The Revelation Station

Woooooooo! Welcome to the Revelation Station! Join us for a spooky Halloween tale from the deranged minds that brought you “Keep Talking” and “Desert Island Dix”.

This very special episode features a story to chill your cocoa. Have you ever wondered what might happen if your car broke down in the middle of nowhere? And if the only house for miles around was a farmhouse with no broadband? Would a chill of terror run down your spine? Find out what could happen in this blood-curdling episode.

Claws and Effect is written by Gary Starr and performed by Simon Heldreich, with Richmond Leishi as The Man. Produced and Sound Engineered in Studio 2 by Simon Heldreich.

If you haven’t died of fright and are reading this, we appreciate your support. So here’s a special offer for all listeners of The Revelation Station. For a limited time you can get 3 months of Amazon Music Unlimited for absolutely FREE! (Terms and Conditions apply, £7.99 per month after free period for Prime members). By clicking this link and signing up, Amazon will also give some money to the podcast, you’d be helping us out and also getting access to over 70 million songs. It’s literally a win/win situation.

If you want to demonstrate that support in a non-Amazony way you can do so by clicking on this link and contributing the price of a coffee to the running of the podcast. All donations will go towards the running cost of the website and recording equipment, or possibly paying for a lawyer to get me off an animal endangerment charge.

If you’d like to share your thoughts about this album or your opinions of the episode, you can email us at [email protected], leave a comment below or join our Facebook group. We would love to hear from you.

Once upon a time…

Two grown men, who really should know better, decided to start a podcast. They used to write together and hadn’t for a long time, and one of the men thought it would be a fun thing to do. The other went along with it for an easy life.

They started a podcast reviewing Genesis albums, at first they pretended to be in a pub (Oh, sorry SPOILERS) but gradually they started to flex their creative muscles and created more and more elaborate scenarios to put their “characters” through. After 30 episodes, and 2 years, they ended the story on an epic cliffhanger. They promised to continue the story.

Then a worldwide pandemic hit so they started doing weekly podcasts. Which brings us, eventually, to Episode 50. In this landmark episode we revisit the best of Genesis by selecting our 10 favourite tracks and saying why we like them. That’s it. As simple as that.

Oh, and we bring you the untold origin of our exclusive archive recordings in an all new adventure that we call “Deep Throat” (much to Simon’s discomfort). So sit back, relax with a delicious beverage and Please Enjoy!

Thank you to everyone who has listened to any of the last 50 episodes. We really appreciate your support. If you want to demonstrate that support in a monetary way you can do so by clicking on this link and contributing the price of a coffee. All donations will go towards the running cost of the website and recording equipment, not buying a Deluxe Edition of the new Fish album “Weltschmertz” (I’ve already got it).

If you’d like to share your thoughts about the last 50 episodes, or tell us what you’ve enjoyed so far, you can email us at [email protected], leave a comment below or join our Facebook group. We would love to hear from you.

Greetings listeners and welcome to the last, for now, weekly episode of The Revelation Station! This week we take a dive into the troubled waters of divorce in the company of Phil Collins. Here we have an album NOT based on a concept for a change, but that doesn’t mean that the songs contained here aren’t all of a similar theme.

Released in February 1981, almost exactly a year after Mike Rutherford’s debut solo effort, this shows a more reflective side to Phil who was writing the songs in the aftermath of his first divorce. Returning to the UK in mid 1979, Phil found Mike & Tony both in the middle of making their debuts, which meant he had plenty of free time to write and reflect. Roping in such world class musicians as Eric Clapton, L.Shankar and the Phenix Horns, Phil weaves an album of love and loss lead by the number 2 hit single “In The Air Tonight”.

But all of that doesn’t matter if it’s not very good does it? So what do Simon and Gary think of it? Well, SPOILER ALERT, they have almost directly opposing views on the album. Which song reflects Simon’s current real life? Which song stopped Gary from driving his car into a bollard? And what shocking bombshell do we end the episode on? Find out all this and more by clicking play on the episode below.

NEXT EPISODE: Will be our 50th episode. Join us soon for that one.

So thank you for reading this far. We appreciate your support. If you want to demonstrate that support in a monetary way you can do so by clicking on this link and contributing the price of a coffee to the running of the podcast. All donations will go towards the running cost of the website and recording equipment, not saving up in case I want to get a divorce one day.

If you’d like to share your thoughts about this album or your opinions of the episode, you can email us at [email protected], leave a comment below or join our Facebook group. We would love to hear from you.

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends (“please God will it ever end”, I hear you cry. The answer is “No”). In this week’s fun filled episode we return from furlough and spend some time with Mike Rutherford as he experiences Smallcreep’s Day. Here’s the second solo to be based on a Science Fiction book, although this one only has a single sided concept.

Released in February 1980, only a month or so before Duke, this album finds Mike reunited with his Genesis compadre Ant Phillips to craft not only the story of Pinquean Smallcreep, but several stand alone tracks. Side One (or Two if you have the American release) tells Smallcreep’s tale acros 7 tracks, crucially changing the ending of the book to a more upbeat conclusion. Side Two features 5 tracks unrelated to each other and the story, which see Mike flexing his songwriting muscles.

On the factory floor, the grand parade of lifeless packaging (Gary) experiences this album for the very first time! Will he like it more or less than A Curious Feeling? Well, you know how to find out? That’s right, click the link and experience a rare archive recording of Mike and Ant in the studio, find out which 1980s artist stole Mike’s whole sound and gasp in wonder as an argument is averted before it even begins! Will wonders never cease?

NEXT EPISODE: Face Value by Phil Collins

So thank you for reading this far. We appreciate your support, even if you didn’t enjoy this album, by listening you’ve shown that you love us. If you want to prove how much, you can support us by clicking on this link and contributing the price of a coffee to the running of the podcast. All donations will go towards the running cost of the website and recording equipment. Mostly it goes on the website fees, it would be nice to have enough to stop Gary moaning, but every little helps (as Tesco say).

If you’d like to share your thoughts about this album (or the next in the sequence) or your opinions of the episode, you can email us at [email protected], leave a comment below or join our Facebook group. We would love to hear from you.

It’s the third week of our weekly Solo Genesis album reviews. Up this week is the first album by the man called “the only indispensible member of Genesis” (by none other than their manager) Tony Banks! The first of two solo albums based on Science Fiction novels (the other being Mike Rutherford’s Smallcreep’s Day), A Curious Feeling, has Tony exploring themes of self awareness and loss.

Released in October 1979, this album features Tony playing all the intruments bar drums, which are played by Genesis live man Chester Thompson, with vocals from Kim Beacon of String Driven Thing. Across 11 tracks, Tony weaves the story of a man who gains intelligence and love, only to lose everything. Like you do. Many Genesis fans consider this the peak of solo output, but was the critical mauling it got on release justified? You already know what you think, you’re only here to find out what we think. And that’s easy to fix, just click play.

Regaining their memories for the first time, Simon and Gary explore the soundscapes contained on this keyboard heavy debut. Sit back with a beer and listen with us as Gary experiences the album for the very first time. What impression will it make? Is this lost Genesis album as so many fans assert? What was it like at the very first public playback of the album? And how exactly did Tony come to record the album almost single handedly? All these questions and more will be answered in this thrilling episode. This episode is so thrilling you shouldn’t listen if you have a heart condition! Consider yourself warned.

NEXT EPISODE: Smallcreep’s Day by Mike Rutherford

So thank you for reading this far. We appreciate your commitment, especially if you like this album and you’ve listened to the episode. If you forgive us and want to prove it, you can support us by clicking on this link and contributing the price of a coffee to the running of the podcast. All donations will go towards the running cost of the website and recording equipment. I might buy a new mixer or something.

If you’d like to share your thoughts about this album (or the next in the sequence) or your opinions of the episode, you can email us at [email protected], leave a comment below or join our Facebook group. We would love to hear from you.

In the second of our weekly look at the solo Genesis catalogue we turn our attentions to Peter Gabriel’s first solo album entitled…er…Peter Gabriel. Or Car if you prefer. Or even Peter Gabriel 1. Listen you need to decide for yourself because it’s only going to get more confusing when he releases more albums.

Anyway, released in 1977 this is the first of 4 self titled albums by the former Genesis frontman. It followed a period of activity which involved, amongst other things, a collaboration with comedian Charlie Drake. This is an album of varied sounds and styles recorded with a band of musicians who had never met Peter before. Some of them would go on to work with him for many years to come. It also features collaborations with Robert Fripp of King Crimson and uber-producer Bob Ezrin. And there are surprises! I mean, how many other prog rock stars would do a barbershop quartet on an album. Apart from Robert Fripp, yes. Name one more!

Back in the room, Simon and Gary discuss the album and it’s many twists and turns. What does Gary think Moribund The Burgermeister is about? What interpretation of Solsbury Hill does Simon reject completely? Is it possible that Gary could be wrong about one particular track on the album and how boring it is? Where will this album come on the “Solo Leaderboard”? And for the first time anywhere we present archive recordings of actual events that happened at the time. Don’t delay, listen now and find out.

NEXT EPISODE: A Curious Feeling by Tony Banks.

So thank you for reading this far. We appreciate your commitment. If you want to return that appreciation, you can support us by clicking on this link and contributing the price of a coffee to the running of the podcast. All donations will go towards the running cost of the website and recording equipment. NOT towards booze, no matter what Gary might tell you.

If you’d like to share your thoughts about this album (or the next in the sequence) or your opinions of the episode, you can email us at [email protected], leave a comment below or join our Facebook group. We would love to hear from you.

Welcome back to The Revelation Station! For the second season of the show we have decided to have a listen to some of the solo albums released by the band members. We’re going to do them in order of release, rather than each artist individually. That means the honour of the first episode goes to Mr Steve Hackett.

Released in 1975, Voyage of the Acolyte is the first of 25 albums by everyone’s favourite Genesis guitarist (sorry Ant but you know it’s true). Written across several years and recorded in the immediate aftermath of Peter quitting the band, this is often regarded as a lost Genesis record and with good reason. It features tracks that were rehearsed by the band for such classic albums as Foxtrot and Selling England By The Pound. Which ones? Hey, I’m not telling you everything here! I need you to listen to the podcast, what am I? A transcript?

Gasp as Simon tells you which track was the first Steve Hackett song he heard! Chuckle as Gary gets things wrong! Shout as they inevitably dislike one of the tracks you really love! And as a bonus, this episode features a very rare, never heard before archive recording of Steve pitching the album to Tony Stratton Smith for the very first time. What will his reaction be? Listen to find out.

NEXT EPISODE: Peter Gabriel

So thank you for reading this far. We appreciate your commitment. If you want to return that appreciation, you can support us by clicking on this link and contributing the price of a coffee to the running of the podcast. All donations will go towards the running cost of the website and recording equipment. NOT towards booze, no matter what Gary might tell you.

If you’d like to share your thoughts about this album (or the next in the sequence) or your opinions of the episode, you can email us at [email protected], leave a comment below or join our Facebook group. We would love to hear from you.

Hello dear listeners and welcome to Desert Island Dix.

This weeks guest is the beloved childrens entertainer and balloon animal enthusiast Simon Heldreich. What 10 albums will Simon choose as the most influential in his life? Join us for this riveting conversation as Simon takes us on a winding musical journey, calling at politics, getting into fights and the best portable music devices.

If you’re reading this before midday on 6th July 2020 then there is still time for you to vote for us in the British Podcast Awards Listeners Choice. Click this link and search for The Revelation Station. You can vote for as many podcasts as you like, but only once each.

If you want to support the running of the podcast you can got to Buy Me A Coffee, search Revelation Station and donate the cost of a coffee.
Why not join us on Facebook where there is no beginning to the fun we have.

Join us in the future for another fascinating guest. In the meantime you can email us any feedback to [email protected].

Hello dear listeners and welcome to Desert Island Dix.

This weeks guest is the popular podcaster, author and producer Gary Starr. What 10 albums will Gary choose as the most influential in his life? Join us for this riveting conversation as Gary takes us through his life in music, and reveals all about being a loner at college, judging records by their covers and Showaddywaddy.

If you’re reading this before midday on 6th July 2020 then there is still time for you to vote for us in the British Podcast Awards Listeners Choice. Click this link and search for The Revelation Station. You can vote for as many podcasts as you like, but only once each.

If you want to support the running of the podcast you can got to Buy Me A Coffee, search Revelation Station and donate the cost of a coffee.
Why not join us on Facebook where there is no beginning to the fun we have.

Join us next week for another fascinating guest. In the meantime you can email us any feedback to [email protected].

Greetings to all of our Lockdown listeners and welcome to our tenth episode of Keep Talking.

In this episode we have a chat about the 1996 album Casanova by The Divine Comedy. Find out what the boys think of the album, whether they pick up on the *ahem* subtle innuendos in the lyrics, what’s Gary drinking this week and which track is their favourite?

Please support the charity of the week if you can.
Donate to the Samaritans
Casanova album
Venus, Cupid and Folly box set
Buy Me A Coffee
Join us on Facebook

Next episode we’ll be talking about something else. If you’d like to send us your thoughts and feedback on this episode, tell us some recommendations for future episodes or simply let us know what you’re doing to keep yourself sane, email us at [email protected].

Stay safe and Keep Talking!