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Rating:
Genesis hit their lowest point between '83 and '86. But it's not too surprising, considering that if we take the music of those years, we clearly see that poor quality is the order of the day. We're in bad shape, and it must be said that our three, despite their claims, are not exempt. Even the guru Peter Gabriel doesn't resist temptation and releases a flashy and affected album full of pop songs the same year as the much-maligned 'Invisible Touch', also resorting to the most messed up ploy invented by MTV: the video aired twenty times a day (in his case, Sledgehammer).
These are sad times, full of ephemeral plastic, banality reigns almost unchallenged: I believe this should be kept in mind, at least to understand the reason behind the conception of certain steaming piles of crap that many records are. We were saying that Genesis do not escape the rule; they go with the flow and ride it well. There's something, but very hidden, of originality and creativity, but it's overshadowed by bloated, exaggerated, and rather pathetic electronic sounds; it's known that Tony, Mike, and Phil are good musicians, but you can't tell from this album, which makes the ensemble even more depressing. Adding a Third World-like graphic design makes the discontent more than understandable.
They manage to do worse than the self-titled '83 album, which was already lackluster, to put it mildly. A natural child of the Eighties, this "Invisible Touch" is a brazen and best-selling product, cheerful and annoying, with very little artistic vein, only capable of providing here and there some flashes which, more often than not, are noticeable only after a number of listens that are not easily bearable. However, let it remain in eternal memory that if it weren't Genesis, the record might, I say might, not be so bad.
Predictable electronic drums and ultra-catchy guitar riffs open the title track: sparkling as you like, perhaps gripping if you're in the mood to be charitable, but honestly not what we want to hear. The lyrics are pathetic, and listening to it twenty years later, it sounds absurd and chaotic, with the annoying sounds of the synth bass and a frightful "instrumental insert": if Wham had made it, it would have been a bomb, but unfortunately, it's Genesis, and that makes us shiver. "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" is slightly better, almost nine minutes long, opened by drum machine-programmed rhythm and guitar blows that create an unsettling atmosphere, even if not very intense. Phil sings well and plays electronic drums alternating with real ones, Tony works in the background; here too there's the instrumental insert, which, though stuffed with synthetic sounds, manages to give the piece a unique significance, later trivialized by the subsequent opening when Phil pounds the drums (the Simmons sound is terrible) and Mike goes for distorted riffs. A faded closure, not a masterpiece at all, but not unacceptable either.
The really serious trouble starts coming with "Land Of Confusion," which relies on a sequencer-programmed synth bass riff (God help us…). The drums make a mess, Mike's lyrics ("My first political song" he says) are sincerely embarrassing and demagogic, dangerously low level; again, the electronic drums show the worst of themselves. The video full of downright ugly puppets mimicking the famous figures of the time, Ronald Reagan above all, is original. We're quite flabbergasted, but it seems like Genesis don't like us because right after they hit us with a syrupy and so sugar-laden mess it makes you nauseous. "In Too Deep" is a lousy song, a ballad so predictable it seems a parody; unfortunately, the intentions are romantic, but the result gives you chills, and not out of pleasure. More than anything, it induces self-harm: horrible piano as well as guitar, ugly electronic programming, all very indecent. Another poor song, "Anything She Does", has one merit: it doesn't feature electronic drums, and at least in terms of instrumentation, it's played a bit better, without useless goopiness. But it recalls other sad pieces like "Illegal Alien" and "Just A Job To Do", very bad things we'd rather lock away forever; plus Tony, with his synth brass sound, almost seems pitiful, he seems to have fallen so low, even his interventions on "Second Home By The Sea" seem light-years away.
Fortunately comes, after this devastating trio, what I feel to call a good song, "Domino", a sort of mini-suite divided into two parts, "In The Glow Of The Night" and "The Last Domino". Let’s be clear, it’s not a masterpiece and doesn’t even recall past glories, but in a record like this, it shines like gold. The first section starts relaxed with a simple guitar riff and sweet keyboard whispers; Phil's vocal performance is good, less effective are the electronic pad breaks and the now obsolete inserts of synthesized brass, while Mike operates in the background with discretion. The second part is announced by a delicate keyboard passage, with the voice floating smoothly: not very emotional but at least pleasant. Next comes a Simmons drum ride on which Tony embroiders with dry, martial notes, while Mike dives into rhythmic hard riffs. The keyboards carve out more delicate passages with a vaguely ethnic flavor alongside the percussion, only to return to more frenetic phases. The excessive deployment of synthetic and sampled sounds is detrimental, which pollute a product otherwise decent. In fact, I think "Domino" gives its best live, where the arrangement is necessarily sparser. Even the lyrics are at least decent, comparing man's life to a giant domino where sooner or later everyone must fall.
