Published on May 25, 2005
Well, after researching the matter thoroughly via the Internet
and the National Archives, and having consulted the nation’s top
scientists, I have come to the following conclusion: technically
speaking, the former progressive rock group Genesis did record
Invisible Touch.
For the past few weeks, you have all read the various takes we
have at the Vault on the discography of Genesis. Just think, it
wasn’t that long ago the reviews for
Foxtrot, or
Selling England By The Pound went up. Now here we are, with
Invisible Touch, the six million copy-selling pop-rock
monster. Just ponder for a moment, how many other bands have
undergone such radical changes, and come out on top like Genesis
did? For the life of me, I cannot think of one.
Note that so far, I have yet to label
Invisible Touch as a lousy album. That is because it really
isn’t, when viewed with the proper context. For a Genesis fan from
the early ’70s, there is no question this album must have been
viewed as an abomination, sacrilege of the worst kind. For an ’80s
pop fan, this is a wonderful crafted, catchy work. Seeing as how
Genesis had completely ditched the whole prog rock sound by this
point, it’s unfair to hold
Invisible Touch against an album such as
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. It is a pop album, nothing
more.
The first four tracks of this album are gold, pure gold. Anyone
who lived in the ’80s will remember “Invisible Touch,” “Tonight,
Tonight, Tonight,” “Land Of Confusion” and “In Too Deep.” Each song
has its own unique charm, as well as a qualitatively different
sound. “In Too Deep” is a touching ballad, though it sounds an
awful lot like a Phil Collins solo effort. “Invisible Touch” was
always a personal favorite of mine, with its driving, almost
danceable beat and strong refrain.
“Tonight…” is the dark tale of a drug addict, who wants
one more fix. Collins reaches into his own track “In The Air
Tonight” to provide some wonderfully intense vocals. The track
simmers at first, but slowly builds more and more intensity until
things erupt in the final two minutes. “Land of Confusion” follows
as an indictment against 1986 society. Now, while no one will
confuse this with, say, “Revolution,” it’s a gritty rocker that
Genesis uncharacteristically pulls off well.
While the second half of the album isn’t bad, the four remaining
tracks are weaker when compared to the previous four. In particular
there is “The Brazilian” and “Domino.” The latter is a ten minute
“epic,” the former an instrumental. To me, it sounds as if Genesis
was still trying to retain some measure of artistic credibility.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work. “The Brazilian” sounds horribly out
of date, more so than the rest of the album combined. “Domino”
simply fails to excite. I kept expecting a climax similar to
“Tonight, Tonight, Tonight,” but there is none to be found. The
horn propelled “Anything She Does” provides a spark of energy, but
“Throwing It All Away” cancels that out. This has been one Genesis
hit that I have never been fond of; it just lacks strong
performances or catchy hooks.
I can see why this album sold so many copies; it certainly has
its share of shining moments. While
Invisible Touch may have marked the official death of
Genesis as a prog rock entity, do not let that influence how you
listen to the album. It is well-crafted pop, something Genesis
delivered over and over again throughout the ’80s.