NEVER A TIME

I bought this CD single (or CD EP?) in mid 1994, after buying in 1992 and in 1993 the "The Way We Walk" CDs (Vols. 1 & 2, respectively) and two months before buying the "The Way We Walk - In Concert" Laser Disc of the same tour. At that time, I wanted to complete the songs of the set list that Genesis played on that tour but were not released in those two live CDs from the "We Can`t Dance" tour (but were included in the Laser disc: "Dreaming While Your Sleep" and "Turn It On Again"), and this release was the "Marketing Trick" that completed the set list. Maybe Genesis and their label knew that some Fans like me wanted to have ALL the songs that they played on that tour released on official CDS (years later I knew thanks to the Web that they also played "Carpet Crawlers" once or twice during that tour, so the only way to have this song in my collection was to buy bootlegs, a thing I never did).

So, I think that this CD was released to really promote three albums at the same time, releasing another song from the "We Can`t Dance" as a single ("Never a Time") and two previously unreleased live tracks from the "We Can`t Dance" tour ("Driving While You Sleep" and "Turn It On Again") which were not released in the "The Way We Walk" live CDs, PLUS a previously unreleased on CD Full Live Version of "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight", recorded live during the "Invisible Touch" tour in 1987.

I think that the song "Never a Time" was a good choice for a single then, being another Rock Pop ballad, but with some quality. In fact, it is one of my favourite songs from the "We Can`t Dance" album, with good vocals by Collins and good lyrics too.

The live version of "Driving While You Sleep" is very similar to the studio version, being a good live version which maybe is the same version which was released in the "The Way We Way- In Concert" Laser Disc. It is really hard to listen to differences between both live versions. I know that in the "Archives 1976-92" Box Set there is another live version of this song, but as I still don`t have this Box Set, I can`t say if it is the same live version which was released in this "Never a Time" CD single.

The live version of "Turn It On Again" is somewhat different to the live version which was released in the "Three Sides Live" album in 1982. First, the sound of the piano is different, with a more "digitally updated" sound. Also Collins`vocals sound different due to the passing of time. It is also hard to say how different is this live version from the live version which was released in the Laser Disc. They sound very similar, but the main difference is that Collins, during that song in the Laser disc version, introduced all the members of the band by the middle of the song. The live version released in this CD maybe was edited, because the presentation of the members of the band is not included.

In 1989 I recorded from the Radio in a cassette excerpts from a a concert recorded during the "Invisible Touch" Tour ( in October 1986 at the Forum, in Los Angeles, as I read years later on the Web). Being this 1986 live version of "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" very good, I wanted to have an official live recording of the Full Version recorded during that tour released on CD. So, another "hook" to buy this CD was this 1987 live version. The live version released in the Vol. 1 of the "The Way We Walk" CD is shorter and played in a lower tone to help Collins sing this song. Maybe the real reason to release this live version recorded in 1987 was to "explain in sound" why Genesis played the song in a lower tone and in a shorter lenght in their 1992 tour: Collins couldn`t reach anymore the very high notes which this song has in several parts. This 1987 version is not as good as the live version which I have from The Forum, because Collins, while singing without problems all the verses of the song in 1986, by the end of the tour, in mid 1987, he couldn`t reach the high notes (maybe by that time his voice was tired, because the "Invisible Touch" tour had many concert dates). This live version sounds very similar to the live version which was released in the "Invisible Touch Tour" video (filmed at Wembley Stadium in July 1987), so maybe it is the same version. Chester Thompson shines playing very good drums in this song, but his playing is also better in the version which was recorded at The Forum.

This "Never a Time" CD single was released in different versions in several countries. The U.S. version, which I also saw in the record shop didn`t have the Full Live Version of "Tonight...". So I bought the version which I review here, with my CD copy saying "Made in Holland" in the Disc`s label.

This CD is mainly for Collectors. It is a good CD, but not essential for the Fans who don`t like the music that Genesis composed as a Trio.

A friend of mine loaned me this and I managed to listen to it 3 times through so I could give a legitimate review. This release contains about 25 minutes of music, both studio and live. All is from the 80-90's poppier Genesis trio. "Never a Time" is the first track here and it is a typical Phil/Genesis ballad-nothing special, good pop, not prog. I actually feel that "Dreaming While You Sleep" is one of the better tracks on the WE CANT DANCE album. The live version here is pretty much a copy of the studio version. Nothing really added. "Turn it on Again", a live song from DUKE is okay but I think I have heard a different live version before, actually, and I'm not sure why this was needed. "Tonight Tonight" is a long live version of a track I never really cared for to begin with. So, this is average Genesis pop with some live versions stuck on. Nothing really bad, but just the typical 80-90's Genesis music. For collectors and completists only. 2 stars.