Customer Reviews

Calling All Stations (W/Dvd)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I liked this album when it was originally released. It was dark and moody but sounded fresh and Ray Wilson has a great voice to fit the band. I was pumped to see all the remasters for Genesis but upon a closer look the band really disses this re-release. There were so many extra songs recorded that were used as b-sides to the singles released (i.e Congo, Shipwrecked, etc.) why not include them on this release as a 2nd cd? Also the live footage is great but c'mon! only 3 songs!!, the band had a complete show filmed in Poland waiting to be released if the album was a huge success, but as you can guess it wasn't. Oh well, I really felt the band purposely overlooked this album when it came time to remaster...they could have included all the Wilson era songs plus the concert into a nice comprehensive package that the diehard Genesis fans have wanted of this album.

Why inspiring? because this is a band that never quits. First they lost what many believed to be the core of Genesis and that was Peter Gabriel, they replace him with Phil Collins and although the music changed they continue to make great music. 2 albums later Steve Hackett leaves and then later Phil retires from the band but Tony and Mike decide they enjoy making writing together so they audition Ray Wilson and give him the job.
Of course Ray can't replace Phil anymore than Phil could Peter so one has to step "outside" of the Genesis box and listen to it as a total different entity. If one can do this it's easy to enjoy the cd for what it is, an excellent pop/prog album.

I had the privelege to see Genesis perform with Peter for the Selling England by the Pound tour so I have been with them from early in their career. I find it sad people can't accept change, I have always enjoyed Genesis whether they're playing Fading Lights or The Royal Hogweed.

I've enjoyed CAS since I first purchased it and now to have it in 5.1 surround sound is even more enjoyable to listen to.
The DVD interview gives us an insight into their thought process following Phil's departure and the recording of CAS with Ray. They both commented they knew he was the guy from the moment he started audtioning No Son of Mine.
I think Ray has a great voice and it fits in well with Genesis songs, in fact there are times he hits tones which are very reminiscent of Peter(the Dividing Line) however there are very few times he sounds like Phil.

There are 3 songs on the DVD which are live, 1 is the song Calling All Stations and then there are two from Polish TV which are from a longer concert they did.
It's a wonderful treat to see them perform live with Ray as their singer and Nik Zidyahu on drums. Nik's drumming is awesome and adds freshness to the music so does the guitarist who performs with them, at times he and Mike play against one another which is fun and great to listen to.
I think the Polish concert video is worth the price of the cd itself, why they didn't give us the rest of the songs is beyond me, it's a fantastic concert and shows Genesis playing with in my opinion new and fresh energy.

If you've always loved Genesis but passed on this because Phil isn't on it, try to get past it and think of this as a new group with a similarity to Genesis. Just enjoy the music and forget about who's on it.

I just ordered this CD/DVD from Amazon and I'm really looking forward to hearing it in 5.1 and seeing the video content, because to me, this is one of Genesis best recordings. Sadly American audiences could not see it. I suppose it was because they were so mentally conditioned to Phil Collins vocal. I always felt that after the 1983 album "Genesis" which included "Mama" , "Home By The Sea" etc. was the last great Genesis album before the "Invisible Touch" album pushed them into mainstream extremes. After that time the band basically became the "Phil Collins and his band Genesis" show. I saw Genesis on tour the first time back in 1976 when they had recruited Bill Bruford as their first second drummer and they still had the incredible Mr. Steve Hackett on guitar. That was an incredible show and probably the best show I've ever seen with maybe the exception of the "Wind And Wuthering" tour. There has never been a show that matched the excitement and amazement of those shows. And I've seen many, many, shows over my years. I always preferred the more progressive, somewhat darker side of Genesis and when Ray Wilson came into the band his voice was a perfect match for a return to that side of Genesis - sounding very similar to Peter Gabriel and equally capablel of passionately singing Phil Collins spots as well. It was a perfect choice and the band was excited about the change, but sadly they soon realized that people refused to give it a chance without old Phil. On the bright side, since that time I have become a very big fan of Ray Wilson's solo work and his work with Stiltskin, RWPL, etc. He is an intelligent songwriter and incredible vocalist and I have enjoyed his work very, very much. But to me this one unique Genesis CD will always be one of my favorites, right up there with Selling England, The Lamb, Trick Of The Tail, and Wind And Wuthering. I am constantly amazed at how people fail to recognize such great art. Even though Genesis reunited this year for another greatest hits tour (and the ticket prices were extreme) I've grown bored with more continuous rehashing the hits (even though it is good to hear Chester Thompson bashing away again). Try "Calling All Stations" and experience the true Genesis genuis at work.

