Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Not a prog fan, to be honest, but this was surprisingly "cheerful" in a way many prog records aren't. I didn't know Genesis' music that much, it's not that inaccessible as I thought it would be. Not sure I'd listen to the record again, but hearing Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins together was great.
I didn't like it very much. I think I would have liked this more if I was in my 20's. Side A was really pretentious sounding, although I did smile when I heard Phil Collins sing on "More Fool Me". Some bits still made me smile though.
Not sure what to say. I think this album would definitely get better with more listens, but the first one didn't make a big imprint.
What a strange album that somehow... Works. It's definitely a concept album that I don't think I would want to pull a single song into my playlist. It's good though, like really good. 6/10
Bunch of dads trying to be trippy and weird but forgot to take the drugs to make it real.
It was kinda decent. Don't really have a lot to say tbh. Some of the songs went on a wee bit too long but duh. 6/10
Ei tää huono ollut, erikoista kylläkin. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ei parasta Genesistä. Vähän liian kokeilevaa settiä meikäläisen makuun.
Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: ? I definitely, one hundred percent, categorically do not understand Genesis, and for sure not this album. In what context do you listen to something like this? In the car? On the walk? Exercising? Could you see them play this music live in 1973 when the album came out? It's not particularly bad or off-putting, but it also just doesn't hold my attention. I am not able to connect with it. It feels dated.
I like one or two Genesis tracks from this era (The Carpet Crawlers, A Trick of the Tail) but prefer it when they went AOR. This started off pretty good with the first few tracks but it did drag on a bit so if I was marking out of 10 I'd give it a 5 but will round up to 3/5.
No private session used for Spotify. I like Phil Collins era Genesis and I like prog rock for the most part. I have listened to this album before, but haven't got into it, maybe it's too prog rock for me, but it's not bad.
Oh wow. Wench, fetch me some meade. Trying to soundtrack Excalibur? It sounds like someone wanted to be part Pink Floyd and part The Who. It is well done though. Great harmonies.
Ok, ready for the renn faire
Otro clásico, al nivel del anterior o mejor aún. Pero claro, en ese 73 hubo discos mucho más disfrutables, no solo de Bob Marley, Bowie o pink Floyd sino de Toddo Rundgren, Elton John o los Stooges...
Interesting prog album. Lyrics were a bit out there but the instruments were great
It’s fine, but it’s no Foxtrot and certainly no Lamb.
Thoughts before listening: I have a love/hate relationship with Genesis and much of prog rock for that matter. On the one hand I do think they have some interesting songs, or at least parts of songs, and I believe I even own this album. On the other hand, everything is just so long and over the top. There are great rocking parts that then turn into silly or overly theatrical sections. That being said, I know this is one of their most loved albums, so I am excited to revisit it today. Review: So my sentiments about Genesis are not changing. There are some awesome songs on here, with interesting arrangements and musicianship, but there are also some folky British elements that distract from the high points. For songs, I enjoy "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" and "Firth of Filth" quite a bit while the rest is just okay for me. In general, I prefer the guitar heavy songs over the other sounds being deployed here. I'll go with 3-stars.
Not an album I loved! Cool instrumentals throughout the album but not something I loved. In my eyes it was simply just okay. My three highlight tracks were, I Know What I like, The Cinema Show, and Aisle Of Plenty. Overall definitely not an album to pick individual songs off of and if you enjoy this odd style then I suggest give it a full listen.
I expected to like this much more than I actually did. While I’m partial to the 1980s iteration (more Phil Collins!), my introduction to Wind and Wuthering (via Blood on the Rooftops), left me with high hopes for Selling England. But, in the end, it wasn't for me. Too quirkily 70s without some dynamic sounds or epic ballad to compensate (well, Battle of Epping Forest and After the Ordeal deserve some honorable mention). I’ll have to stick to Blood on the Rooftops.
I liked the instrumental, very solid album
Yeah, super English, pretty proggy, and I'm not really a prog fan.
3/5
I'm not entirely sure how to rate this album. The music was so cool. Incredible riffs and interesting dynamics, some moments are strong with a heavy rock sound while others are light with a more jazzy tone. I didn't care for the vocals across the board, and I did think that some songs just dragged on a bit too long. This album really isn't that long, coming in under an hour, but the tracks can go up to 11 minutes. This wouldn't matter if the tracks all kept their pace, but some did not. I'll be fair and say there's an equal balance of things I loved and things I just didn't care for that much.
