Mild Mannered Supermen - A Genesis Podcast

😢Sad Bastard Balladry

Two Phil Collins songs. Two completely different emotional journeys. One landmark Genesis album.

In this episode of Mild Mannered Supermen, we continue our deep dive into Genesis’ 1980 album Duke with two songs written by Phil Collins: “Misunderstanding” and “Please Don’t Ask.”

Both tracks originated as Collins compositions before finding a home on Duke, but they reveal very different sides of the drummer, singer, and emerging solo artist.

“Misunderstanding” brought a distinctly American pop-rock influence to Genesis, with an infectious groove, an irresistible chorus, and a sound that helped introduce the band to a wider audience. We explore its musical influences, the story behind the lyrics, and how it became one of Genesis’ early breakthrough singles in the United States.

“Please Don’t Ask” takes us somewhere far more personal. Written during the painful breakdown of Collins’ first marriage, the song offers a vulnerable glimpse into the emotional turmoil that would also shape his debut solo album, Face Value. It’s a beautifully understated performance that shows just how much Collins was evolving as a songwriter.

Together, these two tracks capture a fascinating turning point in Genesis history: the moment Phil Collins’ increasingly personal songwriting began helping shape the band’s commercial direction without completely abandoning its progressive rock identity.

Join Jarrett and Jake as we break down the music, the lyrics, the influences, and the stories behind these two remarkable songs.

In this episode:

The origins of “Misunderstanding” and its musical influences
How the song helped Genesis reach a broader American audience
The deeply personal story behind “Please Don’t Ask”
Phil Collins’ marriage breakdown and its impact on his songwriting
The connection between Duke and Face Value
How Collins’ songwriting helped shape the next chapter of Genesis
If you love Genesis, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Steve Hackett, or the golden age of progressive rock, you’re in the right place.

Subscribe to Mild Mannered Supermen for more Genesis album deep dives, classic rock discussions, song histories, and listening parties.

#Genesis #PhilCollins #Duke #Misunderstanding #PleaseDontAsk #ProgressiveRock #ClassicRock #FaceValue

SPECIAL THANKS: John Edgington Documentaries for the Phil Collins interview!

💃Kill What You Fear:

Join us for another Mild Mannered Supermen deep dive as we explore the legendary Duke Suite from Genesis’ 1980 album Duke — the six-song sequence made up of “Behind the Lines,” “Duchess,” “Guide Vocal,” “Turn It On Again,” “Duke’s Travels,” and “Duke’s End.”

Rather than treating these tracks as separate songs, we follow the story of Albert and Duchess as one continuous narrative: a relationship built on obsession, dependence, fantasy, and emotional imbalance. We talk about how Albert’s fixation on Duchess becomes increasingly unhealthy, how the story reflects codependency, and why the relationship would still feel surprisingly relevant in today’s world of social media, parasocial attachment, and online identity.

We also dig into one of the most important production moments in Genesis history: the emergence of the gated drum sound. In “Duke’s Travels,” Phil Collins’ drums feature the explosive gated effect that would soon become one of the defining sounds of the 1980s. The remarkable part is the timing — Duke was released before Peter Gabriel’s third solo album, meaning Genesis actually put the sound into the world before “Intruder” made it famous.

Along the way, we break down the musical links between the six tracks, the recurring themes that tie the suite together, and why the Duke Suite remains one of the most satisfying examples of Genesis blending progressive rock ambition with the tighter, more modern sound they were moving toward in 1980.

If you’re a fan of Genesis, Phil Collins, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, progressive rock, concept albums, or the evolution of 1980s production, this episode is for you.

🎧 Put on Duke and listen along as we unpack the full story and sound of the Duke Suite.
Album: Duke
Artist: Genesis
Released: 1980
Featured tracks: Behind the Lines, Duchess, Guide Vocal, Turn It On Again, Duke’s Travels, Duke’s End

Episode: Mild Mannered Supermen
#Genesis #Duke #DukeSuite #PhilCollins #TonyBanks #MikeRutherford #BehindTheLines #Duchess #TurnItOnAgain #DukesTravels #ProgressiveRock #ProgRock #ClassicRock #GatedDrums #PeterGabriel #MildManneredSupermen

We just wanted a place to listen to this album since it’s not on the streaming services.

