Genesis - Selling England by the Pound
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Free Music Notes for Selling England by the Pound
Free Music Review: A Secret Listen for over 20 years
Hit: 5 Stars
I owe a debt to my roommate who introduced Selling England By the Pound to me in college. I was secretly, guilty into prog rock (Yes, Genesis, Renaissance) without knowing exactly why, except the soundscapes offered in that genre simply sounded "beautiful" to me. I appreciate this album not the least for the story behind it: a nostalgia for an England fast disappearing with references to the classical literature that produced England, Shakespeare, Robin Hood, Arthurian themes, set to a rich tapestry of sound. How satisfying for the lit reading college co-ed! I chalked up my love for this concept album to pure adolescence, but found myself purchasing the CD fifteen or so years later after the dorm tape had long worn out. And I am still enchanted, and listening with I would dare to say even fresher ears, having learned a bit more about music theory, and it still delights and inspires and brings me to a great place of uplift. Great long melody lines, fine musicianship, wonderful improvisation, fine story telling. Genesis was never better. The height of their prog powers. Listen and enjoy.
Free Music Review: Some Of The Best British Art-Rock Ever.
Hit: 5 Stars
Genesis was always a perfect embodiment of the outlandish, epical art-rock movement of the 70s. However, there is nothing wrong with being associated with such a tasteful and influential genre. Since art-rock was mostly a British domain, Genesis let their English nationality shine on most of their early albums but never as brightly as on this album, their fifth studio release, "Selling England By The Pound". The very title, an English literary pun, sets up the atmosphere for the album, which is just as British as anything The Who or King Crimson ever did. Indeed, "Selling England By The Pound", is a definitive art-rock album, a colorful combination of British whimsy, epic story telling, and atmospheric textures.
Starting out with Peter Gabriel asking the question, "Can you tell me where my country lies?", that question is slowly answered throughout the course of the album. As with their previous albums, there is a balance of humor in such tracks as, "I Know What I Like In Your Wardrobe", and, "The Battle Of Epping Forest, and of full blow epics with such pieces as, "Firth Of Fifth", and, "The Cinema Show". Quite often, facets of everyday English life are presented in epic format, such as the latter track, "Cinema Show", which combines a simple movie date with Greek Mythology.
Lyrics aside, the music and instrumentation is beyond amazing. Tony Bank's baroque piano piece at the beginning of, "Firth Of Fifth" is pure genius and Steve Hackett's guitar solo on, "Dancing With The Moonlit Knight" is technical brilliance. The latter solo uses two handed tapping (later used profoundly by Eddie Van Halen) as well as sweep picking (some ten years before Yngwie Malmsteen would ever use it). Sweeping mellotron passages and vast textures of 12 string guitar chords add to the distictly epic and whimsical atmosphere present throughout the record.
This is Genesis, most true to their British personas. Their next album, "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway", would see them reaching their full potential by attempting to "Americanize" themselves. Though that would turn out to be their most popular album, it wouldn't have happened if they hadn't perfected their art-rock sound with this album. For me, Genesis ranks just behind The Who as the most British sounding band that didn't sell out to the blues and teenage rebellion of American rock. Sure, they were unfairly trampled upon by the punk era, and era that built its reputation on bands who could barely even play their instruments, but as long as the music is here, it doesn't matter what the punks thought. This is still a landmark recording that should be in every household, British or American.
Free Music Review: Arguably their best
Hit: 5 Stars
The four albums from Nursery Cryme through Lamb Lies Down on Broadway are the classic albums that represent the band's peak ("Trespass" and "Trick of the Tail" are a notch down but still great. "Genesis Live [Definitive Edition Remaster]" and "Genesis Archive, Vol. 1: 1967-1975" round things out). Each one of these contains material that is absolutely must-have, so it's hard to pick one favorite. A lot of focus is given to "Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" because it's the last one with Peter Gabriel, and also their most ambitious project, but I think a good argument can be made why this one is their peak. Certainly "Lamb" contains a lot of great stuff but, as double-LP concept albums tend to be, there is a fair amount of filler material which rounds out the "story", but which makes the last quarter of it lose steam, IMO.
SEBTP is as close as any of Genesis' albums to being representative of all the qualities that made them so wonderful. You even get a catchy pop ditty, "I Know What I Like". It starts out with an ominous-sounding machine-like roar, then a quintessential Gabriel spoken intro "It's one o'clock..." before launching into the song, which tells the story illustrated on the cover. IMO, as a pop song, this one is superior to anything ever done by the trio version of the band.
The oddest song is definitely "Battle of Epping Forest". This is the one that most clearly has Peter Gabriel's imprint on it. The lyrics narrate a turf war between gangs in east London in stylized way that makes it sound like a medieval battle. Gabriel puts on various voices and affects to depict different characters, which are sometimes hilarious, and sometimes just irritating, frankly. It's allegedly based on a real news story, though no one can find the article, it seems. The whole thing drags on a bit long, and doesn't entirely work (I sometimes skip it), but give it an "A" for creativity and uniqueness.
