Selling England By The Pound

(1/5) Schizophrenic symphonies and soulless, nerdy, and intellectual music. This was an absolute chore and cements my hate of Prog Rock. I didn't enjoy a note of this. I appreciate that the artists went on to do quantifiably better things, but I can't forgive this abominable musical gulash. To add a sweet punch to my face, its content is *so* fuckin' British. I've grown to hate that shit due in no small part to this list's obvious Anglocentrism.

Was fully expecting this to be another shitty British album that’s only on here because it’s British but this was great

While I've always been a fan of progressive rock, it's a genre that I've turned to more and more as I've gotten older. As such, I'd taken a chronological deep dive into Gabriel era Genesis a few years ago and developed a real appreciation for their work and evolution (which didn't stop when he left, but simply transmogrified into the Genesis I knew and loved in my youth). While this isn't my personal favorite (splitting hairs, but that's either Foxtrot or The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, for me), it is an absolutely incredible rock opera with some great melodies and smashing social commentary, earning it a 4.5/5 that I'm reluctant to round up (which is maybe a tad stingy on my part).

230. Selling England By The Pound - Genesis (1973) 10.10.26 Variety: 5 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 4 Emotionality: 5 = 4.8 rounded up to a 5 "The mountain cuts off the town from view/ Like a cancer growth is removed by skill/ Let it be revealed" I while back when I was thinning down my record collection, I came to the point where I had to make some hard choices for space reasons. I made a list of all the artists on the chopping block, and Genesis was one of them. I had everything they released all the way up to Wind and Wuthering, and had listened to and enjoyed most of those quite a few times, with my favorite run being Nursery Cryme through Selling England By the Pound. The stuff on the either end I was less enthusiastic about, though they did have their charms. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, which is the only other one on the list I like, I just found myself listening to it a LOT less than those others. I get why it's on the list, it's maybe their most epic and sprawling and representative of the overblown prog eccentric vibe, but it's not the one I would have picked. Foxtrot is my personal favorite, but didn't make the cut. It's by far the most emotionally effecting of their albums for me and hits the sweet spot of being both full of great melodies and jam packed with weird ideas and eeriness. Nursery Cryme is maybe the creepiest and also has "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" which is damned awesome. Selling England by the Pound has less epic and memorable moments than Foxtrot for me, but it's also their most approachable ( from this era anyway) and well realized album I think, so it's easy to see why it's on the list, and why so many people consider it their favorite. But anyways, I ended up selling the Genesis albums, and keeping all my Roxy Music ones instead ( which took up about the same amount of space), and instantly regretted it. I no longer buy new records, and am slowly selling off or trading away even the greats as the charm and ritual of throwing them on the turntable fades along with my amount of spare time, but if I see a complete set of early Genesis at a not crazy price one day, I might make an exception. THE TRACKS Side one "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" - This one starts in full on traditional English folk territory, with Hackett's medieval guitar line, and Gabriel's phrasing, but then it seamlessly transitions into a slow, well paced and epic bit of proggy goodness that is reminiscent of the churchy organ work from any number of prog acts in the era, but King Crimson comes most to mind for me. When the turn comes at around 2:23 and what sounds like chase music from a rock opera stage musical hits the song's ( and the band's) theatricality hits a very early high, and the epic vibe only climbs. Gabriel remains to this day one of my favorite rock vocalists, and his steadiness and versatility here, along with its distinctness is a wonderful treat this morning. It's the earnest quality of his vocal delivery in fact I think that ties the whole thing together, and will prove to be on subsequent tracks. Standing back and looking at all of this with cynical modern eyes, it's very easy to dismiss this sort of thing as twee, fanciful, and hammy, over dramatic puff. The seriousness of the approach is what I would argue makes it all work though. These guys are IN IT. Especially Gabriel, who took it so far as to physically embody the characters on stage, in crazy baroque and fantasy adjacent costumes that might make Japanese Kabuki actors blush. And to me it doesn't feel embarrassing or cringe at all, which I think might be