Genesis - Calling All Stations
There had been criticism over previous Genesis albums that they felt more like Phil Collins and his band. The style of music the band were putting out had moved so much that it now aligned more closely with Collins' solo work than to their progressive origins and the Peter Gabriel era.
That was put to bed with Calling All Stations. This 1997 album was released after Collins had left the band. He’d been replaced as lead singer by Ray Wilson. This latest version of Genesis on this album didn't offer clarity nor a return to style.
Instead, there was a lack of identity or purpose. “Congo”, “Shipwrecked” and Not About Us” all came out as singles. Each one ranks lower in the charts than the previous one. With the first and highest being “Congo” at number 29.
The critics weren’t kind and album sales were nowhere near the usual Genesis levels. Calling All Stations peaked at number two in the UK, but only got to 54 in the US. Although many bands might be happy with those results, it wasn’t a brilliant outcome for Genesis.
They did have album tours, but these failed in the US with low ticket sales. In the end, Wilson was sacked and Genesis as a band was put in storage until Collins returned for a 2006 reunion tour. It might have been better all around had they just shelved the plans for the record.