Genesis - Invisible Touch

There no doubt exists a school of rock purists who consider Invisible Touch the album where Genesis officially kissed street credibility goodbye and said hello to beer commercial anthems and puppet extravaganza videos. True, perhaps, but on the other hand, it's great to sing along to a good pop song, too. And this record has good pop songs in spades, from rock-solid I'm-not-so-tough-I-can't-cry-style tearjerkers ("In Too Deep," "Throwing It All Away") to zingy, gurgly pop confections ("Land of Confusion," "Anything She Does"). A few slightly more sprawling tracks are also included ("Tonight, Tonight, Tonight," "Domino," and the instrumental "The Brazilian"), but compared to the band's earlier attempt at art-rock opuses, even these feel a bit candy coated. We are talking about 1987, after all. Thin synth lines weren't retro. They just were. And we loved it. --Bob Michaels Amazon.com

Not pleasing, Not pleasing at all. Except for a few songs.

Ok. I do not mind listening to love songs. I really don't. But in my book, there is a fine line between a few love songs, and an album FULL of sappy love songs. The worst song, In Too Deep, sounds like it could be on
a Disney Channel original movie. There are, however, positives to this album.

Invisible Touch: Is a good starter song. It is upbeat and pretty fun to listen to.

Tonight, Tonight, Tonight: I think it is a good song, it reminds me of their progressive rock days. That's not the only reason I like it, the song just catches my attention.

Domino: A fantastic song with wonderful music. As with most of the songs on here, it has a few sappy moments, but I can get by and enjoy this beautifully crafted track.

The Brazilian: This is my favourite track. Probably because this is an instrumental so I have no worries about sugary lyrics, but because the instrumental beats are very good. It's a great alternative track with a nice rhythm.

Now my heart lies with the Gabriel-era Genesis, but I do love the beginning of the Collins-era. Although the LATER Collins Genesis I think suffers from the over abundance of love songs. Again, I don't mind love songs, but there is a line where it becomes too much. May 20, 2008

a lot of hits, but also a miss

Invisible Touch has a lot of hit songs on it, and at the time of its release was hugely popular. However, I don't think it held up over time. The ballads (In Too Deep, Tonight Tonight Tonight, Throwing It All Away) are decent but tiring and too plentiful on the album. The pop tracks (Invisible Touch, Anything She Does) are energetic and catchy but sound very dated. The standout track is Land of Confusion. Not really a bad album, but not nearly as good in 2008 as it was in 1986. April 17, 2008

Genesis' most successful album in the US is still great 20 plus years on

English progressive rockers Genesis released their 16th overall album entitled Invisible Touch in June of 1986.
By 1986, lead singer and drummer Phil Collins was a solo superstar with his 1985 solo album No Jacket Required which hit #1, spawned singles and won him Grammies. Plus had hits with the soundtrack songs "Against All Odds" in 1984 and "Separate Lives" (with Marilyn Martin) in 1985. Plus he produced Earth Wind and Fire singer Philip Bailey's album Chinese Wall (which featured the two Phil's duet Easy Lover) and songs for Adam Ant's Strip album. Keyboard player Tony Banks had done the film score to the Kevin Bacon movie Quicksilver. Guitarist/bass player Mike Rutherford started his side project called Mike and the Mechanics which released its self-titled debut which spawned three singles.
In late 1985, the band plus co-producer Hugh Padgham recorded the follow-up to the 1983 self-titled effort. When the album was released, would fans embrace it or turn its back on the band. Read on and find out.
We kick things off with the chart-topping title track which has one of the best Rutherford riffs I ever heard and is still a great pop number today. Next is the first of two epics "Tonight Tonight Tonight". This track speaks about the evils of drugs and the seedy parts of life and with the drum machine loop, created a masterpiece. The song was released as a single with over FOUR MINUTES chopped from this classic and was another US Top 10 hit. We follow with "Land of Confusion" which was a great rocker. Who cannot forget the video where the puppets of the band and the late Ronald Reagan are dominating the clip. This track was another Top 5 hit here in the US. The album's first side closed with another Top 10 hit "In Too Deep" which was a nice ballad to close the first half.
The driving "Anything She Does" kicks off the album's second half and is an incredibly fun rocker with amusing supermodel-oriented lyrics that are right on the money, and the synth horns on it sound remarkably like the real thing. The video for this was funny and included the late Benny Hill as their head of security Fred Scottle Esquire! Next is the 11 minute plus epic "Domino". The first section "In the Glow of the Night" is wistful and superb. Then the section ends suddenly and we dreamingly then segue into the powerful "The Last Domino" which is killer despite the Simmons drums which slightly date the song. Next is the album's second US Top 10 hit "Throwing It All Away" which was a superb ballad. We then close the album with the atmospheric instrumental called "The Brazilian" which is packed with killer hooks and a wild atmosphere.
Invisible Touch would become Genesis' highest charting album in the US reaching #3 and was also its best selling album in the US with 6 million copies sold in the US alone and it is because the material is superb and has held up. Also, ex-Genesis members Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett had success that year with their albums So and GTR respectively. Invisible Touch is still superb today.
Recommended! December 24, 2007

Worst Genesis Album Ever

Mostly Pop schlock on this CD. Other than "Domino" and "The Brazilian which is an instrumental track, there are no Genesis style songs on this CD. This is closer to a Phil Collins solo CD than a Genesis CD. Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett must be asking, "What happened to that great band we once played in?" September 23, 2007

"Something mysterious..."

After hearing this CD many years later, it may be "commercial" or "pop" sounding, but it is accessible. Even the most commercial songs on this album haven't lost their charm. Drummer/vocalist Phil Collins can be catchy ("Invisible Touch" and "In Too Deep") but he can also be introspective ("Land of Confusion", listen to the lyrics and try telling me they don't relate to today!). Tony Banks' keyboards thoughout the album are versatile and always seem to be just what the doctor ordered. And speaking of versatile, Mike Rutheford is no slouch on either bass or guitar (though bass is his primary instrument). I remember Phil goofing around a lot in the "Invisible Touch" video and getting wry grins from both bandmates Tony and Mike. "Land of Confusion" was a hilarious video with claymation figures of the band and President Reagan. "Throwing It All Away" could be something you can relate to whether an unhappy relationship or even a loving but complicated relationship. The lyrics to "Domino" can be interpreted on many levels. The "In the Glow of the Night" seems to deal with separation and the hope of reunion in the future, whereas the 2nd part "The Last Domino" could be about mortality or the fact that everyone falls but in life, it's everybody's turn at some point. "Tonight Tonight Tonight" is not a short song, but doesn't seem to drag on forever. "Anything She Wants" could have been a single as it sounds like the big hits from the album. "In Too Deep" and "Throwing It All Away" are 2 ballads which seem to show love and respect but demand the same reciprocation in order to make it work ("In Too Deep" melodically sounds a little like Collins' later solo hit "Another Day In Paradise"). "Domino" is one of those songs that brings Genesis back to its progressive rock roots (Banks' keyboards and Rutheford's thumping basslines and articulate rhythms and Collins singing introspective lyrics). "The Brazilian" is one of my personal favorites, an instrumental which features the instrumental talents of Banks, Collins and Rutheford. It has a subtle Latin feel to it and Collins' percussion further articulates the feel of Brazil. If you can get by the apparent commercial sounds, Invisible Touch won't have a problem growing on you. August 12, 2007

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