Abacab [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Genesis

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 29, 1994)
• Original Release Date: September 14, 1981
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Atlantic / Wea
• ASIN: B000002J2H
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (120 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #57,939 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
Phil Collins might be swinging away the late '90s, but in 1981 he was sharpening his pop chops, from his first solo offering to this, the first Genesis album to break the hallowed million-copy mark stateside. But Abacab wasn't entirely about charting Top 40 singles ("No Reply At All," "Man on the Corner," and the title track); it still exhibited some late-stage evidence of a trio courting the art-rock muse that had graced its past ("Who Dunnit," "Dodo," "Keep It Dark"). However, by 1983's eponymous follow-up, the hit factory that was Genesis in the mid- to late-1980s was operating full steam ahead, and the angel Gabriel's spectre had all but vanished. Then, there were truly only three. --Bob Michaels

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I think we know who the real poser is., May 15, 2004

By A Customer

Genesis did not "stab their fans in the back" with Abacab. The "fans" who felt this way (like trickoftail and all the rude boo-ers from the Abacab tour) were never really Genesis fans in the first place. They were just progressive rock fans who liked Yes/ELP/Rush etc. and some of the longer epic pieces and concept albums that Genesis did.

Yes, Abacab doesn't sound like early Genesis or other early prog bands...so what? It's still a great album full of fresh, creative ideas. Progressive rock isn't the only good style of music on the planet. To say that this is on the same level as Backstreet Boys or N'Sync is just plain ignorant, just as it is to say that it sounds just like Phil Collins' solo material. The only songs that sound anything like Phil solo on this album are No Reply At All and Man On The Corner, the rest are definitely Genesis songs.

Bottom line: if you only like the prototypical "progressive" side of Genesis, like the 10-minute epics and the long keyboard/guitar solos and the classical-sounding arrangements and the concept albums, then you might not like this album. But if you like bands that aren't afraid to change their sound and experiment with new ideas (which is the REAL meaning of "progressive"), then give this one a chance.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars another great album--where the "new" Genesis truly arrived, December 28, 2004

By	Dave "missing person" (United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I find it interesting to see other reviewers pointing out that "Abacab", originally released in September of 1981, was a huge departure for Genesis--it's an excellent point, because, indeed, this is the album that truly marks the beginning of the "pop"-era Genesis, as it's generally referred to. There's a certain timeless gloss & punchiness here that sets this album apart from all of the Genesis albums that came before it, and it 'sets the stage', so to speak, for their next couple of albums that followed. It's not exactly a coincidence either--David Hentschel who co-produced the previous two albums was gone, & this album was engineered by Hugh Padgham who had also engineered and assisted on Phil Collins' debut solo album from earlier the same year. "Abacab" was also the first album the group recorded at their own studio. Now, don't get the wrong idea--contrary to what certain people will try to make you believe, this is not an album of light & frothy 'sell-out' pop songs. The level of musical intelligence & sophistication is still astonishing, & track after track is intoxicatingly catchy. The 7+ minute title track starts the album off with a bang--it's got an arresting moody atmosphere, & it's simply loaded with savvy keyboard & guitar licks from Tony Banks & Mike Rutherford respectively, laid over Phil Collins' crisp drumming. Tony Banks' solo composition "Me And Sarah Jane" is a definitive example of his compositional brilliance--it flows seamlessly from section to section, working its way through different moods; it truly takes you on a journey. "Dodo" starts off with an exciting, dramatic blast before the irresitible synth riff kicks in, and it's followed by an arrestingly contemplative minor-keyed section before eventually working its way back to the opening section in thrilling fashion. All that said, this ain't a run of the mill "pop" album by any means! Yes, there are some strongly pop-rock-flavored tracks, but they're great in their own right like the highly melodic "No Reply At All" with its strangely hyperactive keyboards; Phil's haunting ballad "Man On the Corner"; & Mike's plodding, yet soulful & soaring ballad "Like It Or Not" with wonderfully passionate Phil vocals. "Keep It Dark" is ultra-crafty, both musically and lyrically, with an intoxicating chorus. And the album's most notorious track--the jokey, quasi-atonal & repetitive "Who Dunnit?"--is exhilirating silly. Quite simply, "Abacab" is one in a long string of masterpiece albums that Genesis put out. Like so many of their other albums, "Abacab" is a supremely rich listening experience from an astonishingly creative & consistent band.

