IN TOO DEEP

Cod Supremes

The second UK single from "Invisible touch" was all too predictably a ballad. Unfortunately, it is a bland insipid song, which would suit the style of any boy band who covered it. Released in 1986 in the UK, it just managed to breach the top 20, reaching 19. The click machine backing track, and so-sorry-for himself Phil Collins vocals are a million miles even from the post Gabriel era albums such as "A Trick of the tail".

The B side in the UK was an edited version of the non-album track "Do the neurotic", an instrumental which at least demonstrates that the band still knew how to make instrumentals. It is far from being their best, and does not compare well with say "Los Endos", but it is a reasonable attempt to return to what they used to do so well. The 12" single version had the full version of this track.

It was April 1987 before "In too deep" was release din the USA, where it reached the top 3. This time, the B side was another non-album track, "I'd rather be with you", a soul/funk based song which sounds much more at home with other "Invisible touch" album tracks. This cod Supremes number is instantly forgettable.

"In Too Deep" is a very "sugar ballad", maybe the best example of the "Sugar Pop Rock" music which they liked then. It is a song which has an excess in "sugar feelings", and it also has lyrics about a broken love relationship. I was surprised when I went to the cinema to see the film called "Mona Lisa" in late 1986. This song was included in that film which has actor Bob Hoskins in the main role (and some friends commented to me that he looked a lot like Phil Collins in image in that film). "In Too Deep" is not a very good ballad, but it still has some good keyboard sounds played by Tony Banks, and a bit of the old arpegio guitars from the seventies. The video for this song is not very good too, IMO, with the band dressed like Barry Manilow.

Even if you are a collector of 45 rpm singles of pop songs from former progressive rock bands, In Too Deep is simply a terrible pop ballad undeserving of even making a collection of outtakes. It reminds me of elevators, supermarkets, physician's offices, car rental offices, and two-floor American suburban malls; basically the kinds of places that think this would make soothing background music. Yawning is typically the main cause of listening to this.

On the US release B side is the song I'd Rather Be You. This song is basically a fast-paced, bouncy pop song. It would fit nicely on Phil's No Jacket Required solo album. This song found its way onto the Archive 2 box set. So both sides of this single are quite awful. If it could receive less than one star, it certainly deserves it.

#52 Review Continuing with the YT available singles that are the same in there as described in here, its the turn of this single's 7" version, i have literally found nothing about the 12" version (or a 7 minute version of I'd Rather Be You) so i don't know what that's about.

1.- In Too Deep: Exactly the same as the album version, the closest you will get to a naked piano sound in this album, and what a weird track though, behind its ballad mask there are some pretty interesting decisions made by Tony Banks. The track has a nice progression into different sections, they don't feel extreme at first hear, but in more listens you will notice that the changes are there and constantly. I would rather listen to this one everyday than Throwing It All Away, but that's my opinion, that track is pretty too, is just that this one has the weird edge that wins for me.

2.- I'd Rather Be You: A fun B-side that sounds like a Sega Genesis/Mega Drive sonic song, maybe because the sound chip that the Sega Genesis uses is the exact same that many popular keyboards used in 80s, i haven't done my research but there's a chance that the keyboard used in the song has the same chip. Overall, its very repetitive, very pop, with just one cool change really, the bass is very classic 60s pop though, similar to a Phil Collins cover song called "You Can't Hurry Love", but with a Genesis twist, so its more layered and with the change already described. Of all repetitive pop b-side songs that Genesis did, this one is the least annoying and it doesn't overstay its welcome, it lasts as much as it needs.

Back then this was probably the only way to listen to this B-side officially, then it was the turn of the compilations, almost 14 years later, but now its online, so this is really just a collectors item, there is not much especial about this release, and also, i just read that in the UK this single came up with Do The Neurotic, wich is a fantastic track, but regardless, only collectors would want this nowadays, and even i don't care much because both songs are on Archive 2 that i own.