Here's an excellent article with David Longdon (the lead singer with Big Big Train) where he talks at length about his time auditioning for Genesis before the Calling All Stations album.
http://www.dusk.it/david_longdon_exc..._interview.htm
Here's an excellent article with David Longdon (the lead singer with Big Big Train) where he talks at length about his time auditioning for Genesis before the Calling All Stations album.
http://www.dusk.it/david_longdon_exc..._interview.htm
Excellent indeed (despite the tiny text!) -- thanks for the link.
I'm holding out for the Wilson-mixed 5.1 super-duper walletbuster special anniversary extra adjectives edition.
"Despite the....." what? Paulrus?Originally Posted by Paulrus
Sorry, I can't read that
Yeah, that was very interesting - thanks! (I made the text bigger under View > Zoom in IE.)
interesting stuff.
Sleeping at home is killing the hotel business!
Thanks. That's a great read. His singing on English Electric is out of this world. That interview helped me understand where he's coming from. But I doubt he could have saved the CAS material from its turgid blandness.
Fascinating. Seems like a top bloke.
Thanks for posting that Nov. It was an interesting read for sure. Longdon does seem like a good guy, and I love his singing and writing in BBT.
Probably in the minority here, but I really enjoyed Calling All Stations. While it would have been very interesting had Longdon joined the band for that album, I'm still grateful to have CAS the way it is. I view it as an experiment in trying to move Genesis forward a bit; whether it was successful or not, Mike and Tony should be credited for at least trying to do something with Genesis.
There were more nods to their earlier days than on Invisible Touch or We Can't Dance, with songs like the title track, The Dividing Line, There Must Be Some Other Way, or One Man's Fool -- the latter of which has some really interesting chords in the second half of the song, almost like Steely Dan chords (the "mu major" chords specifically).
To each his own of course, but it does surprise me to hear CAS reviled so much. With Tony and Mike involved, there's usually at least something of interest.
I've only listened to CAS a few times, and it was only about a year ago. I need to listen to it again because I've forgotten it, but I do remember that to me, it sounded much better than the negative hype had me prepared for.Thanks for posting that Nov. It was an interesting read for sure. Longdon does seem like a good guy, and I love his singing and writing in BBT.
Probably in the minority here, but I really enjoyed Calling All Stations. While it would have been very interesting had Longdon joined the band for that album, I'm still grateful to have CAS the way it is. I view it as an experiment in trying to move Genesis forward a bit; whether it was successful or not, Mike and Tony should be credited for at least trying to do something with Genesis.
There were more nods to their earlier days than on Invisible Touch or We Can't Dance, with songs like the title track, The Dividing Line, There Must Be Some Other Way, or One Man's Fool -- the latter of which has some really interesting chords in the second half of the song, almost like Steely Dan chords (the "mu major" chords specifically).
To each his own of course, but it does surprise me to hear CAS reviled so much. With Tony and Mike involved, there's usually at least something of interest.
Really interesting interview.
I loved Longden on The Old Road, one of the finest albums ever recorded, and his work with BBT is sublime.
All in all, things turned out for the best!
He's a better singer than the guy they chose for CAS. I bet tony and mikes reasoning for not choosing David was that he sounded too much like Phil and they would sound like a cover band.
And as he admitted they may have preferred someone who had more experience, at least in a live setting.
I'm holding out for the Wilson-mixed 5.1 super-duper walletbuster special anniversary extra adjectives edition.
I'm not very familiar with CAS, only heard it once or twice back in the late 90's, but I'd be interested in hearing Longdon's "audition" performances. I'm guessing a lot of Genesis fans might find them interesting, wonder if they'll ever be released somehow.
Looking at the songs he had to sing at the audition I doubt it!
I can't imagine audition tapes ever being released - at least, not officially. Interesting idea though!
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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What about the bloke they hired after Peter left? I think they laid down a couple tracks on Trick with him before saying "sod it, let's give the job to our drummer."
David Longdon ruined Genesis!!!!!!
Now that would be worth hearing!
Genesis defineatly ruined Ray Wilson's career!
What? Apparently he's the only guy in the entire world traveling around slogging "Invisible Touch" and possibly even "the Fountain of Salmacis" to anyone and everyone who will listen. What a combination!it takes a truly demented person who can appreciate BOTH. I'm much too normal for that. I'll pass if Mr. Wilson ever comes to town with his Genesis jukebox tour.
Ah, don't mind Rufus. He seems to have an ax to grind with Phil/Genesis. Btw, thanks a lot for waking the troll, Mr. Potato Head. Doesn't everyone realize that the mere mention of Genesis/Phil Collins seems to stir something inside Rufus. Maybe Phil had "one more night" with Rufus' girlfriend? Or, maybe Phil had an invisible touch with her while Rufus had to watch? Btw, the last reference was a spin on one of the rumors about In The Air Tonight.What? Apparently he's the only guy in the entire world traveling around slogging "Invisible Touch" and possibly even "the Fountain of Salmacis" to anyone and everyone who will listen. What a combination!
Audition tapes and that sort of thing, I think the best outlet for them would have been documentaries and the like. I don't believe it would have made much difference who was singing on CAS though. I just don't feel it was as good as it needed to be. There's some dreary ballads on there, the premature fade-outs are awful and some of the keyboard sounds don't do it for me. It's certainly their weakest album IMHO, though I do enjoy the title track, the end of 'Alien Afternoon', 'The Dividing Line', 'Uncertain Weather' and 'There Must Be Some Other Way'. Most of the rest? Not really. It does definitely hold up better if you skip past tracks, but you shouldn't have to.
(Scratches head).
Why scratch head? IMHO it's too long with too many dull songs. I don't rate the likes of 'Small Talk', 'Shipwrecked' and 'If That's What You Need' and skip them every time. I thiink 'less is more' sometimes. That's what I was driving at.
No one has mentioned "Full Power" has landed...how do the new songs rate?
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