"Witnessing an attempt at genre crossover is kind of like watching a logrolling competition. The failures are almost as excruciatingly embarrassing for the audience as they are for the performer. But when one gets a glimpse at one of the rare success stories: Ah! What a thing of beauty! Genesis's 1983 eponymous release sits proudly in the latter camp. Laying down nine midtempo tracks that are full and crisp without wearing too glossy of a pop sheen, Phil Collins, Tony Banks, and Mike Rutherford create an aural world where Yes fans and those who like chart-toppers live in harmony. And whatever lyrical well Collins chooses to tap proves to be a gusher, whether he is dipping into reservoirs of Gabrielan menace ("Mama," "Home by the Sea," "Silver Rainbow"), stealing a page from pop music's huge tome of conflicted-heart numbers ("That's All," "Taking It All To Hard"), or getting just plain ol' ridiculous ("Illegal Alien"). At the risk of seriously ruffling indie-rock feathers, one might even say that, in a way, Genesis sits as the great-grandfather of Radiohead's OK Computer. The idea that your body can rock while your brain gets tickled ain't a new one; it's just that people don't put it into practice that often." --Bob Michaels Track Listing 1 Mama 2 That's All 3 Home by the Sea 4 Second Home by the Sea 5 Illegal Alien 6 Taking It All Too Hard 7 Just a Job to Do 8 Silver Rainbow 9 It's Gonna Get Better
