The Living Years

by Mike Rutherford

'The Living Years' spans the entire history of Genesis, from the earliest days as a school band to the triumphant 2007 reunion tour when Genesis played to over 500,000 people in Rome. But this is not just another rock'n'roll memoir. This is also a book about two men whose lives and complex relationship reflect the seismic social and cultural shifts that took place during the 20th century.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Memoir, History

290 pages, Paperback

First published July 20, 2014

About the author

Michael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford was born the son of Annette and Crawford Rutherford on October 02, 1950 at 7.30p.m. in Surrey, in the south of England. He has a sister four years his elder, Nicolette. His youth was influenced by the navy since his father was Captain at the Navy Gunnery School in Portsmouth. When Mike was six, his father retired. The family moved to Cheshire and Crawford found a job in industrial management. At the age of seven, Mike was sent to a boarding school. He attended The Leas in Hoylake near Liverpool. At that time he first came into contact with music and found that he wanted to learn how to play the guitar. His parents bought him his first instrument, a 6-string nylon guitar. His sister influenced his musical taste because she would listen to Elvis and The Everly Brothers at that time. Mike experienced his first concert with his parents. They took him to see Cliff Richard and The Shadows at the Palace in Manchester. These early musical impressions led to Mike buying his first electric guitar – to the ‘delight’ of this father who from that time on had to deal with the neighbours complaining about the ‘noise’ coming out of the house. With his school buddy Dimitri Griliopoulos and another friend he formed his first band, The Chesters. They would rehearse songs like Sweet For My Sweet for a school concert.




In September 1964 Mike entered Charterhouse School. His first year there was “terrifying”. He had to find his feet in this very strict world. Luckily, he soon met Anthony Phillips, another Charterhouse pupil, with whom he got along very well. Mike was influenced by The Beatles, The Small Faces, The Kinks and The Rolling Stones in these years. In early 1967 two Charterhouse bands, Anon (founded by Mike Rutherford and Anthony Phillips) and The Garden Wall, joined forces and became Genesis. Mike became the bass player in the new band. His strength, however, lay in playing the 12-string guitar, an instrument he grew to know and love. Over the years he would develop “an original and wonderful 12-string sound” (Tony Banks) with Anthony Phillips.
Luck and fate would have it that Genesis got a record contract thanks to a couple of well-made demo tapes and the nose of producer Jonathan King. In March 1969, they released their first album, From Genesis To Revelation. History took its course. October 1970 saw the release of Trespass. Some time before, in July or August 1970, Anthony Phillips had decided to leave Genesis. This must have been a hard blow for Mike. Both musicians had become close friends. The fact that Anthony’s successor-to-be Steve Hackett had to audition at Mike’s sick-bed before he was accepted showed how important working with Anthony had been for Mike and how determined he was to keep up and develop the special guitar sound he and Phillips had found.
During the next years there was a long string of fantastic Genesis records. Mike grew ever more competent at playing both the guitar and the bass guitar both on the records and countless live shows. The double-neck guitar became a long-time trademark of Mike Rutherford. He would use it up until the Mama tour of 1984. It was made up of a twelve-string part (upper neck) and a four-string part (lower neck). At first he used a Rickenbacker double-neck, but later he switched to a Shergold product. Supper’s Ready was the reason why Mike began to use a double-neck guitar. This opus (released in 1972 on the Foxtrot album) has many fast changes, and he just could not work with two instruments. That was why he chose “this big heavy object hanging round my neck”, as Mike put it.

Another anecdote about guitars. Let’s hear Mike himself: „I used to play the original ‚stick’ Steinberger which looked quite ridiculous because I am so tall… I asked Steinberger whether they could change the design for me. They said no, as a small company they could not afford custom jobs. So one night I laid my guitar on a big sheet of cardboard and drew up the

Reviews

[Chris James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great memoir, but also a missed opportunity

For dyed-in-the-wool Genesis fans this book is a must-read: the first memoir by one of only two of the band’s members who’ve been there since the very beginning. However, for the casual Genesis or Mike + The Mechanics fan, there really isn’t much which hasn’t been dealt with in more depth in other biographies. As a genre, the autobiography tends to succeed depending on how controversial it is. While there is the occasional surprising revelation in The Living Years, there are very few indiscretions.

