ABACAB

The key to this album (as in the "Duke" and "Genesis" albums) is to listen to it as listening to a pop-rock band, and not as to the Prog-rock band Genesis used to be. If u do so, you will have a wonderful time. This is the first true "Prog-pop" album by genesis. Except for "Me and sarah jane" and "Dodo/Lurker", all the songs are basically pop-songs, but I say Prog-pop becuse they have a very unique Genesis like arrangements, with banks synths and Phil's off bit drumming, not to forget Rutherfurd's great bass line and unique guitar work. The production is sleek, heavy and "dark", even though the songs are basically very catchy and "light", compared with their previous work. In short, there is only one weak moment here, which is "WHO DUNNIT". This is a very monotonic song, one of their worst no doubt, but still it comes inside that dence "dark" feeling of the production. ABACAB is a great prog-pop song, I even like the long jam at the end. NO REPLY AT ALL is a great pop-song, made into prog-pop with the EWAF horn section and the off-bit rythem. The 2 gems here are "ME AND SARAH JANE" and "DODO/LURKER", which can easily fit into "Duke" as well. Great progressive songs. "KEEP IT DARK" is a nice prog-pop tune, again with that "dark" dence production. "MAN ON THE CORNER" is pure pop (not even prog-pop), but it's a nice song, very Phil Collins of course. "LIKE IT OR NOT" and "ANOTHER RECORD" are also great pop- songs. Basically the "Prog-pop" part of the album starts with "ABACAB" and ends with "WHO DUNNIT", and from there it's strait pop songs. So all in all, give up on the Prog- rock glories, and you will enjoy this album very much.