The 80's music of Genesis is very controversial among most prog fans primarily because it's their most commercial period and when they transitioned from more or less pure prog(how prog And there were three is is debatable though) to a more pop sound. 

I actually like much of the music from this era. I just feel that I have to turn off my prog expectations and appreciate it for what it is and that for me is very good pop-rock. I used to refer to it as pop until someone pointed out that it's more pop-rock. Some of it is still pop and not so much rock to me but I won't get caught up on particulars here. The point is the music became much more pop oriented. 

I think the main catalyst for this more pop oriented direction(at least in my opinion) was a song from the tail end of the previous decade called "follow you follow me." I believe it was their biggest hit up to that point in time(at least in the US). "I know what I like (in your wardrobe) was a minor hit in the UK(# 21) when it first came out but didn't dent the US charts(The album it's from made it to number 70 in the US though which while not great could still be a lot worse). Before "follow you follow me" Genesis apparently had a mostly male following. Most of these fans were probably fans of prog rock in general and so they probably became very critical of the band when Steve Hackett left(a similiar thing happened when Yes recorded 90125 but that's a whole other matter). 

Genesis started the 80's with Duke which made it to number 11 in the US charts. This album sort of sees a split down the middle between prog tracks (Behind the Lines, Duchess, Cul De Sac, Dukes Travels/Dukes End) and the more pop oriented songs on the album(Alone tonight, Please Don't Ask, Turn It On Again(it's in an unusual time signature but it's still very much a pop tune), and misunderstanding. Most of the others are somewhere in the middle but probably closer to pop than prog. While "man of our times" isn't really either one it does have an interesting drumming pattern to it that would probably disqualify it from being pure pop. So overall a very good album that apparently saw the band trying to throw a bone to their old fans while also trying to find a newer audience and a much larger one at that. It worked and that album was their biggest when it came out up to that point in time.

Next up we have Abacab which some people humorously refer to as "grab a cab" or maybe even "abacrap." This one follows in much the same style as Duke with pop tracks mixed in with pop. However, many people seem to think it is even a further step in the pop direction. I'm not sure I agree but if it is then it's only slightly more poppish imo. This album still had two songs that were very much prog (the title track and Dodo/lurker). The rest are either more or less pure pop(another record, like it or not, no reply at all) or somewhere in between(keep it dark). "Me and Sarah Jane" is mostly poppish but it's not as overtly pop as some of the tracks on here.

Next up we have the self titled (or "shapes") album from 1983. This one is a much more obvious transition to mostly full blown pop in my opinion although like the two before it has plenty of quirky pop songs(mama, illegal alien and just a job to do come to mind). It does however feature the two part Home By the Sea and Second Home By the Sea which is the most proggish track on the album. For a long time this was my favorite Genesis song (that changed when I heard Supper's Ready). The last song on this album(silver rainbow)is maybe my second favorite and probably the albums most underrated track. 

Finally, we have the Invisible Touch album. This was the band's biggest selling album(six times platinum in the US). In my opinion this is a slight return to a more prog sound but done in a very modern way with pop sensibilities. This album also seems to be throwing a bone to both the prog and pop fans though. If there was ever a prog pop anthem for the eighties it may very well be "tonight, tonight, tonight." A few of these songs were top 40 hits and a few were played a lot on rock radio and mtv(especially "land of confusion"). The most prog sounding track on the album was probably the two part "Domino." While those expecting "firth of fifth" or "the musical box" might be disappointed this was very much prog by 80's Genesis standards. The final track on the album which was the instrumental called "the Brazilian" was also very prog rockish. Another mixed of an album but for me it's maybe the second best combination of prog and pop the band ever did(behind Duke). 

While I still prefer 70's Genesis above anything else, I nonetheless have a soft spot for Genesis in the eighties no doubt because that's when I first discovered Genesis and prog in general. For those going to see Genesis for this current tour in 2021 you will very likely enjoy yourself and have fun as long as you don't expect a full on prog extravaganza. 

It sucks in what way?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Cant_Dance#Reception" rel="nofollow - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Can%27t_Dance#Reception

Yep. It sort of belongs but it came out in the 1990's. 

People can criticize these albums but they are still better than calling all stations. 

Unlike many of the haters, i actually am quite fond of the self-titled album, Abacab and Invisible Touch.

Even though i'm the hugest progger, i actually prefer them to Foxtrot and Nursery Cryme!

Just my preferences :)

The other three though are uneven, the self-titled being the best out of those. 