a legitimate concern for people listening today. Anyway, back to the song - my favorite part starts around 5:48 when there's a gentle come down, with some flute and Collins's light touch on the drums bringing us in for a smooth landing right into the quiet and meditative bit by Hackett, plucking a 12-string guitar that seems like it's trying to lure us into a faerie circle in the middle of a haunted wood. Banks provides a watery synth bed for this which only reinforces the prettiness and it fades out leaving you with a sense of having been charmed and taken on a full journey, all in the span of just over eight minutes. I've gotten far less entertainment, and heard less interesting textures and playing on DOZENS of entire albums we've had on this list so far (some of them an hour and a half long or more), than I just got in one song. It was at turns beautiful, suspensful, weird, and full of a driving sense of forward momentum. All of it guided along by guys all at the top of their game, and who are fully vested in the rest of that journey. Like it or not, you never get any half-assed or uncommitted feelings on a Genesis album. Lyrically we're bombarded with the mythical and legendary, mentions of the Round Table, the Holy Grail, tarot decks, and personifications of different aspects of England itself - all of them corrupted and commercialized via, not just modern times ( I've never really felt there to be any sense of real nostalgia for the "old times" in Genesis like some argue is present in the music of the Kinks, for example, but instead more of a feeling of a loss of connection with the land, folk traditions, and a sense of magic. If anything, Gabriel seems mor concerned that the crass monetization is going to fully sever the mystique and feeling of the mythical rather than whining about how "things just aren't what they used to be" in that somewhat coded way that seems to be the lullaby that conservatives seem to sing themselves to sleep with every night. This is more anti-mechanistic, and has a bit more of a hippyish "back to the land" ( much preferable to the layabout druggy type) vibe I think. And would seems pretty born out by what would become Gabriel's later activism and politics. Which is not to say you can't write from the opposite point of view when giving voice to a fictional character. I just don't think that's the sort of thought experiemnt the dude was into, looking at his other work. He's more the type to wear his feelings on his sleece, even if they are hidden every so slightly by bits of fantastical, deeply theatrical narrative drag. "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" - A low, menacing bass note, and a buzzing, mechanical ( perhaps his mowing blades?) grind opens this one, but it almost immediately breaks into a bright and sunny mode with what I think is an electric sitar providing an almost calming, psychedelic counterpoint to that opening sinister feel, and I think underlines it as a bit of dark intent underneath the rest of the song where the narrator, a gardener, overhears the morning conversation of the , presumably more well off family, that has hired him, and who remains content with his place in life, unwilling to get better in his wardrobe and step beyond his show, and enter that rat race and make things more complicated, despite being urged by Mr. Farmer to better himself. There's a bit of ambiguity though in his remembrance of a teacher who warned him against taking risks, when he refers to himself as a "failure". Is that an honest assessment that he doesn't care about, does he wish deep down he could take some bigger swings, or is he being sarcastic and saying that it's only in the eyes of others that his place in life is less than? I lean towards a mix of the latter two myself, and I think that's more in keeping with the bucolic themes the album has laid down, but recognizes that maybe he's also lying to himself a bit. The biggest argument against that might be the return of that menacing drone at the very end when our narrator gets back to mowing. It doesn't seem like such a happy ending after all. Musically this one is very pretty and has a memorably catchy chorus. I think it's more than a little inspired by late period Beatles, and has a very upbeat and bouncy instrumental feel. the bass work especially is great, but everyone is on point and it's easy to see why this was the standout track at the time. It's still pretty digestible in run time, and carries along at a mellow pace while remaining very listenable. Also, those hand drums are SO good. "Firth of Fifth" - Some classically inspired piano begins this one, and makes it feel almost like it's going to serve as an instrumental interlude maybe, but once again expectations are subverted and we go big and epic again, with that churchy organ and a plodding beat while Gabriel gives us a bit of metaphor, comparing humanity's march to a river flowing out to sea, with the river itself personified, and the people he passes