The River of Constant Change: The Genesis Album-by-Album Thread

I've given CAS another chance many times, but apart from the fine "Not about us" there's nothing that I like about it. With Phil Collins they didn't just lose their lead vocalist, they also lost the drum sound which had been a key element to the band's sound since Nursery Cryme. The band certainly wasn't the same anymore without it. Having a new lead vocalist with absolutely no soul, enthusiasm or energy whatsoever didn't help either. And then there's Tony Banks' keyboard parts which have now become nothing more but holding down chords on synth pads. The Genesis I love had died right here. I'm glad we got a proper goodbye with the 2007 reunion tour, as this would have been a sad end to their career.

 

Calling All Staions 2007 remix...any comments on the remix? I just bought it and found it different in places but nothing revelatory...probably didn't need a remix for a 10 year old album that sounded fine then...

My fav tracks

CAS
Congo
Shipwrecked
Not About Us
Dividing Line

Some of the tracks could have been edited down. I think if the album was 50 minutes vs 67...it would have more holding power...

 

CAS is a much maligned album in many circles which I, for one, do not feel deserves all the bad press.

Sure, Messrs Banks and Rutherford made some mistakes - why, oh why, they didn't bring Stuermer and Thompson along for the ride (at the very least Thompson, who has probably served the longest apprenticeship in rock history), I'll never understand...but you know, some of the songs are really quite good.

One Man's Fool, Dividing Line, There Must Be SOY...they all compare very favourably to the stodge found on WCD. OK, so it's too long - I could have quite happily cut out four tracks (including the awful lead single Congo), but that still leaves a really good 40+ minute album.

And I happen to like Ray Wilson's voice.

This should have kept this lineup going, me thinks.

 

CAS = B-O-R-I-N-G!!!!!!

Banks and Rutherford aren't exactly the kings of personality. By not giving Wilson a hand in writing and injecting what a good frontman can, the album had no hope. Just a couple of eggheads noodling around in search of inspiration and not finding any. The songs were written before Ray came aboard. Why they thought anyone could give those dud songs life is beyond me. The drums are just dumb and soulless. The lyrics are typical Tony Banks writing words that a singer would never actually sing. Mike seems like he's along for the ride just to make sure his friend doesn't jump out the window in a fit of despair. I like all of Tony's solo albums in theory. However, there's not a single one I actually like to listen to (with the possible exception of his classical album). CAS comes off like a bland Tony Banks solo album. Having said that, he's unquestionably my favorite part of Genesis. I just think that the band works best when his role is reduced. Better put, Banks is my favorite 33 1/3% or less part of Genesis.

 

is the mono mix different?

I found an internet posting on the mono mix of FGTR from this site:
http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=6

"The original full Mono album version of "From Genesis to Revelation (originally released without the singles and the B sides, of course) is not only different due to the mixing. The songs also were edited differently. Some songs are longer, others are shorter, than in the full Stereo version of the album."

Can anyone else who owns a mono copy of FGTR can vouch whether this mono mix is a fold-down or has unique mixes, song lengths etc (please elaborate on the mix differences if possible) I'd like to know before I spend $2000+ to obtain a copy. If it is indeed a mono remix then it is only the second UK mono lp (by anyone that I know of) from '69 that features a true mono re-mix. The only post-68 UK mono lp I know of with mix differences is the Kinks 'Arthur'

 

I'm a little late to this thread, but I must say a word about "Domino," which recently has become one of my most favorite Genesis songs. Great lyrics and great atmosphere. I really think this is one of their finest later-day tracks.

 

Yes, I've come to enjoy Side 2 of Invisible Touch. It's just that Side 1 is so incredibly terrible from the first second to the last.

 

I had pretty much written off Genesis back then, because of all the radio overkill, MTV videos, beer commercial soundtracks, etc., associated with Invisible Touch. And that title track...it was and is IMO one of the most annoying songs ever written.

Having said that, one day while I was in a magazine shop, they played "Domino" over the stereo system. I liked it so much and was so surprised by how good it was compared to the other songs I'd heard, I had to grudgingly go out and buy the record just for that one track.

 

I love Invisible Touch, both for its pop elements and for the progressive elements on side two. "In Too Deep" is a very well done ballad and so is "Throwing It All Away". In recent years, "Domino" has risen to becoming one of my favorite Genesis songs.

 

I'm also a Domino fan-- the melody is vintage Tony Banks, and the song could've fit on Wind & Wuthering with some tweaking.

Never warmed to the Brazilian though-- pretty weak tunewise and there's no development; they just play the same A/B sections three times. Sounds like a backing track that never had a song added,

 

I've always like the single mix of 'Tonight, Tonight, Tonight' especially playing the middle break nice and loud.

