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It was slower, more sentimental, and more unashamedly commercial than anything Genesis had ever produced. Speaking to Melody Maker in 1978, Collins maintained that Genesis weren’t striving to be a “singles band” and that, in spite of its shortened length their material remained "fundamentally the same." But many who heard the record’s lead single, “Follow You Follow Me”, were quick to disagree. Responding to the short and concise song lengths of the punk and new wave movements, “…And Then There Were Three…” was bereft of ten-minute epics or song-suites that filled a side of vinyl. But, with the departure of guitarist Steve Hackett and the release of “… And Then There Were Three…” in 1978, the band’s sound morphed dramatically. “Trick…” and its follow-up, 1977’s, “Wind & Wuthering” continued the proggy trend of Genesis’ Gabriel years.
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The resulting album, 1976’s “A Trick of the Tail”, was a critical and commercial success and raised the band’s profile in the US. But, after the band’s search to find a suitable candidate failed, and Collins’ reluctant studio performance of the track ‘Squonk’ impressed his band mates, the decision was made. Collins hadn’t initially wanted to take over as a permanent replacement and, when band entered the studio to record their first post-Gabriel record, Collins’ plan was to write the vocal parts and then teach them to a new singer. That one idea, it later transpired, was promoting drummer Phil Collins to the role of frontman. As a publicist told Rock Scene at the time, " the boys are at present looking for a new singer to replace Gabriel and, in fact, they already have one idea very much in mind. While the music press assumed that Gabriel’s departure was the death knell for the group, they had other ideas. In 1977, he released his first eponymous album to critical acclaim the launch of a successful solo career that continues to this day. That disillusionment didn’t last for long. On that date, after weeks of speculation, the band announced that Peter Gabriel had left their ranks.Īccording to a record company spokesperson, Gabriel wanted to explore "other literary and experimental interests outside of music.” In a subsequent statement to the British music press titled, “Out, Angels Out” however, Gabriel explained that he was disillusioned with the music industry. It features a duet with noted Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour.For many prog-rock aficionados, August 15 th 1975 was the day that Genesis died. Another tribute to the powers of love is the transcendently melodic “In Your Eyes,” one of several arrangements showing Gabriel’s continuing fascination with African music. ) The most supremely moving song is a duet with Kate Bush, “Don’t Give Up.” In it, Gabriel portrays a man with “no fight left” who’s repeatedly comforted by Bush’s voice of boundless care and love. (This first single is enhanced, too, by a smashing video-see Sound & Vision. One of the LP’s joyful noises is “Sledgehammer,” a Redding/Pickett-style romp that has a grand time exaggerating sexual slang and poses. Above all, it offers an amazing variety of tones, moods, and topics and a consistently powerful level of expression. As a writer, he seems far less anxious and anguished than he was when voicing the concerns of “Biko” or “Shock the Monkey.” Some fans are going to miss that side, but while “So” has songs of great superficial charm it also has its depth charges. What’s more, his first album in over three years offers more of Gabriel’s playful and comforting personae than any previous collection. But in the current drought of artistry, Gabriel stands out as never before. The English singer’s multi-personality performances with Genesis were overshadowed by David Bowie in the early ‘70s, and punk and post-punk drew attention from his first four brilliant solo albums.