“The Invisible Touch Tour - Live” - Genesis’ new live video reviewed by Alan Hewitt.

Well, the video that they said wouldn’t be recorded has been put out after all! What I mean si that after the Mama tour video in 1984 it was said that the next tour was not going to be filmed. I for one am certainly glad that the powers that be had a change of heart because as a memento of the Wembley shows it is hard to beat.

The video was shot at the final shows of the massive Invisble Touch tour which took place at Wembley Stadium between 1st and 4th July 1987. Judiciously it has been edited so that it is impossible to guess which bits were filmed on which night but as one of the lucky ones who was at all of these shows, it doesn’t really matter.

There has been some degree of effort made to keep the true live atmosphere in this film and it is lacking the arty fancy angles which were so dominant in the last live video. This one is a truer representation of what a fan saw at the stadium.

Musically there has been no tampering with the set except for the omission of the In The Cage medley. The shows themselves were a reaffirmation of everything that the fans know Genesis stand for: musical clarity matched with one of the most breathtaking light shows anywhere. This is particularly true during Tonight, Tonight, Tonight and Home By The Sea where the band and audience actually managed to levitate the stage and lights above the car park! Actually the film does capture most of the magic of these parts of the show which was one of the main criticisms of the band’s previous live videos.

Other highlights are Domino with its blaze of colours and dynamic keyboard and guitar work from the band which turned out remarkably well when you consider that this masterpiece of sound and vision took place in broad daylight! There is also the long awaited inclusion (long awaited by this reviewer at least) of the five minutes of thunder drum duet AND Los Endos which was so criminally omitted from the last video. This was for me the real high point of the show and it comes over perfectly on film. Of course, no Genesis show is complete without Turn It On Again and its accompanying medley of Sixties classics which gives Phil the perfect opportunity to play class clown again much to the delight of the audience.

Much of the effect of the video is due to it being filmed in Hi Definition along with a true Hi Fi soundtrack which sounds superb on videos equipped with Hi Fi sound. At £11.99 and with the added bonus of a limited edition CD single, this video is a MUST for all collectors - do your eyes and ears a favour - buy it NOW!!