But the partial relief doesn’t last long, because right after we find perhaps the most irritating track of the album. "Throwing It All Away" is a detestable example of sycophantic pop and catchiness to the umpteenth degree; insipid choruses, annoying guitar, a precursor of today’s trends that we find in those cheesy songs by Hillary Duff and the like. Horrible. The closing is entrusted to the instrumental "The Brazilian": not an outstanding piece but at least somewhat intriguing. Dominated by electronic drum rolls, which in this case prove effective, the piece unfolds between deliberately skewed riffs of keyboards and distorted guitar interventions, leading to a beautiful refrain, with a majestic and powerful, almost epic stride. Very beautiful is also the final part, where Rutherford emerges from the shadows with long-note solos that complement the keyboards and further elevate the curious evocative force of the piece. Again, it’s nothing special, but it has good yield and fading out closes with at least some dignity a dreadful album.
The worst Genesis record has very little redeemable. Not the sound, aged in no time, not the lyrics, nor the reckless use of instrumentation. Creativity is at a historical low, and if there's something decent, in my opinion, it's to be found in the two longer tracks, Tonight cubed and Domino, though they are also plagued by the period's sinister tendencies, and in the closing instrumental, which, to say something positive, preserve a minimal experimental intent. Everything else is flat calm, extremely low level, and in some cases subterranean; the work of Banks, Collins, and Rutherford is hardly justifiable and defensible, we can say that at least the three also vented in various solo albums and avoided delivering other "masterpieces" labeled Genesis during that indecent decade. I console myself thinking that in a sense they redeemed themselves five years later, publishing a record that stands well above this one, the result of an at least partially rediscovered artistic vein.
Incidentally, the anger increases because if we dig through the outtakes of this album, we come across two songs that, while not excelling, achieve far better results than most of the tracks included here. I’m referring especially to the excellent "Feeding The Fire," a piece with good rhythms and captivating development, and the even more beautiful "Do The Neurotic," which I personally consider a small gem unjustly buried, a pyrotechnic instrumental where Mike makes a great figure with his electric guitar. Similar tracks might have slightly raised the album's level, but Genesis's choice turned out to be different, more trivial and commercial, hence even more condemnable.
That said, since even today, in the year 2000 and beyond, MTV continues to reap the fruits of its poisoned seeds and the banality of music reaches once again worrying levels, I prefer to listen again to the old masterpieces, the epic frescoes of banksiana memory and the other immortal progressive epitaphs so much vilified by history. Musty elders, maybe they'll say, but more alive than ever.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Invisible Touch (03:29)
Well I've been waiting, waiting here so long
But thinking nothing, nothing could go wrong
Well now I know
She has a built-in ability
To take everything she sees
And now it seems I'm falling, falling for her
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah
She reaches in and grabs right hold of your heart
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah
It takes control and slowly tears you apart
Well I don't really know her, I only know her name
But she crawls under your skin, you're never quite the same
And now I know
She's got something you just can't trust
And it's something mysterious
And now it seems I'm falling, falling for her
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah
She reaches in and grabs right hold of your heart
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah
It takes control and slowly tears you apart
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah
She reaches in and grabs right hold of your heart
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah
It takes control and slowly tears you apart
Well she don't like losing, to her it's still a game
And though she will mess up your life, you'll want her just the same
And now I know
She has a built-in ability
To take everything she sees
And now it seems I've fallen, fallen for her
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah
She reaches in and grabs right hold of your heart
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah
It takes control and slowly tears you apart
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah
She seems to have an invisible touch, oh
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah
She seems to have an invisible touch, oh
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah
She seems to have an invisible touch, oh
She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah
She seems to have an invisible touch
02 Tonight, Tonight, Tonight (08:53)
I'm coming down, coming down like a monkey, but it's alright
Like a load on your back that you can't see, ooh but it's alright
Try to shake it loose, cut it free, just let it go, get it away from me.
Cos tonight, tonight, tonight - oh, I'm gonna make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight - oh.
I'm going down, going down, like a monkey, ooh but it's alright
Try to pick yourself up, carry that weight that you can't see,
Don't you know it's alright
It's like a helter skelter, going down and down, round and round
But just get it away from me - oh.
Because tonight, tonight, tonight - oh
We're gonna make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight - oh.
I got some money in my pocket, about ready to burn
I don't remember where I got it, I gotta get it to you
So please answer the phone, cos I keep calling, but you're never home
What am I gonna do
Tonight, tonight, tonight - oh
I'm gonna make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight - oh.
You keep telling me I've got everything, you say I've got everything I want
You keep telling me you're gonna help me, you're gonna help me, but you don't
But now I'm in too deep
You see it's got me so that I just can't sleep
Oh get me out of here, please get me out of here
Just help me I'll do anything, anything
If you'll just help me get out of here.
I'm coming down, coming down like a monkey, ooh but it's alright
It's like a load on your back that you can't see,
Ooh don't you know that it's alright
Just try to shake it loose, cut it free, let it go
But just get it away from me
Cos tonight, tonight, tonight - oh
Maybe we'll make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight - oh.
Please get me out of here
Someone get me out of here
Just help me I'll do anything, anything
If you'll just help get me out of here
Tonight - oh, I'm gonna make it right
Tonight, tonight, tonight - oh.
Yes tonight, tonight, tonight - oh,
Yes I'm gonna make it right, tonight, tonight, tonight - oh...
03 Land of Confusion (04:46)
I must've dreamed a thousand dreams,
Been haunted by a million screams.
