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Thread: New Mike Rutherford Memoir: The Living Years

  1. #1

    New Mike Rutherford Memoir: The Living Years

    Anyone read it yet?

  2. #2
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    I'm halfway through it and I'm really enjoying it. Many interesting bits I'd not heard before, like Mike getting beat up by Hells Angels after he told them off, while Messrs. Banks, Collins, Gabriel and Hackett quickly fled the stage leaving him on his own! Or his roommate/tenant Big Gay Tom, who paid his rent with cocaine. Lots of great nuggets of info, and I'm only on the Lamb era (he must gloss over a lot of the rest of his career in the second half... An easy and enjoyable read, highly recommended to all Genesis freaks.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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    Member Koreabruce's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    I'm halfway through it and I'm really enjoying it. Many interesting bits I'd not heard before, like Mike getting beat up by Hells Angels after he told them off, while Messrs. Banks, Collins, Gabriel and Hackett quickly fled the stage leaving him on his own! Or his roommate/tenant Big Gay Tom, who paid his rent with cocaine. Lots of great nuggets of info, and I'm only on the Lamb era (he must gloss over a lot of the rest of his career in the second half... An easy and enjoyable read, highly recommended to all Genesis freaks.
    Great book! Lots of interesting stuff, too: a highly unauthorized tour of the White House (while Reagan slept upstairs) with the other members of M&tM after a concert & while stoned; the perpetually stoned roadie Mike had to room with for a time; the unexpected trials of recording the Phoenix Horns for No Reply At All, Mike's longtime lady friend Angie finally becoming his wife; Angie's ordeals with a very difficult birth & a drug bust, Mike's overall views on some of their longer songs, etc. I won't spoil it with any more detail than that, but please do go out and get this one if you were even mildy considering buying it.

  4. #4
    I am reading it at the moment and up to Abacab.

    It is indeed an excellent read, even though my memory seems to be better than Mike's on certain issues ("Talk Talk getting heckled at Knebworth in 1978"? - um, no Mike). I would also like far more detail about the recording of the albums and the important tours. It must have been amazing to go from playing clubs in England to hearing that they were number one in Italy and then going over there to play for thousands but Mike just writes like it was a walk in the park.

    One persistent niggle is how dismissive he is of Steve, even disagreeing with Steve's view of the famous cut hand incident that postponed the Lamb tour. Also, how little his departure from Genesis seems to have affected them and Mike's view that it was all rather a relief and how they could move on after "treading water" with W&W. Well, the fans that really love the band the most think otherwise

    Anyway, despite this, I am loving the book and getting more of a feel for the workings of the band from the inside. I can't wait for Tony, Phil's and Steve's memoirs now!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nov View Post
    One persistent niggle is how dismissive he is of Steve, even disagreeing with Steve's view of the famous cut hand incident that postponed the Lamb tour. Also, how little his departure from Genesis seems to have affected them and Mike's view that it was all rather a relief and how they could move on after "treading water" with W&W. Well, the fans that really love the band the most think otherwise
    And this is why this guy is the real useless bozo in the band. Seriously one of the most useless, pedestrian guitar players I have ever heard. Completely full of it. I'm rather surprised that he dealt with any of the material from '71-'77 at all, I guess he kind of had to, you know, given that he had to somehow account for the time.

    I guess that had to be dispensed with, now he can get to "All I Need is a Miracle" and "Invisible Touch", the music that is no doubt most dear to his heart and responsible for the big bulge in his wallet.

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    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nov View Post
    One persistent niggle is how dismissive he is of Steve, even disagreeing with Steve's view of the famous cut hand incident that postponed the Lamb tour.
    I thought that strange as well. Steve says he crushed a wine glass in his hand out of a combination of drunkenness and stress (after overhearing someone at an Alex Harvey concert say "The band would be nothing without him"). Mike says he "never bought that" story! I've only just come across that section of the book but until now he's mentioned Steve quite a bit. He does get a few jabs in at Tony too, to be fair. I couldn't help but laugh when he mentions venturing to the bottom of the Grand Canyon with Tony while Steve stayed up top... "Steve was less adventurous than Tony, if that's possible".
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by N_Singh View Post
    And this is why this guy is the real useless bozo in the band. Seriously one of the most useless, pedestrian guitar players I have ever heard. Completely full of it. I'm rather surprised that he dealt with any of the material from '71-'77 at all, I guess he kind of had to, you know, given that he had to somehow account for the time.

