Calling All Stations

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Calling All Stations
Genesis - Calling All Stations.jpg
Studio album by Genesis
Released 1 September 1997
Recorded January–June 1997 at The Farm, Surrey
Genre Progressive rock, art rock, Rock
Length 67:42
Label Virgin (UK)
Atlantic (US)
Producer Nick Davis, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford
Genesis chronology
The Way We Walk, Volume Two: The Longs
(1993)The Way We Walk, Volume Two: The Longs1993		 Calling All Stations
(1997)		 Genesis Archive 1967–75
(1998)Genesis Archive 1967–751998

Calling All Stations (stylised as ...Calling All Stations...) is the fifteenth studio album by rock band Genesis. Released in 1997, the album was recorded following the departure of longtime drummer/vocalist Phil Collins from the band in 1996, leaving only keyboardist Tony Banks and guitarist/bassist Mike Rutherford from earlier incarnations of the band.

Of the three singles excerpted from the album, only "Congo" broke the top 40 in the UK.[1] It achieved a top 40 placing in at least three other European countries.[2][3]

Calling All Stations reached No. 2 in the UK.[1] It reached No. 54 in the United States during five weeks in the chart.[4]

Background

Vocalist Ray Wilson, who had fronted a short-lived but popular grunge-influenced outfit called Stiltskin, was brought on board after a lengthy auditioning period. Wilson's darker, theatrical vocals were more reminiscent of former Genesis singer Peter Gabriel than Collins's more pop/rock vocals. Nir Zidkyahu and Nick D'Virgilio (Spock's Beard) were called in to supply the drums.

While Calling All Stations sold well throughout Europe, it failed to find an audience in the United States, despite an elaborate publicity launch at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

As a result of the slim North American sales, the American leg of the tour was cancelled. Following the conclusion of the European tour 1998, Banks and Rutherford put Genesis on an extended hiatus, leaving Calling All Stations as the band's last studio release. Ray Wilson was keen to continue and has continued to include Genesis songs from all eras on his solo tour, including touring a "World of Genesis" set.

The 1998 European tour had the songs from the Phil Collins era transposed to a lower key to accommodate Ray Wilson's lower vocal range, something Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford had to work out during the rehearsals. In the 2007 reunion tour this was done again, but with Phil Collins on vocals.

The music videos for "Congo" and "Shipwrecked" featured Wilson, Rutherford, Banks and Zidkyahu surrounded by extensive use of water imagery. "Not About Us," however featured just Banks, Rutherford and Wilson.

A SACD / DVD double disc set (including new 5.1 and Stereo mixes) was released in September 2007 and was re-released as a CD/DVD double disc in the US and Canada in November 2007.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 1.5/5 stars[5]
Blender 1/5 stars[6]
Chicago Tribune 0.5/4 stars[7]
Entertainment Weekly C−[8]
Rolling Stone 2/5 stars[9]

The album was received very poorly by most critics. Steve Knopper reviewed the album in the Chicago Tribune, calling it "a formless blob of synth sounds" and asserting that new singer Ray Wilson has "no confidence or personality, let alone the vision to stave off his bandmates' meandering ideas".[7] Both AllMusic and Rolling Stone commented that Ray Wilson was a fitting vocal replacement for Collins, but that the album is wholly lacking in good material. Both also commented on the album's odd mix of art rock and pop, saying that it failed to capture any of the likeable elements of either genre; Rolling Stone summarised it as "a Mike and the Mechanics artrock album".[5][9] In 2014, Stevie Chick of The Guardian dismissed the album as "inexplicable".[10]

Track listing

All songs written by Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford, except where noted.

No. Title Length
1. "Calling All Stations"   5:43
2. "Congo"   4:51
3. "Shipwrecked"   4:23
4. "Alien Afternoon"   7:51
5. "Not About Us" (Banks, Rutherford, Ray Wilson) 4:38
6. "If That's What You Need"   5:12
7. "The Dividing Line"   7:45
8. "Uncertain Weather"   5:29
9. "Small Talk" (Banks, Rutherford, Wilson) 5:02
10. "There Must Be Some Other Way" (Banks, Rutherford, Wilson) 7:54
11. "One Man's Fool"   8:58
  • Note: The CD liner notes state that track 7, "The Dividing Line", is 8:59.

Personnel

Members

Guests

  • Nir Zidkyahu — drums (on track 1, 2, 3, 4 [second half], 5, 7, 10 & 11), percussion
  • Nick D'Virgilio — drums (on track 4 [first half], 6, 8 & 9)

Production

  • Producers: Nick Davis, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford
  • Engineers: Nick Davis, Assisted by Ian Huffam
  • Recorded at The Farm, Surrey, England
  • Technical Assistance: Geoff Callingham, Mike Bowen
  • General Assistance: Dale Newman
  • Sleeve Design: Wherefore ART?
  • Photography: Kevin Westernberg, Peter Robathan

B-sides

No. Title Length
1. "Papa He Said"   4:09
2. "Banjo Man" (Banks, Rutherford, Wilson) 4:22
3. "Phret"   4:05
4. "7/8"   5:13
5. "Anything Now"   7:03
6. "Sign Your Life Away"   4:45
7. "Run Out of Time"   6:36
8. "Nowhere Else to Turn" (Banks, Rutherford, Wilson) 4:35

"Papa He Said" and "Banjo Man" are from the single "Congo". "Phret" and "7/8" are from the single "Shipwrecked". "Anything Now", "Sign Your Life Away" and "Run Out of Time" are from the single "Not About Us". "Nowhere Else to Turn" is an unreleased track from the sessions.

