WE CAN'T DANCE

Why does it have to be so long? This album could have been a 3-star effort if there was an editor telling the guys to filter out the filler. Instead, we have the good material scattered around the disc with numerous forgettable pop tunes between them. Good material or not, it is fortunate that the production improved significantly and the drums are for once REAL again. Nevertheless, the music is inoffensive, unoriginal, safe: typical of a monster pop album. Even the extended songs are very safe, though the closing track manages to be a very good farewell to the fans, progressive or not. Fading Lights shows that Tony Banks has a little prog in him left and he decided to not make pop during that moment. The arrangements are good, the vocal melodies are inspired and emotional, and the instrumental parts, while being a shadow of their best years, are sufficiently exciting to my ears. Unfortunately, the other epic is not progressive. It is a pretty song indeed, with better choice of sounds than Fading Lights, but there is not much of progression in its ten minutes.

Not all of the pop songs are filler though. the opening track No Son of Mine is enjoyable and has the energy of the band at their Duke era due to the drumming. Jesus he Knows me is very entertaining, has a great chorus, and is overall a fun attack on televangelists. Living Forever and Dreaming While you Sleep are decent enough ballads, the former having a nice instrumental section. The others, while unremarkable, have Phil Collins singing with a great voice. The man is definitively a better singer during the pop era than during their progressive phase if you look past the less inspired melodies.