compared to sheep who "remain inside their pen/ Though many times they've seen the way to leave". At first glance this might seem to dovetail with the bit of class warfare that seemed inherent in the last track, but I'm getting more that it's more regret and commentary on how man ignores nature, building up and up and up, almost in a rebuke of it. The song is both haunting in its musical approach and the pastoral vibes seem to be conflated with a sort of religiosity suggested by the churchy organ stuff so that by the middle of the song, when Hackett's mournful wailing guitar comes in it feels like a sort of melancholy statement. It reminds me more than a little bit of Pink Floyd's "Time" in its subject matter of people at the mercy of things much bigger than them, but who continue on, seemingly cosmically unaware of their mortality. I think this song is a bit more optimistic though, and willing to side with nature over humanity. That last pretty bit of piano makes it seem so anyway. Deep shit, huh? "More Fool Me" - Some very pretty, and calming guitar strumming opens this one up and reminds me of some similar moments from Roy Wood's Boulders album. It's folky and gentle and we get Phil Collins on vocals which is cool. I think Collins has enough vocal qualities in common with Gabriel that it does not in anyway feel off putting or weird or closer to their 80s sound. It's a nice break point for the two sides, and is romantic and ballady and out of step a bit with what has come before in mood, if not it it's narrative structure. It does feel like the most traditional thing on here though, with its wistful and quaintly charming subject matter. Almost like what if Cat Stevens was just a bit proggy. There's still just a smidge of ambiguity at the end though, with some self doubt and you can wonder yourself whether or not "it will work out alright". Side two "The Battle of Epping Forest" - The martial sounds of an army marching under an old fashioned, jaunty military piper fades in and slowly reveals itself out of the mist as the volume increases and starts to fade..... then BOOM - we're given a bit of a jump scare as the song erupts, fully formed and manically paced tale of a gang war that seems to be fought on the boundaries of nature and the city, where the rules of time and space are falling apart into some chronologically mixed up battle that has both cars and Robin Hood-ish characters existing all at once, and where accountants and priestly soldiers duke it out alongside butchers and scholars, wielding slings and chains and cell phones alike, all while dressed in plate armor. I'm reminded simultaneously of both the surreal hilariousness pirates of The Crimson Permanent Assurance from Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, sailing their office building and raiding other unsuspecting salary men with wild abandon and fury and the deadly serious ( though stilly campy) bad guys in any of the Mad Max movies, with their makeshift armor. It's all very epic and Gabriel introduces us to a cavalcade of interesting characters who have thrown themselves into the fight, though it's never really that clear which side they're on, or what exactly they're fighting for. It's all propelled forward by Banks's organ, and the pace never really lets up, even in the almost reggae-like refrain. Just like everything else though there's metaphor aall around and it's pretty easy to imagine Gabriel just using the idea of a gang war to further denigrate modern life, with all of it's completely unnecessary and exhausting , and self made hells. There's even some fun accent work going on, and a switch up in the instrumentation when different characters speak. It's also really easy to imagine the other band members in their t-shirts and khakis stealing side-eyed knowing glances at each other on stage while Gabriel, bedecked in an embroidered full on gown, with a giant headdress and painted face, loses himself completely in these portraits, as if to say "what the hell, dude... I mean, let's just go with it, I guess?". And I love it. And dig that jazzy mellotron (?) solo. Instrumentally this is just as epic as any of the narrative itself, and the numerable changeups in rhythm and tone and mood are really well realized. And it all ends on the whims of these "Blackcap Barons", and more class commentary with how all this work is treated like so much sport by the ones in power. "After the Ordeal" - This instrumental serves as the calm after the storm and with its pretty plucked strings gives us more of those medieval vibes and plays out in a sad sort of refrain, and leaves one t imagine the chaos and blood that was spilled was maybe all for nothing? Hackett gets a really emotional and somber guitar solo that turns almost angry near the end and I'm reminded of the futility and uselessness of pretty much all that's happened and the "Lord, what fools these mortals be!" line from Midsummer Night's Dream comes to mind. "The Cinema Show" - And speaking