The most entertaining aspect is of course the first-person immediacy; reading about events in Genesis’s history from someone who was there, whereas until now Genesis fans have had to make do with third-person biographies (the most thorough being 2007’s Chapter and Verse). But Rutherford’s life is not only about the music. His father was a captain in the Royal Navy who saw action during World War Two. Interestingly, Rutherford junior draws parallels between his own career and his father’s, so at the beginning of the book we get excerpts from Rutherford senior’s unpublished memoirs as well.

This is a highly enjoyable literary device which, unfortunately, only lasts for around the first third of the book. Once Rutherford junior has joined Genesis, the emphasis is very much on the band, and the author proceeds chronologically through the Genesis discography until his father passes away in 1986, when Rutherford was in the middle of the Invisible Touch tour. Afterwards, he goes through Mike + The Mechanics very quickly, and 2007’s Turn It On Again tour is also not dealt with in any depth.

I can’t help feeling that this memoir should have been substantially longer. The literary device of using excerpts from his late father’s unpublished memoirs was excellent, and should have been kept up throughout the whole book. In addition, I think Rutherford could have said a great deal more on how he created his music: we do get descriptions, especially of songs like The Living Years and Land of Confusion, but I finished this book wishing he’d spent several thousand more words going into a lot more depth. On the one hand, perhaps he feels there’s not that much more to be said, but on the other I think a lot of people are very interested and would have appreciated a greater creative analysis. Certainly a missed opportunity.

Also, on my Kindle version there were around fifteen significant typographical issues: a few repeated words, a number of words which ran together, and - unforgivably for a traditionally published book - two instances of “less” which should have been “fewer”. However, these mistakes did not spoil my enjoyment of the book, and I point them out only because, as a traditionally published book, potential readers are being asked to pay top money for it.

In summary: absolutely a must-read for serious Genesis fans, it’s like having a private interview with Rutherford; some parts are surprisingly personal and more revealing than information in previous Genesis biographies. It is a joy to read about events in Genesis’s history from Rutherford’s own perspective. For the casual fan, there is still much to enjoy, and this is a wonderful insight into the evolution of the greatest rock band in the world. The only drawback is the book’s brevity - it could have, and really should have, been quite a bit longer than it is.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice light read if you're looking for a break between some weightier stuff, and if you happen to be an old-school Genesis fan, which I am.

Another reviewer compared this to reading Ringo's memoir of the Beatles, which is clever; but like so many clever comments isn't really accurate. While not the most famous member of Genesis, Rutherford was certainly a key player from the beginning. And while both Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins went on to bigger fame post-Genesis, I personally like Rutherford's solo work - both his "Smallcreep's Day" concept project* and some of his Mike and the Mechanics songs - better than that of either Collins or Steve Hackett (who preceded Rutherford in going solo); although Gabriel remains in a class of his own.

PERSONAL NOTE: I met Genesis briefly during their first American tour in 1972. I'd seen them play at RIT in upstate New York, after which I ran into the whole band sliding around the school's hockey rink in their shoes while the roadies broke down the stage. Nice young guys just starting out - Rutherford must have been...23? Gabriel had his weird reverse Mohawk then, and I remember him asking me if there was anyplace in town where he could catch a Fellini movie - which seems like such a typical Gabriel thing. I then actually met them a second time in 1977, when they played Binghamton in not-quite-as-upstate New York. I had won a radio call-in contest for tickets and a chance to meet the band backstage, where I did the "hey guys, remember me?" thing to some of the blankest stares you've ever seen.


(Taken from my front row "winner's" seat during the Binghamton concert, playing the same guitar as on the book jacket)

So good memories, and this book not only got me listening to their old music again, but checking out some of their later stuff from our surprisingly well-stocked local library (as an early fan, I like their longer songs with Gabriel more than their later "pop hits," so not about to spend more money on them unless I find something I really like).

That said, this ain't literature. Rutherford's writing is fairly workmanlike, although I did enjoy the interweaving of his father's own unpublished diary with Mike's own story - maybe because I also miss my own dad so much. Cover of the book is really nice (at least the US edition, which is a not-so-subtle play on the "Lamb Lies Down" album design)...


Anyway...solid recommend for anyone who grew up in the prog-rock '80's with groups like Yes, King Crimson, ELP, Asia and the like. (And if you enjoyed this, you might also like David Weigel's The Show That Never Ends: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock.)

