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| Three Sides Live | |
|---|---|
| Name | Three Sides Live |
| Type | live |
| Artist | Genesis |
| Released | 4 October 1982 |
| Recorded | June–July 1981; 1982 |
| Venue | Nassau Coliseum, Madison Square Garden, Wembley Stadium |
| Studio | The Farm, Surrey |
| Genre | Progressive rock, pop rock, art rock |
| Length | 93:11 |
| Label | Charisma, Atlantic, Virgin |
| Producer | Genesis, Hugh Padgham |
| Chronology | Genesis live albums |
| Prev title | Seconds Out |
| Prev year | 1977 |
| Next title | The Way We Walk |
| Next year | 1992 |
Three Sides Live is a 1982 live album by the English rock band Genesis, documenting performances from the band's 1981 and 1982 tours. The release captures material spanning Genesis's career, combining live renditions of songs from the Peter Gabriel era alongside tracks from the band's commercially successful post-Gabriel period with Phil Collins. The record was produced by the group with Hugh Padgham and issued on Charisma, Atlantic and Virgin labels.
Genesis recorded concerts during the 1981 Abacab Tour and the 1982 Six of the Best/Three Sides Live performances, with material captured at venues such as Nassau Coliseum, Madison Square Garden and Wembley Stadium. The band members—Phil Collins, Tony Banks, and Mike Rutherford—worked alongside touring musicians Daryl Stuermer and Chester Thompson, engaging engineers including Hugh Padgham and recording crews associated with Mobile III and various live sound companies. The tapes incorporated sources from multi-track remote recording rigs used previously on projects connected to Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett and Genesis's own studio sessions at The Farm. Production and mixing sessions took place at Trident Studios, Advision and the band's studio, involving re-editing and overdubs similar to processes employed by artists such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and David Bowie.
Three Sides Live was issued as a double LP, cassette and later as a double CD, with differing track orders between the vinyl and compact disc editions. The original vinyl presented two sides of live material and a third side of live songs from the 1970s and 1980s, while the fourth side comprised studio tracks including a new studio song. The setlist combined selections from albums such as Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Selling England by the Pound, A Trick of the Tail, Wind & Wuthering, Duke, Abacab and the self-titled Genesis album. Songs performed included compositions associated with Peter Gabriel-era pieces and Phil Collins-era hits, alongside medleys and instrumental passages comparable to live arrangements by Yes, King Crimson and Rush. Regional variations and single-disc edits mirrored distribution practices used by labels handling releases by Queen, The Rolling Stones and U2.
Released on 4 October 1982, the album entered charts in the United Kingdom, the United States and multiple European territories, following market patterns seen with releases by The Police, Elton John and Bruce Springsteen. Packaging choices influenced retail positioning with labels Charisma, Atlantic and Virgin coordinating promotion across radio formats that also serviced acts like Dire Straits and Fleetwood Mac. The record achieved certification milestones in markets tracked by the Recording Industry Association of America and the British Phonographic Industry, reflecting sales comparable to Genesis's studio albums from the era and contemporaneous live albums by Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and The Who.
Contemporary reviews compared Genesis's live presentation to peers such as Peter Gabriel (solo career), Phil Collins (solo career), Mike Oldfield and Roxy Music, with critics from publications that also covered artists like Rolling Stones, Elton John and Paul McCartney providing mixed appraisals. Commentators praised musicianship and stagecraft while debating the balance between complex progressive-era compositions and radio-friendly material, echoing discussions prevalent around artists such as Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Jethro Tull. Retrospective assessments have revisited the album in the context of Genesis's evolution alongside Phil Collins's solo success and the broader 1980s pop-rock landscape shaped by MTV, Prince and Michael Jackson.
The album's sleeve art and packaging followed visual approaches used by designers who worked with bands like Pink Floyd, Peter Saville's projects for Joy Division/New Order and Hipgnosis's covers for Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. The artwork incorporated photographs from live shows and studio imagery tied to The Farm, with credits acknowledging photographers and graphic designers who had collaborated with touring acts such as U2, David Bowie and The Clash. Regional pressings displayed variations in artwork and liner notes similar to practices by Island Records, Columbia Records and Virgin Records.
Performers: - Phil Collins – lead vocals, drums, percussion (also associated with collaborations with Eric Clapton, Brand X) - Tony Banks – keyboards (linked to work with Peter Gabriel-era musicians) - Mike Rutherford – guitar, bass (related to Mike + The Mechanics later projects) - Daryl Stuermer – guitar, bass (touring musician with Phil Collins and Genesis) - Chester Thompson – drums (touring drummer connected with Frank Zappa, Weather Report)
Production and technical: - Genesis – production (as with other bands producing live albums such as Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones) - Hugh Padgham – co-producer, engineer (known for work with Phil Collins, The Police, XTC) - Recording engineers and mobile units credited included crews with histories of working for Peter Gabriel, David Bowie and Elton John; mastering credited to engineers with credits on contemporary releases by Dire Straits and AC/DC.
The album occupies a place in Genesis's catalogue between the progressive period embodied by Peter Gabriel-era compositions and the accessible pop-rock era that defined Phil Collins's prominence, influencing live album strategies by acts like U2, Simple Minds and INXS. It informed setlist curation and live production values for later Genesis tours and contributed to the band's legacy alongside studio albums such as Duke, Abacab and Invisible Touch. Collectors and historians compare its mixes and track selections to other live documents from the era by artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Queen and Rush, noting its role in documenting transitional phases in popular music during the early 1980s.
Category:Genesis (band) live albums Category:1982 live albums