of Shakespeare, this piece is starts very pretty with what sounds like a clavichord, and we're given the story of a modern Romeo and Juliet, their mundane modern lives put into the harsh contrast of and framed by both a Renaissance drama and references to ancient Greek myth. Is there magic meaning to be found the modern world if we look hard enough? I'm not exactly sure what the point is, but that seems to work well enough for me. Otherwise this is a pretty danged peaceful and well paced outing in which every player gets a chance to shine. I would like to call out Collins especially here for the awesome bit of urgency his drumming adds just around the 6:00 mark and which stretches out to a minute or so's worth while Tony Banks goes crazy with his keyboards. At just over 11 minutes, this feels like maybe the lightest piece yet, and did not get boring or feel too long in any way to me. The last half of this is as fine an example of the best of what prog rock has to offer as any I can think of and stands up there with some of the best from Yes and King Crimson even. "Aisle of Plenty" Pretty AND sad. We've had plenty of both on this album, and it's all been exciting and full of twists and turns and lots of medieval accents and epic moments, and this is almost a clearinghouse of all those ideas in one track. And it serves as a reprise of "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" which ties everything up in a nice bow. (edit: Funnily enough, Yes's Fragile auto played immediately after this. It had been on my mind a couple of times throughout.) HIGHLIGHTS - All of it. MIDLIGHTS - LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS As expected, this was a joy to revisit, and made me want to immediately dive in and do a full relisten of the band's catalogue. I'll stop at The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway so as not to waste any ideas for when we get to that one, but I won't rule out skipping ahead and making my way even into their 80s stuff if I have the time. I had such a good time that I legit played it again all the way through one time just to give it a passive listen and sit back and soak it all in with my brain turned fully off. And it was just as good. I think Genesis suffers a bit from the reputation of its later incarnation as a pop hit machine, and when people go backwards to investigate the whiplash between sounds is SO extreme that it can leave people with even more of a bad taste in their mouth than they even expected. I will say there's a very solid middle ground of albums that gets more or less completely ignored that would well bridge these disparate incarnations, but it's lacking in both the big pop hits and the weird theatricality of Gabriel, and so often gets left out of the conversation. So check some of those out if you were not completely turned off my this. Baby steps. As far as its place in their discography, this does rank right up there with Foxtrot for me, and deserves its place on the list. I at least like that we'll be getting the two entries from the band in chronological order as that lets you come in to each successive album, more informed about where the bands are coming from. This remains and will remain a classic of the genre for me, and maybe in future editions some intrepid user will offer up Foxtrot as their entry upon finishing the list. If it has not been done by then, it's certainly on my shortlist do submit. Possible turn-Offs might include: - some VERY English themes - dips into medieval folk traditions - a couple of relatively long song runtimes - a level of theatricality that could cause many listeners to roll their eyes/ wince with embarrassment You Might enjoy this if you: - love that crazy unembarrassed sense of theatricality in your music - already are pretty steeped in more popular prog like Yes or ELP ad would like to take one step down further into the weirder stuff ( there are MANY more steps deeper than this btw) - are genuinely just curious about the much whispered past of Genesis before they were burning up the Billboard Hot 100 in the 80s PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Nah. FURTHER LISTENING Precursors: - Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar - Liege & Lief by Fairport Convention - A Salty Dog by Procol Harum - In the Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson - The Yes Album by Yes - Days of Future Passed by the Moody Blues - Octopus by Gentle Giant - The Inner Mounting Flame by Mahavishnu Orchestra Contemporaries: - The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd - Larks' Tongues in Aspic by King Crimson - Ashes Are Burning by Renaissance - For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night by Caravan - Camel by Camel Descendants: - Script for a Jester's Tear by Marillion - The Wake by IQ - The Jewel by Pendragon - Kingdom of Madness by the Visitor - Nothing Is Written by Galahad - The Kindness of Strangers by Spock's Beard - The Underfall Yard Big Big Train