* Smallcreep's Day...ah, now that is one weird book, and about the strangest choice I can think of to use as the basis of a concept album, much less someone's first solo project - so kudos to Rutherford for a pretty ballsy move. But as it turned out, the music was surprisingly good, and is something I still listen to today, some 30 years later, (sadly, it's hard to find anymore as a CD, but if you're younger than me you can probably download it somewhere). I only found and read the original book after The Living Years sparked my curiosity, but was then amazed to see that even though it was written in 1973, today it still has less than 150 or so ratings here on GR. So if you want to read something really trippy, give the book a try and help make this a future cult classic! You can see my review at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Mark Hanneman · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story of Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford’s childhood and music career. I didn’t read any shocking revelations though his view on the band members friendship was insightful. Additionally, the reason Gabriel and Hackett departed Genesis was new to me. I found chapters 12-end were an easier read than the first 11. Finally, Rutherford’s heartfelt description of the relationship with his Royal Navy father and subsequent tribute via the Mike and the Mechanics song, “The Living Years” is memorable... read it.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one book that has so much more meaning to it than just the autobiography of a famous musician or of covering the history of a famous band. Yes it does do that but it also reaches down into the depths of the human heart to play the chords there while reminding so many of us that priorities usually change throughout our years but there are priorities that should never change.

First of all I do want to just throw out what I didn't like since it is so little. Due to I got an ARC mine apparently wasn't even close to the final format so even though there is a page stating there are two sections while having pictures included this one didn't. Honestly I think that would have provided a even more in-depth to the story of the band while giving it a firm foundation as the background to the emotional story.

The book itself isn't a clear A-to-B history of Genesis as they have been around too long so it would have been too hard to come up with an actual history that just fits in 236 pages. What it does do, though, is offer insights into the band from their earliest years as they struggle to stick together, to make music that touches the world and how they changed to fit domestic life or tragedies. It also skims over how times have changed in this confusing world although it is funny to see how the "times" were given more detail in the beginning of the years while towards the '80s then later there was just a mention of the date or a basic what happened with very light touch on the details of that decade.

But what makes this book special is there will be so many that can relate to it on an emotional level. My own father passed away in 2013 while he was of the old school generation that never talked emotions while having too much expectations of his firstborn although unlike Mike's father he was never truly supportive. There came a timeframe where we clashed more than anything else while after August 2005 I never saw him again. Meanwhile our conversations on the phone were so wilted that it was better not to ever have them. And yet there are times - days when I wish things had been different.

Mike takes the opportunities to show how supportive his father was of him and how he lived in his shadow. It was that dark and rigid shadow of his father that made him think they were nothing alike but when he found the words of his father he found they had so much more in common while it was the shadow of Genesis that was also rigidly unchanging in keeping him away from his own loved ones, blinded against their own needs.

And in the shadow of age and wisdom it proves that we copy those that we find most influential whether it be for good or bad. And that their ghosts just linger outside while the best times and the best memories are sometimes never made thus we end up regretting the loss of not just the person but why things couldn't have been different in all of our lives.

Now I need to find a happy and upbeat book to drive away Harry Chapin's song "Cat's In the Cradle", which is stuck in my head:

I've long since retired, my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind"
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and kids have the flu
But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad
It's been sure nice talking to you"

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He'd grown up just like me
My boy was just like me - Harry Chapin "Cat's In the Cradle"

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a four star rating because it was so good I couldn't put it down, but because Genesis were my childhood heroes and an insider look is what a fan wants. I often think of how bands like Genesis, Yes, Roxy Music, Bowie (and the list goes on) were so influential in how I viewed the world and had a part in formulating the person that I would become and even am now.

Now let me be clear, I consider Genesis to be the band that had Peter Gabriel as the lead singer and just about everything from that era is pure gold. The music from that Genesis was like nothing you had ever heard before although they sat among other bands with similar styles such as Yes, King Crimson, etc. I would allow one post Gabriel Genesis album in among the greats and that would be Trick of the Tail. This is Genesis and anything that followed should not have been called Genesis.

Now, before all you post Gabriel (Genesis) fans start jumping all over me and telling me that Phil Collins was a true innovator and musical genius, let me say that I somewhat agree. If Phil et al had recognized that the new music they were about to create deserved a different name other than Genesis, it would have sat much better with their root fans. There were some brilliant moments from that form of the band, but it certainly was not Genesis. It was a new pop group that had strong influences from Genesis and therefore should have been called something different. Without Peter Gabriel, there is no Genesis. Not to mention, that most of the albums from the new Genesis couldn't pull it off for the entire album; there were too many cheesy sections and some downright bad or at least uninspired.

