Do you think CAS is the worst Genesis album?

    Provided that I cannot rate FGTR as proper Genesis album and it has already been established the ''worst'' and ''best'' are quite vague terms, I believe that their weakest albums, in terms of material are ATTW3, WCD and Abacab. Then, for instance I am more likely to listen to Abacab, purely because of the energy it exudes, even though I think the material is quite poor than, say IT which is nearly perfection….Glossy, stultifying perfection. I am sentimentally attached to ATTW3, even though it was their weakest up to that point and WCD has at least three songs that really stand out and show that Genesis still had it, when they wanted. CAS is far from solid and hard to adjust to, for obvious reasons but there are some fine songs on it. Again, very tricky; I look at something like SEBTP, my second favorite album of theirs and it is quite flawed but it is absolutely magic and the highlights are a thing of absolute beauty.

    Edited once, last by Fabrizio ().

    Quote from melodyof1974

    CAS, I might have listened to it maybe 3 times all the way through and that was tough. I can't even say it is bad or good, I just don't like it. The cover is great though.

    Blimey.


    Funny how tastes differ isn't it. I think the cover is terrible. But then it merely continued the trend set with IT and WCD.

    Abandon all reason

    I like the CAS cover too. Very cool vibe IMO, and the black with blue works well.


    I don't mind the artwork on the WCD cover, the image and the pastel shades... but that's such a terrible album title, and it doesn't fit with the art at all. And then there's that hideous logo they started using at that time, the worst one they ever had - it looks like a child made it. And then they used it again in later years! Why on earth would they splash that eyesore on the green and blue boxed sets? The green one should have been the Nursery Cryme/Foxtrot logo, and the blue one could have been either Trick or the Seconds Out/ATTWT logo. Would have made the series look so much cooler on the shelf, instead of five boxes with giant WCD logos on them.

    Quote from Progatron

    I like the CAS cover too. Very cool vibe IMO, and the black with blue works well.

    The black and blue colour scheme in itself is good and kind of reflects the feel of the music, but the actual graphics I find so dull, and the repeated title - I get the intention, but it looks really naff.


    General Genesis album covers thread set up here.

    Abandon all reason

    Edited once, last by Backdrifter ().

    Quote from DecomposingMan

    Personally, I think CAS is the weakest Genesis studio album, closely followed by FGTR.

    After a recent listen to FGTR, I'm officially changing my opinion here: I think FGTR is the weakest Genesis album. For one thing, there are some truly cringe-worthy lyrics on it, especially on side 2. CAS is at least the work of professionals.

    As far as the cover art, IMO it's not their best, but I do like it. I'll say this: it DEFINITELY fits the tone of the album that's for sure! For those who enjoy the artwork of CAS, the vinyl version is amazing: it's a beautiful gatefold, all blue and black patterns with pictures strewn about. The 4th side of the vinyl discs has a nice etching of one of the images of the band.


    As for the music, I have never hailed the album in my top five, but I would definitely not put it at the bottom either. This is one where it really depends on the mood-there's times I'm really into it, and then there are times where I'll forget about it for a few months.


    Another thing I enjoyed about this album was the B-sides! IMO they're all great, except for Papa He Said. My favorite being Anything Now (which IMO really should've been on the album), followed closely by the elusive Nowhere Else to Turn. Heck, even Phret and 9/8 are some beautiful-very Tony style-instrumentals, and fun to listen to!

    Yes, it's the worst. Occasional good moments, never for a complete song however. And occasional good moments do not make a good album, particularly when you look at what came before. Ray's arrival deserved quality and depth but they delivered a plodding mess of middling ideas drowned in awkward keyboard sounds and a vocalist having to make a silk purse from a sow's ear.


    Destroying All Credibility is absolute tripe for me. At least FGTR had The Conqueror.

    CAS is much more professional than FGTR - but to be fair they were experienced professionals at that point, not schoolboy amateurs. I’ve always said they had every right to do CAS and to call it Genesis, and there’s no doubting the quality of some of the writing and the musicianship. But I just don’t find it likeable and therefore don’t play it, whereas FGTR has some charming moments, largely because of its naivety. I do return to this from

    to time and enjoy the spirit of it and the simplicity of some of the melodies.

    So I’d have to say CAS is the worst Genesis album for me as it is the least likeable. Much as I wanted it to be otherwise.

    from The Dividing Line on, CAS is a great album with an intense and shivering atmosphere. The long songs in the second half are amazing IMO, even Small Talk can be fun without being cringy.

    The title track is awesome too.


    My problem lies from Congo through If That's all I Need, most of the songs between this span bore me and feel really bland to me, except maybe for Alien Afternoon.

    Quote from Thelawnmower

    I’d have to say CAS is the worst Genesis album for me as it is the least likeable.

    Yes, "worst" feels too damning. For me it's among a small clutch of their albums which are the ones I like least - FGTR, W&W, ATTW, WCD. All have tracks I like and I don't think any of them are bad albums. I never think beyond these being my least-liked ones but if I had to pick a LEAST-of-all-liked it'd probably be FGTR.

    Abandon all reason

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    Quote from Henry Hamilton-Smythe

    For me, We Can't Dance is (by far) their worst studio album. Absolutely nothing on it resonates with me. I don't hate it, but it has no magic.


    I would rate both Calling All Stations and From Genesis to Revelation above Invisible Touch, too.

    I can only disagree to both assessments.

    WCD has a warm sound that I always liked and some of their more emotional songs (Fading lights, Dreaming ... among others). IT has a lot of energy.


    CAS is a soso album for me - sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't. Recently I found myself dinging along to "If that's what you need", on other days I can't stand it. But One man's fool still sounds like the best Genesis track that wasn't to be. I always wonder what this track is lacking to be just great.

    Quote from Trick of the Wuthering

    I think CAS would have had a better response (albeit even poorer sales) if it was released as a a Rutherford-Banks venture.

    I find this argument quite odd. In 1978, they also didn't decide to call this a Banks/Collins/Rutherford release, same applies to 1976.

    ... there's a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in

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