My choice is Acting Very Strange but I have to say this. The album is very constrained, especially his voice, where whatever the engineer used to alter his voice should be put behind a barn and blown up. I would have him sing naturally and have the music adjust to his voice. The whole album sounds like listening to an orchestra without any treble. The whole album needed a fuller sound. Let the instrument sounds boom instead of sounding tinny.
I feel bad he never toured to support this and the first album. A fuller sound in concert would justify what I am talking about.
A number of my favorite singers – including Dylan and Neil Young – have notoriously off-putting voices to vast contingents of music fans.
But Rutherford’s voice is aggressively annoying. When I’d read that his vocals “weren’t great,” I had no idea that they were like this. I mean, some death metal vocalists are comically in-your-face. Rutherford’s vocals are more like a fly or mosquito you swat away with your hands or some hidden pebble in a shoe. Just a reminder that there’s something there and difficult to get rid of. Or a wind machine set on your face, where all you have are your hands to block its force.
I couldn’t really even pay much attention to the music. It’s like he tried to sing “Back In NYC” – a song I love and adore, partially due to how different it is from everything they else they did – for most of the album.
I chose “Hideaway” not because I liked it so much, but because it felt like a reprieve.
I too love this album, especially the writing. He would not have released the album if he wasn’t happy with final product in some way, but no one ever is satisfied, especially fans. “I don’t think I wanna know” is brilliant when it changes Time signatures in the middle of the song’s conclusion. My greatest complaint is the mastering was pretty awful as I always need to crank the volume for this album!
I think this is one of his most rocking albums, which I really enjoy, as compared to the Mechanics work, some of which rocks, but not maybe as hard as this one. His rough voice works just fine for everything except Hideaway, where he could’ve used Noel McCalla. I know Phil once said his favorite works of Mike’s and Tony’s were those albums that they sang on themselves, which I can get behind.
A lot of the songs are not bad. there were bad production decisions, sound-wise, as people commented before, as is his decision to sing strangely.
I don’t want to know is 3rd (Good grove), the title song is my 2nd, and Hideaway on 1st, with best melody (ELO-ish), production and singing.
I have to go with “Hideaway” because, even with Rutherford‘s marble-mouth, guttural vocal delivery / muffled production on this album, this track comes closest to working BECAUSE of that. It renders it sincerely, heartfelt and honest, and I kind a dig it. If you step back from it and imagine someone like, well, Phil or Paul Carrack singing this EXACT SAME TRACK, you can imagine how SOARING of an accomplishment it could’ve been. At least on par with a Like It Or Not or Since I Lost You (two dark horse favorites of mine that I know not a lot of Genesis fans are into, but I feel they soar emotionally and are very painfully heartfelt)
I also have to give an honorable mention to Couldn’t Get Arrested because my buddy and I got so much joy out of this track back on our 80s high school days with its free-wheeling, ludicrous fun vibe. It was something of an inside joke/point of comical reference for us for years so I have to give it some love.
Let’s face it, this was an Augustly bad album, especially that it followed Smallcreeps Day; what I consider Mike’s best work ever (excluding his work with Genesis, of course). When I hear his signature muted guitar passages on this album (first heard on Follow You Follow Me, and then throughout his career) I cringe. Never mind the vocals. The obvious choice I thought was Maxine for the best song, but I chose Hideaway instead since I feel it was sort of different.
Thanks for your service on behalf of all Genesis fans everywhere. Keep it coming.
As a PS, speaking of Rutherford compositions in Genesis, I was disappointed that you guys hated Your Own Special Way (especially Stacey). It’s a beautiful song, reconsider the live version with orchestra on Archive #2, its a tear-jerker. Just sayin’…
Thanks, Bob! And I wouldn’t say we “hated” YOSW, it’s just not as strong for me as the rest of the album is – and like Mike says, it goes on a bit too long. BUT, I do really enjoy the A2 version with the strings! – Tom
Hi Bob! I just wanted to give you a wave as a fellow Hideaway voter. If the rest of (or at least a lot of) the album had been that sincere, earnest and soaring, I think we’d feel a lot differently about this album as a whole, regardless of the muddy production and marble-mouthed vocals… and ALSO the string version of YOSW absolutely “redeems” that song for me and is for me, now, the definitive version of that song. On top of the obvious difference with the string arrangement, Phil’s vocal performances is also much more powerful and heartfelt as he was leaning into the height of his powers then vocally, particularly live. It’s whole different song for me. Just wanted to shout out to you in solidarity on these two assessments!