(P.S. During the "Abacab" sessions, Genesis recorded one of their best songs ever--the beautiful, epic pop-rocker "You Might Recall"--but they left it off the album. Check it out on either the original US version of "Three Sides Live", or on the "Archive #2" box set.)

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Genesis Rock, And Here's The Proof!, January 27, 2002

By	Alan Caylow (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Let's get something straight: Genesis are not, and never have been, an "adult contemporary" band. They're a ROCK band. They always have been. And the band needs no further proof of this than 1981's "Abacab," a stunning, powerhouse rock record that shows Genesis bravely shifting gears from their old prog-rock days of yor, and streamlining their sound into hard-hitting FM-radio rock. Some fans balked, but not me. "Abacab" was the very first Genesis album I ever bought, and upon hearing it, I knew that I'd found my band. I'd never heard a unique vocalist quite like Phil Collins before, nor had I ever heard a drumkit so deliriously annihilated. I'd never heard such fabulous, original keyboards before like the ones from the magic fingers of Tony Banks. And I'd also never heard such fine, masterful guitar-playing before, courtesy of Mike Rutherford. "Abacab" was the album that made me a Genesis fan. Naturally, I went back for the Peter Gabriel-era stuff, and I became a quintessential Genesis fan for life, but for me, it all started with "Abacab."It was 1981, and Tony, Phil, and Mike were facing a new decade together as Genesis. Peter Gabriel & Steve Hackett were no longer in the house, and neither were their influences, and so, the remaining trio had to do something very different from what they'd done in the past. To make a long story short, they decided to ROCK OUT. With the aid of ace producer Hugh Padgham, they did just that, and "Abacab" was the result. The band make terrific thunder on this album. The title track is the opening salvo, kicking things off with an explosion sound effect, and Phil, Mike, & Tony heavily fire on all cylinders, leading into a killer extended jam that ends the track. "No Reply At All" is big, brassy, and exuberant."Me And Sarah Jane" is a beautiful Tony Banks composition, greatly rendered by the group, while "Keep It Dark" is another winning rocker, featuring some fine sledgehammer drumming from Phil. And that's only the first half....The breathtaking epic "Dodo/Lurker" kicks off the second half, and it has "power" written all over it. It's simply a monster. And then there's the much-maligned, repetitious track "Whodunnit?". In defense of this track, I will just say this---it's COMEDY, people. WHY is it that when a band tries to be funny on a song, nobody seems to get the joke? Sheesh! In my opinion, it's a fun track. "Man On The Corner" is next up, and it's a lovely Phil Collins tune, arguably one of his best written. The last two tracks, Mike Rutherford's "Like It Or Not" and "Another Record," hardly ever get a mention, but they're both terrific songs, worked to maximum effect by the band. And with the "train" effect from Tony's keyboards at the end of "Another Record," the band ride off into the sunset, another excellent platter of music done. Whenever I hear a Genesis purist saying negative, derogatory remarks about this album, I'm simply astounded. Why *anyone* would have a problem with "Abacab" is beyond me. Don't get me wrong, of course I love the band's older stuff with Peter & Steve, but by 1981, it was time for the band to make a change. "Abacab" showed Genesis totally re-energised, not forgetting their past, but simply expanding from it. When one musical mountain has been conquered--and Genesis conquered MANY prior to 1981--it's time to find a new mountain to scale. And that's what "Abacab" represents, a new musical challenge for Phil, Mike & Tony, and in my opinion, they met that challenge brilliantly. "Abacab" rocks! And to those who don't agree, I say screw 'em.