⏰Clock on But Out of Life
Join us for another Mild Mannered Supermen Listening Party as we dive into Mike Rutherford’s 1980 debut solo album, Smallcreep’s Day — one of the most ambitious and underrated solo projects to come out of the Genesis family.

Based on Peter Currell Brown’s novel Smallcreep’s Day, the album follows the strange journey of factory worker Pinquean Smallcreep as he leaves the assembly line and ventures deeper into the vast, surreal factory world around him. In this episode, we break down the story song by song and compare Rutherford’s musical adaptation with the original book — including where he stayed faithful, where he simplified the narrative, and where the album becomes something entirely its own.

One of the things that makes Smallcreep’s Day so fascinating is just how progressive it is. Rather than telling the entire story through lyrics, Rutherford lets long instrumental passages carry major parts of the narrative, using recurring themes, atmosphere, and arrangement to move the story forward. The result feels less like a collection of songs and more like a true prog-rock suite.

We also explore Rutherford’s musical approach outside Genesis and the important contribution of his longtime friend and former Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips, whose presence adds another layer of connection to the band’s earliest years.

Along the way, we discuss the album’s concept, musicianship, storytelling, production, and why Smallcreep’s Day deserves far more attention from fans of Genesis, progressive rock, concept albums, Mike Rutherford, Anthony Phillips, and classic British prog.

If you love the more adventurous side of Genesis — especially albums like A Trick of the Tail, Wind & Wuthering, and …And Then There Were Three… — this is a record worth rediscovering.

🎧 Put on the album and listen along with us as we explore the strange world of Smallcreep’s Day.

Artist: Mike Rutherford

Album: Smallcreep’s Day

Released: 1980

Based on: the novel Smallcreep’s Day by Peter Currell Brown

Featuring: Anthony Phillips

Episode: Mild Mannered Supermen Listening Party

#MikeRutherford #SmallcreepsDay #Genesis #AnthonyPhillips #ProgressiveRock #ProgRock #ConceptAlbum #GenesisBand #ClassicRock #1980Music #ListeningParty #MildManneredSupermen #GenesisSolo #ProgRockAlbums

🐁Good For A While:
Join us for another Mild Mannered Supermen Listening Party as we dive into Tony Banks’ 1979 debut solo album, A Curious Feeling — one of the most overlooked and fascinating solo records to emerge from the Genesis family.

Originally inspired by Daniel Keyes’ Flowers for Algernon, the concept evolved after Tony encountered the 1978 musical Charlie, leading him to reshape the story into something more supernatural and less directly tied to the original source. The result is a deeply atmospheric concept album about memory, identity, loss, and the consequences of changing the mind.

In this episode, we listen through the entire album and tell the story behind every song, tracing the narrative from beginning to end while exploring how the music supports the concept.

We also dig into the performances that make A Curious Feeling so distinctive. Tony Banks handled virtually all of the instrumentation himself, with Chester Thompson on drums and Kim Beacon delivering the lead vocals. That combination gives the album a unique character — unmistakably connected to late-’70s Genesis, but also very much its own world.

Along the way, we discuss Tony’s songwriting, keyboards, arrangements, production choices, and why this album deserves far more attention from fans of Genesis, progressive rock, concept albums, and classic 1970s prog.

If you love albums like Wind & Wuthering, …And Then There Were Three…, or the more atmospheric and keyboard-driven side of Genesis, A Curious Feeling is essential listening.

🎧 Put on the album and listen along with us as we explore the full story of Tony Banks’ A Curious Feeling.

Artist: Tony Banks

Album: A Curious Feeling

Released: 1979

Vocals: Kim Beacon

Drums: Chester Thompson

Episode: Mild Mannered Supermen Listening Party

#TonyBanks #ACuriousFeeling #Genesis #ChesterThompson #KimBeacon #ProgressiveRock #ProgRock #ConceptAlbum #GenesisBand #ClassicRock #1979Music #ListeningParty #MildManneredSupermen #FlowersForAlgernon