Mike's book, for me, told me what I wanted to know and I was happy he didn't spend too much time bad-mouthing his mates, however I got the impression that he didn't have too much regard for Steve Hackett, personally, but did rave about his talent. Mike also tries to correlate his life to that of his dad by putting in sections of his dad's own memoir in the book which does no harm to the story, actually gave it a little charm.

Love Genesis, wish I could have seen them with Gabriel. Missed it by 2 years, but the show I saw was fantastic.

[Ron S · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit like having the first Beatles memoir penned by Ringo, The Living Years' chief merit could be that any scraps are better than none for mad fans of the band. This book is very much an autobiography of not only Rutherford's life, but also that of his father, who wrote an unpublished memoir of his time in the Navy, much of it included here, verbatim. If you come to this book wanting a lot of detail of the band's early years you'll mostly be disappointed, given the amount of time spent in its 239 pages detailing the author's relationship with his father, those transcribed passages,life at public school and more recent years playing polo or putting together Mike and the Mechanics albums. Still, as with the odd song he's written over the years (You Have Your own Special Way) it's not without its charms. And if it inspires or goads Peter Gabriel into writing his own version, all the better.

[Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked it up and read it in a few days, which for me us unheard of with a book. I've read quite a few Genesis books, but this gives a different dimension to the history - more personal views of what the band were doing in their daily lives, rather than totally music-focused, which is what you'd expect from the words of an actual member. It touches on their family lives, the roadies, friends and girlfriends, and Mike's personal view of the other members - their personalities and relationships which each other. If it has a flaw, it is that it is too short - there is much more room for extra discussion and details on the process of making each album, but evidently that is not what the book is really about - it is a bit missed though. Would be interesting to see similar memoirs from the other members, and see how Mike figured in their minds...

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genesis is one of my top 3 bands - just love them. Because my albums are on vinyl, I had not listened to them in a while and was wondering whether I would still love them as much as when I was younger. Bought the book on a whim and enjoyed it - a gentle read - the early life of these great bands (Pink Floyd, Rolling stones etc) was anything but rosy. Rutherfords' description of the way the band wrote the early songs made me think that perhaps the music wasn't really that good - his description - they were just cobbling stuff together as a result of wanting to include their own bits. I then spent a whole day listening to all my Genesis albums - that early stuff was SO good. Typical British understatement - do not be deceived by this memoir. Genesis was great because they found writing the music together difficult. The later stuff does just not compare.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a wonderful story by Mike Rutherford. I feel I better understand the history of his various bands and the interaction that occurred during the 1970s and 1980s. I am almost tempted to buy a copy of the book as released. I have an ARC that I received via the Goodreads First Reads program, and it does not include the pictures that are to be published. I would very much appreciate seeing them.

[F. Sandra Adjie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazingly compelling autobiography, as I end the book with tears. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Mike.

[Abbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet connecting it to his father’s memoir. A touching tribute.

Worth reading to learn Johnathan King wanted to bang Peter lmao

[Philtrum · Rating 2 out of 5]

With Tony Banks (keyboards), Rutherford (bass and guitar) is one of the two musicians to have been in the (progressive) rock band Genesis since its inception in the late 1960s. There have been numerous books written about Genesis and its most high profile members (Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins) but this is the first autobiography to have been published.

The son of a Royal Navy Captain, Rutherford was born in 1950. He went to boarding school from a young age and it was at Charterhouse that he met the other founding members of Genesis. Though critically acclaimed (to a degree) and attracting a loyal fan-base, it wasn’t until after Gabriel and (guitarist) Steve Hackett left, leaving the band reduced to a three-piece (Banks, Rutherford & Collins) in 1978, that Genesis became the globe-straddling, 1980s-dominating behemoth that most people born before 1970 will know (and, often, either love or hate!)

Rutherford uses the father/son device interestingly in the book. After his father died in 1986, Rutherford found his father’s diaries, relating not just to his naval career but also reflection on his life in industry after leaving the navy and on his son’s career as a professional musician.

Rutherford had a parallel career with Mike & The Mechanics. One of their biggest hits was ‘The Living Years’ (1989) which addresses a son's regret over unresolved conflict with his now-deceased father.

