WE CAN'T DANCE

As always, Genesis put some prog into their albums, and in this case, more than in the others, and surely that is "specially il signore Tony Banks". This album is the first that the band recorded under the CD format, with 70 minutes long. It mixes prog, some pop, some rock, just really a good album. On the prog side, the highlight is without doubt the 10 minutes long Fading lights, an existential track with lyrics written by Banks. Over a drum machine pattern and a keyboard maitress, the track creates a melancholic atmosphere to get after into an stunning instrumental interlude in which the three musicians make up a great counterpoint. Banks is the main player here, in the vein of Duke's Travels sound. Finally the track fades out through this melancholic feel again. Driving the last spike is other of the highlights IMO. Which 10 minutes long again, this track is based in a storyline written by Collins about a rail workers drama. The song flows from a initial soft part with a great melody line to an stunning central section over an electric guitar riff (almost in the U2 way) and a full keyboard background. Dreaming while you sleep is other of the prog numbers, developed over an interaction between keyboards and guitars again (in a non conventional way) and with a great chorus with a really big drum sound with Collins singing with all his power. Living forever is the other prog piece. Surely written by Banks but adequately filtered by Collins and Rutherford, the second half constructs a superb keyboard solo till the end. There are some other great songs, like No son of mine, sung with much emotion and with a great melody line and this keyboards touches. Or Way of the world, another good track. The pop ones are I can't dance, a world wide hit, based on a simple but effective guitar rif, Jesus He knows me, which I like too and Tell me why (in the vein of the Collins tracks from Dancing into the light album). The ballads are not great thing. Since I lost you is the best for me, written about the dead of Eric Clapton's son, is a track with much feeling, a good electric piano base and a short but great guitar solo. Hold on my heart is a rather conventional track and Never again, maybe the wicker track of the album. A good addition, for 4 stars.