Abacab
click the image to get it in cd-cover size
| Release Date: |
November 30, 1980 |
| Label: |
Atlantic |
| Rating: |
4.0 |
Description: Phil Collins might be swinging away the late '90s, but in 1981 he was sharpening his pop chops, from his first solo offering to this, the first Genesis album to break the hallowed million-copy mark stateside. But
Abacab wasn't entirely about charting Top 40 singles ("No Reply At All," "Man on the Corner," and the title track); it still exhibited some late-stage evidence of a trio courting the art-rock muse that had graced its past ("Who Dunnit," "Dodo," "Keep It Dark"). However, by 1983's eponymous follow-up, the hit factory that was Genesis in the mid- to late-1980s was operating full steam ahead, and the angel Gabriel's spectre had all but vanished. Then, there were truly only three.
--Bob Michaels
Tracklist of Abacab
Reviews:
4.5 stars, ABACAB!
Genesis fans are divided over this album, but since I'm not a fan, I'm not taking sides! However, this is my favourite Gensis album from the 1980's. To be honest with you, it's more the lyrics than anything that really sets it apart for me. The lyrics on this album are more oriented around story telling than songs about personal depression ('Taking it all too hard', 'Tonight Tonight Tonight', 'In too deep', 'Mama', etc.) which I personally don't find interesting. I also love the driven but fun rhythm section. Although the music is pop it also exhibits plenty of new ideas and progressive means new ideas. My favourite song is 'keep it dark' which has a really infectious, sick riff. It's a riff similar to the mellotron riff on my favourite Genesis song, 'Ballad of Big'. Some of the other songs have a dark atmosphere and I suppose the best description I could come up with for the songs is that they'd make great additions to a soundtrack to 'the matrix'. They have a dark and mystifying quality, not least of which being the dark and unique melodies and the instrumentation has a really electronic feel to it. I especially love the title track and I love the Dodo/lurker song. I've said all I wanted to say.
After Duke, this one seems so-so
Abacab is a good album, don't get me wrong, but it falls short of the previous album, Duke. There's some pretty corny stuff on this album, particularly the track Who Done It? Why, oh why did they record that track? The title track seems to be the highlight of this album, and there seems to be no cohesiveness between the tracks. I don't think it's wrong to comment that at this point Genesis has drifted completely away from their prog-rock roots and are into full-tilt pop mode. Get this album if you are interested in filling out your collection, but if you want to give Genesis a try, go for The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. That one will blow you away, gauranteed.
What if you like Pete AND Phil?
There seems to be some kind of negative polarity between lovers of the Pete band, and admirers of the Phil band. I fall right in between, because I like 'em both. Things change. Pete fans still have the legacy of the Pete albums. Nobody can take those away. If you don't like Phil, just don't listen to him.
