GENESIS

This is my favorite Genesis album post-Steve HACKETT. Phil and Tony are really clicking throughout this album with their experiments with computer and keyboard technologies, and Mike's guitar work is finally fitting and effective.

The industrial sound of the percussion loop in the opening song, "Mama" (6:37) (9/10), coupled with Tony's eerie synth and Phil's crazed vocal are amazing. Amazing. I even bought and played to death the 12" EP version.

2. "That's All" (4:26) (8/10) is catchy old-fashioned feel pop with Phil at his vocal best. (Great lyrics, too.)

3. "Home by the Sea" (5:07) (8/10) has an awesome ominous feel musically and a wonderful vocal melody throughout. But it is also a tease--for the best is yet to come--in the form of the next song,

4. "Second Home by the Sea" (6:07) (9/10) is a fairly plodding instrumental with some great performances and melodic solos by Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford--and of course, capped off by the great return vocal of Phil Collins.

5. "Illegal Alien" (5:15) (4/10) I hope to never hear again for the rest of my life.

6. "Taking It All Too Hard" (3:58) (7/10) has some truly gorgeous keyboard work--and Phil, too, when he's doing his soft, delicate voice.

7. "Just a Job to Do" (4:48) (6/10) I didn't even remember the existence of this song. As I listen to it now, I understand why.

8. "Silver Rainbow" (4:30) (8/10) has an awesome beginning and then it kicks into a pounding straight time with some nice guitar and bass work from Rutherford. The chorus is the final disappointment.

9. "It's Gonna Get Better" (5:14) (8/10) is a pretty soul-imitative pop song--except for the "reverse" solo at 3:00. The chorus that follows immediately after the weird solo is pretty good, too. Great keyboard chord progressions from there out.

An album in which I was finally able to let go of my expectations for the "old" Genesis and allow them to move into the techno-pop 80s. While not an "excellent addition to a PROG rock music collection" it is a pretty darn good album. 3.5 stars rated down for loss of progginess.