Rutherford includes multiple extracts from his father’s diaries throughout the book and repeatedly expresses regret that the relationship with his father wasn’t deeper or warmer than it was.

Received wisdom over the years has been that Banks and Rutherford were typical public school boys – stiff upper lips, reserved, not in touch with their emotions. Rutherford acknowledges this, and confirms it, but doesn’t really give the impression that he wishes it was otherwise.

If you’re not a Genesis fan I cannot think of a single reason you might want to read this book. If you’re after sordid details of the rock star life, you won’t find them here.

If you are a Genesis fan then, sadly, there’s still not much new here. Yes, sure, it’s the first book by a proper ‘insider’ but, really, it just confirms what we already knew.

The only really new information is just not that fascinating. He’s a bit late for a gig so needs a police escort to the venue! The limousine taking his wife to the airport breaks down so she has to hitch a ride! He forgets about a ‘stash’ in his bag and is searched by the police! He has to stay out of the UK for a year for tax purposes and it puts a bit of a strain on him and his family!

What I was hoping to learn was much more information about the departures of (a) Gabriel in 1975 and (b) Hackett in 1977. Rutherford says little, other than that the departing members just said: “OK, I’m off.” I suppose it’s all in keeping with that British Public School Stiff Upper Lip ™.

And I would have liked a lot more information on the writing/recording process. How, exactly, did they come up with the words and lyrics that have stuck with many of us for decades? Other than learning that they argued a lot – when they wrote the good stuff – and that they just jammed and the songs appeared as if by magic – the boring 80s stuff – we find out very little.

But that’s the great conundrum for a fan (like me) who was moved by the music of Genesis as a teenager and who still, nearly 40 years later, still finds much to enjoy in the Gabriel/Hackett-era (1970-1977) recordings. How could a group of young men (who went on to later produce such relatively anodyne music) produce such a powerful body of work? It must have been the chemistry, man.

Thus, if you’ve never heard of Mike Rutherford, you’ve absolutely no reason to read this, and if you have heard of him, you’ll learn little more should you decide to pick it up.

Perhaps Mike’s had a little too much marijuana over the years. He’s just a little too laid back, even now. A poke with a sharp stick might be in order… for all the (ex) member of Genesis – they’re all still alive, and that’s saying something – so they can get off their country gent backsides and gives the fans what they deserve for a lifetime of support. A Gabriel/Genesis reunion tour 2015? Fingers crossed.

4/10

[John Coates · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a fan of Genesis around the Nursery Crime and Foxtrot albums but sort of lost touch with them after that. However, I did see Mike and The Mechanics back in 1999 and was very impressed. This book gave me a lot of background information on both Mike Rutherford and the formation and progress of Genesis. I actually knew nothing about the individual members of Genesis other than their names prior to reading this book. I was quite surprised to discover that the original members came together at a British Public School (that is a fee paying school). All members obviously came from families that were not just scraping by. Certainly, very different backgrounds compared to, let’s say, Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath, who was very “working class” and would have had none of the privileges of the Charterhouse boys of Genesis. (I, too, grew up in a working class family with few luxuries. No car, but we did, from about 1960, have a telephone, which made us quite posh in the neighbourhood). Mike Rutherford tells a very interesting and informative story of his early years, and in particular, his Charterhouse days. It was a different world to the one I knew as a lad, so gave me an insight into not only Mike Rutherford, but of how more wealthy families and their children lived during the 1950s and 60s. It also reminds me of a Britain which is barely recognisable compared to the one today. It made me feel quite nostalgic. Mike, despite his families wealth, maybe because of it, did not have a completely easy time as a child. Being sent away to boarding school is a big challenge, and potentially quite traumatic. Nevertheless, it seems to have instilled in him a great sense of self reliance and shaped the man he became. Once we get beyond the childhood years, the book becomes a wonderful source of information as to how the dynamics of Genesis actually worked, and gives interesting insights into the personalities of the other members too. It is obvious that there is a great lasting bond between all the Genesis “family”. Towards the end of the book, Mike tells about the last time he saw his father alive. A very moving story. One which brought tears to my eyes. The song “The Living Years” sums it up. The book is a great read and I thoroughly recommend it.

