Genesis: Sum of the Parts

Genesis: Sum of the Parts

By John Edginton

  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release Date: 2014-01-01
  • Advisory Rating: G
  • Runtime: 1h 30min
  • Director: John Edginton
  • Production Company: Eagle Rock Entertainment
  • Production Country: United Kingdom
  • iTunes Price: USD 11.99
  • iTunes Rent Price: USD 3.99
6.2/10
6.2
From 12 Ratings

Description

“Sum Of The Parts” is the official authorised story of Genesis made with the full co-operation of the band members. It tells of the band’s formation at Charterhouse (where Tony Banks, Peter Gabriel and Mike Rutherford were all pupils) in the late sixties and the release of their debut album “From Genesis To Revelation”. The story then moves on through the departure of founder member Anthony Phillips and the arrival of Phil Collins and Steve Hackett in 1970 to form the 5-man line-up that established the band’s career with albums such as “Foxtrot” and “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway”. Peter Gabriel’s departure in 1975 and then Steve Hackett’s in 1977 led to the release of the album “And Then There Were Three…” and a move towards shorter, more immediate songs. The eighties and nineties were triumphant decades for Genesis with hugely successful hit albums and singles around the world such as “Genesis”, “Invisible Touch” and “We Can’t Dance”. At the same time as they were recording and performing with Genesis, Tony Banks, Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford (as Mike & The Mechanics) were all enjoying successful solo careers, as were departed members Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett. “Sum Of The Parts” explores the dynamics of the group that has enabled them to survive changes of line-up, see their musical direction steadily evolve and maintain both group and solo careers along with their enduring popularity as evidenced by their hugely successful 2007 reunion tour.

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Reviews

  • Peter Gabriel: GENIUS Steve Hackett: COMPETENT BUT OVERRATED by these reviewers

    4
    By KnightRider24
    Know I am going to tick some people off..... BUT 'Nuff Said about Steve Hackett....great guitarist and invented tapping before Eddie Van Halen but if he felt stymied by Gabriel and the other members, to me, his songs weren't original enough to warrant inclusion. Peter Gabriel WAS Genesis for five years and was incredible; Hackett a decent sideman but left the group and played on many solo albums and GTR but nothing memorable...like Andy Summers when the Police retired because of Sting's ego....the sum is always better than one of the parts. Oh well he was inducted into the Hall of Fame with Genesis....the box sets devote anought attention to him. Great guitarist but much better in a group. Peter Gabriel was and is a genre all to himself. Cheers everyone!!!!:-)
  • Another Option

    4
    By RoknRon
    You might want to consider the documentary “The Genesis Songbook” if you are looking for a more equal treatment of Peter Gabriel and even Steve Hackett. That documentary is also authorized, and includes interviews from all the members of the band, but was made in 2001.
  • Good documentary although missing a period of Genesis

    4
    By TheDudeRyan
    Good documentary on the history of Genesis. Covered the entire history, other than 1997-2006.
  • Genesis of GENESIS

    2
    By Riverside Resident
    It's worth looking at but I agree there could have been more. It would take 4-5 installments to give this band and it's various members the treatment they deserve. I would have put the band members together in a less formal setting to get them more at ease. I'd look at this as just scratching the surface of what is an essential part of the progressive rock movement.
  • Where's Steve Hackett?

    2
    By nocturnalprog
    Unfortunately this isn't the whole story. Steve Hackett's exceptional solo career is almost totally ignored. There is more to Genesis than Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins (Although you should check out Phil's son's band "Sound of Contact", it's better than any of Phils solo work). But back to my point, avoid this until they release an expanded version that gives Steve Hackett his due.
  • And God said let there be light and there was Peter Gabriel

    2
    By lopezac
    Im not a fan of Genesis, but of Peter Gabriel , and his beginnings with the band. So I might be bias when I say that I expected this doc to explore the genius that was Gabriel within the confounds of Genesis. However they treat that era as unstable and a struggle, something the band couldn't wait to get out of in order to become the hit making machine they became in the late 70's and 80's. Furthermore there is little to be said about the band tensions during the lamb album which led to Peter's departure, or the animosity still boiling between Hackett and the others, specially Banks, clearly highlighted by the notable absence of anything Hackett related. See, every "solo" effort of the Genesis members is discussed at some point, but offcourse is Phil Collins massive success that takes center stage....Steve's? Nowhere to be found. But success is what makes this movie so dull. After a half an hour of intrigue and mystique, we then get almost an hour of Collins' musical journey, which to me is the equivalent of Jay Leno, if Leno was a pop star. Anyhow, for Gabriel era Genesis fans, this documentary doesn't offer anything new , and for his solo career fans, we still have to wait.

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