Album Review: Abacab*

* - No, you haven't figured out the algorithm yet. It's not "albums in alpha-order," I promise.

Genesis - Abacab (1981)

An interesting piece of work, this is Genesis breaking from (to some degree) their 70s prog rock tradition and getting poppy, a path that would lead them to the almost new wave world of "Invisible Touch" and "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" and all their other mega-hits that the casual fans (Nyet most definitely included) are familiar with. Well, poppy in the sense that a seven minute opener driven by thundering drums and a distorted synth (the title track) and a 7:30 suite in the middle with ovewrought reverb laser beam effects are poppy. But the album also has bright horns, borderline reggae beats, some brain-entrenching melodies and a few overt singles, so the transition from the orchestral brain-music of the seventies - while still obviously in the hearts of the band - to radio-friendliness was definitely on.

I'm not really a Genesis fan, and I think they are one of those bands (like a lot of prog bands, come to think of it - Rush, Yes, Dream Theater, etc.) that you either really, really get into or you don't. I got this album from a doctor I worked for named Dave, and he was a capital-GF Genesis Fan, and according to him this one was a life-changer. I'm not really feeling that - part of the problem is that I don't care terribly for Phil Collins's voice, which can be kind of a deal-breaker for me. Still, I appreciate the "art" of their art music, and after giving it several listens, the grandiose nature settled in my consciousness.

The sound of that album is just BIG - Bonham drums, Van Halen "Jump" synths (HA! Three years early, apparently), even the minimalist ballad has a sort of arena sound about it. And Collins matches it with his vocals - you can just see him clenching his fist and closing his eyes as he belts out some of the more dramatic lines. That might grate on you a bit - it does for me - but if you can get past that, the album features some good bombast and enough memorable melodies / nice synthy textures to make it worthwhile. Highlights: the energetic title track, the poppy as it gets "No Reply At All," and the oddly mesmerizing "Man on the Corner."

Status: Recommended (solid)
Nyet's Fave: "Abacab"