 

And then there was none...

 

I have been on an Invisible Touch kick the last few days after not listening to the album for awhile. I know how the album is so maligned with many people but for me, the album has always clicked. I really love "Throwing It All Away" and "In Too Deep" as ballads, both songs bring me back to 1987, which was a great and carefree time for me. "Land Of Confusion" is always a lot of fun, a song that has had some lyrical revelance to me in the last few years for reasons that are best not discussing on a non-political forums. "Invisible Touch" is the catchy, fluff single that I don't play much anymore but I have a fond regard for. Even "Anything She Does" is a catchy song, although not one of my favorites from the album.

Then you have the progressive as opposed to pop songs with "Domino" and "The Brazilian". "Domino" is great and remains in my top echelon of Genesis songs. "The Brazilian" is a neat little closer to the album.

 

I'm glad to see someone continued this thread in my almost year and a half long absence. So Calling All Stations was actually my introduction to Genesis in terms of albums. I obviously knew the radio stuff, but I never really gave Genesis a 2nd glance. Then one day an 18 year old kid, me, walked into the Tower Records in Fresno, CA to the sound of this album playing. I'm browsing the vinyl and finally I had to go up to the clerk to find out who this was. To find out it was Genesis...shock doesn't quite explain it. I purchased and it set me off on a fandom binge unlike any other group. I became a collector and now have a nice collection of rare vinyl, I have all the albums several times over...all because of CAS.

Whether the album is good or not, it's damn good to me and holds a lot of sentimental value. Plus, I think the album would have been far better received if the name "Genesis" weren't on the cover. Honestly, I think this is their best album since Abacab, maybe since Duke. And if this is indeed to be Genesis' last studio album, it's a fine, fine way to close the career of such a prolific band.

 

"Calling All Stations" was released 1 year after I had become a Genesis fan ("Nursery Cryme").
It was a sad time to be a Genesis fan. Just about everybody was oversaturated with Phil Collins and Genesis even in Germany.

When I first heard the album...the only words that come to mind: offense for the ears. That was it, I was deeply offended by this monotonous music.

I knew who Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford were. The last album I'd heard right until then was "Wind and wuthering". So I knew, these are guys with imagination and terrific musicianship.

The two were heavily promoting the album, declaring it as a return to their prog roots. They even slightly rode the anti-Collins wave, explaining the last two albums were too Phil-heavy and now they were free from his influence.
Sure that was a reason to expect something interesting.

But it wasn't interesting. In fact it sounded like anti Genesis of old. No little details, no multi-part compositions, no quirky solos, no tricky rhythms. Worst of all: no fun! From "Harold The barrel" right up to "I can't dance" Genesis had always had a fun sunny side to them.
Okay, it did actually sound dramatic. But other than that it was very depressing.
I was thinking Mike and Tony have lost their minds. That's what money does to you...
And poor Ray Wilson...

The worst part was that "ME/Sounds" Germany's leading music magazine noticed that! Their review was probably the most brutal one I have ever read. Normally they tend to give top ratings to crap albums. Had they only stuck to that formula here, but oh no: for once they could tell that it's a bad record. I really hated to agree with them at the time.

It did take a couple of years that out of humility I gave it another chance. It was a rainy autumn and suddenly I began liking the album.
Later on I learned to love it.
The albums transcends so well the sense of loss, feeling cold and empty inside. It's still the perfect album for a rainy day.

 

Did you ever hear the vinyl [We can't dance]? My opinion of the vocals has changed since hearing this.

Tim

 

That might be the version I have. A friend gave it o me and he told me why it was special/different but I can't remember the details. I'll troll through my emails and see if I can find out any more. Listening to it now in fact.

 

Great thread !

 

hello,
i have this 2 different versions and trespass on CD :

trespass CASCD 1020 (virgin/charisma 1985 / europe )
trespass CASCDX 1020 7243 8 39773 2 1 (definitive edition remaster 1994)

Actually i prefer the 1985's pressing (more "details", low end bass ) , even if the remaster is more dynamic, it obviously have NR and sound really different from the "original CD" virgin/charisma from 1985. It's almost like it's two different mixings. I don't know which is the closest to the LP, as i don't have it. How could it be possible to have so much different sounding ?

 

I worked in a record store when Calling All Stations came out. We had it on a listening post. Someone came in and was listening to it for a few minutes on headphones. After a while, he took off the headphones and grabbed one of my colleagues. Indicating the disc on the display, he exclaimed in bewilderment, "No Phil Collins?". "No, no", says my friend, "... he left". The look of sheer disgust on the man as he flung the headphones back on their hook and stormed out.