Mild Mannered Supermen - A Genesis Podcast

💃Kill What You Fear: Join us for another Mild Mannered Supermen deep dive as we explore the legendary Duke Suite from Genesis’ 1980 album Duke — the six-song sequence made up of “Behind the Lines,” “Duchess,” “Guide Vocal,” “Turn It On Again,” “Duke’s Travels,” and “Duke’s End.” Rather than treating these tracks as separate songs, we follow the story of Albert and Duchess as one continuous narrative: a relationship built on obsession, dependence, fantasy, and emotional imbalance. We talk about how Albert’s fixation on Duchess becomes increasingly unhealthy, how the story reflects codependency, and why the relationship would still feel surprisingly relevant in today’s world of social media, parasocial attachment, and online identity. We also dig into one of the most important production moments in Genesis history: the emergence of the gated drum sound. In “Duke’s Travels,” Phil Collins’ drums feature the explosive gated effect that would soon become one of the defining sounds of the 1980s. The remarkable part is the timing — Duke was released before Peter Gabriel’s third solo album, meaning Genesis actually put the sound into the world before “Intruder” made it famous. Along the way, we break down the musical links between the six tracks, the recurring themes that tie the suite together, and why the Duke Suite remains one of the most satisfying examples of Genesis blending progressive rock ambition with the tighter, more modern sound they were moving toward in 1980. If you’re a fan of Genesis, Phil Collins, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, progressive rock, concept albums, or the evolution of 1980s production, this episode is for you. 🎧 Put on Duke and listen along as we unpack the full story and sound of the Duke Suite. Album: Duke Artist: Genesis Released: 1980 Featured tracks: Behind the Lines, Duchess, Guide Vocal, Turn It On Again, Duke’s Travels, Duke’s End Episode: Mild Mannered Supermen #Genesis #Duke #DukeSuite #PhilCollins #TonyBanks #MikeRutherford #BehindTheLines #Duchess #TurnItOnAgain #DukesTravels #ProgressiveRock #ProgRock #ClassicRock #GatedDrums #PeterGabriel #MildManneredSupermen

We just wanted a place to listen to this album since it’s not on the streaming services.

⏰Clock on But Out of Life Join us for another Mild Mannered Supermen Listening Party as we dive into Mike Rutherford’s 1980 debut solo album, Smallcreep’s Day — one of the most ambitious and underrated solo projects to come out of the Genesis family. Based on Peter Currell Brown’s novel Smallcreep’s Day, the album follows the strange journey of factory worker Pinquean Smallcreep as he leaves the assembly line and ventures deeper into the vast, surreal factory world around him. In this episode, we break down the story song by song and compare Rutherford’s musical adaptation with the original book — including where he stayed faithful, where he simplified the narrative, and where the album becomes something entirely its own. One of the things that makes Smallcreep’s Day so fascinating is just how progressive it is. Rather than telling the entire story through lyrics, Rutherford lets long instrumental passages carry major parts of the narrative, using recurring themes, atmosphere, and arrangement to move the story forward. The result feels less like a collection of songs and more like a true prog-rock suite. We also explore Rutherford’s musical approach outside Genesis and the important contribution of his longtime friend and former Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips, whose presence adds another layer of connection to the band’s earliest years. Along the way, we discuss the album’s concept, musicianship, storytelling, production, and why Smallcreep’s Day deserves far more attention from fans of Genesis, progressive rock, concept albums, Mike Rutherford, Anthony Phillips, and classic British prog. If you love the more adventurous side of Genesis — especially albums like A Trick of the Tail, Wind & Wuthering, and …And Then There Were Three… — this is a record worth rediscovering. 🎧 Put on the album and listen along with us as we explore the strange world of Smallcreep’s Day. Artist: Mike Rutherford Album: Smallcreep’s Day Released: 1980 Based on: the novel Smallcreep’s Day by Peter Currell Brown Featuring: Anthony Phillips Episode: Mild Mannered Supermen Listening Party #MikeRutherford #SmallcreepsDay #Genesis #AnthonyPhillips #ProgressiveRock #ProgRock #ConceptAlbum #GenesisBand #ClassicRock #1980Music #ListeningParty #MildManneredSupermen #GenesisSolo #ProgRockAlbums

