Guest Post Thursday #10: Top Ten Genesis Songs

Guest Post Thursday returns... and so does George!

I saw Genesis in concert in 1980 at the Caird Hall in Dundee. I queued for about 4 hours to get my £4 ticket. That was not £4 well spent. It was tedious. The allegedly famous light show seemed, as I recall 40 years later, to consist of a few green laser-like beams splaying about. Oh, and Mr Collins told some lengthy tedious introductions to some of the songs. Why did I go? A lot of my school friends were going, that’s why. I didn’t like them before the concert, and they did not go up in my esteem during and after the concert. Actually, Genesis are quite possibly my least favourite band, I have a visceral loathing for their music. Irrational maybe, but there you go. It borders on the psychopathic. Some people may know that I am not exactly a fan of The Clash and Springsteen, but I don’t detest their music, it just does not do much for me. Genesis on the other hand, good god almighty, they are just beyond! I get irritated beyond belief by their music.

So, My Top Ten Genesis Songs are inspired by…………..the book of Genesis in the Bible. To be more specific, names mentioned in the book of Genesis. Come on, did you really expect some sort of tribute to that loathsome band that give prog rock a bad name?

First, a track be Génesis. Now PAY ATTENTION! Look at the spelling, note the acute accent on the first e, I’m presenting a track by my favourite Colombian folk-rock band………and a song that veers into prog-folk territory.

10. Génesis - Carta de Juan

The people on the record cover look as if they are auditioning for a role in that early 1970s film masterpiece Jesus Christ Superstar.

(Prog-folk? I think I'd rather listen to I Can't Dance. But don't let me interrupt George when he's on a roll. - Rol.)

And after that I could follow it up with Debora by Tyrannosaurus Rex. I won’t, it’s nonsense, as is all of Mr Bolan’s music.

(Biting my tongue again. - Rol.)

But there is a famous singer of that name:

9. Blondie - Pretty Baby

Yes, the singer is indeed named after the nurse of Rebecca, wife of Isaac.

And here’s a singer who shares his name with the third son of Jacob and Leah. Levi...

8. The Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself

Even the most avowed atheist surely can’t claim ignorance of the name Adam. Here’s Adam Green, from an album I bought in Reveal Records, Derby, that was playing, and had myself and a friend laughing out loud at the lyrics. Not this one, though, this a play-safely-at-work song:

7. Adam Green - Cast A Shadow

(I will take this opportunity to remind everybody of my new Tuesday feature in which this week I'm looking for songs that mention Adams. Please keep sending your suggestions through. - Rol.)

Hagar was the woman who gave birth to Abraham’s first child, Ishmael. And Hagar The Womb (clever name) did a session for John Peel in 1984 which resulted in this:

6. Hagar The Womb - One Bright Spark

Dinah Washington was a jazz singer who also made some very famous pop songs in the early 1960s, and also this blues song, which is really not about getting your teeth done:

5. Dinah Washington - Long John Blues

Dan (and that is Dan not Daniel) was the fifth son of Jacob, and founder of the Israelite tribe of Dan. Dan Auerbach is in a blues band called The Black Keys, but his given name is Daniel so he’s excluded.

A quite famous female name from the book of genesis is Eve. Great, I thought, I can wreck this blog for all eternity and post a song featuring Eve Graham, of The New Seekers!! Alas, Eve Graham is actually an Evelyn. I can’t find any Eves so it’s an Isaac next. Isaac, son of Abraham and Sarah, lived to be 180, which is 118 years more than Isaac responsible for this majestic soul masterpiece:

4. Isaac Hayes - Walk On By

That’s 12 minutes of your life well spent!

(Can't disagree with that. - Rol.)

And time for a Benjamin. The Genesis Benjamin was the thirteenth child of Jacob and Leah. The Benjamin of “Benjamin and Barnaby Green” is probably not the 13th child of his parents. By the way, the duo consist of a bloke who goes only by the name of Benjamin, not Benjamin Green. We saw them at the world music festival here 3 years ago. A free gig on the esplanade, with a backdrop of the Atlantic (ocean). And very enjoyable they were too, despite straying a bit too closely to Level 42 territory at times. Not this, a nice, gentle Portuguese pop song:

3. Benjamin & Barnaby Keen - Terra Firme

You can get the album 1986 on Bandcamp.

Penultimate song, and a song which I think might be about dying. The Staple Singers make it sound quite joyous...

2. The Staple Singers - Jacob's Ladder

That would be Jacob, father of the twelve men who were the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel. And the chappie who had a dream about a ladder.

Finally, a song that starts with the first three words of the book of Genesis. Gram Parsons’ era Byrds, saving the best ‘til last.

1. The Byrds - You Don't Miss Your Water

It occurred to me as I was whiling away the hours doing this that RE teachers (who you should never refer to as Jimmy Jesus) could (should?) be following this example to get the surly teenagers somehow even remotely interested.

And here’s the now obligatory JCS clip, there’s at least two of us who have professed to the world to be fans. (Yes, Sundried C, that’s you!)

And yes, I do know that JCS is not a Book of Genesis thing, but any remote excuse to post a clip will do:

“You have set them all on fire, they think they’ve found the new messiah” Toptastic lyric! And I kid you not, my singing along has attracted Parsley the goat and bought Billy the farm cat back to house. When I play these JCS songs, I am amazed at how much of the lyric I can remember, and it really is not a record I have played in decades.

Apologies to Rol, but my extensive biblical studies revealed no Hueys in the Book Of Genesis. Although, I was aghast to discover, there is a Huey Lewis song called Jacob’s Ladder!

Thank you kindly.

Indeed there is, George, although it was written by Bruce Hornsby. And since your brought it up...

Guest Post Thursday will be back next week - yes, there's another one in the bag (not from George, but I'm sure we can count on him to continue our Biblical Studies one day soon.) And don't forget, your contributions are always welcome...