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Calling All Stations

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...Calling All Stations... (stylised in all capitals) is the fifteenth and final studio album by English rock band Genesis. It was released 1 September 1997 by Virgin Records and is their only album featuring Scottish singer Ray Wilson as frontman following the departure of longtime drummer/singer Phil Collins in 1996, making it their only album since Trespass to not involve Collins. The remaining members—founding keyboardist Tony Banks and guitarist/bassist Mike Rutherford—decided to continue the band and write new music for an album, during which they auditioned singers and chose Wilson.

Calling All Stations
Studio album by
Genesis
Released1 September 1997
RecordedJanuary–June 1997
StudioThe Farm, Chiddingfold, Surrey
GenreArt rock[1]
Length67:42
LabelVirgin, Atlantic
Producer
Genesis chronology
The Way We Walk, Volume Two: The Longs
(1993) 		Calling All Stations
(1997) 		Genesis Archive 1967–75
(1998)
Singles from Calling All Stations
  1. "Congo"
    Released: 15 September 1997
  2. "Shipwrecked"
    Released: 1 December 1997
  3. "Not About Us"
    Released: 23 February 1998

Calling All Stations was released to mostly negative reviews from music critics who chastised its lack of direction but praised Wilson's performance. It sold poorly in comparison to their earlier albums, reaching No. 2 in the UK and performed well in Europe but it peaked at No. 54 in the US.[2][3] This marked their first studio album not to reach number one in the UK since 1978. "Congo", the first of three singles from the album, went to No. 29 in the UK.[2] The Calling All Stations Tour saw Genesis tour Europe throughout 1998 but an American leg was booked and cancelled twice due to low ticket sales. The group disbanded at the tour's conclusion, but later reunited with Collins for the Turn It On Again and The Last Domino? Tours.

Background

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Stiltskin guitarist and vocalist Ray Wilson (pictured in 2010) became Genesis' third frontman following the departure of Phil Collins.

At the end of the We Can't Dance Tour in November 1992 the band went on hiatus, reuniting only for a one-off charity performance in September 1993. Their drummer and lead vocalist Phil Collins resumed his solo career and released Both Sides, keyboardist Tony Banks recorded an album with Jack Hues under the Strictly Inc. project, and guitarist/bassist Mike Rutherford continued his band Mike + the Mechanics. In mid-1994, Collins said that singing Genesis songs at the charity gig after making Both Sides, which he deemed a highly personal album, was uncomfortable. "For the first time I felt like an actor playing somebody else's part."[4] After a band meeting with manager Tony Smith in the summer of 1995, Collins left.[5] A press release from management announcing the news was released in March 1996.

Banks and Rutherford decided they had nothing to lose and started to write new songs in January 1996 to see if it was worth carrying on with Genesis.[5] After some ideas had been put down they were pleased with the results and began to audition lead singers. At this stage, the basic structure of the tracks on Calling All Stations had been written but the lyrics had not been worked on. Shortly after the album's release, Wilson described the material as a mixture of their earlier progressive rock sound and their later, more commercial period.[6]

The final two candidates were English singer David Longdon, later a member of Big Big Train, and Scottish singer and guitarist Ray Wilson of the grunge-influenced band Stiltskin. Longdon's song "Hieroglyphics of Love" attracted producer Nick Davis who forwarded it onto Banks and Rutherford and liked it enough to invite him to the studio to audition.[7] Banks had liked Wilson's vocals from listening to Stiltskin's first album, The Mind's Eye (1994).[5] For his first audition, Wilson sang Genesis songs with Collins's vocals removed. At his second, he was asked to contribute vocal ideas to the new music that Banks and Rutherford had written, singing and humming ideas on the spot. Takes from this session were used by Banks to shape the verses to "There Must Be Some Other Way".[6] In November 1996, Banks and Rutherford chose Wilson as the new lead singer. Longdon said Rutherford phoned him with the news while Banks sent him a Christmas card with "a lengthy message inside."[7] Wilson's arrival into the band was made public on 6 June 1997.[8]

Recording

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Calling All Stations features Israeli session drummer Nir Zidkyahu and American drummer Nick D'Virgilio of the prog rock band Spock's Beard. It was recorded using RADAR, a type of non-linear digital audio recording software capable of simultaneously recording 24-tracks onto computer hard drives.[5]

Wilson said he had a "pretty small" amount of input into the album.[6] He recalled having free rein with his vocals on Rutherford's songs because he "doesn't know what he wants until he hears it", whereas Banks had worked out firm ideas from the beginning.[6]

Songs

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"Calling All Stations" is the first track Banks and Rutherford wrote for the album and most of the original takes were retained for the recorded version. It was used as the opener because of its heavier rock sound and dramatic mood.[5][better source needed] The song's arrangement underwent several changes as Banks and Rutherford had Wilson sing various melody lines to see what his voice was capable of, resulting in a stronger track overall. Wilson picked "Calling All Stations" as his favourite song from the album.[5]

