Great track, and a 14.
I seem to be in a minority who think it doesn't work so well live. Admittedly, I never witnessed in the flesh, only SO and other recordings.
The studio version is a bit slower and as a result has a nicer groove to it IMO. I also think the jangly guitars are more prominent on the TOTT version, and that's probably my favourite aspect of the song
It fits perfectly on the album too.
I bought the 12 inch at the time. I was very excited by it, and very optimistic about the future release.
I thought it sounded amazing, and of course it still does. Perhaps I've just heard it too many times.
I had a friend at the time who liked alternative music and hated Genesis. Even he thought this was a great track.
Unfortunately as far as I'm concerned, it was a false dawn, as the album is comfortably the band's worst ever release (apart from FGTR). It felt (feels) like a missed opportunity to me.
They did alright out of it though, so maybe I'm talking nonsense!
I listened to Arcadian Driftwood last night. It's one of my favourites, and I got quite emotional.
If there is a list of "hugely influential bands who influence extends way beyond their fame", The Band are in that conversation for sure.
ps I also listened to Dont Do It in the same session. It's immense.
I've always like this album, but as I get older I find myself listening to ATTW3 more and more, so I'm slightly sad that it is not particularly popular with fans.
Having said that...
Undertow is probably one of my least favourite songs on the album. Only because it feels slightly less memorable than many of the others. I'm not overly fond of Tony's Curious Feeling era, so it's probably why I'm less attracted to this song.
I think I gave it 10, but this is all relative of course. A Genesis 10/15 is a 14/15 for most other artists.
Of all the recent losses (and there have been way too many) this is one that hurt me the most.
I've loved The Band for 40 years. And Robbie's first solo album from the 80s is a classic.
He seemed to be like one of the giant sandstone buttes in Monument Valley. He seemed to have been here forever, and I assumed he always would be.
Genuinely sad and upset today.
Absolutely, and nothing I can do is ever gonna change it.
This is an interesting one. I know there's usually a bit of variation in peoples' views on tracks, but this one really does divide opinion. Just look at the poll results
It's not only my favourite song on the album, I'd place this among my top 2 or 3 favourite tracks of Genesis from their last three studio albums.
I couldn't agree more.
Aha, I mentioned this song in a post recently. Excellent timing.
For me, easily the best song on the album, and one of the best tracks they did in the later years, with or without Phil.
Great atmospheric first half, which leads into the great second half.
Tony isn't doing anything spectacular, but his chords are all over it, and I think Ray does well too.
It's not an album I listen to all that much, but I think this song deserves a lot of love.
Great to see it back. The second half of Alien Afternoon is still one hell of a strong moment. Forever an album of standouts sections of tracks, but not quite complete songs.
Oh I don't know. One Man's Fool still blows me away - from the first note to the last.
But as a whole, it's interesting. I think it's a pretty decent album. I think there's AWFUL lot of filler on WCD, so I'm not sure what direction they were going in, and in some ways I reckon a lot of material on CAS is actually better than a lot on WCD.
Having said that, I don't listen to the album all that much, so I suppose that tells me something.
(To be fair, when I listen to WCD I only listen to about half of it anyway)
I was never a fan of YOSW (like most the planet it seems).
But when I heard live version with strings it completely changed my opinion of the song, and I now enjoy the album version too. But the live version from the WAW tour is also excellent.
Even though I saw it live, the TIOA "medley" from the MAMA tour has to be a contender.
I can't remember the exact songs in it but I know Karma Chameleon was in there somewhere. And from what I remember, that didn't go down particularly well.
I appear to be a lone voice with one, but I have always found the love for this song baffling.
To me its shouty Phil at his shoutiest, the keyboard sounds at their worst, and the band generally at their most 80s, and not in a good way.
To be fair, I like the last third a bit more, when Phil has calmed it down a bit.
For me it's one of their worst songs of the 80s, slightly higher than I'd Rather Be You.
I appreciate YOSW isn't massively popular with fans. I mean, I like it, but that's almost irrelevant I think.
Whether IAO is a better song isn't the issue for me. I just don't think it fits on the album. For me the nature of the lyrics just don't fit the atmosphere of the album.
I like the song a lot, but I think it would stick out like a sore thumb.
When I first heard this track I couldn't believe it had been relegated to what is essentially a B-side.
To this day, I still love the song, and the sheer Hackett-ness of it.
However, I don't see where or how it would fit on WAW, so I think they made the right choice.
I bought this when it came out, and I was a bit disappointed with it. I didn't think it contained as much "Genesis-ness" (Genesisosity?) as Curious Feeling.
Some time ago I realised that I actually like it a lot and it is comfortably my favourite TB solo work. And conversely I don't think ACF has aged well at all.
It's got that 80s immediacy which isn't there for ACF. I suppose his voice takes a bit of getting used to, but I think it really suits the songs.
I think my favourite tracks are By You, This is Love, and the At The Edge of Night.
Absolutely loads in Manchester too.
I had planned to go to the Manchester show, but as mentioned by several people, the prices put me off.
As a matter of interest, if venues like the arenas sell badly, do they eventually offer up tickets at reduced prices, or do they sell them at full price all the way until the actual show?
I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Yes, I can imagine it's disappointing not having the slides, as they're an integral part of the experience.
All in all though, I would urge you not to write them off just yet. Apparently they're doing the Selling England tour next year...
I'm only saying this because I've seen them about 8 times and they've all been great.
EDIT Just reread your previous post, so I now know you've seen them before. So fair enough.
Display MoreI'm sure this will be an unpopular ranking but mine are:
1. Living Forever
2. Never a Time
3. Way of the World
All in all, We Can't Dance is one of my favorite Genesis albums
I love Never A Time. It's probably my 3rd favourite after FL and Last Spike.
I was surprised to find it wasn't more popular.