🐁Good For A While: Join us for another Mild Mannered Supermen Listening Party as we dive into Tony Banks’ 1979 debut solo album, A Curious Feeling — one of the most overlooked and fascinating solo records to emerge from the Genesis family. Originally inspired by Daniel Keyes’ Flowers for Algernon, the concept evolved after Tony encountered the 1978 musical Charlie, leading him to reshape the story into something more supernatural and less directly tied to the original source. The result is a deeply atmospheric concept album about memory, identity, loss, and the consequences of changing the mind. In this episode, we listen through the entire album and tell the story behind every song, tracing the narrative from beginning to end while exploring how the music supports the concept. We also dig into the performances that make A Curious Feeling so distinctive. Tony Banks handled virtually all of the instrumentation himself, with Chester Thompson on drums and Kim Beacon delivering the lead vocals. That combination gives the album a unique character — unmistakably connected to late-’70s Genesis, but also very much its own world. Along the way, we discuss Tony’s songwriting, keyboards, arrangements, production choices, and why this album deserves far more attention from fans of Genesis, progressive rock, concept albums, and classic 1970s prog. If you love albums like Wind & Wuthering, …And Then There Were Three…, or the more atmospheric and keyboard-driven side of Genesis, A Curious Feeling is essential listening. 🎧 Put on the album and listen along with us as we explore the full story of Tony Banks’ A Curious Feeling. Artist: Tony Banks Album: A Curious Feeling Released: 1979 Vocals: Kim Beacon Drums: Chester Thompson Episode: Mild Mannered Supermen Listening Party #TonyBanks #ACuriousFeeling #Genesis #ChesterThompson #KimBeacon #ProgressiveRock #ProgRock #ConceptAlbum #GenesisBand #ClassicRock #1979Music #ListeningParty #MildManneredSupermen #FlowersForAlgernon

☑️Like a White Shadow: Join us for another Mild Mannered Supermen Listening Party as we dive into Peter Gabriel’s second solo album, Peter Gabriel 2 — often known as Scratch — released in 1978 and produced by King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp. After the eclectic experimentation of Gabriel’s first solo record, Scratch feels noticeably more focused: darker, tighter, and much more like a unified rock album. Fripp’s fingerprints are all over the record, helping give it a consistent sonic identity built around sharp guitars, muscular arrangements, and a more disciplined approach to the songs. But that cohesion raises an interesting question: did making a more straightforward rock record actually leave Peter Gabriel feeling less creatively fulfilled? In this episode, we listen through the album and explore the tension at the heart of Peter Gabriel 2. We discuss how Robert Fripp’s production helped shape the sound, why songs like “On the Air,” “D.I.Y.,” “Mother of Violence,” “White Shadow,” and “Exposure” feel so different from the debut, and whether Gabriel’s experience making this record may have influenced the way he approached the rest of his solo career. Rather than settling into a conventional rock path, Gabriel would soon move further toward experimentation, unusual recording techniques, world-music influences, electronic textures, and a much stronger desire to control the creative process himself. In that sense, Scratch may be one of the most important transitional albums in his catalogue. Was Peter Gabriel 2 a stronger, more cohesive album than its predecessor — or did that very cohesion come at the expense of some of the unpredictability that made Gabriel so compelling? Pour a drink, put on the record, and listen along with us. Artist: Peter Gabriel Album: Peter Gabriel 2 (Scratch) Released: 1978 Producer: Robert Fripp Episode: Mild Mannered Supermen Listening Party #PeterGabriel #PeterGabriel2 #Scratch #RobertFripp #KingCrimson #Genesis #ProgressiveRock #ProgRock #ClassicRock #1978Music #ListeningParty #MildManneredSupermen #OnTheAir #DIY #Exposure