But I can hear the marching feet,
They're moving into the street.
Now did you read the news today?
They say the danger's gone away.
But I can see the fire's still alight,
Burning into the night.
There's too many men, too many people,
Making too many problems,
And not much love to go round,
Can't you see this is the land of confusion.
This is the world we live in,
And these are the hands we're given.
Use them and let's start trying,
To make it a place worth living in.
Oh Superman where are you now?
Everything's gone wrong somehow.
The men of steel, men of power,
Are losing, control by the hour.
This is the time, this is the place,
So we look for the future,
But there's not much love to go round.
Tell me why this is the land of confusion?
This is the world we live in,
And these are the hands we're given.
Use them and let's start trying,
To make it a place worth living in.
I remember long ago,
Oh when the sun was shining,
And the stars were bright, all through the night,
And the sound of your laughter, as I held you tight.
So long ago.
I won't be coming home tonight,
My generation, will put it right.
We're not just making promises,
That we know, we'll never keep
There's too many men, there's too many people,
Making too many problems,
And not much love to go round.
Can't you see this is the land of confusion?
This is the world we live in,
And these are the hands we're given.
Use them and let's start trying,
To make it a place worth fighting for.
This is the world we live in,
And these are the names we're given.
Stand up and let's start showing,
Just where our lives are going to.
04 In Too Deep (04:59)
All the time I was searching
Nowhere to run to
It started me thinking
Wondering what I could make of my life
And who'd be waiting
Asking all kinds of questions to myself
But never finding the answers
Crying at the top of my lungs
But no-one listening
All this time
I still remember everything you said
There's so much you promised
How could I ever forget
Listen
You know I love you but I just can't take this
You know I love you but I'm playing for keeps
Although I need you I'm not gonna make this
You know I want to but I'm in too deep
So listen, listen to me
Oh you must believe me
I can feel your eyes go thru me
But I don't know why
Oh I know you're going
But I can't believe
It's the way that you're leaving
It's like we never knew each other at all
It may be my fault
I gave you too many reasons for being alone
When I didn't want to
I thought you'd always be there
I almost believed you
All this time
I still remember everything you said
There's so much you promised
How could I ever forget
Listen
You know I love you...
So listen, listen to me
I can feel your eyes go thru me
It seems I've spent too long
Only thinking about myself
Now I want to spend my life
Just caring bout somebody else
Listen
You know I love you...
05 Anything She Does (04:09)
You know
You decorate the garage wall
Hang in people's halls
Live in secret drawers
If you could look around you
Wonder what you'd see
Fiction
That's all you really are I know
Editorial dreams
They can't make you real
Tell me where you came from
And where you're going to
I won't ever no I'll never get to know her
Or be the cause of anything she does
I won't ever no I'll never get to know her
Do you think this aching could be love?
You know
You've figured in some fantasies
You would not believe
What you've had to do
Life goes on around you
All because of you
I won't ever no I'll never...
You know
That in twenty years or more
You still look the same
As you do today
You'll still be a young girl
When I'm old and grey
I won't ever no I'll never...
07 Throwing It All Away (03:51)
Need I say I love you?
Need I say I care?
Need I say that emotions,
Are something we don't share?
I don't want to be sitting here,
Trying to deceive you
Cuz you know I know baby
That I don't wanna go
We can not live together
We can not live apart
And that's the situation
We've known it from the start
Every time that I look at you,
I can see the future
Cuz you know I know baby
That I don't wanna go
Just throwing it all away
Throwing it all away
Is there nothing that I can say,
To make you change your mind?
I watch the world go round & round
And see mine turnin' upside down
Throwing it all away
Now who will light up your darkness?
And who will hold your hand?
Who will find you the answers,
When you don't understand?
Why should I have to be the one,
Who has to convince you?
Cuz you know I know baby,
That I don't wanna go
Then some day you'll be sorry
Some day when you're free
Memories will remind you,
That our love was meant to be
But late at night when you call my name,
The only sound you'll hear
Is the sound of your voice calling,
Calling out to me
Just throwing it all away
Throwing it all away
And there's nothing that I can say
Hey......
We're throwing it all away
Just a throwing it all away
Just a throwing it all away
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Other reviews
By London
Invisible Touch stands as a granite monument to the worst sound of the eighties.
You have to make acrobatics and compromise with your musical taste to find something good in it.
By alberto88
Invisible Touch, the infamous orange hand from whose clutches old Genesis fans wanted to escape, is the paradigm of what I mentioned earlier.
The album, in short, has the charm of a 'guilty pleasure' record, which in its commercial inspiration is ultimately successful and also gritty.
By paolo1968
Phil Collins, worried about the expenses for his twelfth divorce and the annual supply of Minoxidil, decided to release the most shamelessly commercial album in Genesis history.
The only memorable song on 'Invisible Touch' is the mini-suite 'Domino', inspired by the Archangel Peter Gabriel.
By Gabbo
Invisible Touch represents the arrival point of a musical restyling for Genesis.
Genesis are progressive at heart, but open to the trends of the times and the ephemeral fashions.
