I don't know what it is about Genesis, but they make my ears prick up, whether it be their 70s progressive rock or 80s synth-pop. After the shocking shift in musical direction on the 1980 masterpiece Duke, fans of the days of old were left a little in the cold when Invisible Touch was released. Those who were only fans of their strange time chords and crazy progressive sound can more or less appreciate the stange mix of pop and rock on Duke, but find that Invisible Touch is just about the worst thing the band has done, even placing behind their 1969 panned debut From Genesis to Revelation. Well, those fans are right: Invisible Touch is, by far, the sloppiest, messiest, dullest Genesis release in existence. The album is only a mere 8 songs long, but it's an up and down rollercoaster that hits really high, but then drops below the ground.

The biggest complaint with the sound on Invisible Touch is the fact that you couldn't distinguish the Phil Collins-solo sound from the Genesis-sound anymore, which is very odd. When Phil went solo in 1981 and released the incredible Face Value, there was a magical sound that we'd never heard from this man. Now, Genesis and Phil Collins were one and the same, which is more or less why fans blame him directly for "ruining" the band. While the band certainly got muddled, they weren't ruined, as indicated by 1992's We Can't Dance. Right from the start, this record sounds like a Phil Collins side-project with the title-track oozing 80s. Invisible Touch may not sound like Genesis, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's bad. The song has clever lyrics, a fun beat, and a hook to die for. The band isn't necessarily known for being catchy, but that's exactly what this song is: "She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah!" The performance on the 2007 Turn It On Again Tour brought new life into this 80s gem.

The band's most popular track Land of Confusion is also present-- a song that shot this band into the stratosphere with it's imaginative puppet-based music video that poked fun at Reagen. The drums kick you in the mouth, the guitar is fierce, and Phil, strangely, sounds like a total badass. Metal band Disturbed would go on to cover this song, and while I liked the mash-up remix of both versions, their remake doesn't hold a candle to the eerily dark original, even if it is all based on synth-rock. Tonight, Tonight, Tonight is a weird song with a really click and cool production and some really dramatic vocals from Phil Collins. The version on this album clocks in at nearly nine minutes, a shocker for a lot of softcore fans who know this track as a 4 minute radio edit. I have to say that the full version is worth the listen. This track is heavy and brooding and is rumored to be about drugs: "You keep tellin' me you're going to help me!"

That's it, though. Take out the CD, take the needle of the vinyl, eject the cassette, pause your mp3 player. It's over. Invisible Touch tragically dies after the first three songs. In Too Deep is pure Phil Collins-contemporarycharts-soft-lame-cheezy-crap and if you're not a fan of the work he did in the late, late 80s, you're going to hate this song. Nothing about this song is Genesis. There's almost no production, so you really only get Phil's voice over a simple beat; and, as far as Phil Collins songs go, this one isn't too memorable. Domino has proven to be a fan favorite (and a kicking live performance), but it falls flat on the CD. Many progressive rock fans swarm to it first because it's labeled and told in movements, but it's just not all that interesting-- Supper's Ready and The Duke Saga it is not. Throwing It All Away has got to be one of my least favorite Genesis songs of all time, even if it was a considerable success for the band. It's basically In Too Deep Part II: all Phil Collins, all the time.

I bought this CD for 8 dollars used and that's 8 dollars too much. If it weren't for Land of Confusion, you could find this album for 50 cents in the bargain bin. If you're a hardcore Phil Collins fan (and you loved his 2003 Testify album), then you'll definitely love this record. As for Genesis fans (both big and small ones), this project was a total dud. The only song really worth hearing is Land of Confusion, which, if you haven't heard, you've been living under a rock.

I have a big qualm with this album aside from the music on it. It. sounds. awful. This album was mastered like they used a bootleg tape that was from the radio. Up until last year, this record was only available through the original Atlantic Records CD pressing and boy is it a sticker. It's sad when my cassette copy sounds better. I recently tried to listen to Land on my Zune (which is a rip of my own disc) and I was shocked at how low and muddled the sound was. If you must buy this record, look for the remastered version, because it's worth it.

TRACKLIST
Invisible Touch
Tonight, Tonight, Tonight
Land of Confusion
In Too Deep
Anything She Does
Domino
Throwing It All Away
The Brazilian

Recommended: No