The lyrics to "Small Talk" were written by Wilson.[6] The B-side "Anything Now" was considered one of the strongest tracks from the recording sessions[6][9] but was not included on the album, as Banks believed "we couldn't quite get Ray to sing it right."[9]

Release

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The album was launched in Europe on 26 August 1997 with a live press conference, interview, and acoustic performance on German television and VH1 from the Television Tower in Berlin. Two days later, the North American launch event with a live interview and acoustic performance took place at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, broadcast as a nationwide radio special.[8]

Calling All Stations peaked at No. 2 in the UK, making it the first Genesis studio album not to reach the top spot since ...And Then There Were Three... (1978). It was also their first album not to produce a Top 20 single in the UK since Wind & Wuthering (1976).[2] It failed to make an impact in the US chart with a peak at No. 54 on the Billboard 200. This made Calling All Stations the first Genesis album since Selling England by the Pound (1973) to not crack its top 50. It also became their first album since A Trick of the Tail (1976) to not produce a charting single in the US.

A Super Audio CD/DVD set with new stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes was released in September 2007. A CD/DVD set was released in North America in November 2007.

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [1]
Blender     [10]
Chicago Tribune    [11]
Entertainment WeeklyC−[12]
Rolling Stone     [13]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide     [14]

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."[11] Both AllMusic and Rolling Stone commented that Ray Wilson was a fitting vocal replacement for Collins, but thought that the album was generally lacking in good material. AllMusic picked "Calling All Stations", "Congo", and "Not About Us" as the album's stronger tracks, while Rolling Stone described "Shipwrecked" and "Not About Us" as "pleasant if generic FM-rock tunes." Both also commented on the album's odd mix of art rock and pop, believing that it failed to gel into a coherent style; Rolling Stone summarised it as "a Mike and the Mechanics artrock album".[1][13] In 2014, Stevie Chick of The Guardian dismissed the album as "inexplicable".[15]

In a 2019 interview, Tony Banks thought the album contained "some very good songs," but "has a kind of uniformity about it that I regret. It contains one or two rather weak tracks, too. We also left off two of the strongest tracks, which was a mistake."[16] Rutherford said he did not regret making Calling All Stations, but due to its sales being lower than that of previous Genesis albums, he had "sensed that the mood had changed in terms of radio play." As he thought Genesis was already "becoming a catalogue act," this influenced the band's decision to stop recording new material.[17]

Tour and aftermath

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Genesis supported the album with a 47-date European tour from 29 January to 31 May 1998, featuring shows in large arenas throughout Europe. The core trio were joined by Zidkyahu on drums, percussion, and backing vocals and Irish musician Anthony Drennan on guitar and bass. Former touring members Daryl Stuermer and Chester Thompson were initially approached, but Stuermer was already working with Collins, and Thompson refused to join after his request for full-fledged band membership was denied. Rehearsals took place at Bray Film Studios in Windsor and the Working Men's Club in Chiddingfold, close to the band's recording studio. The tour concluded with spots at the Rock am Ring and Rock im Park Festival in Germany. A majority of the older songs were transposed in a lower key to accommodate Wilson's lower vocal range. Midway through the set included an acoustic medley of songs from their 1970s output. The tour was captured live on several radio broadcasts; two songs from the NEC Arena ("Not About Us" and a ten-minute version of "The Dividing Line") were officially released in 2023 on BBC Broadcasts. Also, the "Not About Us" single included three acoustic performances from an early radio show at RTL Studios in Paris, 1997.

A 27-date North American tour in large arenas was booked to start in November 1997,[8] but it was cancelled due to insufficient ticket sales. A revised 22-date tour in smaller venues was arranged, but that too was cancelled. At the European tour's conclusion, Genesis went on hiatus until Collins returned for their 2007 Turn It On Again Tour.

Track listing

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

No.TitleWriter(s)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 Wilson4:38
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, Wilson5:02
10."There Must Be Some Other Way"Banks, Rutherford, Wilson7:54
11."One Man's Fool" 8:58
Total length:67:42
  • Note: The CD liner notes state that track 7, "The Dividing Line", is 8:59.

B-sides

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"Papa He Said" and "Banjo Man" are from the single "Congo". Instrumental tracks "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". All tracks are Banks/Rutherford compositions, except "Banjo Man" which is by Banks/Rutherford/Wilson. "Nowhere Else to Turn" is an unreleased track from the sessions that only appeared on a promotional CD.

Personnel

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Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.

