Turn It On Again: Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, and Genesis

by Dave Thompson, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel

One of the most successful rock acts of all time, Genesis enjoyed a longevity exceeded only by the likes of the Rolling Stones and the Kinks, and provided a launching pad for superstars Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins. Turn It On Again is the first book to document the complete history of this popular and influential band, bringing their story up-to-date while placing them in the context of their time. It explores the relationship between the band members and the remarkable solo careers they have subsequently enjoyed. Drawing on dozens of exclusive interviews with band members past and present, as well as the musicians' friends and associates, author Dave Thompson chronicles Genesis's evolution from progressive-rock visionaries to mainstream rock stars, and the continuing careers of their most famous alumni.

Genres: Music, Biography

328 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2004

About the author

English author Dave Thompson has spent his entire working life writing biographies of other people, but is notoriously reluctant to write one for himself. Unlike the subjects of some of his best known books, he was neither raised by ferrets nor stolen from gypsies. He has never appeared on reality TV (although he did reach the semi finals of a UK pop quiz when he was sixteen), plays no musical instruments and he can’t dance, either.

However, he has written well over one hundred books in a career that is almost as old as U2’s… whom he saw in a club when they first moved to London, and memorably described as “okay, but they’ll never get any place.” Similar pronouncements published on the future prospects of Simply Red, Pearl Jam and Wang Chung (oh, and Curiosity Killed The Cat as well) probably explain why he has never been anointed a Pop Culture Nostradamus. Although the fact that he was around to pronounce gloomily on them in the first place might determine why he was recently described as “a veteran music journalist.”

Raised on rock, powered by punk, and still convinced that “American Pie” was written by Fanny Farmer and is best played with Meatloaf, Thompson lists his five favorite artists as old and obscure; his favorite album is whispered quietly and he would like to see Richard and Linda Thompson’s “I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight” installed as the go-to song for the sad, sappy ending for every medical drama on TV.

Kurt Cobain, Phil Collins, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett, David Bowie, John Travolta, Eric Clapton, Jackson Browne, Bob Marley, Roger Waters and the guy who sang that song in the jelly commercial are numbered among the myriad artists about whom Thompson has written books; he has contributed to the magazines Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Mojo and Melody Maker; and he makes regular guest appearances on WXPN’s Highs in the Seventies show.

Reviews

[Joshua Seprodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite being one of the greatest selling bands of all time, there isn't much written about the life and times of Genesis. While much more detail could have been added to this book, Thompson writes with the love and joy of a fan since 1971. A must for the Genesis fan of any era.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently read Phil Collins' autobiography "Not Dead Yet" and became more curious about the older history of Genesis. I picked up "Turn It On Again" to fill in some of the gaps, alluded to in Collins' lighthearted memoir. As teenagers in 1967, Peter Gabriel and classmate Tony Banks, formerly together in a group called Garden Wall, joined up with a long-haired guitarist named Mike Rutherford, eventually forming the basis of Genesis. From 1969 through 1974, they produced six albums, slowly making a name for themselves as an arty, progressive rock outfit that featured long songs and solos, curious concept albums, a wry and most British sense of humor, and Gabriel's increasingly bizarre concert antics and costumes, which surprised even fellow band members. Somewhere in mid-1975, with a new album in the works and grandiose plans for an elaborate live show, Gabriel suddenly stepped away from the band, unsure of his future career direction (and also newly married with a young child). Collins had recently joined the group as a drummer (and backup vocalist), but after unsuccessfully auditioning numerous vocalists, it pretty much just fell to him to continue leading Genesis, as primary singer and songwriter. The rest, of course, is music history, as Collins became a superstar both with and without Genesis. Gabriel, meanwhile, would also recreate himself in the years to come, far beyond the shadow of his former band.

"Turn It On Again" is for a studious kind of Genesis/Gabriel fan, not for a casual observer who is looking for a juicy rock memoir. There's no ugly breakup story here, as Gabriel and Collins stayed in regular contact in subsequent years, pioneering some of the same electronic drum work that defined Gabriel's early solo work (such as "The Rhythm of the Heat") and Collins' hugely famous drum fills for "In the Air Tonight." In 1982, when Gabriel organized the first WOMAD festival, a groundbreaking world music gathering but an absolute financial disaster, Genesis regrouped for a one-night reunion that kept WOMAD from going under. Both Gabriel and Genesis rose to huge popularity in the '80s, with MTV mega-hits like "Sledgehammer" and "Land of Confusion," but there was no real competition between them, just a natural movement to the spotlight, both finding a large new American audience, whom they continued to "turn on and on," again and again, long into the '90s and beyond.

[R S]

The author is way too concerned with the divide between the band's "art" phase and their "pop" phase. He makes it very plain that he is on the art side of the line and doesn't like most of the albums with just Phil, Tony, and Mike, especially the poppier ones like "Genesis", "Invisible Touch", and "We Can't Dance". His bias taints most of his reviews from "...and then there were three" forward.

[Brian O'Leary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of disappointed with this book. It spent equal time (if not more) telling you about all the unsuccessful efforts that came out of Genesis and the members on solo effort, than it did telling you about the good stuff.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adequate bio of Genesis. I much prefer Peter Gabriel era Genesis to Phil Collins's Genesis, but the author follows the solo careers of Gabriel and Steve Hackett, in addition to the group work.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much has been written about one of the best groups of my generation that I approached this with trepidation. However I was pleasantly surprised at how readable and informative it is.

[Geoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initially released in 2005, it was nice to read a book about Genesis and the individual members, that went all the way up to their most recent releases; like Phil Collins: Testify and Tony Banks: Seven. This was my first Genesis book that I read, and I liked it quite a bit. The book never really went into much detail about any time period though, so that would be my single complaint.

[Smh624 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a lot about Genesis, one of those bands that I have listened to for decades without becoming a real fan. Book is more of a chronological report of what happened over the history of the group. They produced a lot of excellent and popular music, but in the end I think the book is focused on the every shifting line-up. Interesting to learn the history, but not a compelling read.

[Scott Norman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I learned a long time ago if you are hearing the author rather then the information, then there is a problem. It felt the author had an edge against many things and was too opinionated for my taste.