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Genesis: Chapter and Verse
The long-awaited, definitive story of one of the most creative and commercial rock groups of all time, Genesis One of the most imaginative, courageous, and unpredictable music acts ever, Genesis evolved from pioneers of progressive music in the 1970s to a global phenomenon, topping charts and selling over 150 million albums worldwide. The story of their band spans thirty years and thirty albums, and through all the changes in the band's line-up and musical direction, the spirit of Genesis has remained constant and undimmed. Chapter & Verse is the ultimate addition to any fan's collection, setting the record straight as the band's members tell their story their way. Remarkably, the band survived the high-profile departure of not one lead vocalist, but two (Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins), two influential guitarists (Anthony Phillips and Steve Hackett), and its best-known drummer (Phil Collins). Genesis simply got stronger and bigger - matching the huge solo success of Gabriel, Collins, and Mike + The Mechanics. A collaboration between all the members of Genesis, past and present, Chapter and Verse is the band's definitive an intimate, no-holds-barred, no-stone-unturned history that allows character and personality to come to the forefront. Covering the band's story as well as the writing and performance of significant songs from each period, this treasure trove of text and photographs provides long-awaited insight into the way this exceptional group of songwriters worked together, allowing the band to dispatch more than a few sacred cows along the way. It is a book like none other, and an exclusive look into the life and times of one of rock's most influential and lasting groups.
360 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
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230 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 11, 2008
I am a die hard fan of Genesis and this is the best book written about the band. Unfortunately, I have never been able to acquire any of the earlier, famous books about the band, like Armando Gallo's work, so I don't have those to compare with this book. However, for my purposes, which was to read an intimate story of the band from the band's viewpoint, this book was perfect.
I have long since been a fan of Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips, previous guitarists with the band, and as hoped for, the book gives an in depth history of their involvement with the band, and why they chose to leave. It speaks about Peter Gabriel's eccentricities, and you get a good taste of Tony Banks' almost pompousness (which I think is very entertaining).
You also get Bill Bruford interviewed because he was technically with the group while they were performing the "Seconds Out" tour. Having read some biographies of Yes, I knew Bruford was very entertaining with his candid comments. He doesn't disappoint in this book either.
Perhaps one of my favorite parts of the book is the fact that it follows every drummer the band has ever had, even Chris Stewart, who played on only a couple of tracks on "From Genesis to Revelation" their first effort. Each of them is interviewed, and you are subsequently updated on what they have done since their involvement with the band.
The photos in the book are beautiful, and their history is comprehensive. Even the "Calling all Stations" stage of the band's career is highlighted here. It is a fantastic book and should be read by every Genesis fan.
I have long since been a fan of Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips, previous guitarists with the band, and as hoped for, the book gives an in depth history of their involvement with the band, and why they chose to leave. It speaks about Peter Gabriel's eccentricities, and you get a good taste of Tony Banks' almost pompousness (which I think is very entertaining).
You also get Bill Bruford interviewed because he was technically with the group while they were performing the "Seconds Out" tour. Having read some biographies of Yes, I knew Bruford was very entertaining with his candid comments. He doesn't disappoint in this book either.
Perhaps one of my favorite parts of the book is the fact that it follows every drummer the band has ever had, even Chris Stewart, who played on only a couple of tracks on "From Genesis to Revelation" their first effort. Each of them is interviewed, and you are subsequently updated on what they have done since their involvement with the band.
The photos in the book are beautiful, and their history is comprehensive. Even the "Calling all Stations" stage of the band's career is highlighted here. It is a fantastic book and should be read by every Genesis fan.
May 2, 2021
This was an in-depth band biography from their start at the Charterhouse up until when they were the final three members. The book is full of rare pictures chronicling one of the original progressive bands. Cool book.
September 27, 2019
I have many books of the coffee table variety that decorate the top shelf of my bookcases but which remain unread, apart from the odd look through the pictures.
I decided it was time to read one and chose this one about a band I love dearly. As is not uncommon in these books, the narrative takes the form of an oral biography which is both informative and entertaining.
Input from the different participants help to build a picture of each member from the other's perspective, and to develop an understanding of what helped drive the band from Charterhouse to global success.
It's a bulky bugger though 😏
I decided it was time to read one and chose this one about a band I love dearly. As is not uncommon in these books, the narrative takes the form of an oral biography which is both informative and entertaining.
Input from the different participants help to build a picture of each member from the other's perspective, and to develop an understanding of what helped drive the band from Charterhouse to global success.
It's a bulky bugger though 😏
August 21, 2022
For the time being, this is the definitive book about Genesis. There's a new book coming out this fall that includes the story of the band's 2021-22 farewell tour, but I'm not sure if it's going to have the same band member authorship as this one from 2007. It goes into more depth than even the band retrospective documentaries and interviews conducted over the years (of which there are many). This is the book to own if you're a Genesis fan, but you will have to pay top dollar for a used copy online- it is sadly out of print. I read a library copy that had clearly been through a few hands.