Singles

  • Congo Maxi-CD
  1. "Congo" (single version)
  2. "Papa He Said"
  3. "Banjo Man"
  • Congo Enhanced CD
  1. "Congo"
  2. "Second Home by the Sea" (instrumental version)
  3. Enhanced feature with interviews, video of "Congo" and the upcoming Calling All Stations World Tour.
  • Shipwrecked CD1
  1. "Shipwrecked"
  2. "No Son of Mine" (acoustic)
  3. "Lover's Leap" (acoustic)
  4. "Turn It On Again" (acoustic)
  • Shipwrecked CD2
  1. "Shipwrecked"
  2. "Phret"
  3. "7/8"
  • Not About Us CD1
  1. "Not About Us" (single version)
  2. "Anything Now"
  3. "Sign Your Life Away"
  4. "Run Out of Time"
  • Not About Us CD2
  1. "Not About Us"
  2. "Dancing with the Moonlight Knight" (acoustic)
  3. "Follow You Follow Me" (acoustic)
  4. "Not About Us" (acoustic)

A total of seven previously unreleased songs were included on the single releases as B-sides. One other song recorded at the time, "Nowhere Else to Turn," was never officially released.

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
France (SNEP)[11] Gold 100,000
Germany (BVMI)[12] Gold 250,000
Poland (ZPAV)[13] Gold 50,000
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[14] Gold 25,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[15] Gold 100,000

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Tour

Dates

Rehearsals for the 47 date European tour took place at Bray Film Studios in Windsor, England between 5 and 25 January 1998.

Date City Country Venue
23 January 1998 Windsor England Bray Film Studios (Pre-tour warm-up gig)
28 January 1998 Budapest Hungary Sportshall (Warm-up gig)
29 January 1998 Budapest Hungary Sportshall
31 January 1998 Katowice Poland Spodek
2 February 1998 Prague Czech Republic Sportovní hala
4 February 1998 Mannheim Germany Maimarktgelände
5 February 1998 Leipzig Germany Messehalle 7
6 February 1998 Berlin Germany Velodrom
8 February 1998 Metz France La Galaxie
10 February 1998 Dortmund Germany Westfalenhalle
12 February 1998 Stuttgart Germany Schleyerhalle
13 February 1998 Zurich Switzerland Hallenstadion
15 February 1998 Vienna Austria Stadthalle
17 February 1998 Bologna Italy Palasport Casalecchio
18 February 1998 Rome Italy Palasport
19 February 1998 Milan Italy Filaforum
20 February 1998 Lyon France Halle Tony Garnier
23 February 1998 Paris France Palais Omnisports de Bercy
25 February 1998 Birmingham England National Exhibition Centre
26 February 1998 Birmingham England National Exhibition Centre
27 February 1998 London England Earls Court Arena
1 March 1998 Glasgow Scotland Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
2 March 1998 Newcastle England Telewest Arena
4 March 1998 Cardiff Wales Cardiff International Arena
5 March 1998 Cardiff Wales Cardiff International Arena
6 March 1998 Manchester England Nynex Arena
8 March 1998 Dublin Ireland Point Theatre
10 March 1998 Brussels Belgium Forest National
11 March 1998 Rotterdam Netherlands Ahoy
13 March 1998 Lille France Zénith de Lille
15 March 1998 Angers France Amphitheatre 4000
16 March 1998 Bordeaux France Patinoire de Meriadeck
18 March 1998 Pau France Le Zénith
19 March 1998 Madrid Spain Palacio de los Deportes
20 March 1998 Barcelona Spain Palau Sant Jordi
22 March Marseilles France Le Dome
23 March 1998 Clermont Ferrand France Maison des Sports
24 March 1998 Caen France Le Zénith
26 March 1998 Strasbourg France Halle Rhenus
27 March 1998 Munich Germany Olympiahalle
28 March 1998 Erfurt Germany Messehalle
30 March 1998 Hamburg Germany Sporthalle
2 April 1998 Oslo Norway Spektrum
3 April 1998 Stockholm Sweden Globe Arena
5 April 1998 Helsinki Finland Hartwall Areena
30 May 1998 Nürburgring Germany Rock am Ring Festival
31 May 1998 Nürburgring Germany Rock am Park Festival

Set list

Part 1:

  1. "No Son of Mine"
  2. "Land of Confusion"
  3. "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway"
  4. "Calling All Stations"
  5. "The Carpet Crawlers"
  6. "There Must Be Some Other Way" (sometimes alternated with "Alien Afternoon")
  7. "Domino"
  8. "Shipwrecked"
  9. "Firth of Fifth"
  10. "Congo"
  11. "Home by the Sea/Second Home by the Sea"

Acoustic medley:

  1. "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight"
  2. "Follow You Follow Me"
  3. "Lover's Leap"
  4. "Not About Us"

Part 2:

  1. "Mama"
  2. "The Dividing Line"
  3. "Invisible Touch"
  4. "Turn It On Again"

Encore:

  1. "Throwing It All Away"
  2. "I Can't Dance"

In addition, "Hold on My Heart," "That's All," and "Small Talk" were rehearsed for the tour but were not played. "Shipwrecked" was dropped in favour of "Not About Us" in Mid-February.

Tour band

with

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Genesis UK chart history, The Official Charts. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ "Congo" chart history, Dutch Charts.nl. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  4. ↑ Calling All Stations USA chart history, Billboard.com. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Album review, AllMusic. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  6. ↑ Blender magazine Archived 19 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Calling All Stations in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
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