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Genesis - We Can't Dance CD (album) cover

WE CAN'T DANCE

Genesis

 

Symphonic Prog

2.66 | 1381 ratings

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FalconBleck
3 stars #11 Review

I have seen many people over the internet talking about this album like they listened just to 4 songs and nothing more, and that's the problem of this album, it has lots of songs and almost every one of them its a bland song, quality over quantity there it is said somewhere. When i first heard this album, i started it with the most known ones and i wasn't really fond of them, but they added another layer that i never saw on this band or i mean on the band members, specially on the funny songs, and one of those things is that they were one of the only famous bands at the time that never knew how to dance and where nobody danced to their music, and i think that's a good thing, music often gets simplified for dancing, it's as if dance has been ruining music for quite sometime now and people haven't been realising about that.

As always, i review by song.

1.- No Son Of Mine 7/10 This song really gets epic when it starts, everything here is building tension at every second and the lyrics are superb, but there are 2 problems, the song gets a little repetitive and the chorus sounds a little too happy, but i really don't know how to fix it. The video is really good.

2.- Jesus He Knows Me 5/10 This song is full pop, the start it's a little interesting but then it gets pretty catchy but repetitive, it's well made for a pop song i guess, the video and the song are funny and the lyrics are well done.

3.- Driving The Last Spike 7/10 This is one of the songs that feel really like Genesis, the sound sets a really lonely atmosphere, and i like it, Genesis has always had a great sound. This song is long and pretty chill, but it gets increasing in feelings, it reminds me a little of Domino. It gets a little repetetive but the drum work does a well job at keeping me interested, still, the song is a little bit slow (in lyrics pace). Really good lyrics, they do more to the feelings than the instruments, that was the objective.

4.- I Can't Dance 4/10 This was barely a 4 out of 10, but it is because of the same reason of Jesus He Knows Me, the vocal work here takes it, but the lyrics aren't that good, it's still funny tho, it has a nice video and i don't feel so alone now because they danced in the same way that i walk.

5.- Never A Time 5/10 It's a boring copy of "It's gonna get better" from the "Genesis" album, it still has good lyrics and sounds good, but not as good as the song where this got its inspiration i guess.

6.- Dreaming While You Sleep 7/10 It's a pretty catchy song that sounds good, it does one of those "Phil Collins Moments" with the battery and him increasing the tension on his voice. It's really repetitive, but less repetitive because it's a good song.

7.- Tell Me Why 5/10 I really like what Mike did in this song, it adds like an old-european sound with the guitar. It has good lyrics too and the song is a little repetitive as well. It's a bland song.

8.- Living Forever 8/10 This song starts with a drum that stays interesting until the end, it has good lyrics and a nice solo from Tony Banks, this song is a highlight from this album, not the best yet tho.

9.- Hold On My Heart 6/10 I really like the start and this song sounds really good live. It's pretty slow and repetitive, i wish that they worked more on this song, it feels incomplete.

10.- Way Of The World 7/10 Pop, it reminds me of the king of pop a little, but then the Tony Banks effect kicks in, Phil Collins sports interecting lyrics and vocal range and i don't think that this song could be danced like an MJ song, so it was just the synth at the back that sounded like one of his songs. In resume, this song it's a good pop song with some little Genesis spice there and that's good. And it has a little Banks solo near the end.

11.- Since I Lost You 5/10 You can't go more Phil Collins with this song + a little guitar solo from Mike near the end. It's a pretty repetitive song, really sad and slow, even a little boring.

12.- Fading Lights 10/10 This song starts with synth drums and every technique in the modern Genesis book, but it's pretty sad and it sports nice lyrics and vocals from Phil, i have cried with the start of this song. Then Tony starts kicking in a little... real drums enter, Mike starts jaming and this songs transforms in one of the best songs made by the band in a lot of time. I always imagined this son in a trailer, like "GENESIS IS BACK!", but sadly this is like the swang song... with a twist because they continued (i'll review that later). What can i say about this song? Everyone does a perfect job, this song is masterly done and a good way to finish everything, it makes me feel like they never left prog (and they secretly never did).

I was expecting for this album to get a better score at first, but overall it's a 63/100, wich translates to (roughly) 3 stars, i really recommend to check out some of these songs, specially the last one.

Now i made a rubric where i point how the scores define the stars, the only exception to the rule it's the review of Spot the Pigeon, but i explain why there.

5 stars = (score >= 90) 4 stars = (score>=70)&&(score<90) 3 stars = (score>=60)&&(score<70) 2 stars = (score>=50)&&(score<60) 1star = (score < 50)

FalconBleck | 3/5 |

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