I still listen to 80s Genesis every once in a while, sure I skip the songs that don't do much for me anymore and those I've never liked anyway like Whodunnit or Anything She Does. 

Interesting to listen to the Genesis Archives to see songs that did not make the cut on the albums or were B-sides. Some of those songs were really good - Submarime, Evidence of Autumn, Feeding the Fire, Naminanu, Do the Neurotic. 

The two ballads on IT were not written by Collins. Throwing It All away is a Mike Rutherford song and In Too Deep is a Tony Banks song. 

If anyone wants to bash Phil, as far as I remember (I could check again if you prove me wrong), he wrote Please Don't Ask Me and Misunderstanding on Duke and Man on a Corner on Abacab. 

Phil's solo albums are very hit and miss with me, but pop Genesis, that I can take, with minor exceptions. 

Genesis pop ballads are better than any ballad Phil did on his own. That's because of the other two guys in Genesis. 

Nice introduction/presentation, Mike! For me too, these were the albums that got me acquainted with Genesis. I've always found Duke a bit dull, but Abacab is still one of the Genesis albums I play most often (with The Lamb...) - I like it very much, including the more humorous tracks. The self titled album is a nice listen too, with a couple of splendid tracks (with Second Home by the Sea the volume always goes up...). I never found any interest in Invisible Touch, though; maybe a bit too poppy for me.

Thanks. I don't really post as much as I used to so for now my focus will be on writing reviews and blogs(not too many blogs though). I like to share my experiences about the music and since I'm seeing them tomorrow thought I would write a bit about their most successful period. 

Have fun at the show. 

Abacab is my very favorite Genesis album, but I'm biased because it was also my first Genesis album. I bought it after hearing the extended title track on the radio. I've been a fan ever since.

Genesis aka Shapes is also a masterful album. Even the obvious hit singles/video opportunities are tolerable.

Invisible Touch...let's just say that I still own this album, but it's been a long long LONG time since I've listened to it. Very much of its time rather than timeless, it's the Genesis album I would miss least if it suddenly vanished from the face of the earth.

I agree with Cristi that their albums are uneven and there was some really great unreleased stuff (B sides, etc.) that would have made some of these albums better than they were. 

Having said that, I think another improvement would be replacing the electronic drums with an acoustic kit on some of the songs. I actually like the Roland CR-78 drum machine they use on Duchess and the Linn LM-1 on Mama, However, songs like The Last Domino and Second Home by the Sea would have sounded better with an acoustic kit in my uninformed opinion.

It's all great music, all of it. I first heard Genesis when Seconds Out was released in 1977, some of it was played on the FM by the great LA station KMET 94.7, they spun a lot of prog and obscure stuff. Plus I have always been a live album lover. That album started my love for Genesis, honestly the earlier albums were a tough listen for a teenager in SoCal, I did not get the English meanings. But I grew to love the artistry and massive musicianship, Phil is an amazing drummer. 

Hackett leaving really did not bother me much, I do enjoy his playing but the band were clearly on another path by then, and for me Hackett's solo material is pretty boring, although I enjoy the first two albums quite alot. His recent material is what is boring he, Ritchie Blackmore and Uli Jon Roth drink from the same fountain.....

Genesis as a whole cannot be ignored in any discussion, that discography is amazing.

Sorry for the late response. It's just one of the worst records I've ever heard, especially from a band that made Foxtrot, Selling England by the Pound, Nursery Cryme and The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. 

I've always had a bit of a soft spot for 'Driving The Last Spike' though... 

that's a 1991 song. 

I didn't mean to be disrespectful with my correction. Don't take it as "pedantic", or lack of respect.

I think all three prog pop-rock albums are quite good (even if not as good as any of their albums from their full prog era). While some of the songs from this period have very limited prog elements (Follow you Follow Me, Misunderstanding, No Reply at All etc.), each of these three albums incorporated innovative musical approaches in various ways. I think Abacab gets a particularly bad rap among prog fans, probably because it is more pop-oriented and even dance-oriented in some places. But I find this is not at all traditional, commercial pop, but a kind of art pop-rock that incorporates unconventional rhythms, beats and musical structures - witness in particular the title track, Keep It Dark and Dodo/Lurker. Abacab was the last Genesis album I bought. Not that I dislike what I see as their later more commercial period, but listening to their songs on the radio was enough for me. The music did not entice me to come back for more, but it obviously had a very wide appeal. I think it is to their credit that Collins, Banks and Rutherford were able transform and renew their music several times, thereby reaching ever-increasing audiences. While Genesis' 70s prog period is definitely the best for me (including the two post-Gabriel albums), I think they transitioned to a more pop-rock direction at a good time. While some prog bands, like Rush, continued to become relevant in the 80s, the more art-based prog rock played by bands like Genesis had really become too anachronistic.             

