Genesis Down and out intro odd-time explained
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- čas přidán 25. 07. 2024
- Another episode of my "Johan explains" series, where I explain odd-time signatures of known progressive artists. In this video, I explain the intro and main theme of Genesis Down and out.
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Down and out, by Genesis: • Genesis - Down and Out
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It's one of their classic album openers, and for me probably the best song on the album. It hooked me straight away when I first heard it back in the early 80's. I hired the cassette from the local library and didn't know much about Genesis at the time. I was about 14. I've always counted it as 5/4. It was this song, Mama (which was in the charts at the time) and Dance on a Volcano that confirmed me as a lifelong fan of the band. I then discovered the Gabriel era stuff and concluded that between 1970 and and 1980 they didn't really put a foot wrong.
Fantastic exploration of a killer song. I was distraught when Steve left Genesis but this was the song which kept me on the Genesis journey. Great work , Johan . You understand the exquisite musical tensions of Genesis. Thankyou from Ireland.
Thanks, man
Nothing shows how strangely this track hits the listener than a test pressing of this LP, where the tester wrote in pen "Cut 1 sounds like it skips. It's actually part of the song"
Great comment!
A really good explanation. I now understand better what is going on here. It's such a stimulating feast for the ears.
This song totally floored me too the first time hearing it! Yes has a great catalog like Genesis or you could do some newer bands like Fates Warning,Savatage,Dream Theater, Vanden Plas, Spock's Beard, or Marillion.
"This song is in 5/4. It never deviates from that."
Apart from the choruses, obviously, which are in 4/4...
Thanks, Mark! You are right. I realised my mistake, and put a big note in the video correcting me. But I am happy you spotted the mistake--good catch!
Thanks for this, Johan - I've now subscribed after watching your Apocalypse in 9/8 video, then this one - hoping to find more Genesis stuff!!! 🙂
Welcome to the channel, Kenny! Lots of Genesis here :-)
belin, tutte le volte che sento down and out rimango impressionato da che capolavoro di musica, batteria e tastiere anche, energia, testi fortissimi e crudi. Un capolavoro di una stella morente. ormai una luce di una stella scomparsa che vediamo e sentiamo ancora..(bella questa 🤣🤣🤣) per ultima ho sentito che i testi oltre segnarsi una nuova e triste storia per loro fossero anche indirizzati in maniera ironica alla dipartita e al saluto del grande Steve.. e ci sta tutto.....
Thanks for your comment, Maranzio! Because I don't know Italian, I used Google translate :-)
@@johansteenslandmusic3699 It worked ok!!!
Fun. I like it with the "brutal" guitars
If people really want to "feel" this odd time signature, grasp it physically, it's best to do it with as few words as possible. I've never gotten far when I tried to explain, for example, the 7/8 segments of Cinema Show or the supposedly simple 7/4 workout in Linda Ronstadt's "Get Closer." It's best to use very few words and as few verbal precursors as you can get away with.
Here's a couple of guys breaking down that utterly impossible gem "Spirits in The Material World" that has baffled everyone. And they knock it all out in less than a minute: czcams.com/video/PMrXN-rPnOo/video.html&ab_channel=RichieCastellano
"As few words as possible -- but not fewer". That's a great quote from a great mind.
Battle of Epping Forest. You'll need a long explanation, it's so dense.
Yes, many have asked me about this one. Hopefully I will get the time to do it. Right now I am working on promoting my concept album Crossfade: johansteenslandmusic.com/crossfade
@@johansteenslandmusic3699 will investigate! I wanted to your analyses - speaking as a prog loving classical pro - are really insightful. I went back to other bits I'd taken for granted and reassessed them for fun. I've nailed Bank's solo in Robbery Assault and Battery to alternating 7/8:3/4
Just a thing for the future: how do Genesis make it all sound more cohesive and unfussy in a way (just my view) Yes and King Crimson never quite manage?
Thanks again
@@johansteenslandmusic3699
Typo from me: wanted to say...
Listen to Feel The Cross - Magellan.
The entire song of Down-and-Out is not in 5/4 the chorus or bridge whichever you want to call it is in 4/4
You are absolutely right, Ken!
Is there any particular song you want me to do next?
Anything from this album, anything off the duke or abacab albums...Genesis made many great albums...this is 1 very complicated but so simple at the same time 👏👏👏
I thought it was in 10/8 The end of the phrase seems to be after 10, not 5. Am I wrong?
Well, 10/8 and 5/5 is basically the same. It's a matter of how you think of it. So, no, you are not wrong :-)
@@johansteenslandmusic3699 :-)
@@johansteenslandmusic36995/5 doesn't exist, obviously! Seriously, I strongly suggest you take this, and all your other videos, down - just embarrassing!
@@markrae1317 Of course 5/5 does not exist. Forgive a typo? 😀
The sheet music that was published at the time this album was released has this song as follows:
Intro
8 measures of 4/4 (strings), 6 measures of 5/4 (guitar enters), 1 measure of 4/4, 1 measure of 5/4 (instead of 8 measures of 5/4, which would make more sense but would be less typical of Genesis!)
Verses
5/4 all the way
Chorus
4/4 all the way
Coda/Outro (immediately following the last chorus)
6 measures of 4/4
12 measures of 3/4
Interesting! Do you know who's responsible for that sheet? There are of course alternative ways to count the intro, and I can see how one could make those numbers work after the guitar enters. However, those numbers do not align with my view of what's going on. Hold my beer, I'll just call Phill and ask him. Oh, I forgot, I don' know him :-)
It's in 10/4 I believe
Supposedly Firth of Fifth has the lowest recorded bass note at the time it was recorded. Rutherford-most underated bass player in rock. You realize that sometimes the band is playing in different time than the drummer and they meet at the end of the measure.
Cool, I will try to find that bass note. And yes, Genesis were masters at that!
What nonsense! Mike Rutherford is not underrated in the slightest!
If it’s the lowest bass note ever recorded, it’s most likely played on the bass pedals, not the bass guitar. Also, FFS, enough with the underrated nonsense. Rutherford has always been acknowledged as a great bassist.
@@gabbleratchet1890 It is played on the bass pedals - Mike played no bass guitar on this song - but it is not the lowest note ever recorded! It's a D. The opening bass pedal notes in, e.g. Behind the Lines are a C. And totally agree with the 'underrated' garbage - another idiot who doesn't understand what the adjective means...
Your intro-chords played in your DAW are not right and are not the chords played by Tony!