Genesis 1970–1975 is a box set of five studio albums by Genesis featuring Peter Gabriel. It was released on 10 November 2008 in Europe by EMI and on 11 November 2008 in North America by Atlantic/Rhino. The 7-CD/6-DVD box set includes newly remixed versions of the albums Trespass, Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Selling England by the Pound and The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. The band's 1969 debut album, From Genesis to Revelation, was excluded due to the rights to the album belonging to Jonathan King. The fifth pair of discs includes B-side songs, 3 rare songs from BBC Sessions in 1970 and the never-before-released Genesis Plays Jackson soundtrack. Each bonus DVD features audio versions of the albums in 5.1 surround sound, as well as videos from each album's corresponding tour, new interviews, and photo galleries. The European version includes CD/SACD Hybrids instead of standard CDs. EMI also released a limited edition six disc vinyl box set containing the original albums only on 24 November 2008.
Genesis 1970–1975 appeared at position seven in the "Top 100 Recommended CD Reviews of All Time" at All About Jazz.[6] It has since fallen to position nine. In 2010 the box set received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Surround Sound Album.
In the European and Japanese releases of this box set, the CDs are hybrid SACD/CDs. The SACD layer is a multichannel surround sound remix.[7]
In the Canadian and U.S. releases of this box set, standard CDs with no SACD layer are included.[8]
In all versions of the box set, the DVDs are DVD-Video format (not DVD-Audio), although they contain both audio and video tracks. These DVDs include three audio mixes: DTS5.1-channel surround sound, Dolby Digital5.1-channel surround sound, and Dolby Digital stereo.[9] The DTS surround sound is a slightly compressed version of the surround sound on the SACDs (remark: Nick Davis talks about the DTS format and therefore means data compression/reduction, not compression of the dynamic range of the music),[8] and the Dolby surround sound is a slightly inferior quality to the DTS.[10]
All of the audio tracks on these CDs were remixed in stereo and surround sound by producer Nick Davis.
In addition to the 7-CD/6-DVD box set, EMI released a limited edition vinyl box set on 24 November 2008.
Genesis Plays Jackson: Recorded for a BBC documentary about painter Michael Jackson which never aired.[11]
8
"Frustration"
1970
3:42
9
"Manipulation"
1970
3:49
10
"Resignation"
1970
3:01
Total
46:39
The booklet lists "Going Out To Get You" as track 6. It is actually track 3. This page lists the tracks in the correct order.
The first half of "Provocation" would be used two years later as the fanfare/verse of "The Fountain of Salmacis", while its second half was soon appropriated for the instrumental breakdown of Trespass' "Looking for Someone".
"Frustration" is largely based around a Tony Banks piano theme that would only reappear four years down the road as "Anyway" on The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, though it also incorporates a fragment of the unreleased early song "Hair on the Arms and Legs," otherwise only available as a demo on the Genesis Archive 1967–75 boxed set.
"Manipulation" is primarily composed of several instrumental fragments that would later be assembled into "The Musical Box" for Nursery Cryme.
"Resignation" is the only track that lacks an obvious connection to any later Genesis song, though its chord changes are at times reminiscent of the already-released "In Hiding" (from From Genesis to Revelation), the instrumental section of "Stagnation" (from Trespass), and "The Musical Box."
Phil Collins – drums, percussion, backing vocals, lead vocals on "For Absent Friends" and "More Fool Me," second lead vocal on "Harlequin" and "The Colony of Slippermen"
^The DVD interface has two audio choices: Dolby 5.1 and DTS 5.1. If the Dolby 5.1 option is chosen on a system that does not support surround sound, the Dolby stereo mix is played.