Helmed by vocalist Peter Gabriel, it released some of the most challenging (and rewarding) music of the day on LPs such as "Selling England by the Pound" and "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway."

In the 1980s, Genesis was one of the most successful pop bands in the business.

Who can forget the multi-platinum popularity that it enjoyed behind vocalist/drummer Phil Collins and tunes like "That's All!" "Invisible Touch," "Land of Confusion" and "Turn It On Again"?

Now, with Collins having tendered his resignation after 1992's "The Way We Walk" tour, the task of continuing that tradition of success falls to founding members Tony Banks (keyboards) and Mike Rutherford (guitar and bass), and especially to new vocalist Ray Wilson (formerly of the Scottish band the Stiltskins). The new Genesis makes its debut on the recently released "... Calling All Stations ..."

Wilson is the story here, as he is filling some large shoes left by Collins. His voice is quite unlike Collins's or Gabriel's; it ultimately falls somewhere between the throaty detachment of Pink Floyd's David Gilmour and the quiet intensity of Marillion's Steve Hogarth.

His singing is actually quite pleasant, but it is not as distinct as that of his predecessors.

Equally as important as Collins' vocal departure is his absence from the drum kit, a position he held in the band since 1971's "Nursery Cryme" album.

Those who know him only as a singer do not realize Collins is probably one of the top drummers in the world and was responsible for the infectious rhythms of classic Genesis albums and his solo work.

His replacement for much of this album, Nir Zidkyahu, is a fine drummer, but he is no Phil Collins.

As a result, Banks and especially Rutherford have had to step up their participation. The keyboards are, as always, rich and full-sounding. The surprise musically is how much more guitar work Rutherford turns in than on previous albums (he has handled both guitar and bass in the studio since master guitarist Steve Hackett left in 1977) and how heavy it is.

Upon hearing the riffs of the album's first two tracks--“Calling All Stations" and the first single, "Congo"--Genesis is just about the last band that springs to mind.

The direction the group seems to be aiming for is the sparsely populated genre of melodic progressive rock, whose other most notable band is probably Marillion. (Strangely, this genre just doesn't seem to sell that well, so Atlantic Records will probably have to kiss its four hits per album good-bye.)

Unfortunately, Genesis has not quite mastered the "melodic" part of this equation quite yet; there simply aren't that many songs on "... Calling All Stations ..." that really grab the listener immediately.

Of course, there are exceptions, and they are almost enough to save this album. "The Dividing Line" is an extended track that highlights the compositional skills of Rutherford and Banks, and "Shipwrecked" shows that the band can still score emotional ballads like nobody else.

Sadly, though, too much of the album's nearly 68 minutes is spent on over-long fluff like "Alien Afternoon" and "Small Talk." Songs like "Uncertain Weather" and "There Must Be Some Other Way" are pleasant enough listens but are ultimately forgettable.

"... Calling All Stations ..." is the beginning of a new era for Genesis and is really a nice beginning for the Ray Wilson era. The band's next album should be quite good. However, there is just something missing here.

You have to give Genesis the benefit of the doubt, though.

Used Rack

Some Genesis-related artists who are a bit more obscure that Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel (that would just be way too easy).

Steve Hackett

Many guitarists have heard the name, but few realize how important Steve Hackett was to the development of rock guitar. With Genesis, he introduced two-handed tapping in 1971 (on "The Return of the Giant Hogweed") and also incorporated classical guitar into a rock setting (see the intro to 1977's "Blood on the Rooftops"). He went solo in 1978, and recently released "Genesis Revisited," which consists of re-recorded versions of Genesis tunes he played on originally.

This year, he also has written and recorded a classical album with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra entitled "A Midsummer Night's Dream," based on Shakespeare's play of the same name.

Mike and the Mechanics

Mike Rutherford's side project has released five albums during his copious downtime from Genesis, the most recent being 1996's compilation "Hits." However, it probably will be known forever for 1988's mega-hit "The Living Years." Its latest studio album was 1995's "Beggar on a Beach of Gold."