SECONDS OUT

I've read in this page many reviews from this album, some people believe it's a masterpiece, other's think is crap, well in this case I can't agree with any of those positions, I honestly believe it's a good album with a fantastic production that presents some better, a couple different and other terrible versions of 12 Genesis classics.

The basic problems with this album are two, the first one is the criminal mutilation of many Steve Hackett's parts (In some cases turn the guitar volume so low that is almost impossible for any two legged being to listen).

The second one is why in hell don't include more stuff from Wind and Wuthering? Where are One for the Vine and Eleventh Earl of Mar? Those tracks would make the album better instead of many Gabriel era songs where Phil was weak, but that was impossible because Hackett's contribution to W&W was the biggest in Genesis history and they wanted everybody to forget good old Steve who left the band instead of joining the pop team.

In the group of songs that sound better in Seconds Out than in itheir original versions I can include, Squonk (A collins era song, so there's no problem), Robbery Assault & Battery (Amazing drums), I Know What I Like (Maybe the only Gabriel era song that IMO sounds better by Phil) and Los Endos, the perfect concert closer.

There are others that sound different (not better or worst) like Carpet Crawlers (perfect for Phil's voice), Afterglow (more atmospheric), Dance on a Volcano and Cinema Show which is enhanced by the brilliant drumming duel between Master Bil Bruford and Phil Colins (Almost sure Chester and Bruford never played together in this album).

Some other songs are worst like Firth of Fifth (Where's the piano intro?), The Lamb lies Down on Broadway with that repulsive repetition of words (lies down.down, down, down) and of course Musical Box, a song made for Peter's voice with an ending that absolutely lacks of strength and emotion, the greatest achievement of the original version.

But the lowest track of the album is Supper's Ready, this masterpiece is murdered by Collin's inappropriate vocals, he's not Peter Gabriel and he should never try to sound like him. This song requires a vocalist capable of making different voices (specially in "Willow's Farm) something Collins can't achieve because his voice is flat and lacks of variations but he insists on trying to make different voices turning this masterpiece in a caricature of the original.

Second's Out is the last Genesis album I can listen without feeling nausea, IMHO deserves three stars because it's a good release but nothing else.