Genesis: Together and Apart

Last updated
Genesis: Together and Apart
Directed byJohn Edginton
Produced byAndrew Winter
Starring
Distributed by BBC
Release date
  • 17 November 2014 (2014-November-17)
Running time
90 minutes (TV)

Genesis: Together and Apart is a 2014 documentary about the English rock band Genesis and its members' solo projects. Made by the BBC, it was first broadcast on BBC Two in the UK on 4 October 2014. It was the first time drummer and singer Phil Collins, former singer Peter Gabriel, keyboardist Tony Banks, bassist Mike Rutherford and guitarist Steve Hackett had reunited since the Six of the Best reunion concert (1982). The documentary was released on DVD and Blu-ray in November 2014 as Genesis: Sum of the Parts. The companion box set R-Kive also features tracks from the band member's solo albums. [1]

Contents

Reception

The Daily Telegraph's reviewer Ceri Radford described the documentary as "excellent" and "an entertaining riff on their success over the years". [2] Writing for The Arts Desk, Adam Sweeting was not as impressed. He stated: "All of the group's serpentine twists and turns were dutifully recorded in this 90-minute documentary", but he concluded: "It's an awesome tale in its way, yet the endless list of hit records and enormous tours eventually became tedious, and somehow Genesis managed to remain untouched by all the history going on around them." [3]

Following its broadcast, guitarist Steve Hackett expressed his displeasure, describing the documentary as a "biased account of Genesis history" that "totally ignores" his solo work. [4] "I tend to agree with him," remarked Rutherford. "I emailed him to say that. But it wasn't our fault; we weren't entirely in charge [of the editing]." [5] Hackett's screentime was also noticeably minimal and his fans were mostly supportive of his complaint, posting hundreds of comments hailing his music and career. [6]

The documentary was also criticised by some fans as it featured no mention of Ray Wilson or his three-year tenure with the band, and also features very little information on Selling England by the Pound (1973) and Wind & Wuthering (1976) – both very popular among fans – along with several other aspects of the band's history. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genesis (band)</span> English rock band

Genesis are an English rock band formed at Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey, in 1967. The band's longest-existing and most commercially successful line-up consisted of keyboardist Tony Banks, bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford and drummer/singer Phil Collins. In the 1970s, during which the band also included singer Peter Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett, Genesis were among the pioneers of progressive rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Hackett</span> English guitarist (born 1950)

Stephen Richard Hackett is an English guitarist, songwriter and producer who gained prominence as the lead guitarist of the progressive rock band Genesis from 1971 to 1977. Hackett contributed to six Genesis studio albums, three live albums, seven singles and one EP before he left to pursue a solo career. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Rutherford</span> English musician (born 1950)

Michael John Cloete Crawford Rutherford is an English guitarist, bassist, songwriter and singer, best known as co-founder of the rock band Genesis. Rutherford and keyboardist Tony Banks are the group's two continuous members.

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<i>Nursery Cryme</i> 1971 studio album by Genesis

Nursery Cryme is the third studio album by the English rock band Genesis, released on 12 November 1971 on Charisma Records. It was their first to feature drummer/vocalist Phil Collins and guitarist Steve Hackett. The album received a mixed response from critics and was not initially a commercial success; it did not enter the UK chart until 1974, when it reached its peak at No. 39. However, the album was successful in Continental Europe, particularly Italy.

<i>Foxtrot</i> (album) 1972 studio album by Genesis

Foxtrot is the fourth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis, released on 15 September 1972 on Charisma Records. It features their longest recorded song, the 23-minute track "Supper's Ready".

<i>Selling England by the Pound</i> 1973 studio album by Genesis

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<i>A Trick of the Tail</i> 1976 studio album by Genesis

A Trick of the Tail is the seventh studio album by English progressive rock band Genesis. It was released on 13 February 1976 on Charisma Records and was the first album to feature drummer Phil Collins as lead vocalist following the departure of Peter Gabriel. It was a critical and commercial success in the UK and U.S., reaching No. 3 and No. 31 respectively.

