GENESIS – Philadelphia 1974 (2CD)

Audience 8.4 – This tape was made by a very sincere taper, you can clearly tell the person tried very hard to make it work. I think, if I had to guess, the problem was not him, it was more than likely improper microphone type and simple passage of time, because this is a clear and strong tape that falls a little short in some aspects making it a little above average where it could have been amazing. The tape struggles through The Lamia, where you get the effects of age and degradation. The audio quality suffers a little bit because of distance, and that robs some dynamics and clarity, but here’s the thing: The equipment was good quality and that comes through as you do get a certain realism, a sense of the venue and atmosphere that the open mic captures. The stereo field on this tape is pretty wide, so my guess is that microphones were hoisted above the audience somewhere middle of the arena. I think I like this tape in some regards, and I definitely do not consider it rubbish and neither will you. One last thought – I found this recording did slowly improve as the show progressed, perhaps dipping a bit at the end of disc one but not catastrophically.

Genesis
Palace Theater
Providence, RI
December 8th, 1974

Disc 1
01 Introduction 1:15
02 The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 4:59
03 Fly On A Windshield 2:31
04 Broadway Melody Of 1974 2:10
05 Cuckoo Cuckoon 2:14
06 In The Cage 8:01
07 The Grand Parade Of Lifeless Packaging 3:05
08 The Story Of Rael -Part I 2:45
09 Back In N.Y.C. 5:53
10 Hairless Heart 2:24
11 Counting Out Time 3:46
12 Carpet Crawlers 5:38
13 Chamber Of 32 Doors 5:49
Total Time 50:30

Disc 2
01 The Story Of Rael -Part II 3:08
02 Lilywhite Lilith 2:53
03 The Waiting Room 5:48
04 Anyway 3:24
05 Here Comes The Supernatural Anaesthetist 2:27
06 Interlude 1:16
07 The Lamia 7:04
08 Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats 3:28
09 The Colony Of Slippermen 8:34
10 Ravine 1:42
11 The Light Dies Down On Broadway 3:31
12 Riding The Scree 4:26
13 In The Rapids 2:06
14 It 4:53
15 The Story Of Henry And Cynthia 2:33
16 The Musical Box 13:12
17 Watcher Of The Skies 8:17
Total Time 78:52