Though the exhaustive archival work that accompanied Genesis' 2007 touring did not extend to the group's latest (and likely last) outing in 2021 and 2022, this year brings a new box set for fans of the prog-turned-pop/rock icons: a collection of their live material as recorded by the BBC.
BBC Broadcasts, curated by founding keyboardist Tony Banks and longtime engineer Nick Davis, offers a trove of concert audio from all the major eras of Genesis from 1970 to 1998. The earliest material, taken from a 1970 appearance on BBC Radio 2 program Night Ride, features one of the band's earliest line-ups: singer Peter Gabriel, keyboardist Banks, bassist Mike Rutherford, guitarist Anthony Phillips and drummer John Mayhew. Just over a year later, by the time the group cut appearances on Sounds of the Seventies and a session for John Peel, Philips and Mayhew were replaced by Steve Hackett and Phil Collins.
By the time the set's second disc picks up with a 1978 appearance at the Knebworth Festival, Gabriel and Hackett had left the band, with Collins (now a singer and drummer), Banks and Rutherford continuing with touring members Daryl Stuermer and Chester Thompson; you'll hear that line-up through much of BBC Broadcasts, including a 1980 performance at London's Lyceum Theatre and 1987's blockbuster stand at Wembley Stadium. The group's 1992 Knebworth appearance and two 1998 tracks with vocalist Ray Wilson and touring members Anthony Drennen (guitar/bass) and Nir Z (drums) round out the set.
A vast majority of the material has never been released before; a few Gabriel-era tracks were released on a 1998 box set, one Lyceum track made it to the group's Three Sides Live in 1982 and the Wembley set was issued on video and DVD over the years. A total of 24 of the 53 tracks on the 5CD set will be issued as a triple-vinyl set, with all songs making their debut on the format. Author Michael Hann has penned liner notes for this box, included in an accompanying 40-page book.
Both formats will be available March 3. Check out pre-order links and the track list below!
BBC Broadcasts (Atlantic/Rhino, 2023)
5CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
3LP (features tracks marked *): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
CD 1
- Shepherd (Live on Night Ride, BBC Radio Two - rec. 2/22/1970)
- Pacidy (Live on Night Ride, BBC Radio Two - rec. 2/22/1970)
- Let Us Now Make Love (Live on Night Ride, BBC Radio Two - rec. 2/22/1970)
- The Fountain of Salmacis (Live at Paris Studios, London - rec. 3/2/1972)
- The Musical Box (Live at Paris Studios, London - rec. 3/2/1972) *
- Stagnation (Live on Sounds of the Seventies, BBC Radio One - rec. 5/10/1971) *
- Harlequin (John Peel Session - rec. 1/9/1972) *
- Get 'Em Out by Friday (John Peel Session - rec. 9/25/1972) *
- Harold the Barrel (John Peel Session - rec. 1/9/1972) *
- Twilight Alehouse (John Peel Session - rec. 9/25/1972)
- Watcher of the Skies (Live on BBC Radio One in Concert, 1975) *
Tracks 1-3 and 6 released on Genesis Archive 1967-75 - Virgin CDBOX6 (U.K.)/Atlantic 82858 (U.S.), 1998
CD 2
- Squonk (Live at A Midsummer Night's Dream, Knebworth House, England - 6/24/1978)
- Burning Rope (Live at A Midsummer Night's Dream, Knebworth House, England - 6/24/1978)
- Dance on a Volcano (Live at A Midsummer Night's Dream, Knebworth House, England - 6/24/1978)
- Drum Duet (Live at A Midsummer Night's Dream, Knebworth House, England - 6/24/1978)
- Los Endos (Live at A Midsummer Night's Dream, Knebworth House, England - 6/24/1978)
- Deep in the Motherlode (Live at A Midsummer Night's Dream, Knebworth House, England - 6/24/1978)
- Dancing with the Moonlit Knight (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, England - 5/7/1980) *
- The Carpet Crawlers (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, England - 5/7/1980) *
- One for the Vine (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, England - 5/7/1980)
- Behind the Lines (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, England - 5/7/1980) *
- Duchess (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, England - 5/7/1980) *
- Guide Vocal (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, England - 5/7/1980) *
