...AND THEN THERE WERE THREE...

Out went Hackett and on went Genesis as if nothing had happened. Rutherfield plays a few guitar licks on the album but apart from that I can hardly hear the difference with the preceding albums. The style and dreamy atmospheres are very much the same and the song quality doesn't seem to be affected that much either.

Some songs suffer from Phil's tiny voice and limited range, but there are plenty of very pleasing ones as well. Down and Out is a vigorous opener and despite the exodus, the band sounds confident and passionate. Also Burning Rope, Deep in the Motherlode and to a minor degree The Lady Lies and Follow Me are essential Genesis stuff. I don't know what the commotion is about Follow Me being commercial. At least its not as cheesy as I Know What I Like. And I haven't heard much complaints about that one.

Man of the album is Tony Banks again. Again he proves he is the best keyboard player of his generation next to Richard Wright. While the often pointless drivel of virtuosos like Wakeman and Emerson has aged badly, Banks' keyboards still sound fresh now and play an essential role in each song. He's sure not a man of great gesture but instead one of texture and content. 2.5 stars