    I guess that had to be dispensed with, now he can get to "All I Need is a Miracle" and "Invisible Touch", the music that is no doubt most dear to his heart and responsible for the big bulge in his wallet.
    LOL!!!! Sounds like Collins was innocent all along, it was Rutherford who ruined Genesis!

  8. #8
    Member Koreabruce's Avatar
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    Well, here's something he had to say on their earlier, longer songs:

    "This was one of the reasons why our early songs were so long: we’d just keep adding bits. Long songs might appear clever and hard to write but for us they were easy. We’d just take bit A and bit D and segue them together. What we didn’t realize was that it was generally better if you didn’t try to use the whole alphabet every time. A prime example was the opening track on the album, ‘Looking for Someone’. It started with Pete’s idea and began with just simple piano chords and voice – such a Pete thing. If I had it now, it’d be a fabulous song as I could make something out of just the first couple of bits. Back then we rambled on with another eight minutes, throwing in bits and pieces. We were determined to prove ourselves and, while Pete always realized that space in a track was important, the idea that less is more was completely alien to the rest of us. ‘Stagnation’ was another example: we should have limited ourselves to two guitars but instead we used about ten. The result was that they all ended up cancelling each other out on record and the final thing sounded so muted you couldn’t hear anything properly."
    Rutherford, Mike (2014-01-23). The Living Years (p. 72). Constable. Kindle Edition.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Koreabruce View Post
    Well, here's something he had to say on their earlier, longer songs:

    "This was one of the reasons why our early songs were so long: we’d just keep adding bits. Long songs might appear clever and hard to write but for us they were easy. We’d just take bit A and bit D and segue them together. What we didn’t realize was that it was generally better if you didn’t try to use the whole alphabet every time. A prime example was the opening track on the album, ‘Looking for Someone’. It started with Pete’s idea and began with just simple piano chords and voice – such a Pete thing. If I had it now, it’d be a fabulous song as I could make something out of just the first couple of bits. Back then we rambled on with another eight minutes, throwing in bits and pieces. We were determined to prove ourselves and, while Pete always realized that space in a track was important, the idea that less is more was completely alien to the rest of us. ‘Stagnation’ was another example: we should have limited ourselves to two guitars but instead we used about ten. The result was that they all ended up cancelling each other out on record and the final thing sounded so muted you couldn’t hear anything properly."
    Rutherford, Mike (2014-01-23). The Living Years (p. 72). Constable. Kindle Edition.

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    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Mike sure talks about drugs a lot! Seems Phil was still into the powder around the time of the Duke recording, hence wanting to speed up "Turn It On Again" from how Mike had written the main riff (originally for Smallcreep's Day, btw). Also, since Mike found it easier to just sit on the floor and pound the bass pedals with his fists, Phil would take over when Mike got tired. He was really going through some major self-medicating after that separation. I love the description of Tony turning around in the front seat of the car and giving Mike & Phil disapproving looks when they were obviously high.

    Interesting too, Mike's comments about Voyage Of The Acolyte. He's complimentary of the album itself, but not so much Steve's decision to actually make it.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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    Member PotatoSolution's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    Mike sure talks about drugs a lot!
    That's disappointing. Drug/drunk stories are rarely interesting to anyone who wasn't there.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by PotatoSolution View Post
    That's disappointing. Drug/drunk stories are rarely interesting to anyone who wasn't there.
    Well, if that were true Cheech and Chong wouldn't be funny at all!