If that's the case, I hope they went out with a bang, because I love ...ATTWT.

Though I will say that Calling All Stations is a mistake and the band should've stopped at We Can't Dance.

Interesting and I can relate with this as the last album I bought by them was Abacab.

This was in my view a genuine attempt to create a new sound and a new approach. Its wonderfully produced and has some truly great songs (Keep It Dark, Dodo Lurker and the title track). More of this and I would not have got off the bus so to speak.

Its clear that they didn't want the spotty student male audience any more and wanted to entice more females to their concerts. Phil Collins profile helped make this happen and in all honesty I don't blame them at all.

Just a few general points (not necessarily aimed at you), WCD has 2 great prog tracks Driving The Last Spike and Fading Lights (actually more real prog than they had on any albums post W&W and both 10 minute plus) . This gets quite forgotten generally.

Their first art rock album was arguably The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway . Eno's involvement was important here as well.

The 4 album run Trespass to SEBTP just about defines what people think is 'prog rock'. After that nothing they did is quite like those albums or as consistent in approach IMO. Even W&W is a bit messy for Genesis and goes in a lot of different directions. ATTW has shorter tracks but carries a punch. Lacks great guitar of Hackett but that's no biggie for me as the keys do the job nicely. Duke is an excellent album and but for a few missteps could have been right up there amongst their very best. In live concerts they played The Duke Suite on that tour and it was great. 

01.  1997: Calling All Stations -  http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_m7lWksMqfNMw2UJC5C8D81Fmypx8xCCSc" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_m7lWksMqfNMw2UJC5C8D81Fmypx8xCCSc

As for me:

5* - Duke

3* - Genesis, Invisible Touch, We Can't Dance

2* - Abacab, Calling All Stations.

And I actually enjoy 80's genesis. Abacab and Invisible Touch does work great replacing some tracks with b-sides. We Can't dance and Calling All Stations also has at least 40 minutes of great music (so removing the filler tracks everything flows better). 

The shapes albums you can't do much, but Mama, That's All and (second) Home by the sea are fantastic tracks.

Completely agree with all of this

Disagree on this point....Abacab is quite listenable to these ears, sure there are ominous signs of what is to come, but otherwise inoffensive.  On a parting note - Calling All Stations has never gotten its proper due, IMHO.

Abacab and Invisible Touch are ALRIGHT

Genesis is the best of the bunch, seeing as the non-hits off of the album are actually good songs. 

Notable mention for 'Three Sides Live' which is an excellent live album

You like the title track to calling all stations? I agree it's good. I think if that album was by some neo-prog band it would be considered one of the best of the 90s.

Their debut has grown on me tremendously--especially when I began my deep dive into 1960s psychedelia (which is how I'd categorize its music). 

In my opinion, every single Genesis album has redeeming parts. Whereas I hated …and then there were three … when it came out, this was more for my disappointment that Steve Hackett had left and I couldn't believe it possible that the threesome could possibly produce anything of value, I now see that I was wrong: there are some great ideas and beautiful and power parts to the album. Having seen the band on the second Seconds Out, Wind and Wuthering, Duke, and ABACAB tours I know that I was a fan of all of those albums at those times. The album that I absolutely loved from the start (and still do) that was not received quite as well at the time was the "Mama" Genesis album.

 I've never owned Invisible Touch, We Can't Dance, or Calling All Stations albums but I've heard them enough to know that there is some good music there. As someone above said, I just grew up with the Gabriel and Hackett era's creating my template for the progressive rock music that I grew to cherish and love.

I don't think so. And I like the album. 

     

TBH, although I find that CAS shouldn't have been released (what a sad way to end the band), I really don't think it's that bad.... 

On my scale of worst, it's equal to Abacab, but behind Shapes (whose A-side is the best thing post-Duke), but well ahead of IT & WCD. 

BTW, I rank FGTR above any of those 80's+ albums. 

.

How do you know the punks hated it? What's the evidence? Also so what if they did? How is it important?! 

Abacab better than Duke?! I disagree... Maybe you like it more and that's fine, but better?! No way...