[Jane Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a good book! Obviously I am a keen Genesis fan and have been since about 1974 when I was introduced to them by a school friend and was blown away by what I heard. I have read various other Genesis books years ago, but this one was quite different and refreshing since it was from the horse's mouth so to speak. Mike writes well and simply, you can feel it comes from the heart and doesn't hold back on his misdemeanours or others. I believe Tony Banks felt that Mike had been a bit dismissive about him apparently, but I can't see that and feel that the love and affection he has for all the members of the group shines through and think he feels like they are the brothers he never had. Fascinating read for a Genesis fan certainly, but others might like it as well. It's a nice touch that he ties it in with his father's diary as well. Will still be listening to Genesis when I am in my care home I expect!

[Bob Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Rutherford writes a wonderful autobiography, taking us through his life both personally and professionally. He gives insights into Genesis - the music he helped to write, the relationships in the band, the changes in those relationships as people moved into the band (Phil Collins and Steve Hackett) and out of the band (Ant Phillips, Peter Gabriel, Hackett), and the synergy he experienced with Collins and bandmate Tony Banks. He shares insights into the experiences of being in the young and fledgling band and the incredible fame that came later. What I liked (especially after reading the relatively weak autobiography from Phil Collins) was the balance he gave to the inner workings of the bands and the writing of the music with his personal life and his relationship with his father. Rutherford comes across as very genuine and astonishingly humble. The book had humor as well, telling stories that only a rock musician could tell. Well worth the read.

[Brian Katz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book, easy to read. I had read Phil’s book some time ago too. Genesis is one of my favorite bands and to learn of the workings of the group from the inside from Rutherford was a welcome joy. A good history of how the boys connected in life and then in music. It worked through all of their albums, which covers the very early 1970’s through the mid 1990’s. Quit an accomplishment. My favorite music from Genesis came form the Peter Gabriel era - much more prog and less commercial. But Rutherford did a great job of reminding me / convincing me the value of their more commercial tunes, which appear to be the music he, Tony and Phil really enjoyed playing live. I did see them a few times and always appreciated their live performances, it was always a great evening of music.

Next up, I’m going to read Without Frontiers, the life and music of Peter Gabriel.

[Eric Leblanc · Rating 5 out of 5]

To my surprise I really enjoyed this book. So far I read Phil's and Steve's, and Pete's is on my table to be read next, as I wanted to finish with his story since I thought it would be the most interesting. But Mike's book really capture the story of Genesis, the band history, the personality of each member of the band.

[Jean-Paul Keulen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice autobiography by bass player and guitarist Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike and the Mechanics). Not sure whether to award it three or four stars; as a fan of Genesis, I enjoyed reading the book a lot - but I really would have liked some more details on the writing and recording of the albums.

[Paul McAvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read!

[Ben Jeapes · Rating 4 out of 5]

After his time in Genesis (bass and guitar), Michael John Cloete Crawford Rutherford is probably best known for his song ‘The Living Years’ by Mike & the Mechanics, which is a kind of moving, kind of twee song in which an estranged son wishes he’d known his dad better. In actual fact Rutherford and his dad had a pretty close relationship. His father was a navy captain and WW2 veteran who expected his public school educated son to go into something suitably public schooly. Alas, young Michael fell in with disreputable company like Mr & Mrs Gabriel’s little boy and discovered rock’n’roll. But far from blowing his lid, Captain Rutherford was 100% behind him. When he realised Mike was serious about the music business, he phoned around all the Genesis parents and persuaded everyone to crowdfund the group so that the lads could buy decent equipment. Thereafter this WW2 veteran, one of the ones who sent the Bismarck to the bottom, faithfully followed Genesis wherever they went on tour, cotton wool strategically inserted in ears. A trick he probably learned when he was C.O. of a naval gunnery school.

But what really makes this work is that, after his dad’s death, Mike found a copy of his unpublished autobiography in the attic. Excerpts of which he publishes as he goes, parallelling his career with his father when they are in the same place (decades apart) or at the same age. Father and son write with the same wry, dry sense of humour.

This answers a question that bugged me when I discovered Genesis in my own public school years: how exactly would my own parents react if after my extremely expensive education, for which they made sacrifices, I decided to join a rock band? Of course, Rutherford could probably pay his fees back in spades by now, which may be some kind of consolation. The same thought might have occurred to the parents of Chris Martin, another stupidly rich public school educated rock star – and even better, Captain & Mrs Rutherford never had to put up with Gwyneth Paltrow as a daughter-in-law: so, win all round.