As I go through this project I sometimes feel like it takes more than a day to fully process an album. This album, Selling England by the Pound" is one of those albums that suffers from the pace of the project. It has the feel of an album that requires something profound be said about it, but I'm just now hearing it for the first time today and am still forming my initial thoughts. So more often than not these ratings and review are first drafts. I shouldn't be surprised by this early Genesis experience. I can very much see this band making something like "Land of Confusion." Surreal imagery and national identity anxiety married within a musical package. This album furrows it brow at a "What happened to my England?" question that is slightly foreign to me. I can understand even if it doesn't fully resonate. And being someone that wants music that appeals more to the feelings this like most prog-rock lean too far into the eggheadedness of it all. Thus is the nature of art, I guess. Genesis wants to say something profound, or wants me to understand and be inspired to say something profound and I just don't have anything. Music is fine, if slightly chaotic and also leaning to far into eggheadedness. 3/5

First Genesis album, and I really don't think it's for me unfortunately. I can respect the musicianship and think that some of the tracks are quite interesting but not quite my thing! Favourites: Firth of Fifth The Cinema Show

Having listened to Marillion before listening to Genesis, all I kept thinking throughout was how much it sounded like Fish.

Classic prog. I know what I like and I like what I know! There's an interesting mix of prog rock and traditional British folk throughout. Liked Songs Added: I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) Firth Of Fifth The Battle Of Epping Forest Cinema Show

What o need for pastry exam

Masterpiece. It's never going to be in my regular rotation, but it is a monumental album.

Feels like nerd rock. Giving me Rush vibes.

Having never heard early Genesis I wasn’t sure what to expect. First song hit me with glam rock folk that was over 7 minutes long. Not feeling it. The weird second track “I Know What I Like” was more along what I was expecting. I rather like that one. I’m not sure how this made best of anyone’s list. Possibly I’m just not a fan of flutes, organs, and mellotrons in my rock music (or glam folk).

Pretty chill and good all around. I realized I only knew them by name. Definitely upper 3 low 4 for me

Amazing album

For me Genesis' best early work are Foxtrot and Nursery Crimes. At least those are the albums which stuck with me and have become are recurring fixture for the past few decades. Having an open mind for Selling England let me see the similarities with my favourite two and definitely on a par. Some prog rock in there, but didn't feel outrageous. Great album overall.

I gave it a listen and I didn’t want to give it another.

I listened to it twice. It's hard to get this kind of music with just a brief listen. Still did not get it. I think it might come with added work but for this I am going with the solid 3

Talk about Prog Rock. This feels like quintessential Prog Rock. The really long developmental instrumentals. It's really quite good. I really enjoy the rhythm deception on "The Battle of Epping Forest". I don't love the singer's voice, but it isn't bad enough that it majorly negatively affects how I feel about the album. Favorite Song(s): I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)

I thought Genesis was supposed to suck once Peter Gabriel left, but apparently they got a head start.

Genesis but not how we know it. A bit strange for me

Completely ridiculous but the guitar solo on Firth of Fifth is pretty great.

Never heard that one before....and I hope to never hear it again. Just awful.

Folkish prog with great musicianship but quite boring.

Amazing!

Pipers at the gates of yawn.

Another Prog Rock album...fuck me. Genesis are music giants but I much prefer what they went on to do post prog rock phase and as individuals. 2.5/5. Raising to 3.

It’s clear that not everything was better in the past - as a rule, the opposite is true. But there are certain things, people, and bands that used to be significantly better. Anyone familiar with the shallow ’80s pop band called Genesis is likely to be pleasantly surprised by the ’70s rock band of the same name. At least, that’s how I felt about 20 years ago when I first listened to “Selling England By The Pound". Conversely, older fans are probably still wondering to this day why Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford not only joined Phil Collins’ band but also handed over the name “Genesis” to him... Be that as it may, for me, “Dancing With The Moonlit Knight” is one of the very few songs that single-handedly earns an album a 5/5 rating.

Awesome concept albUm

Des belles petites balades. Ça fait parfois penser à du pink Floyd. Musique beaucoup axé sur la melodie.

Otroligt stark början!

