After listening to Trespass yesterday, I decided to go to the other end of the Genesis catalog this morning. This album gets a bad rap that I don't think it deserves. It's a really strong collection of songs. It's darker and moodier than most anything in the post-Hackett era of the band. Too many people dismissed it because of Collins' absence, but musically it's not too far away from We Can't Dance. But whereas We Can't Dance has several songs that I'll skip over, this one doesn't. The ballads here ("Not About Us" and "Shipwrecked") feel more heartfelt and the heavier tracks ("Calling All Stations", "The Dividing Line" and "Congo") rock out in a way that not much of anything on the previous album did. And I really like Ray Wilson's vocals. He's got a lower register and fuller sound than Collins and it serves the darker feel of this album.
As for the mix, it's good but not quite as satisfying as Trespass. It's a bit more subtle in its use of the surround field. However, there are several songs where this is not the case. The heavy drums on "The Dividing Line" get spread around to very nice effect. And as with Trespass, Nick Davis isn't afraid to occasionally put a vocal in the rear channels. Synth washes are frequently spread around the entire room. It works well, but there are a few places where I would have preferred just a little bit more activity in the rear channels.
A very enjoyable listen. I was tempted to give it a 10 just because too many people dismiss this album without giving it a fair chance. The material is very strong so I give it full points for that, but I'll have to knock a little bit off just because the mix wasn't as satisfying as Trespass. A very strong 9.