Genesis

Additional musicians

  • Nick D'Virgilio – drums on "Alien Afternoon" (first half), "If That's What You Need", "Uncertain Weather", and "Small Talk", percussion
  • Nir Zidkyahu – drums on "Alien Afternoon" (second half) and all other songs, percussion

Production

  • Tony Banks – producer
  • Mike Rutherford – producer
  • Nick Davis – producer, engineer
  • Ian Huffam – assistant engineer
  • Recorded at The Farm, Surrey, England
  • Geoff Callingham – technical assistance
  • Mike Bowen – technical assistance
  • Dale Newman – general assistance
  • Wherefore ART? – sleeve design
  • Kevin Westernberg – photography
  • Peter Robathan – photography

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[43] Gold 100,000*
Germany (BVMI)[44] Gold 250,000^
Italy (FIMI)[45] Gold 50,000*
Poland (ZPAV)[46] Gold 50,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[33] Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[47] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[48] Gold 100,000^
United States — 110,000[49]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Region Date
United Kingdom 1 September 1997
United States 2 September 1997

References

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  1. ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Album review, AllMusic. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Genesis UK chart history, The Official Charts. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  3. ^ Calling All Stations USA chart history, Billboard.com. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  4. ^ Graff, Geoff (29 July 1994). "Phil Collins ponders life without Genesis". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Hewitt, Alan; Pound, Simon (22 August 1997). ""An Alien Afternoon with Tony Banks" – Tony talks to TWR about the new Genesis album at The Farm". The Waiting Room Online. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Hewitt, Alan; Jones, Ian; Pound, Simon (25 September 1997). ""Another Chiddingfold Afternoon" - Ray Wilson, Mike Rutherford and Nir Z talk about the new Genesis album and about their forthcoming tour". The Waiting Room Online. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  7. ^ a b Giammetti, Mario (November 2010). "David Longdon exclusive interview for 'Dusk'". Dusk.it. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  8. ^ a b c "Genesis - Calling All Stations - Press Kit". Virgin Records. August 1997. Retrieved 13 July 2019 – via The Genesis Archive.
  9. ^ a b Aldous, Steve (2020). The Songs of Genesis: A Complete Guide to the Studio Recordings. McFarland. p. 288. ISBN 978-1-476-63984-0.
  10. ^ Blender magazine Archived 19 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ a b Knopper, Steve (26 September 1997). "Calling All Stations review". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  12. ^ Schinder, Scott (5 September 1997). "Calling All Stations review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  13. ^ a b Wild, David (10 December 1997). "Genesis: Calling All Stations : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2 May 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  14. ^ Nathan Brackett; Christian David Hoard (2004). The new Rolling Stone album guide. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 328. ISBN 978-0-7432-0169-8.
  15. ^ Chick, Stevie (3 September 2014). "Genesis: 10 of the best". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  16. ^ "Innerviews: Tony Banks - Beyond the physical".
  17. ^ Rutherford, Mike (2015). The Living Years: The First Genesis Memoir. Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN 978-1-250-06068-6.
  18. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Genesis – ... Calling All Stations ..." (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  19. ^ "Ultratop.be – Genesis – ... Calling All Stations ..." (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  20. ^ "Ultratop.be – Genesis – ... Calling All Stations ..." (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  21. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3326". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  22. ^ "Top National Sellers". Music & Media. 18 October 1997. p. 15. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  23. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Genesis – ... Calling All Stations ..." (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  24. ^ "European Top 100 Albums". Music & Media. 20 September 1997. p. 13. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  25. ^ "Suomen virallinen lista – Albumit – 37/1997" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  26. ^ "Lescharts.com – Genesis – ... Calling All Stations ...". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  27. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Genesis – ... Calling All Stations ..." (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  28. ^ "Top National Sellers". Music & Media. 4 October 1997. p. 15. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  29. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 1997. 39. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  30. ^ a b "Top National Sellers". Music & Media. 20 September 1997. p. 14. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  31. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Genesis – ... Calling All Stations ...". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  32. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  33. ^ a b c Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  34. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Genesis – ... Calling All Stations ...". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  35. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Genesis – ... Calling All Stations ...". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  36. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  37. ^ "Genesis Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 10, 20241.
  38. ^ "Alben 1997 Österreich – Album-Charts – Top 75 Auswertung" (in German). Chartsurfer.de. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  39. ^ "Year in Focus – European Top 100 Albums 1997". Music & Media. 27 December 1997. p. 7. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  40. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1997" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  41. ^ "Alben 1997 Norwegen – Album-Charts – Top 40 Auswertung" (in German). Chartsurfer.de. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  42. ^ "Alben 1997 Schweiz – Album-Charts – Top 100 Auswertung" (in German). Chartsurfer.de. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  43. ^ "French album certifications – Genesis – Calling All Stations" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  44. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Genesis; 'Calling All Stations')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  45. ^ Mario Luzzatto Fegiz (24 January 1998). "Spettacoli – I Genesis: Pensavamo Fosse La Fine Ma Ormai Ray e' come Phil Collins". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). archivio.corriere.it. p. 32. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  46. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 1998 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  47. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Calling All Stations')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  48. ^ "British album certifications – Genesis – Calling All Stations". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  49. ^ David Negrin (November 2013). "Tony Banks – A Brief History – Part II: 1993–2013". World of Genesis. Archived from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
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