So the vocals make this pretty unlistenable as an album. I can survive Halfway There if I listen to it isolated from the album. Potentially some good music on here and I know a couple songs were played on the first Mike and the Mechanics tour sung by “not Mike”. This album was a huge step down from Smallcreep’s Day.
I have to admit, Mikes voice isn’t as bad as I have heard people critique it to be. My main “problem” is some songs just are almost too repetitive like “Couldn’t Get Arrested” to where halfway there, pun intended, you click to go to the next song.
Maxine and Halfway There could easily have been strong Mechanic songs, which I know Youngy dang live on the first Mechanics tour
I picked up a copy of this in 1987 when I was a new fan. It was 79 pence, an absolute bargain price for an LP and I was thrilled. The euphoria didn’t last. My main thought about this record is that there is nothing on it that I think “That could have made a great Genesis song”. Most of the songs seem to loose focus after a minute or so and there are no moments to look forward too. Every song is only “Halfway there”.
It must have sold quite well in the UK as I often chuckle at the cover when I find copies in second hand shops. The cheapest copy on eBay today is £4.85, I made a sound investment in 1987.
I found this album unlistenable 30 odd years ago, but my far more mature ears actually found Mike’s voice decent this time around. Funnily enough, I have also just started loving The Fugitive after having similar issues with the singing. The moral of the story is never give up trying with a band you love. It took me 28 years to appreciate And Then There Were Three. My favourite song is Could Get Arrested because I can’t stop singing the bally thing.
Okay bye
I first bought this album used on vinyl in the mid-90s. Though I’d been an obsessed full-career Genesis, PC and PG fan for a good decade by that point (and perhaps an equally obsessed 80s music fan) I was taken aback by what I heard. It wasn’t great – I knew that much – but I was convinced that the vinyl was warped or otherwise flawed in some way I’d never known. It sounded so ‘off’ in all regards. Thinking this was the issue, about 5 years later I picked it up on CD, only to discover that this is actually how the album sounds! I still find it hard to understand how someone of Mr. Rutherford’s stature and means was able (and allowed by the labels) to produce this. The songs at their core are mostly ‘OK’, but the instrumentation and recording are really just BAD. But I still have been known to voluntarily listen to it, so there’s that…
Trying to pick the best track is actually more like trying to pick the one with the least issues. I would have to go for the title track although with a different arrangement, A Day to Remember would have been up there.
However, I also came across a video of Mike performing Maxine on a Spanish pop program back in the day.
I loved this episode on this weird Rutherford record. I’m a big Genesis fan, but I’ve only come to the band in the last couple of years. Actually, it’s this podcast that furthered my interest in a band that’s always seemed lame to me. I would’ve never even given a glance to Acting Very Strange, but this record is awesome… it’s more interesting to me that than Duke or Abacab or any of Phil’s solo career, etc… probably because it does sound so very strange. I love the weird production. Simon says something about the influence of early 80’s English DIY music, and I think that tracks. This is a millionaire’s attempt at a DIY record. I love it.
I’m hoping you’ll record an episode soon on Peter’s second solo record. I’ve only come around to it very lately after getting obsessed with everything else he did up through So. And now I think it’s my favorite! I can really feel the Springsteen influence, and that might be because of Bittan on the piano, but I’ve been thinking of this album as Peter’s evil Springsteen record—~Bruised~ Springsteen, if you will. Anyway, keep up the good work, I love the pod and I’ve listened to several episodes a couple of times. Thank you so much!
While I will not join the “Mike Rutherford should not sing” camp… I am very hard pressed to select a “favorite” from this album…
You don’t know how difficult it was to pick one favorite from this bag of poo…
My choice is Acting Very Strange but I have to say this. The album is very constrained, especially his voice, where whatever the engineer used to alter his voice should be put behind a barn and blown up. I would have him sing naturally and have the music adjust to his voice. The whole album sounds like listening to an orchestra without any treble. The whole album needed a fuller sound. Let the instrument sounds boom instead of sounding tinny.
