ALBUM OF THE WEEK # 64 GENESIS - INVISIBLE TOUCH (1986)

[RJhog (Admin)]

Artist: Genesis

Album: Invisible Touch

Producer: Genesis/Hugh Padgham

Band Members: Phil Collins/Tony Banks/Mike Rutherford

Singles: Invisible Touch/Throwing It All Away/Land Of Confusion/Tonight Tonight Tonight/In Too Deep

Favorite Single: Land Of Confusion

Favorite Album Cut: Domino

Most Likely To Skip: Invisible Touch

Album Cover: 3/10

 

Invisible Touch is really probably a "pop" masterpiece by Genesis.  Released in 1986, it was their 13th studio album.

It reached number 1 in the UK and stayed in that position for 96 weeks.  It reached number 3 in the USA.  The album produced 5 top 5 singles with the title track reaching the top spot in the US, making it Genesis' only number 1 hit in the United States.  The album has sold over 13 million units worldwide and is 6 X Platinum in the US. 

 

According to Wikipedia, the album was designed to appeal to old Genesis fans as well as the new "pop" oriented Genesis fans, of which I'm really neither.  To me, Genesis is just okay.  As a matter of fact, I can't stand the title track.  I'm just okay with most of this album, the one exception being Land Of Confusion.  I've always thought that was easily Genesis best song (though I am a pretty big fan of the song I Can't Dance).  I also like the video for LOC.  There are only 3 album cuts here, with the only "decent" one in my opinion being Domino.  Still, with all of my opinions, this is a very successful album, both in sales and popular appeal. 

 

Did You Know: The video for Land Of Confusion was nominated for MTV's Video of the Year award but lost.  Guess which video won.  Sledgehammer by former Genesis vocalist Peter Gabriel.  If you ask me, Land Of Confusion should have won, but that's just my opinion.

 

 

Next Week: Actually, I have the rest of the year planned out.  Here is a sneak peak.  Next week I'll post my 5th favorite album from all of my CRR postings.  After that I'll do a short (5 weeks) series on UK Number One albums.   From there I'll start a series that may well close out the year, and it has to do with jewelry.

 

 

 

1. Invisible Touch

2. Tonight, Tonight, Tonight

3. Land Of Confusion

4. In Too Deep

5. Anything She Does

6. Domino

7. Throwing It All Away

8. The Brazilian

[Niels (Mod)]

I disagree: Sledgehammer is an EXCELLENT video. One of the best ever, and way ahead of it's time. The invisible touch-video is also great, but it was "characters" from an english tv-show, so for me it felt like, it was kind of an episode of that show. Both songs are classics of that time, though. I was VERY close, buying this album back then, but I never got to it. Too "poppy" for me in '86, but it's a good album.  

[Jon]

I have this album on vinyl somewhere. Listened to it once. Just cannot get into it, the last truly good Genesis album (to me, at least) is "Abacab". Nice post, but next time can you put something up I like?

[RJhog (Admin)]

My prediction:

 

You will like the next 2, but the 4 after that are up in the air!

[Jon]

We gonna bet?

[TageRyche]

Great choice this week.

I love this album. Definitely one of my favorite pop albums ever. For me, the weakest track is "The Brazilian" only because it is an instrumental. It is actually a pretty good song but feels out of place on this POP album.

Otherwise, I simply love every song on this album.

[Scott]

You know, as much they may have been overplayed, In Too Deep and Throwing It All Away are still really terrific tunes, but Im gonna go with Jons previous statements about Genesis - and thats Abacab was and still is them at their best, otherwise they are nothing more than a greatest hits band for me...