Genesis have produced their fair share of stadium filling epics, of which any would be worthy of inclusion on this blog. But this particular song came from a Genesis that was on the way out, devoid of direction and lacking the talismanic presence of Phil Collins.
This is the title track of an album that regularly gets 1 or 2 stars, and is panned by fans and critics alike. In fairness, 1997’s Calling All Stations is a bit of a messy and indulgent affair, trying hard to escape from pop but not really capturing the innovation and brilliance of the early days.
Nevertheless, I really like this song. It threatens to lose its way in the middle, with a frankly embarrassing keyboard section, but then roars into life again courtesy of a soaring guitar solo. It’s undeniably a lush track, and showcases the dark, gritty vocals of Ray Wilson.
The start of the song is an ominous, hard hitting dose of paranoia, crashing into life with a powerful drum beat and a distorted, deep guitar riff.
The lack of success the album had led to the breakup of the band, but I feel that Ray Wilson was never given a chance…