Michael Rutherford - Smallcreep's Day

[Tangram]

I don't know but it begat an even WORSE crime - Tony singing on The Fugitive!

That's easy. Rutherford's "singing" and I use the term loosely is brutal. The songwriting on AVS isn't a whole lot better. Banks singing on Fugitive is OK, very processed but for me it's passable. He still sung a track on several of his other albums. Think of it as a guilty pleasure for him.

[Tangram]

Genesis' music and many other groups music that I listened to back then could be complex at times. Smallcreeps Day was always like a breathe of fresh air, not overly complicated arrangements but it never felt dumbed down. The story was also interesting. I played this a lot when it was released. As others mentioned, with all of the product being produced by Genesis and Genesis alums, it was a great time to be a fan. The only album I didn't care for was Acting Very Strange.

[moecurlythanu]

One of the best of the Genesis solo albums, and easily Mike's best. I prefer the song side to the suite side.

[bill g]

Surprised to see so much diverse opinions on this album. It has been interesting to read.

Overnight Job was probably my favorite track. Love that extended outro with Mike strumming those gorgeous guitar chords and Ant playing those keyboard runs on top. Beautiful.

Yes, that outro is great. The only song I'm so-so on is 'Cats and Rats'. Everything else I think is great-and that outro is one of my favorite moments on the album.

[trurl]

You have to wonder... if Phil sang on this it would pretty much stand as the seminal Genesis album since they were a four piece, really. And it would be interesting to hear it with Phil and Tony playing though I wouldn't really want to lose what Simon and Ant did.

[emerlist]

Only one thing worse than Mikes vocals on AVS,thats the cover....jeezuz!

[firth5th]

I wonder if Simon Phillips was ever considered for the Genesis live drummer slot.

I think he would have fit in better than Bruford or Chester.

[Tangram]

Only one thing worse than Mikes vocals on AVS,thats the cover....jeezuz!

I wonder what he thought when it was done and sent it to the record company. Was it, this is gonna be great , most all of the other alum albums did well, as did my first one...or I really screwed the pooch on this one, I hope it doesn't do lasting damage to my career.

[Mister Triscuits]

Only one thing worse than Mikes vocals on AVS,thats the cover....jeezuz!

Doesn't everybody wear a straw fedora in the gym?

[interbellum]

The Genesis-biography mentions this:

In 1982 Mike entered a whole new area when he released his second solo album Acting Very Strange. The special thing is – Mike sings all the songs himself. The record did not become a milestone of rock history though there is some fine material on it. It is an open secret that Mike would imbibe lots of whisky during the recordings to give his voice “that special sound” for the vocal sessions.

With the experience of Acting Very Strange under his belt, the way of his solo career became clear: Find good vocalists and get them to sing for you! So he founded Mike + The Mechanics which triggered an exemplary history of success. Says Mike: “I am more into working with people with diverse personalities rather than the firm patterns of behaviour that solidified in Genesis because we have been working together for a decade.”

And of course, those who read "The Living Years" might give some information on what Mike was thinking when he recorded this album.

[Lebofsky]

As much as I prefer Smallcreep's to Strange I have a pet peeve about "solo" albums sung by somebody else.

- Matt

[trurl]

I wonder if Simon Phillips was ever considered for the Genesis live drummer slot.

I think he would have fit in better than Bruford or Chester.

Probably not... I don't know if he was really on the radar yet when they filled that seat. I don't think they looked around very much; Bill seemed obvious and then when they moved on they saw Chester and asked him and he said yes and that was it. No lengthy process. Simon would certainly have killed it, though he might have got pretty bored played the last two albums.

[trurl]

As much as I prefer Smallcreep's to Strange I have a pet peeve about "solo" albums sung by somebody else.

- Matt

But having other people in to play drums, bass or guitars, or anything else, is cool?? Not many people beside Todd do true solo projects.


Although- I did See sig! SWEET a plug!

[bob_32_116]

As much as I prefer Smallcreep's to Strange I have a pet peeve about "solo" albums sung by somebody else.

- Matt

I believe "solo" in this sense refers to having sole creative control, and/or being the featured artist. Sometimes it's hard to know where to draw the line. Was "Bankstatement" a Tony Banks solo album? It features the same three artists throughout, so it made sense to concoct a made-up band name. Yet for many years the same could have been said of Elton John's band.

[Stickleback]

For those of you familiar with the B side Compression may find this interesting.

[Tangram]

As much as I prefer Smallcreep's to Strange I have a pet peeve about "solo" albums sung by somebody else.

- Matt

Then you get Acting Very Strange and The Fugitive. I'll take the first pair. For me, a solo iis one that the project falls apart without. And they are central to what they do. It's tough though because stuff like Nick Mason 's Factious Sports has him doing what he does best, but it isn't the most important part of the album, he doesn't write it either. It's more of a marketing decision. Learned about Carla Bley from it so its all good.

[Lebofsky]

But having other people in to play drums, bass or guitars, or anything else, is cool?? Not many people beside Todd do true solo projects.

Although- I did See sig! SWEET a plug!

Cool. And if you follow the links in my sig I have about 15 albums where I sing, play drum kit, keyboard, bass, guitar, warr guitar, harmonica, violin, trumpet, saxophones.. (follow-up plug! )

Tame Impala, Of Montreal, Elliott Smith... they are all one guy playing pretty much everything on every album (including real drums). There are a lot more examples...