I feel bad he never toured to support this and the first album. A fuller sound in concert would justify what I am talking about.
A number of my favorite singers – including Dylan and Neil Young – have notoriously off-putting voices to vast contingents of music fans.
But Rutherford’s voice is aggressively annoying. When I’d read that his vocals “weren’t great,” I had no idea that they were like this. I mean, some death metal vocalists are comically in-your-face. Rutherford’s vocals are more like a fly or mosquito you swat away with your hands or some hidden pebble in a shoe. Just a reminder that there’s something there and difficult to get rid of. Or a wind machine set on your face, where all you have are your hands to block its force.
I couldn’t really even pay much attention to the music. It’s like he tried to sing “Back In NYC” – a song I love and adore, partially due to how different it is from everything they else they did – for most of the album.
I chose “Hideaway” not because I liked it so much, but because it felt like a reprieve.
I unapologetically love this whole album. Rutherford is my favorite writer in Genesis.
I too love this album, especially the writing. He would not have released the album if he wasn’t happy with final product in some way, but no one ever is satisfied, especially fans. “I don’t think I wanna know” is brilliant when it changes Time signatures in the middle of the song’s conclusion. My greatest complaint is the mastering was pretty awful as I always need to crank the volume for this album!
I especially like the silence between tracks.
I think this is one of his most rocking albums, which I really enjoy, as compared to the Mechanics work, some of which rocks, but not maybe as hard as this one. His rough voice works just fine for everything except Hideaway, where he could’ve used Noel McCalla. I know Phil once said his favorite works of Mike’s and Tony’s were those albums that they sang on themselves, which I can get behind.
A lot of the songs are not bad. there were bad production decisions, sound-wise, as people commented before, as is his decision to sing strangely.
I don’t want to know is 3rd (Good grove), the title song is my 2nd, and Hideaway on 1st, with best melody (ELO-ish), production and singing.
I have to go with “Hideaway” because, even with Rutherford‘s marble-mouth, guttural vocal delivery / muffled production on this album, this track comes closest to working BECAUSE of that. It renders it sincerely, heartfelt and honest, and I kind a dig it. If you step back from it and imagine someone like, well, Phil or Paul Carrack singing this EXACT SAME TRACK, you can imagine how SOARING of an accomplishment it could’ve been. At least on par with a Like It Or Not or Since I Lost You (two dark horse favorites of mine that I know not a lot of Genesis fans are into, but I feel they soar emotionally and are very painfully heartfelt)
I also have to give an honorable mention to Couldn’t Get Arrested because my buddy and I got so much joy out of this track back on our 80s high school days with its free-wheeling, ludicrous fun vibe. It was something of an inside joke/point of comical reference for us for years so I have to give it some love.
Let’s face it, this was an Augustly bad album, especially that it followed Smallcreeps Day; what I consider Mike’s best work ever (excluding his work with Genesis, of course). When I hear his signature muted guitar passages on this album (first heard on Follow You Follow Me, and then throughout his career) I cringe. Never mind the vocals. The obvious choice I thought was Maxine for the best song, but I chose Hideaway instead since I feel it was sort of different.
Thanks for your service on behalf of all Genesis fans everywhere. Keep it coming.
As a PS, speaking of Rutherford compositions in Genesis, I was disappointed that you guys hated Your Own Special Way (especially Stacey). It’s a beautiful song, reconsider the live version with orchestra on Archive #2, its a tear-jerker. Just sayin’…
Thanks, Bob! And I wouldn’t say we “hated” YOSW, it’s just not as strong for me as the rest of the album is – and like Mike says, it goes on a bit too long. BUT, I do really enjoy the A2 version with the strings! – Tom
Hi Bob! I just wanted to give you a wave as a fellow Hideaway voter. If the rest of (or at least a lot of) the album had been that sincere, earnest and soaring, I think we’d feel a lot differently about this album as a whole, regardless of the muddy production and marble-mouthed vocals… and ALSO the string version of YOSW absolutely “redeems” that song for me and is for me, now, the definitive version of that song. On top of the obvious difference with the string arrangement, Phil’s vocal performances is also much more powerful and heartfelt as he was leaning into the height of his powers then vocally, particularly live. It’s whole different song for me. Just wanted to shout out to you in solidarity on these two assessments!
