INVISIBLE TOUCH

Here's how to appease record labels. Sell out and forget your solid prog roots and rebuild a new fan base of teeny bopping girly dancers. They succeeded. This sold like hot cakes and rocketed to number one. I own the vinyl and it cost me 50 cents at a second hand store; that's what it is worth too!

"Invisible Touch" is a damned album, a wretched album that ushered in a new Genesis sound that was only approved by those who were not enamoured with the prog Genesis with Gabriel in full voice.

Banks, Collins and Rutherford were now in charge and sold completely out to a mediocre crystalline 80s sound that was not even close to progressive. Domino was Ok as a ten minute romp into prog territory but it never measures up to the classic sound the band was famous for.

Gone are the musical interludes. Hyper lyrics and musicianship only to be replaced by that 80s synth radio friendly pop sound, and awful synthesized drums, and processed vocals.

The album sold huge amounts due to the singles 'Invisible Touch' and 'In Too Deep' showing a balladic Collins singing about love, love, love. In other words no different to other radio bands. The fans were becoming female as a result of course but all of the innovation and creativity was being sucked out of the group and becoming plastic and not a bit fantastic.

I like 'Land of Confusion' because the melody grew on me and I actually liked the film clip at the time. 'Invisible Touch' was a song that haunted the radio, and I remember it being sung on Young Talent Time, the 80s teenage talent show, by some unknown singer as teenyboppers screamed his name; sick. It was fun when I was a teen but nowadays it is so dated and better forgotten.

'Anything She Does' is notable for the film clip with hilarious funny man Benny Hill taking centre stage, as he visits Genesis in their dressing room, and continues to try and cater to their outlandish wishes, even showing some gorgeous groupies the way out, complete with speeded up action, and a dressing room full of weird oddballs. The band were certainly innovative in their MTV clips.

The song 'Throwing it All Away' was self prophetic as the band were throwing away everything that made them great. The clip to this was again innovative with the band filming themselves during rehearsals and it features some great backstage footage.

Overall though this is an atrocious album. Even the album cover is corny with a stupid design that the average person could emulate on a computer. "Abacab" was worse overall, but this is still a terrible album! I changed my rating to 1 star, as 2 stars is being too kind.

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