May 11, 2018
Todo fã , realmente fã de Gênesis devia ler … q viagem gostosa !!!
December 13, 2018
A perfect history of the band - in-depth and insightful, and missing nothing. The definitive book on Genesis.
November 24, 2021
Arguably definitive. And far too much so.
June 18, 2022
This is the ultimate book for fans of my favorite band. It is full of interviews of all band members and contains fantastic photos.
July 19, 2012
I have been listening to music for over 35 years (yes, it dates me). I've ingested pop, rock, tons of classical and other forms. So why all of a sudden an interest in reading a book about Genesis?
Well, my first introduction to them was in the early 80's (thanks to MTV) and the video of the song "abacab". It was straight forward, but had some atmosphere with a little kick too. On through the 80's I listened to the progress of genesis, Phil Collins solo work, and Mike + the mechanics. They had some good songs, but thought Phil was schlocky musically.
Fast forward to 2011. I play guitar and will just pick music to explore sounds. I knew Steve Hackett from the group GT and looked into him. I bought his first album, voyage of acolyte. I knew vaguely he had played in early Genesis, but didn't know one song. So I picked up Trick of the Tail from 1976 (a great year). I loved it. The song weren't formulaic in subject, construction, or length. Some songs were over 9 minutes.The point here is that they hold strong and keep the interest. If you're a fan of classical music, I liken early genesis to Mahler (especially his 6th symphony). Songs are created to be sectional. Themes are developed and an atmosphere and pace are created which drive to support musical moments - much as in film. The albums sounds great, and not murky like a lot of 70's albums do (even Led Zeppelin's Zoso). In short good stuff.
So why the book? I was interested in the genesis of Genesis, and how they approached music.
The book isn't a "history of" in the sense that the author breaks the narrative into chapters and explores are pieces of the band members, songs, and the time period. Instead, it's comprised of interviews of the band members (past & present) as well as record execs, managers, producers, etc.
If you're looking for a song by song explanation you won't find it here. You will get a sense of how the band progressed over time and how they dealt with the changes from adding Phil Collins (a fantastic drummer), the departure of Peter Gabriel, and the departure of Phil Collins.
Well, my first introduction to them was in the early 80's (thanks to MTV) and the video of the song "abacab". It was straight forward, but had some atmosphere with a little kick too. On through the 80's I listened to the progress of genesis, Phil Collins solo work, and Mike + the mechanics. They had some good songs, but thought Phil was schlocky musically.
Fast forward to 2011. I play guitar and will just pick music to explore sounds. I knew Steve Hackett from the group GT and looked into him. I bought his first album, voyage of acolyte. I knew vaguely he had played in early Genesis, but didn't know one song. So I picked up Trick of the Tail from 1976 (a great year). I loved it. The song weren't formulaic in subject, construction, or length. Some songs were over 9 minutes.The point here is that they hold strong and keep the interest. If you're a fan of classical music, I liken early genesis to Mahler (especially his 6th symphony). Songs are created to be sectional. Themes are developed and an atmosphere and pace are created which drive to support musical moments - much as in film. The albums sounds great, and not murky like a lot of 70's albums do (even Led Zeppelin's Zoso). In short good stuff.
So why the book? I was interested in the genesis of Genesis, and how they approached music.
The book isn't a "history of" in the sense that the author breaks the narrative into chapters and explores are pieces of the band members, songs, and the time period. Instead, it's comprised of interviews of the band members (past & present) as well as record execs, managers, producers, etc.
If you're looking for a song by song explanation you won't find it here. You will get a sense of how the band progressed over time and how they dealt with the changes from adding Phil Collins (a fantastic drummer), the departure of Peter Gabriel, and the departure of Phil Collins.
January 3, 2017
This book is a compilation of interviews taken with all of the members of Genesis; past, present, managers, tour members, etcetera, so we get the story told from the mouth of everyone involved in the Genesis history. This is great because everyone still gets along, so they all have good and interesting things to say about what happened with the group and there's no cheap shots or complaining that can be tiresome, but some people love that type of drama, but I do not so it was refreshing.
The story starts from the beginning when Ant, Tony, Mike and Peter started playing in bands in school and then goes up to the reunion tour in 2007. It doesn't cover the 2007 tour but we get everything about why they reunited and what type of stage show we were going to get. It also deals with the one album "Calling All Stations" with Ray as the singer, and this is the exception where frustrations come out, mostly from Ray and Tony as both feel there could have been something there if they had gone along with the second planned album with Ray. Oh well, a missed opportunity in my opinion. We also get all of the albums covered in full as and how they were recorded and talk about the tours that followed. Some albums get covered more than others but overall but I felt we got a fair shake of information for each album and the book was divided fairly between each album and time period.
This is a large book and since the stories are told by the band or manager themselves this is the true story and best biography to read by this band, so I don't see a reason to pick another biography of Genesis over this one. I recommend it and found it to be very informative and enjoyable.
