It's no secret and I think no shame that I consider Genesis my fave band of all time, and I typically piggyback Peter Gabriel solo into that number one spot out of convenience. Peter Gabriel and Genesis (whether fronted by Gabriel or Phil Collins) were a huge part of my high school and life soundtrack.
There are, however, limits to my fandom when artists, trying to keep up with technology, continually re-release or re-issue their catalogues and expect fans to keep up with the upgrades because of whatever bit of better sounding technology is introduced. I was perfectly happy with David Bowie's second round Rykodisc releases and completely ignored future rounds of re-issues claiming better fidelity because of technology.
My attitude was the same when Genesis released their ultimate Box Set collections. Why am I gonna buy what I already have? What I didn't know was that they didn't just upgrade quality and technology, but it seems they went back to the original multi-track recordings and dug up things that were mixed out of the final original releases. That's interesting!
I only noticed because they've been uploading "official audio" videos, no doubt in part to get fans' attention to buy tickets for their "The Last Domino" tour next year, which is advertised in the video description. I rarely click on those videos because why would I? I've listened to the songs dozens or hundreds of times over the years.
But then they posted this:
This is "The Battle of Epping Forest"! I clicked on this audio-only "video" expecting just to enjoy the song yet another time, but being so familiar with just about every second of old Genesis recordings, things I'd never heard before stuck out like a sore thumb.
My ears perked up at the 2:17 mark with backing vocals I'd never heard before and putting me on notice to listen for other things new. Phil sings a high harmony and then ends on "war" with what I consider a classic Collins note – just an unexpected choice of note but sounds great. The lower vocals are evidence (there's not a lot) that Mike and Tony did actually record backing vocals they're always credited with, albeit they unimpressively sing in the same vocal range as their speaking voices (the way guys who are uncomfortable with singing sing "Happy Birthday"). The snarls and grunts of distorted guitar by Steve Hackett in the following section were also originally mixed out and there are a bunch of minor vocal parts throughout the song that have been restored; perhaps considered mistakes at the time, but interesting now.
The song is just epic silliness that only Genesis could really pull off. Other prog rock bands dabbled in whimsy and eccentricity in minor works, but mostly stuck to spacey and science fiction-y and dystopias and other-worldly things to imagine and think and be paranoid about. "Epping Forest" is a galloping, raunchy romp about mob bosses and their street gangs inspired by a story in the morning newspaper (as a cultural reference, I think of the Guy Ritchie movie "Snatch"). I think keyboardist Tony Banks (it was Phil) complained the song is too "wordy" and was disappointed about the vocals going by at a mile a minute, but I don't understand how he can complain or what they expected when they handed over this big hunk o' composition to Gabriel.
Even just reading it it's something to behold; the puns, rhyming and word manipulation. The verse playing around with the Silver Cloud Rolls Royce is just confoundingly clever ("Did he just . . . ?", "Was that supposed to . . .?). There's a lot I didn't get until much later. Like I didn't know a Silver Cloud referred to a model of Rolls Royce until I heard the (possibly apocryphal) story of The Rolling Stones' "Get Off My Cloud", whereby they were in Texas and at one point one of the members was leaning on a car that happened to be a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud and when the owner saw it he drawled at them "Hey, get off my Cloud!".
Along the Forest Road, there's hundreds of cars - luxury cars
Each has got its load of convertible bars, cutlery cars - superscars!
For today is the day when they sort it out, sort it out
'Cos they disagree on gangland boundary
There's Willy Wright and his boys
One helluva noise, that's Billy's boys!
With fully-fashioned mugs, that's Little John's thugs
The Barking Slugs, supersmugs!
For today is the day when they sort it out, sort it out
As these Christian soldiers fight to protect the poor
East End heroes got to score
In the Battle of Epping Forest
Yes, it's the Battle of Epping Forest
Right outside your door
And you ain't seen nothing like it
No you ain't seen nothing like it
Not since the Civil War
Coming over the hill are the boys of Bill
And Johnny's lads stand very still
With the thumpire's shout, they all start to clout
There's no guns in this gentleman's bout
And Georgie moves in on the outside left
With a chain flying around his head
And Harold Demure from Art Literature
Nips up the nearest tree
(Here come the cavalry!)
Amidst the battle roar
Accountants keep the score: 10-4
They've never been alone after getting a radiophone
The bluebells are ringing for Sweetmeal Sam
Real ham, handing out bread and jam
Just like any picnic . . .
It's 5-4 on William Wright
He made his pile on Derby night
When Billy was a kid, walking the streets
The other kids hid - so they did!
And now after working hard in security trade
He's got it made
The shops that need aid are those that haven't paid
"I do my double-show quick!" said Mick the Prick, fresh out of the nick
"I sell cheap holiday, the minute they leave then a visit I pay
And does it pay!"
And his friend, Liquid Len by name of wine, women
and Wandsworth fame
Said, "I'm breaking the legs of the bastard that got me framed!"
They called me the Reverend when I entered the Church unstained
My employers have changed but the name has remained
It all began when I went on a tour
Hoping to find some furniture
I followed a sign saying "Beautiful Chest"
It led to a lady who showed me her best
She was taken by surprise when I quickly closed my eyes
So she rang a bell and quick as hell
Bob the Nob came out on his job to see what the trouble was
"Louise, is the Reverend hard to please!"
"You're telling me!"
"Perhaps, sir, if it's not too late we could interest you
in our old-fashioned Staffordshire plate?"
"Oh! No, not me, I'm a man of repute"
But the devil caught hold of my soul and a voice called out, "Shoot!"
To save my steeple, I visited people
For this I had gone when I met Little John
His name came, I understood
When the judge said, "You are a robbing hood!"
He told me of his strange foundation
Conceived on sight of the Woodstock nation
He'd had to hide his reputation
When poor, 'twas salvation from door to door
But now with a pin-up guru every week
It was Love, Peace & Truth Incorporated for all who seek
He employed me as a karma-ma-mechanic with overall charms
His hand were then fit to receive, receive alms
That's why we're in the Battle of Epping Forest
This is the Battle of Epping Forest
Right outside your door
We guard your souls for peanuts
And we guard your shops and houses for just a little more
In with a left hook is the Bethnal Green Butcher
But he's countered on the right by Mick's chain-gang fight
And Liquid Len with his smashed bottle men
Is lobbing Bob the Nob across the gob
With his kisser in a mess, Rob seems under stress
But Jones the Jug hits Len right in the mug
And Harold Demure, who's still not quite sure
Fires acorns from out of his sling
(Here come the cavalry!)
Up, up above the crowd
Inside their Silver Cloud, done proud!
The bold and brazen brass
Seen darkly through the glass
The butler's got jam on his rolls
Roy doles out the lot
With tea from a silver pot
Just like any picnic . . .
Along the Forest Road, it's the end of the day
And the Clouds roll away
Each has got its load
They'll come out for the count at the break-in of day
When the limos return for their final review, it's all through
All they can see is the morning goo
"There's no one left alive, must be a draw"
So the Blackcap Barons toss a coin to settle the score!
- Gabriel/Banks/Rutherford/Hackett/Collins
What's more of a secret and not a little bit of shame is that I used to be able to sing (liberally speaking) the entire thing without a lyric sheet along with the record at the top of my lungs (and range) and with the accents when the house was empty or (alone) in the car. Oy vey.