Om dom varit födda 45-50 år senare hade dom suttit med nån riktigt sjuk d&d-kampanj just nu, tur dom föddes på 50-talet istället då det bara fanns musik som alternativ till att börja jobba på verket

Känns som dom har gjort bättre musik men det är ju skön rock. 3 eller 4

I love genesis. They’re obviously goofy as hell but that’s a strength to me if the band seems self-aware. Peter Gabriel wore costumes during concerts so I think that qualifies. I’ve always found their extended instrumental stuff to be more engaging than in other prog rock bands. Might be the tightness of the drums, might be rapid changes in song structure. Whatever it is, it works for me. That resolution to the major key at the end of the instrumental in Fifth of Firth is money. This is spiritually a 5 but it’s like admitting Roadhouse is your favorite movie. Gotta retain an ounce of professional credibility.

There were some highlights (Firth of Forth, More Fool of Me) but the worst parts of this (Dancing with the Moonlit King, Battle of Epping Forest with the After the Ordeal coda) are why I prog rock tends to land with more of a thud these days. Right around a 2.5

Another fucking prog rock album that you definitely don’t have to listen to before you die. I had a brief phase when I was 15 when is would listen to this shit. Thank god Punk Rock converted me….

Firth of Fifth sounds like risk of rain

Quirky and fun

Super unique sounding. Traditional folk with intricate drumming and cool time signatures. Great vocals. 4.1/5.0

More prog nonsense, tempered by a touch of Fairport Convention

Listened before? No Familiar with the artist? Yes Thoughts: - This is the first Genesis album I've listened to, and it was not what I expected! - I've listened twice all the way through now and I'm still not entirely sure how much I like it. Weird and confusing always beats boring though. - I don't usually don't look into the albums much other than the Wikipedia blurb, but "The Battle of Epping Forest" was so weird I had to go to the Genius page. It helped slightly 😅 - The long songs were at least interesting enough to keep me from zoning out. I'm intrigued to actually listen to more Genesis now. Favorite track(s): Dancing With the Moonlit Knight, I Know What I Like

Needs another listen but seems pleasantly bonkers.

more genesis. this is their fifth album, so right before the lamb lies down on broadway, which i listened to the other day. these guys love to go on tour a lot, do they? it seems their cycle was just to write an album, release it, go on tour, then write the next. they only had a few months to write new tracks, and despite the recording sessions going pretty smoothly, critics and even the band members didn't really like the results of what they've created. as time has went on, many prog fans view this album in a much more positive light. the album is centered about the slow americanization of british culture, lots of longing and thinking about the way things were before we filthy americans messed everything up. you can physically feel the emotions with every part of the record, these brits trying to hold onto what they know for dear life, and i think that approach in itself makes the album sound tremendous and moving. genesis really has a certain... i don't want to say pop but upbeat, melodic and clean prog sound compared to your other guys like pink floyd and king crimson. truth be told i think i like this album better than the last one... it's classier. it's nice, it's soft, it relaxes me a lot more than the lamb.

Переслушаем, какая-то слишком большая музыка, это как-будто тебе предложили бокал вина за 1000$, а тебе норм b с винишком за 50$, звучит качественно и круто,но маленький мозг не дает получить полное удовольствие скрытое в альбоме

I was in no mood at all for this fucking prog nonsense. Drumming was good, bonus point for Phil on that. 2/10

Genesis when they were interesting. Campfire hippy music its ok to like. I know what I like in your wardrobe is forever an excellent song. The rest are bubbling with creativity and the hint of ganja

Prog rock that on days I could enjoy more, days I would enjoy less.

The Medieval bits really make this hard to enjoy

Love SEBTP except for the Battle of Epping Forrest, bringing it down to High 4

I knew I was in for a treat with Selling England By The Pound when it kicked off with some Traditional English Folk singing. I find modernisations and evolutions of traditional folk endlessly fascinating. Genesis plunge these fragile, antique vocals into a whimsical, magical world of their own. One with long stretches of calm followed by sped up passages with tonnes of momentum, explosions of colour and curious side alleys. Genesis seem to have a nostalgia and civic pride in a fantasy version of old England that they could not possibly know. There is a joyful, eccentric nerdiness at the heart of this pride which is the perfect accompaniment for their very slick, flawless interpretation of prog rock. They are in total control of the audience's experience, holding their hand every step of the way. The sound is so broad and so deep that I find myself running into the limits of what human language can describe but my prominent feeling is just being pleasingly overwhelmed by the immense amount of shimmering detail across the track list. If it wasn't such a chipper, good-humoured performance it could be a bit intense, but they make every abrupt twists and turns a delight.