The story starts from the beginning when Ant, Tony, Mike and Peter started playing in bands in school and then goes up to the reunion tour in 2007. It doesn't cover the 2007 tour but we get everything about why they reunited and what type of stage show we were going to get. It also deals with the one album "Calling All Stations" with Ray as the singer, and this is the exception where frustrations come out, mostly from Ray and Tony as both feel there could have been something there if they had gone along with the second planned album with Ray. Oh well, a missed opportunity in my opinion. We also get all of the albums covered in full as and how they were recorded and talk about the tours that followed. Some albums get covered more than others but overall but I felt we got a fair shake of information for each album and the book was divided fairly between each album and time period.
This is a large book and since the stories are told by the band or manager themselves this is the true story and best biography to read by this band, so I don't see a reason to pick another biography of Genesis over this one. I recommend it and found it to be very informative and enjoyable.
December 18, 2012
La storia completa dei Genesis raccontata attraverso le parole degli stessi protagonisti. Dagli esordi alla Charterhouse fino alle derive pop del trio superstite, Peter, Mike, Steve, Tony e Phil raccontano in maniera chiara e precisa come un piccolo gruppo di ragazzini della media borghesia inglese siano riusciti ad diventare una delle band più importanti della storia della musica. Il libro scorre in maniera molto rapida ed avvincente, racconto curiosi retroscena e mettendo in mezzo anche brevi interviste di personaggi di contorno, ma comunque determinanti allo sviluppo della band, quali Ant Philips, primo chitarrista e fondatore della band, i primi batteristi della band, Chester Tompson e Daryl Stuermer, i due turnisti live che hanno accompagnato la band per molti anni,ecc...Revelations è un gran bel libro, corredato poi da bellissime foto, mostra tanti aspetti nascosti dei Genesis che assolutamente non immaginavo. Un esempio? Tony Banks che considera Duke come il miglior disco composto dalla band, oppure la grande importanza che la band ha sempre dato al periodo pop, quello che più odiato\meno amato dai puristi del progressive. Insomma, è un libro da avere assolutamente se siete fans dei Genesis ed il prezzo è anche molto abbordabile.
February 25, 2016
This is a great buy for any Genesis fan. Just the photographs themselves are worth the value.
This was a gift from my wife and I really enjoyed it.
I think it's formatted much like The Beatles Anthology both in design and content. The same large format and the same conversational style in the writing. Yes, 100% of the written content is pretty much transcribed from interviews.
There are a couple of caveats though. The first is that unlike the Beatles book, which has to span about 10-12 years of music career, this has to span on 40. So there will always be a chapter or two that a reader may find not deep enough. The second is that a whole lot of photographs from the 1992 tour are exposed backwards. You'll notice Tony Banks keyboards at the wrong side of the stage and the guitars as left-handed.
This was a gift from my wife and I really enjoyed it.
I think it's formatted much like The Beatles Anthology both in design and content. The same large format and the same conversational style in the writing. Yes, 100% of the written content is pretty much transcribed from interviews.
There are a couple of caveats though. The first is that unlike the Beatles book, which has to span about 10-12 years of music career, this has to span on 40. So there will always be a chapter or two that a reader may find not deep enough. The second is that a whole lot of photographs from the 1992 tour are exposed backwards. You'll notice Tony Banks keyboards at the wrong side of the stage and the guitars as left-handed.
March 16, 2008
If you're a Genesis fan this is a great book. It's the history of the band from its genesis (pun intended) up to the 2007 reunion tour. It consists mostly of quotes from Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks and Peter Gabriel, but it also has discussions with musicians and music industry people who shaped/guided or performed with the band.
Although it's an industrial-sized paperback and weighs a ton, it has an intimate feel. It's like sitting and listening to the guys, which is pretty much the point. I'm too big a fan to be impartial, so I don't know if non-fans would enjoy it or not.
Although it's an industrial-sized paperback and weighs a ton, it has an intimate feel. It's like sitting and listening to the guys, which is pretty much the point. I'm too big a fan to be impartial, so I don't know if non-fans would enjoy it or not.
July 24, 2008
Not only a great coffee table book, but a pretty fascinating read. I don't even really like GENESIS, but this massive thing tells every little detail. I measure a rock bio by how much it makes you want to hear certain songs or albums by simply reading a chapter. This accomplishes it nicely.
August 28, 2015
A must read for Genesis fans, in my opinion. It's nice to hear the story and history of the band from the members themselves. My only complaint would be that from the era of the Genesis self-titled onward doesn't have as much print as the earlier years.
January 24, 2010
Comprehensive guide to one of the most successful bands of its generation.
August 14, 2011
A heavenly nostalgia trip. The only flaw -- it wasn't longer and more in depth.
March 27, 2012
Simply an amazing history of this HOF band.....Peter Gabriel calling the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame voters was worth the price of admission.
May 22, 2013
Excellent history of the best band to grace planet earth ever. Wonderful insight
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews