Seconds Out is the second live album by the English progressive rock band Genesis. It was released as a double album on 14 October 1977 on Charisma Records, and was their first with touring drummer Chester Thompson and their last with guitarist Steve Hackett. The majority was recorded in June 1977 at the Palais des Sports in Paris during the Wind & Wuthering Tour. One track, "The Cinema Show", was recorded in 1976 at the Apollo in Glasgow during their A Trick of the Tail Tour.
Seconds Out received average to positive reviews upon its release, and reached No. 4 in the UK and No. 47 in the US. Hackett left the group to pursue a solo career while the album was being mixed, reducing Genesis to a core trio of keyboardist Tony Banks, guitarist/bassist Mike Rutherford, and drummer and singer Phil Collins. Seconds Out was reissued in 1994 and 2009, the latter as part of the Genesis Live 1973–2007 box set.
Background
thumb|right|Most of the album was recorded at the [[Palais des Sports (Paris)|Palais des Sports]]
In July 1977, the Genesis line-up of lead singer and drummer Phil Collins, keyboardist Tony Banks, bassist Mike Rutherford, guitarist Steve Hackett, and touring drummer Chester Thompson finished a seven-month tour supporting Wind & Wuthering (1976). For their next step, the group began the process of selecting live recordings that they had assembled in 1976 and 1977 for an official release and their first since Genesis Live (1973).
Seconds Out is compiled mostly from the band's five dates at the Palais des Sports in Paris between 12–14 June 1977 (two shows were performed on 12 June). Collins said the group considered the recordings made that year were superior in quality than the ones taken a year prior, and that his singing and Banks's keyboards sounded better compared to the previous tour. The run of shows in Paris allowed the band to spend more time on getting their performance and quality of the recordings right.
Hackett's departure
When Seconds Out was announced in the press on 8 October 1977, the news coincided with Hackett's departure from Genesis. He had announced his decision to the group two months earlier while cuts for the album were selected and mixed.
Release
Seconds Out was released on 14 October 1977. Charisma Records organised an extensive promotional campaign for the album that included double page spreads in newspapers, window displays, colour posters, and commercials on national radio. In the US, the album was released by Atlantic Records. It peaked at No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 47 on the US Billboard 200.
Reception
Hugh Fielder of Sounds gave the album five stars out of five. Rolling Stone praised the contemporary incarnation of the band, noting they had "less reliance on theatrics" than before Peter Gabriel's departure, "and an added dollop of jazz-rock inclinations".
Reissues
In 1994, a digitally remastered version was released on CD by Virgin Records in Europe and by Atlantic Records in the US. Seconds Out was reissued with new stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes completed by Nick Davis and released as part of the Genesis Live 1973–2007 box set in September 2009. On the original LP, "Dance on a Volcano" and "Los Endos" are banded as one track. This error was corrected on the box set. In November 2012, a 35th anniversary LP was pressed using the 2009 remix.
Track listing
All songs written by Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett and Mike Rutherford, except where noted.
Genesis
- Tony Banks – RMI Electra piano, Hammond T. organ, ARP Pro Soloist, Mellotron 400, Epiphone 12-string guitar, backing vocals
- Mike Rutherford – Shergold electric 12-string and bass guitar, 8-string bass guitar, Alvarez 12-string guitar, Moog Taurus bass pedals, backing vocals
- Steve Hackett – Gibson Les Paul, Hokada 12-string guitar
- Phil Collins – lead vocals, Premier and Gretsch drums
with
- Chester Thompson – Pearl drums, percussion (except "The Cinema Show")
- Bill Bruford – Ludwig and Hayman drums, percussion ("The Cinema Show" only)
Production
- Genesis – production
- David Hentschel – production
- Neil Ross – assistant production
- Armando Gallo – sleeve photos
- Robert Ellis – sleeve photos
- Graham Wood – sleeve photos
- A&D Design – sleeve layout
- Frank Sanson – art direction
- Tony Smith – management
- Alex Sim – management
- Brian Murray-Smith – management
The album's credits include details of which drummers are playing on each song. Mixed in with these credits are the notes "Robbery Assault & Battery – keyboard solo Phil" and "Cinema Show – Bill Bruford, Phil keyboard solo". This should be read to mean that Collins played the drums (along with Thompson or Bruford) during that solo, not that Collins played keyboards.
Charts
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Chart (1977–1978)
! Peak<br/>position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)
| align="center"| 74
|-
|-
!scope="row"| French Albums (SNEP)
| align="center"| 10
|-
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Italian Albums (Musica e dischi)
| style="text-align:center;"|7
|-
|-
|-
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Chart (2019)
! Peak<br/>position
|-
|-
|}
Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col" | Chart (1978)
! scope="col" | Position
|-
! scope="row" | German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)
| 35
|}