If there is good evidence that jumps in the mouth listening to Calling All Stations is that the group FMinée orientation was not, as many had thought, the only 'fault' of their semi -chauve drummer and vocalist, the grinning and sometimes annoying Phil Collins. Because if, finally, there is a real surprise in the album is that there has not really, besides the vocal change radical enough, that's understood.
Composition side, there is not the surprise of a return to progressivism seventisant, there is also no particular disappointment. In contrast, if the whole album is undeniably routine, we never change at the age of two leaders (default?), It reserves some very nice surprises which we will extract the most dazzling: the trippy Alien Afternoon The powerful The Dividing Line, the "Afterglowien" Uncertain Weather, the piece that should have been a pipe What Small Talk (so much better than Not About Us selected for the year), or the beautiful modern prog doublet fence, There Must Be Some Other Way and One Man's Fool. The air of nothing, it's more than half the tracklist, not bad for a generally decried and qualified album "fight too" by critics feathers moult. Especially as the rest, without being as exciting, is in no way unworthy. Rest a production and emasculating arrangements too often the potential of good songs or the missed opportunity to recruit some young and thin blades (a guitarist, a true!) Story to boost the smooth sailing of some lifesaving faster. This is all the more annoying that he does not miss much! Already because the song Ray Wilson, Gabriel without a fancy but does what he can with what they are offered, and has a real sense of melody brings a real extra something, because then pair of drummers / percussionists convened for the occasion (Nick D'Virgilio of Spock's Beard, among others, and Nir Zidkyahu, who will participate in the tour that will follow) re-spice progressive side of the group where Phil had finally C. simplify his game to the extreme in addition to being frequently supplanted by frightful box to rhythms, finally, because that (again!) there is a good package that songs, one feels!, only asked that 'flourish but will unfortunately too constrained by their calibrated arrangements and clinical production (though of unquestionable audiophile quality).
These small flaws aside, it is not difficult to do, hold it to say, Calling All Stations was a pleasant surprise in 1997 and remains a more than honest aeuvre 17 years later. More honest and much more listenable over time that some multi-platinum albums such as the formation of the eponymous 1983 or putassier Invisible Touch released three years later. Recommended therefore, not only to fans of Genesis but to all those who taste the modern melodic progressive rock, there are many.
Tony Banks - keyboards, backing vocals
Mike Rutherford - guitar, bass, backing vocals
Ray Wilson - vocals
&
Nir Zidkyahu - drums on tracks 1-3, 4 (second half), 5, 7, 10-11; percussion on 2
Nick D'Virgilio - drums on tracks 4 (first half), 6, 8-9