- Turn It On Again (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, England - 5/7/1980)
- Duke's Travels (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, England - 5/7/1980) *
- Duke's End (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, England - 5/7/1980) *
CD 3
- Say It's Alright Joe (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, England - 5/7/1980) *
- The Lady Lies (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, England - 5/7/1980) *
- Ripples (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, England - 5/7/1980)
- In the Cage (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, England - 5/7/1980)
- The Raven (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, England - 5/7/1980)
- Afterglow (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, England - 5/7/1980)
- Follow You Follow Me (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, England - 5/7/1980)
- I Know What I Like (in Your Wardrobe) (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, England - 5/7/1980) *
- The Knife (Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, England - 5/7/1980)
- Mama (Live at Wembley Stadium, London, England - 7/4/1987) *
- Domino (Live at Wembley Stadium, London, England - 7/4/1987)
Track 7 released on Three Sides Live - Charisma GE 2002 (U.K.)/Atlantic SD-2-2000 (U.S.), 1982
Tracks 10-11 released on Invisible Touch Tour video - Virgin Music Video VVD 358 (U.K.)/3-50139 (U.S.), 1988. Track 10 later released on Live - The Way We Walk, Volume One: The Shorts - Virgin GENCD4 (U.K.)/Atlantic 82452 (U.S.), 1992. Track 11 also released on 3" CD single included with Invisible Touch Tour U.K. video.
CD 4
- That's All (Live at Wembley Stadium, London, England - 7/4/1987) *
- The Brazilian (Live at Wembley Stadium, London, England - 7/4/1987)
- Throwing It All Away (Live at Wembley Stadium, London, England - 7/4/1987) *
- Home by the Sea (Live at Wembley Stadium, London, England - 7/4/1987) *
- Second Home by the Sea (Live at Wembley Stadium, London, England - 7/4/1987) *
- Invisible Touch (Live at Wembley Stadium, London, England - 7/4/1987)
- Drum Duet (Live at Wembley Stadium, London, England - 7/4/1987)
- Los Endos (Live at Wembley Stadium, London, England - 7/4/1987)
- Not About Us (Live at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England - 2/26/1998)
- The Dividing Line (Live at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England - 2/26/1998)
Track 1 released on Live - The Way We Walk, Volume One: The Shorts - Virgin GENCD4 (U.K.)/Atlantic 82452 (U.S.), 1992
Tracks 1-8 released on Invisible Touch Tour video - Virgin Music Video VVD 358 CD (U.K.), 1988
CD 5
- No Son of Mine (Live at the Knebworth Festival, Knebworth, England - 8/2/1992) *
- Driving the Last Spike (Live at the Knebworth Festival, Knebworth, England - 8/2/1992) *
- Old Medley (Live at the Knebworth Festival, Knebworth, England - 8/2/1992)
- Fading Lights (Live at the Knebworth Festival, Knebworth, England - 8/2/1992)
- Hold On My Heart (Live at the Knebworth Festival, Knebworth, England - 8/2/1992)
- I Can't Dance (Live at the Knebworth Festival, Knebworth, England - 8/2/1992)
David Olstein says
Let's see . . . this set features six of fifteen songs performed at Knebworth House, nineteen of twenty-three songs performed at the Lyceum Theater, ten of seventeen songs performed at Wembley Stadium . . . What will it take for compilers of these sets to realize that the hard core fans who represent the target market want the complete shows?
Rob M says
Tony Banks doesn’t care. And Nick Davis will likely set his mastering phasers on “stun” anyway, so no sale for me.
In fact, no sale on any further Genesis material until they return to the original mixes and dump Nick Davis as mastering engineer.
Which will likely never happen.
John Drayton says
Fully agree with the previous posters. I really don't understand the disdain with which Banks et al seem to regard their legacy.
This set is an automatic purchase for me because up to and including "Duke" they were any favourite band, but it could/should have been so much better.