Ranking the Yes and Genesis Albums of the 1980s together

[soundchaser09]

These two bands have always been my at the top of my list. I thought a comparison of their more commercial 80s material was in order. Both bands released 4 albums in the decade if you include ABWH (which I certainly do); incidentally both bands released 8 albums in the 70s also which is interesting.

Anyway I digress, I am guessing the Collins era Genesis material will not do well here but lets see, my personal list at the moment would be:

1. Drama- 9/10
2. 90125- 9/10
3. Duke- 9/10
4. Big Generator- 8/10
5. Invisible Touch- 8/10
6. Abacab- 7/10
7. "Genesis"- 7/10
8. ABWH- 7/10

[ragtime]

Drama
90125
Invisible Touch
ABWH
Big Generator

I really don't like the rest of the Genesis 80s albums. It's not the Phil Collins influence that I don't like - A Trick Of The Tail is one of their best albums IMO. It's the absence of Hackett and the over-dominance of Banks's keyboards. Invisible Touch is when they stopped trying to be half a prog band and fully embraced becoming a superior pop act built around Collins' songwriting

[Ash Armstrong]

ABWH by leaps and bounds.

And the rest is much of a muchness, or less of a lessness, depending on which end of the sonic telescope you're looking through.

Good name for a band, Sonic Telescope. A bit 60s psychedelia perhaps, but I'm all for that.

[Yorkshire Square]

Yes in the 80s was like four totally different entities despite the line-up continuation from 90125 (top ten Yes album IMO) and BG (bottom of the heap). 20th century schizoid men.

Genesis were cool and calculating (despite the American Psycho connection). Those four albums are the pinnacle of progressive pop.

Excuse me, I have a shower curtain to clean and a wall to wipe down...

[Soundwaveseeker]

Hmmm. Ok, let's go through both bands through the 80's.

If we do it year by year:

1980: Drama vs Duke: evenly matched, in fact Duke has been reassessed by the band and public in recent years and that current Genesis tour seemed to bring back a lot of Duke material. However, with Drama my favorite album, nostalgically I go for Drama.

1981: Abacab vs ...well, Clasic Yes? Can't really match a studio effort of original tunes with a compilation, so Abacab.

1982: Three Sides Live vs...no Yes activity.

1983: 90125 vs Genesis (Shapes): 90125 by a hair. Strong throughout, though Shapes side one holds its own. But two sides vs one side, well. If Shapes side two were a little more cohesive, we may have had a tie.

1984: both bands on tour

1985: no releases

1986: Invisible Touch vs.... GTR?

1987: ...Big Generator: we'd have to match these two up despite being a year apart. So here we have a tie. Both totally 80's, big sound. But I can't put one over the other, I think it's a tie. If we cheated and went for GTR, I'd say GTR by a guitar string.

1988: no, nothing to see here. Moving along...

1989: ABWH vs....I dunno, Bankstatement?

ranking them, I'll go:

1) Drama
2) Duke
3) Abacab
4) 90125
5) Big Genertor
6) Invisible Touch - though 5 and 6 could switch places at a moments notice.
7) ABWH
8) Genesis/Shapes - though on some days, I could switch 7 & 8 as well.

Even tougher would be the match up of Yes & Genesis 70's albums. There would be way too many ties.

[pianozach]

There's almost no post-Gabriel Genesis that I DON'T like, but I'm actually pretty unfamiliar with their albums, even though I'm pretty familiar with a lot of their SONGS. That said, Genesis/Shapes has some pretty odd sh!t on it.

And I'm VERY fond of DRAMA, 90125, and ABWH. Big Generator is just OK.

1) Drama
2) 90125
3) ABWH
4) Duke
5) Abacab
6) Invisible Touch
7) Big Generator
8) Genesis/Shapes

[Mr. Holland]

Love the 80s albums from both Yes and Genesis:

01) Drama
02) Duke
03) Invisible Touch
04) Big Generator
05) Genesis/Shapes
06) 90125
07) Abacab
08) ABWH

[madbear]

Drama is the only one I will listen to. I'm afraid I want Gabriel in my Genesis (though I do like A Trick of the Tail), can't stand 90125 or Big Generator Yes and find ABWH tedious.

[Old Frothingslosh]

My Ranking:

1. Drama- 9/10
2. 90125- 7/10
3. Duke- 9/10
4. Big Generator- 8/10
5. Invisible Touch- 5/10
6. Abacab- 8/10
7. "Genesis"- 8/10
8. ABWH- 8/10

[T.R. Brockbanks]

That said, Genesis/Shapes has some pretty odd sh!t on it.

"But if you're sitting there beside her
And a bear comes in the room
And you keep on going 'cause you're unaware
Oo, then you know that you are there"

What's so odd about that ?

[luna65]

I'm doing a tier thingie again (because I find it a much more nuanced way of expressing my preferences (because they're mine and not yours).

10/10, would listen to forever: Big Generator, Duke
Mighty fine: 90125, Genesis (shapes)
Not bad, but not quite better: Invisible Touch
Meh: Drama, ABWH
I do not want this (mostly): Abacab

[luna65]

"But if you're sitting there beside her
And a bear comes in the room
And you keep on going 'cause you're unaware
Oo, then you know that you are there"

What's so odd about that ?

Personally, I love that Tony wrote a song about losing your virginity.

[Esthe]

Personally, I love that Tony wrote a song about losing your virginity.

Then Yes did Rhythm Of Love, and the rest is history!

[Ant45]

Back in the day I would probably have put AWBH as my favourite and Duke was least favourite but that has turned on its head recently. if Duke didn’t have Please Don’t Ask and Alone Tonight it would be even higher on my list
So…
1)91025
2)Big Generator
3)Invisible Touch
4)Drama
5)Duke
6)Genesis Shapes
7)AWBH
8)Abacab

Actually all are great albums even though the last four have some dodgy tracks.
if you compare them to the 70s output from either band they are are step down. If you compare them to The Quest they are masterpieces.

[T.R. Brockbanks]

Then Yes did Rhythm Of Love, and the rest is history!

And we didn't know if we were coming or going ... I actually love Silver Rainbow, and Genesis Side 2 in general, and Rhythm of Love too.

1) Duke
2) Drama
3) Abacab
4) Genesis
5) 90125
6) Invisible Touch
7) Big Generator
8) ABWH

Chronological, more or less.