Genesis worked the rock seam after that, little by little carving into the cragged mountain looking for the elusive major vein of gold with those tools. Perhaps they were destined to be a touring prog band and that's all.

In the end, the band went with Phil due to his similarity to Peter in tone and timbre. Still, the story goes that the band auditioned many different singers and each time Phil would have to sing for them the part they needed to learn. That was not leadership material in the coming Van Halen big-hair rock world of the 80s, especially since he would have to do it from behind a kit. I will follow you, if you follow me, he sang in his breakout hit. But could he be a true front-man? Here was this slightly balding little dude thrust into the spotlight with a demeanor of slight unwillingness about him. Sure he was a very good musician, that had been established. At the start, it often seemed that the drummer of the band and Gabriel's replacement might not really have it in him. Sure, they could play Supper's Ready in concert and stick to the stuff that rewarded their loyalists, but eventually they would have to write new songs that took them out of the fantasy rock realm and into the modern world.Įnter Phil Collins.

In other words, the band had no real lyrical or stylistic thrust to propel them. Without Peter Gabriel, there was no there there.

Trumpocalypse Not by Kevin Salveson