A Genesis New Wave Album? Well,Sort Of

Review Score: (8/10)
With this album, Genesis breaks from their art-rock past and plows into New Wave and then mainstream pop. In addition, the band hired producer Hugh Padgham, noted for his work with the Police, resulting in the band's best sounding studio album to date - a move which will be noticed immediately in the full drum sound.

Some of the album works very well - the title track, Dodo/Lurker, and the ethereal beauty of Me And Sarah Jane are the standouts. The spareness of Man On The Corner and horn-infused R&B stylings of No Reply At All hint at the rise of Phil Collins, about to become a star in his own right. Abacab suffers, however, from trite lyrics and some filler songs that detract from it's justified strengths. In particular, the presence of the vile and wretched Who Dunnit? (perhaps one of the worst pieces of junk ever committed to tape by a major act) indicates the depths to which the trio is capable of descending. Docked one star for Who Dunnit?

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