Abacab
by Genesis

This is the album where you can tell that Genesis had fully embraced pop. It came in varying levels of success (No Reply at All, Man on the Corner: pretty good! Like It or Not, Another Record: not so much), but the fact that Genesis was able to fit right in with the sound while also adopting elements of new wave in the process is pretty impressive, and the enhanced production value only makes it better. Some Genesis fans might tell you that they completely abandoned prog by this point, but that's not true. The title track, the second half of Me and Sarah Jane, and Dodo/Lurker all have some fine prog or prog-inspired moments. Overall, Abacab is uneven with the highs being somewhat high and the lows being pretty low (*ahem* Who Dunnit?), but it's not bad record at all, and it's not one that you should skip if you're considering getting into Genesis. (Edited)

With this album, Genesis had finally tipped the scale in favor of pop: they were now more pop than prog, and fans weren't too pleased. I actually like the new direction: every song on here is shamelessly catchy and none of them blow me away musically, but I can still tell that this band that could still play and play well. If we had been stuck with a stagnant Genesis, we would've had an endless stream of Wind and Wuthering clones. That wouldn't have been good, IMO - I'll take the pop direction over W&W clones any day of the week. This was a band of songwriters; I have no issue with them writing catchy pop songs, because they already proved they could master prog. Why not let them try to master pop as well?

Hint: they would come pretty close to doing just that.

I guess I have a different perspective because I was born in 1988. I didn't grow up with this band; I grew up listening to both "eras" of Genesis. In all honesty, I think I respect Genesis more -because- they were able to make the transition to pop quite well. Good songwriters can and should master a variety of genres. Plus, contrary to what some might think, they never completely abandoned their roots.

Whodunnit, Like It or Not, and Another Record are pretty bad though. Like I said, there were more duds during this era of Genesis, but the good outweighs the bad.

From paladisiac TOP 100 COMMENTER 12/09/2011 16:33 | #32453 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

i think of duke and abacab in the same realm of new-school pop sensibilities creeping into their post-prog sound. Both albums are very good and i think they have more in common with the elaborate build of songs on a trick of the tail than the shallower pop sensibilities of the following self-titled release. This album kicks butt from the opening cymbal crash and eerie synth lines. The eeriness and mystery of the opening track reminds me a lot of "dodo / lurker" as both are long players with spooky synths, well-played drum work, strong supporting guitar playing and mysterious subject material. "dodo"'s opening is ominous. Both have really interesting outtros -- "abacab" with its extended instrumental textures and "dodo" shifting to "lurker"'s otherworldly intrusion. (i know that phil sings "dog baiter, agitator" in "dodo", but i love singing "darth vader, agitator" instead.) "me and sarah jane" is probably their best ballad of the 80s, a pining and loss over a girl i'm not sure ever really existed. i like the ferocity and hopelessness in phil's voice in "keep it dark". yes, it sounds like a phil collins song, but i like those horns on "no reply at all" (and check out mike's bass). "who dunnit?" is goofy fun in the "robbery, assault & battery" mode.

Beyond the poppiness and hits, Me & Sarah Jane and Like it Or Not are two of my favorite Genesis songs. A super solid album ridiculously well produced.

I am one of those rare individuals who can enjoy Foxtrot and Abacab in equal measure, probably because a huge part of my vinyl collection is prog and an equally sizeable measure is eighties electro pop. This is a good album and it is progressive in that it is not hanging on to the seventies but embracing the new decade. (Edited)