Thanks, Michael – great minds think alike!
So the vocals make this pretty unlistenable as an album. I can survive Halfway There if I listen to it isolated from the album. Potentially some good music on here and I know a couple songs were played on the first Mike and the Mechanics tour sung by “not Mike”. This album was a huge step down from Smallcreep’s Day.
I have to admit, Mikes voice isn’t as bad as I have heard people critique it to be. My main “problem” is some songs just are almost too repetitive like “Couldn’t Get Arrested” to where halfway there, pun intended, you click to go to the next song.
Maxine and Halfway There could easily have been strong Mechanic songs, which I know Youngy dang live on the first Mechanics tour
I can understand why Genesis fans hate this but I think it’s a pretty cool post punk album. Sounds like The Cars to me.
I picked up a copy of this in 1987 when I was a new fan. It was 79 pence, an absolute bargain price for an LP and I was thrilled. The euphoria didn’t last. My main thought about this record is that there is nothing on it that I think “That could have made a great Genesis song”. Most of the songs seem to loose focus after a minute or so and there are no moments to look forward too. Every song is only “Halfway there”.
It must have sold quite well in the UK as I often chuckle at the cover when I find copies in second hand shops. The cheapest copy on eBay today is £4.85, I made a sound investment in 1987.
I found this album unlistenable 30 odd years ago, but my far more mature ears actually found Mike’s voice decent this time around. Funnily enough, I have also just started loving The Fugitive after having similar issues with the singing. The moral of the story is never give up trying with a band you love. It took me 28 years to appreciate And Then There Were Three. My favourite song is Could Get Arrested because I can’t stop singing the bally thing.
Okay bye
I first bought this album used on vinyl in the mid-90s. Though I’d been an obsessed full-career Genesis, PC and PG fan for a good decade by that point (and perhaps an equally obsessed 80s music fan) I was taken aback by what I heard. It wasn’t great – I knew that much – but I was convinced that the vinyl was warped or otherwise flawed in some way I’d never known. It sounded so ‘off’ in all regards. Thinking this was the issue, about 5 years later I picked it up on CD, only to discover that this is actually how the album sounds! I still find it hard to understand how someone of Mr. Rutherford’s stature and means was able (and allowed by the labels) to produce this. The songs at their core are mostly ‘OK’, but the instrumentation and recording are really just BAD. But I still have been known to voluntarily listen to it, so there’s that…
Trying to pick the best track is actually more like trying to pick the one with the least issues. I would have to go for the title track although with a different arrangement, A Day to Remember would have been up there.
However, I also came across a video of Mike performing Maxine on a Spanish pop program back in the day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA_osZpTE8Q
or try searching for Aplauso mike rutherford maxine
Mike channelling his inner Pete Townsend? Talk about Acting Very Strange!!
Hi Mike & the Tabletop Crew,
I loved this episode on this weird Rutherford record. I’m a big Genesis fan, but I’ve only come to the band in the last couple of years. Actually, it’s this podcast that furthered my interest in a band that’s always seemed lame to me. I would’ve never even given a glance to Acting Very Strange, but this record is awesome… it’s more interesting to me that than Duke or Abacab or any of Phil’s solo career, etc… probably because it does sound so very strange. I love the weird production. Simon says something about the influence of early 80’s English DIY music, and I think that tracks. This is a millionaire’s attempt at a DIY record. I love it.
I’m hoping you’ll record an episode soon on Peter’s second solo record. I’ve only come around to it very lately after getting obsessed with everything else he did up through So. And now I think it’s my favorite! I can really feel the Springsteen influence, and that might be because of Bittan on the piano, but I’ve been thinking of this album as Peter’s evil Springsteen record—~Bruised~ Springsteen, if you will. Anyway, keep up the good work, I love the pod and I’ve listened to several episodes a couple of times. Thank you so much!
All the best,
Andrew H. in California