As an owner of almost all Genesis albums, this one stands out as the vocalist is not Phil Collins or Peter Gabriel, the singers on all of their other albums. However, once "getting over" this ecsentricity, the song-writing and musicianship on this album stands up as well as any of the other late-career albums from the Phil Collins era (Duke,We Can't Dance, Invisible Touch). I do not recall if any of the songs ever made it into the top 40 on this album, but several of the tunes are catchy and will stick to you after listening. Like many of their albums, there are several "dark" instrumental passages with cool guitar and keyboard solos present.
If you appreciate Phil Collins era Genesis, you will probably enjoy this album and I would recommend it to you.

First and foremost, I am a non-commercial fan of Genesis...my favorites being the 70's progressive style of "Wind and Wuthering", "Trick of the Tail" and "Then There Were Three". Though I like some tunes off of "Genesis" and "Invisible Touch", they do not rate nearly as high, and I certainly will not own "Abacab". With that stated, I was eager to hear something a bit distant from the commercial 80's albums.
"Calling All Stations" is quite different and my expectations before listening to the album were wide open. The title track is awesome, odd for an opening track, but the gut-wrenching voice of Ray Wilson was perfect for the dark melancholy tension this piece offers. This title track is quite the prelude for the rest of the album which leaves you feeling numb upon completing the entire CD in one listening. This is not a "pick-me-up" album and nothing resembles a top 40 tune except maybe "Congo"...but this doesn't say that there are not good tunes here. "Congo" is powerful after the intro. and I catch myself singing the chorus from time to time. "Shipwrecked" was the worst tune for me...a disolved relationship compared to a shipwreck is odd...and the negativity of the first three songs finally catches up here. "Alien Afternoon" is two songs in one and both are catchy...especially the "alien" chorus of "We Are All Your Home"...I replay that section over again. These first four songs are a "wall of sound", loaded with Tony Bank's layered keyboards. The next number of songs kind of send you through a lull, nothing great but nothing dull. You begin to sense that some of these songs are just a little too long. I really liked "There Must Be Some Other Way" except for its lengthy verses...the instrumental section in the middle is a great jam, reminding me of "Second Home By the Sea" and I wished it was a lot longer! As a matter of fact...I wished they would have spent less time on words and more time on Tony Bank solos (not to put down Ray Wilson's singing). The last tune, "One Man's Fool" is a great finishing number...another two songs in one.
I rarely play the entire CD in one sitting these days...the melancholy of the music is draining. I usually play tracks 1,2,4 10, and 11, and hit the other ones from time to time. I wasn't crazy about the title track when I first heard it...now I find it such an effective intensive emotional song...it serves a purpose! I feel Ray Wilson's voice was very adequate to the album. I appreciated another reviewer's thoughts when he stated that if you can accept that this is not your normal Genesis album and can accept this as something totally new, you might like it. With that said...I gave it a chance and it was worth it!

With Genesis reuniting this past year with Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks as a whole of the original era of success, they've brought down the house to a whole new era of fans, who seem to be more into acts like Britney Spears and Beyonce'. That wasn't the case wioth fans back in 1997 with Genesis. After Phil left the group because of trouble within his personal life with his second marriage ending, the group recruited Ray Wilson to take the lead for their final studio album Calling All Stations. Sadly, though it didn't catch on with die hard fans, but sounded well for anyone who hadn't heard Genesis yet, with that never say die appeal. Now, the album has been reissued again, and it sill sounds really well.