I'm struggling to rate it, i absolutely love how it sounds but i don't love some of the songwriting choices. Great in the headphones for sure. Going with a high 4, I could really really love this given more listens.

Felt like I went on a journey

Considered the best Genesis album by most fans, including myself, this progressive masterpiece features the classic five-player lineup with Peter Gabriel's songwriting genius and his bandmates at their virtuoso greatest.

I saw the album length to track number ratio and immediately felt dread. This is some over the top, overproduced and dated waffley wank. No doubt there's some talent, so not a 1, but there is most definitely a taste and restraint issue on display.

3/8 songs saved

Not for me. Some songs were ok at best, but most feel like they drone on and then become annoying.

I like some early Genesis, but this is not an album I'd ever listened to. So it seemed like a tumult of 'riffs', 'surprising' chord sequences, lyrical oddities and quiddities, that left me unmoved. Nothing here gave me inclination to listen to it again. It's Not Good, 4/10.

I got some notes of Peter Gabriel and some Genesis but overall nothing really popped out

You know, I really like the album that just throws shit against the wall and see what sticks, but I’m looking at my wall after listening to this album, and I’m not really seeing any shit stuck.

Disco foda da época mais prog do Genesis, antes de Colins assumir o controle da banda. Sempre gosto de mergulhar nesse oceano excêntrico que é a mente de Gabriel. Não que seja tão radicalmente diferente do que veio depois, e eu não sou o tipo de pessoa que escolhe lados aqui, eu gosto igualmente das duas metades da banda. Instrumentalmente variado, com algumas seções parecendo fantasia medieval, com as flautas e outros instrumentos que não costumam protagonizar canções de Rock. É um álbum bem legal pra sentar e ouvir de capa a capa. O único problema que tenho com esse disco é a sua duração, que acaba sendo um pouco desgastante, ainda mais pela sonoridade densa e teatral. Ainda assim, uma escuta legal e interessante. 4/5

Torn here. There were some moments I really liked, but some that reminded me of Joanna Newsom & Geordie Greep (not as a complement). Seemed super self-indulgent. A 3 seems fair

Come back to this but maybe 5?

Not TLLDOB, but still good.

Awesome intstrument sound

As with the worst of ‘70s prog, it sounds like a cheesy musical soundtrack. Except that this adds in some easy listening schmaltz, for further insult. Nearly unlistenable.

For such a short album it sure never ends. I feel like I would have liked this better on shrooms.

#450 I can appreciate prog rock and there were some elements to enjoy here, even moments where I thought I was genuinely going to get on well with this and then The Battle of Epping Forest really tested my resolve. After the Ordeal is a fitting track name to follow that, although it’s a bit too whimsical itself, and it sort of doubles down on that thereafter. Sorry Genesis fans, it’s not for me. Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ❌ Listen before you die? ✅ (you probably should to be fair) Fave track(s): I Know What I Like Rating: 4/10 ⭐️⭐️

Very musical. The theatrical singing and long sections can get a bit much though.

Love Genesis but this was more conceptual than I personally like. Not an easy listen or something I'd enjoy listening to again.

1. "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" 2. "The Battle of Epping Forest" 3. "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight"

Ah yes who doesn't love unicorns and churches and forests and whatever the hell else was in this. I'll tell you what I really needed an 11 minute long song specifically about a fictional woodland battle.

I'm not too familiar with Genesis, and this album did not inspire me to look for more. I did like the instrumental parts of "Firth of Fifth" but "The Battle of Epping Forest" was incredibly tedious and brings the whole album down. "More Fool Me" is also fairly turgid. I liked some of the keyboards on "The Cinema Show," but my main problem isn't with the music -- it's the vocals and lyrics. I'm just not on board with the majority of what Peter Gabriel is doing here -- all the put-on voices and fantasy-like lyrics aren't working. Maybe a different record would have been a better first exposure to this era of Genesis.

