WE CAN'T DANCE

First of all I must admit that this is not shining prog from the old days, but then you must admit that those days are gone forever. All of us changed in the meantime, why Genesis should stay the same? But thats totally incorrect to say, that this is a complete crap. There are gems on this one, having real value. If you dont like the poppy ones, just exclude them from your playlist. The remaining ones are really gold. No son of mine recalls me the days when my parents were quarelling before their divorce and you can believe me, the musical world Genesis created here is what a lonely child feels about the ones he once admired. Jesus he knows me musically is not a big effort, but Genesis to me doesnt mean only music, lyrics has the same importance, those Genesis tales were enchanting my childhood fantasy. The song commemorates the big scandal around the liar priest, Jimmy Schwaggart and makes it in a funny and ingenious way. Driving the last spike is a gem, the heart rending story again, story of a simple man fighting the world like all of us do everyday, listen to the unbelievable unity of guitar and rhythm section, all of them serve the vocal and vocal serves only the story, lifting the lyrics up to its place. Thats a wonderful fairy tale for adults about struggling and surviving, I really like it, each time I listen to it I can hear the cries of the dying and can see the true man surviving. I cant dance may sound a crap for first listen but if you understand that its just parody of TV commercials and this whole f...g consumer society, a quarry for human dogs hungry for Genesis hit, it will really make you laugh. Watch the clip, too! Never a time is just a nice pop song, nothing more, but simply eases the pressure before the next tragic story that is Dreaming while you sleep. Can you imagine the pain for someone you hit with your car but left there dying cos you got SO scared of what you did. Her memory remains and prays in your mind forever and this mood is perfectly created by the song. Another gem. Listen to the combination of drum machine and the tama drums hit by PC so passionately. Again all instruments are serving the story here, and I begin to think that in our life the story told is the most important and music only comes second. Tell me why is again for hit seeker, not my cup of tea, I usually jump to the next one that is the second parody on the cd which has personal references in my life. My stepfather is a health maniac and as if this song had been written about him. I remember how I laughed on him when he changed from milk to NOT milk, then fruits for breakfast then green tea, the way he sucked and belived all these were such funny to me and the Genesis magic is here again, I really enjoy how life and music come as one. The long keyboard solo is fantastic, recalls me how nervously he checked what he ate and didnt eat, how excited he was when a new book was published and threw away the old ideas, a real FUN! Hold on my heart is just a nice love song again, Way of the world is the 2nd tell me why, nice short keyboard solo but nothing more, PC type lyrics tryin to tell pithy thoughts the listener but doesnt really succeed. Since I lost you is a bit different cos it sounds like a love song for lost lover but in fact it commemorates Eric Clapton's son who fell out from a window (what parents could do this!) and died so young and it gives another colour to the song. Again, the story behind is more important than the song itself. And at the end comes the best. A complete revival of old Genesis, the long and complex keyboard solo, the perfect percussion, PC shining like never before. This song is one of the 3 best Genesis songs ever and a beautiful swan song. I think PC knew here he would quit sooner than later and waved goodbye to us with this one. This is perfect. The opening keyboard like rising sun, the gentle voice like an old and tired man sad about things that couldnt be repeated and relived, but gradually the song comes to life, Banks starts with his keyboard magic, its passionate, its emotional, brings me back to 70ies, those limping rhythm from PC again, its so compound, I cannot even calculate the metric, the guitar modestly stays in the background, but giving the song that special basic thumping, original Genesis at its best, wonderful closing piece of a 25 year long carrier. When it ends, I feel exhausted of the amount emotion this songs requires from me. And last but not least, take a look at the cover. A father, nice and gently drew figure wearing a funny hat points up to the sky, showing his little sun that the important things are not down here amongst us but high above, and it may occur that times changed and Genesis is not playing the same damned progressive rock anymore, but they still can bring joy to our life, and not playing damned disco and techno like other prog monsters from the 70ies, so they really can say that WE CAN'T DANCE.