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Product Description
CD Description
Anthony Phillips was a founder member of the British Rock band Genesis. The band recorded two singles and the album From Genesis To Revelation before leaving Decca and signing with Charisma to record the Trespass album. Anthony recorded the albums From Genesis To Revelation and Trespass and also performed a great many gigs before deciding to leave the band following a particularly bad bout of stage fright and also suffering a debilitating bout of bronchial pneumonia. It was between the years 1970 and the release of his debut album The Geese And The Ghost in 1977 that many fans lost sight of Anthony Phillips. In actual fact much of the material that would make up the Geese And The Ghost would be written during this time. The Geese and the Ghost was originally released in 1977 and features performances from Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins alongside Anthony.1984 was originally released in 1981 and was critically well received. Based on the George Orwell novel 1984 Anthony Phillips is responsible for most of the playing on the album save for some percussion from Morris Pert and also percussion, Vocals and keyboards from co producer Richard Scott. This reissue has been re mastered for this release and also contains a second disc which includes outtakes and demos of the material that went on to from the original album. Also included on this disc is The Rule Britannia Suite.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I have owned the original disc for severel years (and the LP before that), but decided to by this 2CD version, as I regard this album one of Phillips' best. He has left the acoustic guitar, for the synthesizer, and how I would wish he'd done that more often. Not that I dislike those guitar-oriented albums, but I prefer not only this much bigger sound, but the compositions are much better (and longer) as well. Probably his best album, if you don't count the debut.
The demo-versions on this double CD is not to interesting, but then there's almost half an hour of "new"songs, from the same period, but previously unreleased. This is really what makes this worth purchasing, even if you already own the 1CD. Also recommended to fans of 80th instrumental synth-albums, with an intelligent classical structure... or fans of the best progressive albums of Mike Oldfield.
The demo-versions on this double CD is not to interesting, but then there's almost half an hour of "new"songs, from the same period, but previously unreleased. This is really what makes this worth purchasing, even if you already own the 1CD. Also recommended to fans of 80th instrumental synth-albums, with an intelligent classical structure... or fans of the best progressive albums of Mike Oldfield.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I think anyone who likes the early Genesis albums, especially Nursery Cryme and Foxtrot, would enjoy this offering from an early member of the Genesis lineup. This guy knows how to use synthesisers to produce intense soaring melodies reminiscent of pieces like Supper's Ready - though there are no vocals, it's all instrumental. Rhythms shift back and forth in the manner we have come to expect of bands like Genesis - but it is not haphazard, it's done in a very structured way. To just sit back and let this music wash over you is very enjoyable.
My only minor grizzle - and the reason I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 - is that the synthesised backing beat in certain sections is a little too prominent in the mix, especially at the beginning. This was a little off-putting at first, but I find I am getting used to it.
My only minor grizzle - and the reason I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 - is that the synthesised backing beat in certain sections is a little too prominent in the mix, especially at the beginning. This was a little off-putting at first, but I find I am getting used to it.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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10 reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
a break in the action
23 Oct 2007
Format:Audio CD
When this album came out in 1981, I was in synthesizer mode. I loved the sounds and the creativity that was being generated by these (relatively) new instruments. The cost of the synthesizer was coming into the realm of the affordable and allowed a lot of musicians to express themselves in ways only attainable by very few 10 or so years prior to this release.
I was captivated by this album, how the melodies were strong and cohesive. It was also a decided break in what Anthony Phillips had done prior to "1984". While I had purchased all of Anthony's work released previously, there was nothing in his catalog that prepared me for this.
There were to be only two more releases that would feature electronic sounds as being predominant - "Invisible Men" and "Private Parts and Pieces VII". They also happen to be two of my favorite releases.
I am not sure of the chronology, but this style of music, or the method to produce music (you really did not need a studio, as such)became popular around this time. Some of Bill Nelson's solo work comes to mind.
My only criticism for this recording is the drum machines. I think that the sounds were mixed too loud and at some points were competing, not complementing, the rest of the music. That is a shame for it mars a splendid release.
With that being said, the bonus disc that comes with this release provides some interesting and possibly preferrable versions to tracks that were originally released. On some of the alternative versions, the drum machines were mixed quieter or were non existent. The melodies have now been released.