Interested to see that the gradual commercialisation of the Genesis sound from the late 70s onwards wasn’t just down to the pernicious influence of Phil Collins, as I’ve always imagined: Rutherford is quite happy to own up to it on behalf of all three of them as the natural development of their music. And I will concede that not developing at all – even if every album was A Trick of the Tail – would get dull. But. Still. Hmm.

[Lulasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Setting aside the fact that I'm a huge Genesis fan and that I ended up crying with the photos at the end, objectively speaking, I think it's a really good autobiography. Mike really is a great author, he managed to capture the entire atmosphere of each stage of his life before the band and then, and the personality of each character. I also loved how he shared his point of view on everything that happened in the band with an ironic but totally sincere tone, I burst out laughing several times at some interesting facts. I suppose (although it's pretty clear) that the main theme is gratitude towards his father; with great intelligence, he takes every opportunity to mention how his father was a support for him, consciously or not. I'm sure his father would be very proud of him. It's a really emotional book. Thanks, Mike, for this book and for the music.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a deep book about Genesis, it's a heartwarming book of a child looking up to his dad. Almost everything related to Genesis is told in a shallow way, making the reader possibly feel as though Mike Rutherford was just kind of bumbling through his career, barely remembering any of it in great detail. It's funny in parts, it's written simply, and the key point he tries to get across is one of family. I was hoping to find more about the music of Genesis itself, but there wasn't much there. I still read this book very quickly and enjoyed it despite my disappointment in the Genesis-related department.

[Michael Citro · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short but sweet look at the life of Genesis bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford. It's a fast read due to length but also because of style. Mike weaves his own experiences through passages of his father's memoirs, drawing parallels to his life on the road with that of his father, who spent so many years in the Navy. It almost glosses over some of his band's biggest milestones but that's the lone drawback. Mike was always a man of few words in interviews, and so it was with his memoir. Still, it's a worthwhile read for any Genesis fan.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciate Rutherford for writing this book. The most interesting books about a band often come from the band members themselves. But there is plenty of background story of just him prior to the genesis of Genesis as well as information about Mike + the Mechanics, etc. But it's mostly Genesis. Still, what we get is a rather disjointed tale in which Rutherford talks about whatever memories come to mind during a certain era. Sometimes it's very refreshing as these stories could likely only come from a band member. But it's also maddening at times. For example, in the chapter on one of my favorite Genesis albums, Abacab, Rutherford rambles on about stage lighting and barely talks about the making of the album. We also don't get much insight into how his life changed with fame. There's no doubt that they became mega stars but it took some time. The way the book is written, you would have no idea he became a rich man (in regards to money).

It's a quick read, and in the end, it's a good deal of fun. It's also touching at times as he talks about his relationship with his father (but ironically very little about his mother). I get tired of reading about all the discord among band members, but you won't find that here. These guys had a great relationship, and that's truly what made them special.

[Allan Heron · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely memoir that Mike Rutherford has written. It tells of his life up to the end of the Genesis reunion tour, but through the prism of his father's life. He was a dedicated navy man but there were many parallels between the lives of father and son.

Rutherford has a dry wit and whilst nothing is revealed likely to cause offence to anyone involved, the dynamics which helped Genesis to their lengthy career are very apparent.

Well worth reading.

[Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than I expected to. I knew it dived into his relationship with his father quite a bit (based on the reviews) but I didn't feel it detracted from the story at all. I think it adds to understanding some of his motivations. As a Genesis fan since the 70's, I really enjoyed hearing more about the background on the formation of the band, the impact of the lineup changes, the recording of the albums, etc.

If you're a Genesis fan, I'd definitely give it a read.

[Diane]

As far as content, nothing super revelatory about the band or his music. But the structure, making liberal use of quotations from his father's unpublished memoir, gives the story a little extra as Rutherford draws parallels between his experiences on the road and his father's as a naval officer. If you're a fan, well worth the read.

[Sacha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Introduced some interesting new anecdotes into the overall Genesis story. Also good to hear it from one of the boys.
The end peters out a bit as about 20+ years is covered in just over a chapter. Which is a shame as it is a time that not much information has been available.

[Gordon Withers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging, interesting and funny

A very honest and insightful account of both the music and the interwoven relationships that have always made Genesis a fascinating band, a good read👍

[Al Sawicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huge Genesis fan and loved this book!

If you're a fan of Genesis then you have to read this book. I wad luck to have seen then in the early 80s and again in 2000s. It was great learning the back story of how the band formed and their creative process.