CALLING ALL STATIONS

'Calling All Stations' is technically the final Genesis album, though I hesitate to refer to it as a Genesis record. Phil Collins left the band at this point and was replaced vocally by Ray Wilson. Wilson has a good voice, but it doesn't suit Genesis' sound. This album doesn't sound like a Genesis album much at all, with some exceptions. I am not a big fan of the latter day Genesis material with Phil Collins as the frontman, but I much prefer that era of the band to the transient Ray Wilson period. Phil Collins was not just a drummer and a singer, but also an arranger. His absence is dramatically felt on this album, and not in a good way.

The title track opens the album and starts with a Mike Rutherford guitar riff with an abysmal tone. The song meanders while at the same time not going anywhere interesting musically. "Congo" is a mediocre rock song. "Shipwrecked" sounds like 80s Genesis a bit, as it's light and poppy but not very good. "Alien Afternoon" has an atmospheric intro which leads into an awful song. However, the transition into the section that contains the vocal oohs and aahs elevates the song slightly from being absolutely atrocious to being somewhat tolerable. "Not About Us" starts with strummed acoustic guitar chords, acting as the intro to an ordinary pop song. "If That's What You Need" is a superfluous pop song.

My favorite song on the album is "The Dividing Line," which is the most traditional and proggy song on 'Calling All Stations.' The drumming from Nir Zidkyahu is excellent and Tony Banks' synth work is interesting. "Uncertain Weather" is yet another dull, superfluous track. "Small Talk" is the worst song on the album and definitely a contender for my least favorite Genesis song of all time. "There Must Be Some Other Way" features impressive vocals from Ray Wilson, but the song itself is mediocre. The album ends with one of the better songs, "One's Man Fool," which has a pleasant concluding section.

In conclusion, 'Calling All Stations' is the worst Genesis album, in my opinion. Phil Collins is often maligned, but he was an essential member of Genesis and the sound they established long ago. As members of Genesis resigned from the band, starting with Peter Gabriel in 1975, the music started to decline, in my opinion. With only two original members of the band remaining on this record, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks, the music truly hit rock bottom. Phil Collins' departure from Genesis was the final nail in the coffin for this band, which is really unfortunate. 3/10