WE CAN'T DANCE

So the so-much criticized Collins' era of Genesis comes to an end (at least until this 2007 comeback tour) and being one of those prog fans that also enjoys good pop as well, I think this is a great album that deserves not to be overlooked.

Genesis' "popification" was never a sharp turn and instead was a slow transition that I think no other classic prog band achieved so successfully (listening to Yes' "Big Generator" is not a terrible thing because it's pop, it's terrible because it is HORRENDOUS pop), and at the same time there's always a sense of their prog roots lurking in their music.

Take for instance the storytelling epic of "Driving the Last Spike" or the astoundingly emotional closer "Fading Lights". Okey, so the days of complicated keyboard solos has been very far away for a long time now for Genesis, but the beauty of the music in these (and other) tracks cannot be denied. The guilty narrator in "Dreaming While You Sleep" brings back memories of the haunting lyrics of Collins' "In the Air Tonight" or Genesis' "Mama", and "No Son of Mine" is a hell of an opening for this album, tackling a hard theme with a great and powerful melody. "Living Forever" also has a sense of combining Genesis' pop ventures with a quasi-prog instrumental ending, and finally (within the positive side), there are two songs that are simply great FUN: the gorgeous criticism of tv evangelists in the fast rocker "Jesus He Knows Me" (for me, one of the best songs by this band ever) and the jean-commercial ridiculous world of the catchy "I Can't Dance".

On the downside, you can find a way-too-solo-Collins-like ballad with "Hold on my Heart", a way-too-solo-Collins-like-preachy-anthem in "Tell Me Why" (Tell me why you have to be so black and white and obvious, I ask back), and a way-too-emotional-depressing-solo-Collins tribute to Clapton's dead son in "Since I Lost You". Yeah, the worst moments in this album are the ones in which you find no difference to listening a Collins-solo one. Oh, and then there are two harmless pop songs called "Never a Time" and "Way of the World". They're just ok.

All of this anyway makes for a great album, although a tad overlong. Having 80 minutes at your disposal does not mean you have to fill 'em all, Roine Stolt! oops, wrong band.

Overall, if you enjoy pop with a prog touch, do not dismiss this album!!!!

P.S: An "improvement" in sound in comparison to "Invisible Touch" (an album that I enjoy tremendously, I might add) is that the REAL DRUMS ARE BACK! And the hell they are: the drum snare sounds like it's gonna blow your head off.