Genesis - the band started, Peter left, Phil became the singer, and everyone lived happily ever after - is handily recounted in much greater detail than any book or documentary has done previously. Considerable time is also spent on the band's formative pre-Collins years of 1968 to 1970. And despite the constant focus on Phil Collins from those not completely familiar with Genesis, the story recounted here does not center on him. Here, Phil Collins is more of a cog in the wheel, and rightfully so. In fact, a total of five drummers besides Collins would sit at the drums for Genesis. Each gets their chance in the spotlight in a running series of sidebars throughout the book entitled "The Drummer's Tale".
Another portion of the book deals with the formulation and success of the Banks/Collins/Rutherford trio in the 1980s and 1990s. There is a strong friendship there and this book does an admirable job showcasing it. Peter Gabriel also offers his insights, although in a somewhat rambling manner. Steve Hackett does the same (and sometimes gets way too mystical about the whole business). Ray Wilson and Nir Zidkyahu offer comment on their important, albeit short and often overlooked, experiences too. The book is slightly (and I underscore slightly) troubled by some odd gaffes in proofreading though. Chester Thompson was not born in 1968 as noted in the appendix, thus did not start playing with Genesis when he was 9. I don't think he's THAT good a drummer! At another point, the 2007 tour of Europe and America is referred to as the "Turn It Up Again" tour. Well, Tony, Mike, and Phil are getting on in age...that might've been a better idea!
Beyond the members of the band though, the book also features fascinating portraits of those who supported the band over the years. The late record execs Tony Stratton-Smith and Ahmet Ertegun both figure heavily into the story of Genesis. While Stratton-Smith passed away in 1987 and is recounted through other participants, Ahmet Ertegun's contribution to this book was completed shortly before his death in 2006. By all accounts in this book, both men were perhaps as influential on the band as the actual band members themselves. Both execs had good ears and a good sense of where to put their money, even if it meant not always getting the best return. Genesis fans owe them both quite a lot!
And that is what emerges as the most compelling part of "Chapter & Verse". Genesis existed in a time when immediate record sales and high profit margins did not necessarily dictate what was supported by record companies and executives. Long chastised by critics (and some fans) for being a band that "sold out" for hits, Genesis recorded and toured for years without having a major hit single. From 1970 to 1992, Genesis only ever had one #1 song in the US. And while they did have enough singles to later fill a greatest hits album, these only came in the twilight of the band's career after nearly a dozen albums. Could bands today exist in such circumstances? I'm not so sure.
"Chapter & Verse" is ultimately the story of a group of musicians who succeeded by playing the music they wanted how they wanted. They didn't "go with the flow" of what was popular at the time. They weren't cutthroats to others either (or to each other, for that matter). The story Genesis and the music that emerged, in all of its many parts, eras, and stages of development, is something fans hardly need to be ashamed of. Here endth the lesson.
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