"Firth of Fifth" is one of their "epic" songs, with a big, sweeping theme, and lyrics that invoke legendary themes (I had to look up what "undinal" meant :)). It also features an all-too-rare acoustic piano solo by Tony Banks, and most notably, was is, IMO, Steve Hackett's greatest performance on any Genesis album (I'm not so familiar with his solo stuff). The guitar solo is absolutely spectacular in its simplicity. Unlike so many other rock guitarists, Hackett doesn't focus on flash and speed, but rather on creating sonic landscapes and moods. The solo on this song is the greatest example. I always felt that Hackett didn't get enough exposure in Genesis, and this ultimately caused his departure. The short "After the Battle" is another great example of this, and also is a great airy counter-balance after "Epping Forrest".
The album opens and closes with two long multi-part songs " Dancing with the Moonlight Knight" and "Cinema Show / Aisle of Plenty". "Moonlit Knight" is a thinly-veiled criticism of trends in the UK at the time, dressed in the legend of King Arthur, and is one of Gabriel's greatest performances. It begins with an a Capella vocal, and gradually builds in intensity and complexity. "Cinema Show" likewise begins with a gentle love story and then proceeds to stranger territory, mentioning Tyresias, an ancient Greek seer whom the gods turned into a woman, and then back to a man (I had to look it up too!). At the end there is "Aisle of Plenty", which refrains the music and the lyrical theme of "Moonlit Knight", with a list of grocery items no doubt referring to the selling off of the country. The last line of the song proper refers to "deadly nightshade", which is a plant with hallucinogenic properties, allegedly used in witch's brews. What it means escapes me, but it is interesting.
The only weak spot is "More Fool Me" an insignificant but innocuous short tune. It happens to be Phil Collin's official lead vocal debut (I'm quite certain he did the lead on "For Absent Friends" on "Nursery Cryme", but it's uncredited), but I'm not dumping on ol' Phil - I just don't care for the song. It's not bad, just not up to par with the rest of the album.
If you can't decide which of the 4 classic albums to buy first, this one is a good one to start with. If you like this one, you will want the others:
Nursery Cryme
Foxtrot
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
One interesting side point:
Genesis's first post-Gabriel album, A Trick of the Tail (see my review), has many parallels with SEBP, from the cover color and artwork, to the similarity between the "pop ditties" on both albums ("I Know What I Like" and "Squonk"), The crime stories ("Epping Forest" & "Robbery Assault & Battery"), the long instrumental and refrain at the end, and some other similarities in the sound & feel of the two albums. I have to think that all this was deliberate. Clearly after Gabriel's departure, they had something to prove, and it is interesting that they chose SEBP, and not "Lamb", as the reference point.
Free Music Review: Awful
Hit: 1 Stars
I am a firm believer that one should not review records from musical styles which the reviewer has no sympathy for. And I am no fan of "progressive" music, which I associate with the very worst classic rock like Kansas, Emerson Lake and Palmer, and Yes. But, with Selling England by the Pound, I expected something. I don't know, I like early Elton John, even early Billy Joel, why not early Genesis, a band who has at least as much cred as these fixtures of the mediocre music scene. People like this album, this band. And I thought maybe I could too. So I expected something. But, God, I can't get into this. It was a chore, a literal chore to sit though this for the purposes of passing judgement. And I didn't even get all the way through it. I guess this is progressive music, and though it is not as bad as, say, Yes, well, it really sucks. In my opinon. Grueling, endless songs, pretentious references to the sands of time, mixing the worst of psychedelia with the worst of swollen classic rock. Dreadful. But you probably love it. And I shouldn't review it. Free Music Review: picture perfect music
Hit: 5 Stars
How in the world can anyone complain about this masterpiece? Selling England by the Pound is classic progressive rock, and just a really amazing and solid record. These are some of the words that will enter your mind when you listen to it for the first time-
beautiful
colorful
adventurous
special
brilliant
Seriously, Genesis at one point in time was doing things that NO ordinary rock band would dare attempt. For radio stations to completely ignore this extraordinary masterpiece just goes to show how angry and depressing this world can be.
This album has a certain lively feeling that will immediately lift you up and carry you away. Whether it's the soothing flute playing on "Firth of Fifth" or the amazing twists and turns in the story of "Battle of Epping Forest" or the magical instrumental that can either be extremely beautiful or extremely sad to the listener ("After the Ordeal")... it's a flawless record. Songwriting has never been better. It's rock and roll that takes on a whole new meaning and just about anyone can appreciate this sound and style. Buy it now.