Genesis: 1967 to 1975 - The Peter Gabriel years

by Mario Giammetti

Genesis-1967 to 1975: The Peter Gabriel Years is the definitive biography of the early years of one the world's greatest rock bands!

The book contains numerous exclusive interviews with band members and with all the important personalities who were part of the story of Genesis between 1967 and 1975.

Features a number photographs which have never been published previously, plus interviews carried out with individual members of Genesis during listen through of each of the band's first six albums.

Mario Giammetti is an Italian music journalist with over 30 years experience. He has written for numerous leading Italian music magazines. In 1991 he founded Dusk, the only printed magazine in the world dedicated to Genesis. He has written 14 books related to the world of Genesis.

Genesis 1967 to 1975: The Peter Gabriel Years is his first book to be published in English.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography

252 pages, Paperback

Published May 8, 2020

Reviews

[David Klingenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, there is just a bit too much about the live shows, but his examination of the art and its creation is rich.

[Steve Aldous · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the English language release of Mario Giammetti’s biography/chronicle of the period of Genesis’ history when Peter Gabriel fronted the band. It covers the band’s transition from schoolboy songwriters at Charterhouse Public School to becoming one of the top progressive rock acts of the 1970s. For many older fans of the band this is the so-called “classic” period encompassing six studio albums and an extensive touring programme. Although billed as a “biography” the book largely focuses on the music. It draws extensively on interviews with each of the band members and their associates, conducted by the author and Mike Kaufman (the latter extended from those included in the 2006-8 remix box set Extras DVDs) over the period 2000 to 2015 – so there is a small amount of new material to update the Italian language version published seven years ago. Giammetti’s book makes for a fascinating read and unearths a lot of new detail (to those unfamiliar with the Italian language) around the writing and recording of each of the band’s albums during this period. Three of the band members (Tony Banks, Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips) were also involved in listening sessions with the author on the albums, so were able to offer fresh perspectives on the material. For me (having recently completed my own book on the band’s output) this was the most interesting part of the book and there were a number of new details I discovered as a result. The book is well organised chronologically by album and tour and handsomely illustrated, with a number of rare photos. For a Genesis fan – particularly of that period in the band’s history – this is a must. It stands proudly alongside Armando Gallo’s classic I Know What I Like and the band’s own Chapter & Verse in its coverage and the insights it offers. The book ends with the words “To be continued” and I eagerly look forward to part two of the story. I hope too that Giammetti’s other output on the band and its members gets the translation treatment on the back of this excellent book.

[Rob Frampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a lot of us old fogies the Gabriel-era Genesis is a high point of British rock music.
Progressive rock is a multi-headed beast; bands lumped together under its banner are diverse to the point of antipathy: Caravan are about as different from Van der Graaf Generator as you can get. But there's a case to be made for Genesis (until Gabriel left) being the archetypal prog band: intricate musicality, arcane lyrics, tricksy live shows, and this book gives a comprehensive overview of that era.
The strongest point in the book's favour is its use of comments and analysis from all of the band members, pretty accurately reflecting musical advances, and personal developments and conflicts as time went on. Each album and tour is examined in intense detail with interesting asides on the wider music scene painting a fascinating picture of the changing times.
The only slight downside is the rather fussy and occasionally muddled page layout, but even that has the virtue of reflecting the charm of the book being a labour of love for a small publisher with potentially only a vanishingly small target market of buyers.
If you happen to be part part of that target market, rest assured that 'Genesis 1967-75' is as good as you could possibly have hoped and an indispensable purchase.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad that an English translation has come out of this well researched history of Genesis during the Peter Gabriel era. I think it is fair to comment that Mario Giammetti is a bit of a Genesis fan. Never did get around to listening to their first album, despite having bought the cd many years ago, but have listened to all the albums from Trespass to The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway many times over the decades.

Did buy the next two after Peter Gabriel left but it lacked something for me, then when Steve Hackett left, they did nothing for me. Just my opinion as I have met Genesis fans who only like them after Steve Hackett moved on, but this book isn't for them, it is for fans of the Gabriel years and I can only highly recommend it for like minded people.

Ray Smillie

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very detailed book about the first period of Genesis, especially when it came to making the music. Took us from the beginning with the formation of the band by four public (boarding) school students up to when Peter Gabriel left after the completion of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway tour. Thorough insights from the key members of the band regarding the songwriting (noting the many changes in the approach from the start of the band to The Lamb album), the making of each album, personnel changes and touring. A must for all Genesis fans, not just those who only cared about this era, but also those who only followed the trio after this period as the foundation set during this early period continued on (and at times even foreshadowed) the later years.

[Chris Lira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent biography and musical review of Genesis from its beginnings through "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway". I have read other biography and track-by-track writings about Genesis, but this is the most detailed, but still written in an accessible and enjoyable way. I also really like how the author put things in perspective by writing about other bands in the genre were doing at the time, using the appropriate reference points of ELP, Yes, Jethro Tull, and King Crimson. Well-done and a great read for any Genesis fan. So happy to have it in English finally! I hope he covers the post-Gabriel years next.

[Connor Strader · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re a fan of the band, or the genre, this is required reading. A masterfully-assembled history of the Gabriel Years, featuring newly-published interviews with each band member, and the most comprehensive travel log of their tours at the time. As someone who is more than well versed in the history of the band, I was beyond impressed by how many new and undiscovered facts I found in this book. Giametti writes with conviction and passion, and makes a compelling case for this being the greatest band of all time. And they are.

[Michael John Paul McManus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book about Genesis, The Peter Gabriel Years. Even though I thought I'd read everything about this period of Genesis (my all time favourite band), I read stuff in this book that I'd not come across before. I really enjoyed the way the book is laid out from their first album with Gabriel to their last with him. It's a must read for all fans of Genesis, whichever era you prefer. 👍👍

[Allan Heron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable history of Genesis focusing mainly on the music. Covering the Gabriel era, there are fresh interviews with some of the participants, alongside previously published texts.

Interesting to read the different perspectives of the band, alongside some perceptive commentary from the author.

Looking forward to reading the next volume.

[Chris B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really detailed and informative account of Gabriel era Genesis.

[Michael Citro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thorough documentation of the Peter Gabriel era of Genesis, complete with tons of quotes from the musicians in the band.