    Oh, I see what you mean.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by PotatoSolution View Post
    That's disappointing. Drug/drunk stories are rarely interesting to anyone who wasn't there.
    Ozzy's book is definitely an exception to this, it's very funny. I've never tried cocaine or speed or mushrooms or LSD or whatever else he talk about, but you don't need to have in order to enjoy the tales.

    Bob
    www.bdrak.com

  14. #14
    Yeah, a lot of people have lived lives of drunkenness and severe altered states that are hysterical. Look at Hunter S. Thompson for heaven's sake.

  15. #15
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Finished the book and I must say I really enjoyed it. First of all, I was pleasantly surprised how much time Mike devotes to talking about the early years. I was concerned it was going to be a ton of stuff about the Mechanics and the poppier years... By the time he gets to 1980, it's 73% of the way through the book! So for 80s-and-beyond lovers, take note, he glosses over a lot of that period, only telling select stories (one paragraph about Calling All Stations). But he's sure good at explaining how difficult it is to be on a world tour when there are emergencies at home.

    Very, very interesting read IMO.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Oh, I meant to point out that Mike actually talks about "Seven Stones"! (I'm a "Seven
    Stones" junkie).... Naturally he doesn't speak in flattering terms but hey, at least the track is finally acknowledged in some way.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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  17. #17
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by trurl View Post
    Well, if that were true Cheech and Chong wouldn't be funny at all!


    Oh, I see what you mean.
    Now THIS made me laugh.
    "Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)

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    Member Paulrus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    Oh, I meant to point out that Mike actually talks about "Seven Stones"! (I'm a "Seven
    Stones" junkie).... Naturally he doesn't speak in flattering terms but hey, at least the track is finally acknowledged in some way.
    Please explain how he can be a "Seven Stones" junkie but not like it.
    I'm holding out for the Wilson-mixed 5.1 super-duper walletbuster special anniversary extra adjectives edition.

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    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Paulrus View Post
    Please explain how he can be a "Seven Stones" junkie but not like it.
    Progatron is the "Seven Stones" junkie.
    "Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)

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    Quote Originally Posted by ThomasKDye View Post
    Progatron is the "Seven Stones" junkie.
    Aaaahhh, gotcha. Stupid internets.
    I'm holding out for the Wilson-mixed 5.1 super-duper walletbuster special anniversary extra adjectives edition.

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    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Yes, I was unclear there, *I* am the lover of that tune. Well, Hackett says he's fond of it too, but that was only after my asking. This is the first time I've heard a band member mention the song otherwise, in all these years.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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  22. #22
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Is this a book actually written by Mike, or is it one of those compilations of segments from previously published interviews? I only ask because of a couple of the citations above.

    What were Hell's Angels who were willing to beat up Mike doing at a Genesis show in the first place?

  23. #23
    Member Koreabruce's Avatar
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    Mike wrote the book. He says things you've heard him say before, granted, but there's also a lot of insight that's new.

    "Security was something that was never around when you needed it in the early years of our career. By this time I’d already been beaten up by a bunch of Hell’s Angels at a horrible club somewhere: the stage wasn’t very high and there was a bunch of biker boys in the front row who’d start smashing beer bottles on the ground during one of our quiet moments. When the broken glass started coming on the stage I put my guitar to one side and said, ‘Fucking well shut up and listen.’ Or something to that effect. As the Hell’s Angels launched themselves at me, I looked round for backup from my friends and compatriots. I’ve never seen four guys leave the stage so fast. Rutherford, Mike (2014-01-23). The Living Years (p. 96). Constable. Kindle Edition.

  24. #24
    Member PotatoSolution's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JKL2000 View Post
    What were Hell's Angels who were willing to beat up Mike doing at a Genesis show in the first place?
    The drunkest, rowdiest, most beer-throwingly obnoxious concert crowd I've ever witnessed was at a Genesis concert. Go figure.

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    Quote Originally Posted by trurl View Post
    Yeah, a lot of people have lived lives of drunkenness and severe altered states that are hysterical. Look at Hunter S. Thompson for heaven's sake.
    What's really not funny is when people get so stoned they think prog records contain messages from aliens.

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