Is there enough support for Like It to make it one of 'those' songs?
You would be surprised, I know I was. I' always thought of it as a filler, some throw-away song from the Acting very Strange writing sessions, another album I thought was really terrible, particularly after Smallcreeps' brilliance. I found it sappy, pedestrian, uninspired and probably the only song on Abacab, Phil sings poorly. He really doesn't sound convincing and convinced on this one. He tries so hard to infuse some life in it that his pitch is all over the place in the end. Then someone came up with the internet and Genesis Forums and I found out some fans think highly of it: a great ballad, a great love song, a great pop song and so on. I was and remained baffled.
but it seems to me others are merely using it as a whipping post to denigrate Steve with reference to their particular Genesis hero. Fine, but let's not pretend others aren't also capable of turning out similar things. Shock the Monkey, for example, a chorus that could render my stereo at risk!
Suffices it to say that I don't think his songs carry a particular punch and, I think you already know that though, I am not one to denigrate Steve particularly not comparing him to my personal Genesis hero. I might not think highly of him as a songwriter but I have much respect for him as a player and his contribution to the band.