Do yourself a favor and get this reissue.
I was captivated by this album, how the melodies were strong and cohesive. It was also a decided break in what Anthony Phillips had done prior to "1984". While I had purchased all of Anthony's work released previously, there was nothing in his catalog that prepared me for this.
There were to be only two more releases that would feature electronic sounds as being predominant - "Invisible Men" and "Private Parts and Pieces VII". They also happen to be two of my favorite releases.
I am not sure of the chronology, but this style of music, or the method to produce music (you really did not need a studio, as such)became popular around this time. Some of Bill Nelson's solo work comes to mind.
My only criticism for this recording is the drum machines. I think that the sounds were mixed too loud and at some points were competing, not complementing, the rest of the music. That is a shame for it mars a splendid release.
With that being said, the bonus disc that comes with this release provides some interesting and possibly preferrable versions to tracks that were originally released. On some of the alternative versions, the drum machines were mixed quieter or were non existent. The melodies have now been released.
Do yourself a favor and get this reissue.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
The Best Synth Album Of All-Time
13 Sep 2005
Format:Audio CD
Anthony Phillips was the original guitarist for Genesis (he played on their first two albums, "From Genesis To Revelation" and "Trespass"). Since leaving the band in 1970, he has embarked on a long, productive solo career, making many brilliant solo albums of all different styles of music: rock, pop, classical, new age, guitar and synth. He is also a master instrumentalist, and one of the finest guitarists and keyboard-players around. Oddly, Phillips' solo career has always seemed to fly just under most people's radar. He has never racked up massive sales, and yet, he HAS racked up more solo album releases than any other former Genesis member---about 25 so far! Picking one album of Anthony's as my personal favorite is *extremely* difficult, as he has so many magnificent albums. But I'm going to pick this one---"1984" (actually released in 1981). With only the most sparing bits of guitar appearing here & there, "1984" is a synthesiser album. And it is also my personal pick for Best Synth Album Of All-Time. (Strange, you say...shouldn't I be giving this honor to Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks? Well, Tony IS the Keyboard King of course, but, truth be told, he's never really recorded a *strictly* synthesiser album in his long musical career, even though the keyboard is always the dominant instrument of Tony's.) "1984" is basically a 35-minute synthesiser suite in two parts, bookended with both a prologue and epilogue piece at both ends. And it is phenomenal. To make a long review short, it is very arguably THE most adventurous album Phillips has ever recorded, as he takes the listener on an amazing journey of sounds, moods, and atmospheres. The music is at turns light & poppy (in particular Prelude '84), but also very dramatic, haunting, and captivating. From beginning to end it is absolutely breathtaking stuff. It's a perfect album to play late at night with the lights out, too. Just put it on and let Anthony sweep you away! There are synth albums, and then there are GREAT synth albums. Anthony Phillips' "1984" is undoubtedly one of the great ones. Yes, it is pretty surprising to be picking "1984" as my personal favorite Anthony Phillips album, when Anthony is most well-known for being a guitarist (and oh, what a guitarist he is). But "1984" is truly something special.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Phillips puts aside guitar for synths and drum machines
12 April 2003
Format:Audio CD
In this 1981 album, former Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips celebrated the approaching date of Orwell's "1984" by making an album that's all synthesizers and drum machines. Guitars only make the occasional cameo appearance, and the only vocals are a vocoder during the last act. The music is too cheerful to sound inspired by Orwell's book. Over 80% of the album is one 35-minute track, which puts a synthesizer riff through various paces. It's good, but goes on too long with too little variation to come anywhere close to greatness. "Thick as a Brick" or "Supper's Ready" can justify their length--"1984" can't sustain 35 minutes. In Tony Banks' hands, this would have been a 6-minute cut on the "Fugitive" album. There's also a catchy "Prelude '84", which is in fact very comparable to Banks' "Fugitive" piece "Charm", and a bland closer "Anthem 1984". By the way, play the LP at 45 rpm and the drum machine on the main track makes a lively dance beat. This is a 3-1/2 star album, and one that screams "80s"; you only have to listen to a few seconds to know what decade it was recorded in.
(1=poor 2=mediocre 3=pretty good 4=very good 5=phenomenal)
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