Album Review: Genesis - Genesis (1983)

The best selling album from Genesis is Invisible Touch from 1986.  And it's no wonder why - all the greatest hits (and I mean THE greatest hits) are on this album.  Yes there are few other gems floating about on their other albums, such as the album being reviewed here, Genesis, but it's Invisible Touch that stands out for me.  Yes, you may as well just buy their "greatest hits" compilations, one might ask, but then you'll be missing out on the great unknowns, such as the instrumental "The Brazilian."  But I digress.  I was rather hoping this album would be just as great at their "magnum opus" (from a commercial perspective at least), but alas, I was disappointed.  I'm only really glad I bought this album simply because it had "Home By the Sea" on it.  I could've stuck with the aforementioned "greatest hits" compilations for songs such as "Mama" and "That's All."  The second side to this album is just plain bland, as is "Second Home By the Sea."  Not really my cup of tea, really.  It might still grow on me, but who really knows?  This album gets a B only because "That's All" is one of my favorite 80s Genesis ditties.  That, and I'm somewhat agreeable on "Home By the Sea" as well.  Meh.  B

Album Review: Genesis - Invisible Touch (1986)

For me Genesis is an extension of Phil Collins, and not the other way around.  I grew up listening to Phil Collins, ever since I was maybe four or five - about the time this album and his solo record, No Jacket Required were doing the rounds of the radio airwaves.  I don't think this post, or any of the other posts on this blog for that matter, would exist had it not been for Phil Collins instilling within me a passion for popular music at a young and formative age.  And no matter how much Phil gets bashed by people for whatever reason, I'll still stand by him and his music.  But his work with Genesis - the Genesis that I know and am most familiar with, is for the most part as interesting as his earlier solo work ever was.  Some might perhaps argue that it's better.  But there's no denying that the landmark album being reviewed here, Invisible Touch, is a good album.  A good number of the songs here have all received radio airplay - "Invisible Touch", "Throwing it All Away" and "Land of Confusion" for instance, will all inevitably find themselves on an 80s playlist at some point.  But there's more to the album than the staple numbers - "Anything She Does" is certainly worth listening to.  All up, this is an album worth owning.  I certainly liked it.  A-