I'm a fan of Genesis in all their different variations. This one with Peter Gabriel singing is really fantastic. His vocals really set this apart and above some of their other work. Almost hard to believe this came out in 1973. Seems like it should be an early 80's album. Very good music too. The album stays consistently good and is worth it to listen to the whole thing. I'm sure I will continue to listen to this many more times.

Okay, I’m biased. I’ve been a Genesis fan ever since I was a child. I love this album from start to finish.

Surprisingly I enjoyed this album.

OK, so prog rock really isn't my thing. At all. I've seen these early/ mid 70s Genesis albums with the goofy cartoon covers hanging out in record stores since junior high and never had the urge to listen. At all. I'll start by saying the obvious: the album showcases amazing musicians in control of complex songs with intricate changes and shifts. It's impressive. And given Genesis's career, it's cool to hear Phil Collins focusing on his amazing drumming and background singing. Phil's voice blends seamlessly with Peter Gabriel's, and Gabriel's vocals are fantastic. But, ugh, the prog-ness of it all. I understand why it's considered a prog-rock masterpiece, and it's truly an accomplishment. But it's one I probably won't listen to again. Rating this is tough: objective 4 stars, subjective 2 stars

I was excited for some more dad prog, and this was still good but it didn’t hit as much as King Crimson, Rush or Yes, I think because the English folk parts grate for me. That style is just not for me.

Enjoyment: 8/10 Replayability: 7/10 Cohesion: 8/10 Flow/Pacing: 7/10 Artistic Merit: 8/10 Weighted Average: 7.65/10 Review: ELO has been my favorite Prog Rock band for a long time, but it may just be dethroned if the rest of the Genesis discography holds the same credence as this album. Liked Song(s): Dancing with the Moonlit Knight, I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe), Firth of Fifth, The Battle of Epping Forest, The Cinema Show Disliked Song(s): (None) Recommend? Yes Heard Before? No

guetes album von genesis es gefällt mir

Having grown up with the shitty pop version of Genesis, I am blown away by how good they had been. I can't believe this isn't a more well known album.

A very interesting album. I feel as though the musicians have confidence in their abilities and it shows.

Quite the unremarkable album. I mainly enjoy Phil Collins on his own.

Better than Coldplay

Guffa-musikk

Very experimental album. But the truth is I loved it!!!

That's my introduction to the band , and OMG ... they are so good man . i liked every song on album ... no skips . 4.5/5

Three-leaning-four. Really liked this one!

Tedious

Yech.

There were parts I liked in pretty much every song, but the song structures are conspicuously complicated in a way that feels forced. A lot of the lyrics are overwrought. They got better as they sold out. Then they got way worse.

Kinda blah. I wanted to like this more than I did. Probably should be a 2 but I'm giving it a 3.

2/5 - Very much not my jam. Self-indulgent and boring, but then I never claimed to enjoy prog.

Decent. Good stuff here but nothing really grabbed me. This reminded me of recent list album from King Crimson, but, uh, not as good.

This was fun! I’m beginning to realize I’m more of a Prog guy than I thought I was. Not quite at the level of Yes for me, but better than I thought it would be.

Maybe it’s because my most recent record haul had three prog albums in it so now I think I’m this big prog guy, but I really liked this and if you didn’t it’s probably because you don’t “get” prog like I, a legitimate big prog guy, do.

"Ohhh", fue lo primero que atiné a decir cuando vi la tapa del disco que cierra la semana. Es el álbum que más tengo escuchado de Genesis y el que siento más fresco: es quizás su prime musical y letrista. Sin más para agregar que es un 10 de principio a fin, me despido hasta el lunes.

Excellent

Fine enough prog rock, but it doesn't do a whole lot for me.

This was poor. How embarrassing for everyone involved.

I guess I’m not a Genesis fan.

Sublime instrumentation and very transportive. Definitely revisiting