Genesis – Behind The Lines 1967-2007 – Review

bk-genesis200Genesis

Behind The Lines 1967-2007
by Robin Platts (Collector’s Guide)
by Michael McCarthy

Forty years – yes, forty years – following the release of their first single, Genesis have returned. Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford, and Tony Banks reunited for their first tour in over a decade and summer 2007 concerts in the U.S. and Europe played to sold out audiences. One would be naive to think that everyone in attendance of those concerts would want a copy of this book, so let’s get something straight: This book isn’t for fans, it’s for fanatics. And I say that with earnest, for it’s clearly been a labor of love on the part of its author. The attention paid to the band’s earliest history is astounding. Usually, a biography will tell you where a band started off, but this one actually takes you to that place, showing you all of the band’s old flyers and promotional photos, leading you on a step by step journey. It doesn’t merely list the band’s extensive discography, it walks you from one release to the next, giving you all of the information you could ever want to know about each release, including each member’s solo releases, Peter Gabriel included. While some album covers are shown in black and white, the middle of the book does feature an extensive color gallery. The book also contains a section on bootlegs. So, my job is done. If you’re a fanatic, you’re already going to feel the need to have this book, in which case I’m quite sure that you will enjoy it very much, and if you’re not a fanatic, well, then you’ve probably stopped reading this already anyway.
(www.cgpublishing.com)