Six of the Best was a reunion concert between the rock band Genesis, their original lead singer Peter Gabriel and former guitarist Steve Hackett. It took place on a wet Saturday, 2 October 1982, at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. Genesis were introduced on to the stage by Jonathan King, who discovered and christened the band fifteen years earlier. The support bands were John Martyn, The Blues Band and Talk Talk.

<i>Wind & Wuthering</i> 1976 studio album by Genesis

Wind & Wuthering is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band Genesis. It was released on 17 December 1976 on Charisma Records and is their last studio album to feature guitarist Steve Hackett. Following the success of their 1976 tour to support their previous album A Trick of the Tail, the group relocated to Hilvarenbeek in the Netherlands to record a follow-up album, their first recorded outside the UK. Writing and recording caused internal friction, as Hackett felt some of his contributions were dropped in favour of material by keyboardist Tony Banks.

<i>...And Then There Were Three...</i> 1978 studio album by Genesis

...And Then There Were Three... is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Genesis. It was released on 31 March 1978 by Charisma Records and is their first recorded as a trio of singer/drummer Phil Collins, keyboardist Tony Banks, and bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford, following the departure of guitarist Steve Hackett. The album marked a change in the band's sound, mixing elements of their progressive rock roots with more accessible material, and Collins contributing to more of the group's songwriting.

<i>Duke</i> (album) 1980 studio album by Genesis

Duke is the tenth studio album by English rock band Genesis, released on 28 March 1980 on Charisma Records. The album followed a period of inactivity for the band in early 1979. Phil Collins moved to Vancouver, Canada, in an effort to salvage his failing first marriage, while Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford recorded solo albums. Collins returned to the UK after his marriage ended and wrote a significant amount of material, some of which was used for Duke and some was later reworked for his first solo album, Face Value. Duke contained a mix of individually written songs and tracks that evolved from jam sessions in mid-1979, while recording took place at the end of the year. The break in activity rejuvenated the band, and they found the album an easy one to work on.

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GTR were a British supergroup rock band founded in 1985 by former Yes and Asia guitarist Steve Howe and former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett. Though the band's leaders were known as progressive rock musicians, GTR appealed to AOR radio stations. The band lasted for two years and one album. Hackett subsequently criticized the project, though not necessarily the other musicians involved in it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supper's Ready</span> 1972 song by Genesis

"Supper's Ready" is a song by English progressive rock band Genesis, recorded for their 1972 studio album Foxtrot. At 23 minutes in length, it is the band's longest recorded song and almost takes up the entire second side of the vinyl. Frontman Peter Gabriel wrote the lyrics, which mainly describe a personal journey of scenes from the Book of Revelation and good versus evil, with several real life experiences providing further inspiration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Hackett (musician)</span> Musical artist

John Hackett is a British musician, the younger brother of guitarist Steve Hackett. Although his primary instrument is the flute, he also plays guitar, bass, bass pedals and keyboards.

<i>The Tokyo Tapes</i> 1998 live album by Steve Hackett

The Tokyo Tapes is a live and studio album by English guitarist Steve Hackett, released in April 1998 by Camino Records. It documents two concerts performed by a supergroup line-up of Hackett, John Wetton, Chester Thompson, Ian McDonald and Julian Colbeck, in Tokyo, Japan in December 1996. The album includes two studio tracks recorded by Hackett. In 2001, a DVD of the concerts was released, with the same title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Knife (song)</span> 1971 single by Genesis

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<i>R-Kive</i> 2014 box set by Genesis

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References

  1. "Genesis to release "R-Kive" 3CD-set". Genesis-News.com. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  2. Radford, Ceri (4 October 2014). "Genesis: Together and Apart, review: 'an entertaining riff'". Telegraph. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  3. Sweeting, Adam (5 October 2014). "Genesis: Together and Apart, BBC Two". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  4. Kreps, Daniel (5 October 2014). "Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett blasts 'biased' documentary". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  5. Ling, Dave (June 2015). "Live!: Mike + the Mechanics". Classic Rock #210. p. 114.
  6. Michaels, Sean (6 October 2014). "Steve Hackett says BBC's new Genesis documentary is 'biased account' of band". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  7. "Genesis: Together and Apart – BBC2 Documentary Review (7/10)". Wordpress. 12 October 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2015.