The 2007 re-release of Calling All Stations, 10 years after Ray Wilson took over the lead from Phil Collins sounds very well from the depths of the voice, to the deep sadness and darkness of the album. The songs here have all been restored nicely within the sounds of a new 5.1 surround sound mix, as is shown with the sounds of the album. The collection includes the overlooked tracks Congo, the somber If That's What You Need and the haunting Shipwrecked. The album also includes a DVD of extras that blend in well to the album, including the videos for Shipwrecked and a rare live performance of the soulful and emotional tracks There Must Be Some Other Way and The Dividing Line, and a new set of interviews from the group.

While the album hasn't seen the light in record stores in nearly a decade, Calling All Stations is a good buy for those who haven't yet heard the album. Even though the album doesn't feel like it is a must buy for die hard fans, unlike the recent re-releases of We Can't Dance or Invisible Touch, it still adds some muscle to a overlooked Genesis era that should would try to take notice, and a attitude of music that sounds well to call all stations to.

Album Cover: B

Songs: B-

Price: C

DVD Extras: B-

Remastering: B

Overall: C+

As versões com o CD normal e o DVD com som digital e alguns vídeos são muito boas. O disco me surpreendeu e tem canções boas que tornam o disco surpreendente. Quem gosta de Genesis, deve conhecê-lo.

The virtually unknown, and woefully under-appreciated tip of the Genesis tail is "Calling All Stations" the bands first and only "post-Phil" studio album. It was an unmitigated commercial flop. A tour promoting the album was 86'd halfway through in Europe and cancelled altogether in the States. That's a real shame, because musically it stands up to the very best of Genesis. It contains (IMHO) one of the best cuts ever for the band in "Uncertain Weather" a moving song about an unknown soldier in an old photograph. The final cut "One Man's Fool" is an eerie condemnation of terrorism, describing a vivid 9/11 scene. Not so strange, except the album was released in September of 1997, almost exactly 4 years before the fateful day. If you are American this track will give you chills.

Like "We Can't Dance" "Calling All Stations" features cuts that harken back to the Genesis of old, along with those obviously tagged for radio play (Not About Us, If That's What You Need), as well as the `Mike and Mechanicsish' "Don't Talk Back" All fine for this Genesis fan, but, in the end, radio audiences failed to embrace the somewhat curious choice of Ray Wilson to replace Phil Collins. That coupled with the even more curious choice of "Shipwrecked" as the first release- arguably the weakest cut on the album, and certainly the least `Genesis-sounding' track, proved to be a lethal concoction rendering Calling All Stations dead on arrival. The die-hard Genesis fan wonders what the album would have accomplished commercially had Collins handled the vocals, and aided songwriting (and more importantly wonders how much better it would have sounded). Wilson's voice is often stretched, and his limits are exposed. Many of the songs were probably written with the belief Phil would be singing them- perhaps even some outtakes from We Can't Dance. It could be, though, that the shadow of "We Can't Dance's" unbelievable multi-platinum commercial success was just too big to emerge from, and that the album was doomed regardless of the quality of the music, or whether or not Phil was at the mic. If you are a Neo-Genesis fan that enjoys the album cuts from We Can't Dance and Invisible Touch and you have not given Calling All Stations a whirl, find it and give it some spins. If you are an old fan that knows what "And Then There Were Three" means, you have the album somewhere so dig it up, blow off the dust, and give it a few dozen run-throughs. There is a lot of good stuff here!

Big Genesis fan. Keyboard player here who admires the work of Tony Banks. I haven't researched this album, but I'm sure Tony probably wrote most? Own every album they have ever produced, and can't count the number of times I've seen them in concert.

This is a great album and too bad it didn't hit the charts in a big way. Not your classic "Genesis", but I love all of the music here. You can pick up traces of their classic style in a lot of the songs. Ray is great and perfect for the vocals here, but sure would like to hear what Collins would have done with the music also.

Not sure why they didn't play more of these in live concerts.

Would certainly recommend this album to anyone who likes the music of Genesis!

I have to say that this album is a good listen, it may not be Peter Gabriel or Phil Collins singing, but at least it isn't terrible, the 90's churned out worse stuff that's for sure.

I am only giving three stars because Genesis can make better albums than this regardless of who is singing.