"We Can't Dance": Swan song for Genesis turns 30

By Jason C. Klose


It was 30 years ago today (October 28, 1991) that the English rock/pop group Genesis released their fourteenth studio album "We Can't Dance," their last album with lead vocalist and drummer Phil Collins, before his official departure in 1996 to focus on his solo career full-time.

Production began after a four-year period of inactivity from the group, following the commercial success of "Invisible Touch" (1986) and its tour.

From October 1991 to November 1992, Genesis released five singles from this album in the United States, all of which made the Billboard Hot 100 and Top 40:

"No Son of Mine" (#12)

"I Can't Dance" (#7)

"Hold on My Heart" (#12)

"Jesus He Knows Me" (#23)

"Never a Time" (#21)

Every track on this album is solid, including the unreleased tracks, which are some of my favorites, including "Driving the Last Spike," "Living Forever," "Tell Me Why," and "Way of the World."

After Collins' departure from the band in 1996, founding members Mike Rutherford (guitarist) and Tony Banks (keyboardist) would carry on and release the band's last album of new material in 1997 with "Calling All Stations," featuring a new lead vocalist, Scottish singer Ray Wilson. The commercial failure of the album led to a group hiatus. Banks, Rutherford and Collins reunited for the "Turn It On Again Tour" in 2007, and are currently touring again in 2021 for "The Last Domino? Tour."

Although I still love "Invisible Touch," which commercially was their most successful album, I've come to love and appreciate "We Can't Dance" even more through the years, as the songs seem to have so much more meaning to me. It was like Genesis' answer to Phil Collins' 1989 solo album "...But Seriously," which I still think is Phil's best work. Phil, Mike, and Tony are amazing musicians who I feel were just peaking in their musical talents and creative abilities when they recorded this album; and I consider "We Can't Dance" to be their masterpiece.


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