Abacab

Blacksword wrote: Moogtron III wrote: Blacksword wrote: Me & Sarah Jane is an excellt track too, and is a good example of what post Duke Genesis could have been like. Despite the drum machine, Banks built a constantly changing and very emotional piece of music around that simple beat. It was a true and effective blend of old and new Genesis.   Agreed! Me & Sarah Jane proved that there was room for a progressive '80's Genesis.   As for the drum machine: Genesis was one of the few bands that could make a good use of it, on Me & Sarah Jane but also with Duchess on the Duke-album. But I do think it's a pity that Collins didn't do so much of his sensational drumming anymore through the years   ... Genesis were one of few prog bands who could write simple songs that 'worked' alongside their more complex offerings. 'Afterglow' and 'Undertow' spring to mind, as do 'Timetable' and 'Chamber of 32 Doors' Good point! They were masters at both, the shorts and the longs. Lots of times the shorts were quite original, like Timetable. The drum machine was originally just a 'writing tool' that Banks was keen on using, but with all the new wave stuff going on around them, and the increased use of electronics in pop they thought it a good idea to include it in some songs. In all fairness they didn't use it excessively, and it works very well on Mama. That's another good example. It works there as well!   This track seems to divide people, but I like it's cold, atmospheric simplicity. I love that track as well. It was in the charts at about the same time that I first heard 'Dance on a Volcano' on the Radio 1 Friday rock show. I was hooked on Genesis from that point, but only really got to grips with a few of their 80's songs. I agree about Phils drumming taking a nosedive after Duke. Tragic! When you listen to his performances on Los Endos, In that Quiet Earth, Dukes End etc, it seems unbelievable he would want to simplify things to the extent that he did. It wasn't just style it was his distinctive sound too. Using synth drums on Invisible ouch was a bad move. It was a homogenised drum sound, and could have been anyone playing. Oh well, at least we have all those brilliant albums recorded between 1970 and 1980 to indulge in..  Exactly, I must say I like the synthesized drums on Invisible Touch. It's just that I know, it's Phil Collins, and you know what he can do with drums.

salmacis wrote: Sorry to say I agree about Collins- he simply doesn't put himself out in the drum department on most of their post Duke output. It's those syn drums (and the typically 80s production effects) which is perhaps my biggest issue with Invisible Touch- the title track and Anything She Does aside (which I personally hate), I can tolerate and even enjoy most of the rest of it. The sounds used are quite dated now though, imho.   Mama is terrific though- one of their best 80s tracks, imho.

Dodo ..although the live version on Three Sides Live is much better than the studio version IMO.

It's rather strange to see an "alternative"  group covering a supposedly "passe" Genesis song. I see Abacab as being another tune that would work well being covered by a guitar based band. 

Abacab is really the start of the weak era in Genesis, though is not a bad album, just not a GREAT album like Genesis released up until then... I think they got back on track (at least on ABACAB track) in We can't dance, but the two albums in between these two are just.......Well, the best track is "Dodo" and we could also mention "Abacab" and a couple more. The main problem with the album is that it contains Genesis'  second-worst song ever, "Who Dunnit" ...an atrocity that has the worst lyrics in the band's career, but that, incredibly (and I MEAN the "incredibly" part) is not musically as HORRENDOUS as "Illegal Alien" from GENESIS. Well, "Who Dunnit" takes a couple of good points from the album... But other than that sorry excuse for a song, the album is enjoyable. As are almost ALL Genesis' albums other than INVISIBLE TOUCH (Yes, even GENESIS would be decent but... Illegal Alien...Man!)...

The T wrote: Abacab is really the start of the weak era in Genesis, though is not a bad album, just not a GREAT album like Genesis released up until then... I think they got back on track (at least on ABACAB track) in We can't dance, but the two albums in between these two are just.......Well, the best track is "Dodo" and we could also mention "Abacab" and a couple more. The main problem with the album is that it contains Genesis'  second-worst song ever, "Who Dunnit" ...an atrocity that has the worst lyrics in the band's career, but that, incredibly (and I MEAN the "incredibly" part) is not musically as HORRENDOUS as "Illegal Alien" from GENESIS. Well, "Who Dunnit" takes a couple of good points from the album... But other than that sorry excuse for a song, the album is enjoyable. As are almost ALL Genesis' albums other than INVISIBLE TOUCH (Yes, even GENESIS would be decent but... Illegal Alien...Man!)...

"Dodo " is a good song - imagine how PG would handle it!

richardh wrote: The T wrote: Abacab is really the start of the weak era in Genesis, though is not a bad album, just not a GREAT album like Genesis released up until then... I think they got back on track (at least on ABACAB track) in We can't dance, but the two albums in between these two are just.......Well, the best track is "Dodo" and we could also mention "Abacab" and a couple more. The main problem with the album is that it contains Genesis'  second-worst song ever, "Who Dunnit" ...an atrocity that has the worst lyrics in the band's career, but that, incredibly (and I MEAN the "incredibly" part) is not musically as HORRENDOUS as "Illegal Alien" from GENESIS. Well, "Who Dunnit" takes a couple of good points from the album... But other than that sorry excuse for a song, the album is enjoyable. As are almost ALL Genesis' albums other than INVISIBLE TOUCH (Yes, even GENESIS would be decent but... Illegal Alien...Man!)...   3 people have voted for 'Who Dunnit'   I don't mind Illegal Alien.At least it goes along at a nice pace.Collins fake South American accent is the only bad thing about it IMO.

I'm amazed at the votes for Dodo and Who Dunnit.  Both are exactly what I and most of my friends think are examples of the Collins lead demise of Genesis.  I quite like Abacab as a pop tune and Me and Sarah Jane isn't bad.

Heavyfreight wrote: I'm amazed at the votes for Dodo and Who Dunnit.  Both are exactly what I and most of my friends think are examples of the Collins lead demise of Genesis.  I quite like Abacab as a pop tune and Me and Sarah Jane isn't bad.

Edited by Snow Dog - March 19 2007 at 07:51