RushTrader.com: Genesis "All The Help I Can Get"

Genesis: "All The Help I Can Get" - Fan Reviews
Here's a collection of some fan reviews/insights. If you would like to add a review, drop me an email at ant@rushtrader.com

„All The Help I Can Get“ is probably already now one of the most significant underground releases of a historical recording by a major rock group in 2008. Most people who can download and trade this freely now, did not even dare to hope that a soundboard recording of the rehearsals for the legendary one-off reunion between Genesis and Peter Gabriel at Milton Keynes back in 1982 even existed.

Why is it so significant? Many tracks are cut in the beginning and/or in the middle. Because of misunderstandings between the group and its former front man, some performances break down, others are on the brink of falling apart. Gabriel has audible problems remembering cues and lyrics and, indeed, like in “Dancing For The Moonlit Knight”, has to learn for the first time the arrangements that had been changed during his absence from the group. The stop-and-go nature of the performances suggests that there wasn’t really much time for the rehearsal.

First of all, „All The Help I Can Get is a significant release not despite, but BECAUSE of all of these shortcomings: It gives us a unique insight in how the reunion musically came to be. We are the proverbial fly on the wall. Furthermore, the mentioned problems set aside, the instrumental playing by the group is actually in most places very tight. Genesis had been on the road a couple of months before the final show on Oct 2nd 1982 at Milton Keynes. Which, of course, featured a unique set list that had not a lot in common with the set list of the tour itself.

Two songs – “The Musical Box” and “Fly On A Windshield” – hadn’t been performed in their entire glory since Gabriel's departure in 1975. In the case of others – “The Lamb Lies Down", "In The Cage” and most notably the mini medley of “Dancing With The Moonlit Knight”/“Carpet Crawlers” live arrangements from previous post-Gabriel tours were used.

Finally there is the quintessential “Solsbury Hill”, where Genesis ironically back Gabriel on exactly the song that reportedly was all about his departure from the group. And which remains to this day one of Gabriel’s most successful songs. The drumming/percussion by Collins and Thompson on the three takes of “Solsbury Hill” (two of which are breakdowns) included on “All The Help” is inventive and powerful at the same time. It gives the song a whole new feel.

Given the time for further fine-tuning the arrangement and putting the song to tape professionally, I am convinced a “Six Of The Best” re-recording of “Solsbury Hill”, released in 1982 or 83 as a single in support of WOMAD for instance, would have charted very high again indeed. After all, 83 Genesis and Peter Gabriel were at the beginning of their commercially most successful period. - Andreas

"I've gotten through a few songs and I must say, it's VERY interesting hearing Peter trying to "learn" the structure of the songs the way Genesis adapted them live. For instance, when Genesis did the beginning of Dancing with the Moonlit Knight beginning into Carpet Crawlers on the Duke tour, Phil said, "Selling England by the Pound" as the last line of the song. You can hear Peter struggle and not know where to come in. Same with the very end of Carpet Crawlers. Peter doesn't know when to come in because Genesis always ignored the very beginning of the song from a live standpoint and added a very quiet ending. You never really appreciate where Genesis has taken some of these songs after years and years of touring. It appears instead of trying to just play the original studio version of the songs, they had Peter learn the songs Genesis had adapted them for years. What about Peter singing Dancing with the Moonlit Knight an octave up in certain places? Wow - that was ballsy! To be honest, it doesn't sound cohesive. You would think it would because they used to play together only some 7-8 years before that, but Genesis really tightened up as a band when Peter left and the accuracy that Phil sings with is under appreciated. Granted...I have to give Peter credit for his efforts on short notice, but he doesn't seem to be very comfortable. This is probably why Genesis thought the show was awful. Hearing Back in NYC is pretty damn cool as well!

Give more updates later. This has got to be the best torrent since that discovered Rush show from the Permanent Waves tour with Jacob's Ladder. " - Moog from Mike Portnoy's Forum

"Sorry for posting so much, I'm just enjoying the shit out of this recording and there are so many things worth pointing out. While listening to Firth of Fifth, I noticed Peter didn't play his flute in the middle of the song. He probably hadn't played that thing in years!! Tony just plays the middle part very similarly to the Seconds Out version. Also, during the breakdown guitar solo of Firth of Fifth is the only time thus far (I'm still on disc one) that I noticed Chester playing the drums. Unless I'm wrong, this would be the first time since Phil took over vocal abilities that we get to hear Phil playing Carpet Crawlers and many other songs on the drums all the way through. You can actually hear how Phil would have played these songs in 1982 had Peter not left. Then again, most of Phil's focus from 1976-1982 was vocally, so maybe he's as rusty as Peter is on the vocals. If you listen closely to the beginning of The Musical Box, you can hear Phil sing the second line of the song in the distance. I think Phil remembers all the words and Peter was having a hard time remembering them. Phil would chime in with a vocal line in the monitors if Peter forgot it. This makes me wonder if Peter had a music stand with all the vocal lines (this is before electronic lyric prompters.....what would Ozzy have done in this situation!!) Peter must have really distanced himself from this music because he couldn't remember some of it. That tells me just how wrapped up he was in his solo career and how he doesn't like to look backwards. Another interesting thing to listen to is Daryl playing all the old parts originally done by Steve. The Musical Box was never covered in it's entirety with Genesis after Peter left....only the closing section. We get to hear Daryl reproduce that sound. Again, there are so many things about this show from a Genesis perspective that is so interesting. Okay, off to listen to more of it!!" - Moog from Mike Portnoy's Forum

"[Peter] does botch most of the flute parts. Supper's Ready is brutal! I wonder why he skipped the flute part all together in "Firth of Fifth?"

I just listened to the whole thing and wow!! Where to start? I can't believe the way the Yamaha CP-70 piano sounds on some of the older songs!! Hearing it in "Supper's Ready" and especially the beginning of "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" was a trip! "Fly on a Winshield" was fantastic in that I haven't heard the vocals come in at the very end in so long! The Trick tour with Bruford is just the first half and then they go into "Carpet Crawlers." Finally, hearing Solisbury Hill played by Genesis was....ahh.....unique

You could hear the confidence in Peter's voice finally. Did anyone else notice how tight "The Lamb" was? It's because Chester plays the whole song. I never really saw the contribution of Chester until I hear him against Phil. I LOVE Phil's drumming, but I prefer Phil as someone who compliments greatness like Chester instead of being out front as the main drummer the whole time. Talk about a full circle...when Phil played "Supper's Ready", it almost sounded like he was playing Chester's rendition instead of the studio version. A guy covering a drum part of a guy covering a drum part. The Knife was not good at all. How about after "A Flower?" on Supper's Ready? Phil's snare drum is turned off becasue it was rattling and he forgot to turn it back on for Willow Farm. You can hear him reaching for the drum throw and putting the snare back on. The first two hits are with the snare off. Kind of reminds me of the snares breaking on the live version of Temple of Syrinx from All the World's a Stage!!

I'm sure I'll type more later......" - Moog from Mike Portnoy's Forum