Chapter & Verse (US Softcover Edition)
A Fan’s Review
The last Genesis book that I read from front to back was in 1992 when Genesis – A Biography, by Dave Bowler and Bryan Dray was published, so a reading on the band was much overdue!
But I must admit to being slightly skeptical and apprehensive when I first heard the initial reports on this book, especially hearing that it was not written like a chronological biography/autobiography, and that in fact it was a series of anecdotes from numerous interviews with the band. However I was proved otherwise after I finished reading page 360…
Being a little miffed as to why the US edition was not hardcover was put out of my mind when I first received the book - being very surprised as I was expecting a small paperback non-fiction novella, not this wonderfully bound soft back book with pictures, old and new, encompassing at least every other page of text. Photos are not one thing that this book lacks.
The editor, Philip Dodd is no stranger to music biographies and the like, having written and edited books on the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd, amongst numerous others. Considering that the book’s contents were taken from separate interviews with band members and personnel between 2005 and 2007, his editing is superb in making sure each of the band’s quotes are pieced together to give the reader some kind of continuing history. I like the way he has injected some humor (on several occasions) into the book also.
Phil: Tony claims to this day that I didn’t play them ‘In The Air Tonight’, because he reckons that they’d have chosen it if they’d heard it, but I know I played them everything.
Tony: Phil didn’t play us ‘In The Air Tonight’, because if he had and we’d rejected it I’d be very pissed off. I don’t think he’d written it at the point, that’s why.
Mike: No one can remember whether we heard ‘In The Air Tonight’. I’d like to think that I had heard it, I would have remembered.
This book, rather than being a complete history of the band reads more like a collection of memories or memoirs that is sad, strange, interesting and funny. That being said, this being the first official biography from the band on their 40th anniversary, you can sense that they are all proud of their history by how much they have managed to remember from their past and what is printed in this book. And with all their solo successes, I am glad that not much of that is mentioned here, only what is necessary. That would take several other biographies in some cases!
My only minor complaints would be that the photos in some cases have been reversed, especially live ones from the early 80s, and not enough pages are devoted to the period after Abacab album. That might be because the interviewees might not remember too much about their recent past!! Unfortunately this seems to be a problem with most published biographies on the band - they skirt over their most commercial period. But, it is nice to have lots of photos that have been donated by the band, which have never been seen before.
Being as their history and success can be attributed to numerous ex-band members and personnel, I would have liked it if the book was not credited to Messrs Banks, Collins, Gabriel, Hackett and Rutherford, but rather have been left off.
Overall though, a very enjoyable read, and one that I would read again.
January 23, 2008 1:00 am 