I do prefer my solo albums to be actual damn solo albums. If you need the help of other instrumentalists, and you're arranging all their parts, fine. If you are getting other people to sing lead... I feel like you're crossing some line. It's like getting top billing in a "solo play" but somebody else is playing the lead role.

Yes, this is a gross generalization. Maybe there are different singers for each song because that's part of your solo vision (like Voyage of the Acolyte, or some better example). But if it's the *same* other person singing leads on every tune of *your* solo album. It almost feels like a sham to me.

Once again, just an aesthetic opinion. I rather like Smallcreep's outside of that, and also give Rutherford props for singing his own tunes on Strange.

Also: I like Fugitive tons better than A Curious Feeling.

- Matt

[Tangram]

I believe "solo" in this sense refers to having sole creative control, and/or being the featured artist. Sometimes it's hard to know where to draw the line. Was "Bankstatement" a Tony Banks solo album? It features the same three artists throughout, so it made sense to concoct a made-up band name. Yet for many years the same could have been said of Elton John's band.

I think the name Bankstatement was used for marketing, Tony Banks' name didn't get it done. Kind of like Mike Rutherford but It's still all Tony on the writing credits. It was Banks Statement. I like the name. Elton's Blue Moves was probably the album with the most writing credits not named Elton or Bernie. He was always front and center but you're right in that the other band members would take his recordings and embellish them. He also alway gave a lot of room for the producers and arrangers. But w/o Elton the project collapses.

[Tangram]

But having other people in to play drums, bass or guitars, or anything else, is cool?? Not many people beside Todd do true solo projects.

Phil does solo projects! See Both Sides, not much help with that one.

Please, no PC bashing

[MR654]

I originally had Smallcreep's on vinyl and the "suite" was on side 2. When I got the CD (Charisma CASCD1149) it was reversed. WTH? I know it's a stretch but I always compared the arrangement to Foxtrot, individual songs on side one and the long piece on side 2. Still one of my fave Genesis solo albums. Not counting Steve Hackett of course, he's in another league.

[Rarebird]

My vinyl has the suite on side 1.

[bill g]

Cool. And if you follow the links in my sig I have about 15 albums where I sing, play drum kit, keyboard, bass, guitar, warr guitar, harmonica, violin, trumpet, saxophones.. (follow-up plug! )

Tame Impala, Of Montreal, Elliott Smith... they are all one guy playing pretty much everything on every album (including real drums). There are a lot more examples...

I do prefer my solo albums to be actual damn solo albums. If you need the help of other instrumentalists, and you're arranging all their parts, fine. If you are getting other people to sing lead... I feel like you're crossing some line. It's like getting top billing in a "solo play" but somebody else is playing the lead role.


- Matt

Ahh. Never connected you were THAT Lebovsky

Generally (but not always) I think an album is stronger with different musicians, throwing different personalities into the same mix. I prefered 'Of Montreal' when it wasn't just Kevin Barnes, and I think the related band Marshmallow Coast had more variety and better production when it was the M Coast project, with the other singers and musicians. And probably this is at least in good part why my favorite Ant Phillips album is still 'Geese & The Ghost'. (However, if a musician is capable and versatile enough, it can still work well, such as Ant's 1984 album, or the Bodies Floating Ashore album)

Where its kind of odd, at least for me (could be my issue) is when a male solo artist uses a female vocalist. I remember on KEXP in Seattle once, 'Northpoint' by Mike Oldfield was played and the station had call ins for clarification, as the song was sung by his girlfriend 'Anita Hegerland'.

I've done several solo albums where I played everything but because I can't sing well, or play drums well, it works better for me to work with the band and stick to keyboards and stringed instruments.

[Lebofsky]

I'm speaking completely generally too. There are always exceptions. Really my comments are a roundabout way of saying I don't quite get why people think Rutherford or Banks are terrible singers. They are *more* than adequate singers, if not charming in their quirkiness, especially if they are just singing their own solo material and not fronting a band. It also surprises me when professional musicians at that level (playing stadiums!) are uncomfortable with their own voice.

But everybody's different. The truth is the only reason I can sing and play everything is out of various chance accidents that led to the necessity for me to learn and practice all this stuff, without which I'd happily just be a keyboardist, so I should just shut up.

- Matt

[trurl]

I'm speaking completely generally too. There are always exceptions. Really my comments are a roundabout way of saying I don't quite get why people think Rutherford or Banks are terrible singers. They are *more* than adequate singers, if not charming in their quirkiness, especially if they are just singing their own solo material and not fronting a band. It also surprises me when professional musicians at that level (playing stadiums!) are uncomfortable with their own voice.

But everybody's different. The truth is the only reason I can sing and play everything is out of various chance accidents that led to the necessity for me to learn and practice all this stuff, without which I'd happily just be a keyboardist, so I should just shut up.

- Matt

I agree, and I lump in Steve Hackett and Eddie Jobson. Eddie's got a weird reedy little voice but I couldn't hear the Green Album without him!

[Stevie B]

My vinyl has the suite on side 1.

Same here. It's one of the few vinyl albums I still have.

When I sold my vinyl collection there were a dozen or so the record shop guy said "eh, you can keep these ones"

Funnily enough, the reject pile of about a dozen albums also included A Curious Feeling and No Jacket Required...