Genesis: Calling All Stations

I think the biggest WTF moment of this album was using Nick D'Virgilio as a metronome. Did Banks or Rutherford even listen to what NDV had done with Spock's Beard up to that point? He was the closest thing they had to a potential Phil Collins replacement.

Cristi wrote: progaardvark wrote: I think the biggest WTF moment of this album was using Nick D'Virgilio as a metronome. Did Banks or Rutherford even listen to what NDV had done with Spock's Beard up to that point? He was the closest thing they had to a potential Phil Collins replacement. just 4 songs though, I guess they treated him like a session musician. There was a second session drummer.  Why didn't they use Chester Thompson? I wonder.

 

Psychedelic Paul wrote: You may be interested to know that all of the songs from the Calling All Stations album are listed as Ray Wilson songs on YouTube.     Ray Wilson - Calling All Stations

Cristi wrote: progaardvark wrote: I think the biggest WTF moment of this album was using Nick D'Virgilio as a metronome. Did Banks or Rutherford even listen to what NDV had done with Spock's Beard up to that point? He was the closest thing they had to a potential Phil Collins replacement. just 4 songs though, I guess they treated him like a session musician. There was a second session drummer.  Why didn't they use Chester Thompson? I wonder.

Indeed they should have used Chester Thompson for drums... and Daryl Stuermer for guitars. And gotten Fish for vocals (I once read he was considered for the position, but I don't remember what happened about it).

It's typically considered to be the worst Genesis album but I'm not so sure. I personally think it's rather underrated. I think the biggest problem with it is maybe the mixing and production but still I wouldn't call it a bad or even a mediocre album. It's good but not great. 

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - December 11 2020 at 15:25

Psychedelic Paul wrote: AFlowerKingCrimson wrote: It's typically considered to be the worst Genesis album but I'm not so sure. I personally think it's rather underrated. I think the biggest problem with it is maybe the mixing and production but still I wouldn't call it a bad or even a mediocre album. It's good but not great.  I agree, Calling All Stations is a good album, but no great shakes, and after listening to all of Genesis' albums recently, it's probably a better album than We Can't Dance, although that's no great recommendation either.

I´ve always liked it and play it on occasion. It´s not exactly a masterpiece like some of their other releases are, but it´s a decent pop/rock album.

I liked the album for what it was.  It seemed to me to be a cross between some of the stuff Mike had done with the Mechanics and Bankstatement.  One thing I found disappointing on the album was the lack of some real keyboard solos (There Must Be Some Other Way had a brief solo), nothing like Fading Lights or Duke's Travels or Second Home By The Sea.  But as a Mike & Tony 90s collaboration based on some of the stuff they had done solo, it was a pretty good album.  I never saw it as a grunge album or even a pure pop album.  Just 80s/90s AOR. 

I agree with the consensus here that it was a HUGE mistake releasing CAS as a Genesis album. By doing that, expectations were set way too high for what otherwise is not a bad album. Not great, but not bad. Had there been a second album with Ray Wilson FULLY involved in the writing and arranging of the songs from the beginning they might have stood a chance. As it is now though, we can only speculate on what might have been. Another missed chance.

dougmcauliffe wrote: There's something comical about progarchives starting a thread on the worst, most bottom of the barrel, no semblance of prog, Genesis album rather than discussing some new and exciting prog releases. Anyways, anyone here check out the new Ocean Collective album? Pretty good stuff.

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - June 23 2022 at 02:33