In my ELP review, I realised that I don't like prog - I like Rush and some albums from Genesis and Tull. This is one of those albums, because most of the pompous cleverness lands with a satisfyingly heavy crunch before spiralling into the next demented arrangement. Mega playing, decent tunes - but nothing as good as Supper's Ready or Watcher In The Skies. Except for Firth Of Fifth, that fucker rips! Favourite tracks: Dancing With The Moonlit Knight, Firth Of Fifth
Not my favorite album of theirs though I did buy the cassette when I was a kid. These early Genesis albums were long songs and meant to be one big story.
I just don't get it. music is ok, but tracks ramble on.
Didn't really hook me, Firth of Fifth is the only song I can remember after listening twice.
Это уже который альбом группы Genesis, идея которого мне ближе, чем сам звук. Это приятная музыка, которая вот совершенно ничем не цепляет. Лучшая песня - Firth of Fifth.
Nothing Special.
Interesting listen!
Not my favorite genesis
Not a favorite. Decent listen.
When exceptional musicians have no creativity control
Genesis were a band I never really listened to - a bit before my time. I've liked the solo stuff by Peter Gabriel. Phil Collins has made a few iconic works and an awful lot of MOR rubbish. Mike and the Mechanics are the epitome of bland corporate rock. But 80s Genesis always sailed far to close to yacht rock for my tastes. 70s Genesis is a different and very proggy beast. Musically this is fantastic - it's prog rock's selling point of course. Let down by the silly lyrics - which is also a feature of prog. I'm giving this a three - I did enjoy the guitar work, cancels out the flute.
Now I find this truly hard to judge. I mean, I like prog rock, (early) Yes being one of my favourites in this genre, together with Camel, Caravan or King Crimson, but for some reason I never really liked Genesis. It's not as subtle as Yes, with their soaring, intricate harmonies and Steve Howe's fluid guitar work, not as dreamy as Camel and Caravan with the Canterbury scene jazz-fusion influences, and never rocked as hard as King Crimson with their menacing, heavy edge. Musically it's decent prog rock, but to me it's too bombastic, too theatrical and too composed. 3/5
Yeah, it sounds like Genesis.
Okay British boy get it
I dig itttt
Prog Rog
May need multiple listens to appreciate
Nice to have it play in the background but not really my kind of music. Still very high quality Prog Rock.
this was really, really interesting and strange! loved finding out that it’s phil collins. of course it is man. i think i’d like to revisit genesis, i think there’s stuff there. this doesn’t make for particular easy listening, but i like the kind of instrumentals that are on the album. think the vocals are something i’d need to be in the mood for. i liked the wild time signatures in edding forest, the guitar in firth of fifth
8 songs, 53 mins. take that in.
So I was excited for this album cause I realized it’s one of the early Genesis albums where they are still trying to be a psychedelic band but they have their superior second singer, Phil Collins. Which was a recipe that led to “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” which is probably my second favorite Genesis album ever. Sadly this album doesn’t quite live up to those expectations. There were a few songs I liked and saved but as a whole I was alittle disappointed honestly. It’s not quite adventurous or wild as I wanted it to be. I do think this might be one of my favorite Genesis albums but I’m not sure we’re yet cause I’ve only heard a few albums. Seriously though if you like Phil Collins check out this album cause it’s got ya boy on it!
Celtic ass album. 78/100
I'm on the fence on this - I really like the olde english medieval vibe and there is some great musicianship on display - but in parts it just disappears up its proggy arse - eg Battle of Epping Forest - and just becomes noise.
I spent an inordinate amount of time with this. Still not sure what to make of it. A sprawling prog rock album with the loosest of concepts, Englishness, and it tries to keep the theme with motifs of medieval English folk ('After the Ordeal' a fine example). With its myriad passages in classic prog rock style, it's not too different from Keith Emerson's Tarkus the Robotic Armadillo, or whatever that was. But with Gabriel, Collins and Rutherford in the band, you're never far from a tight melody - as it happens on this album, you're never far from 50 melodies in one song. The 'Firth of Fifth' is the most successful in navigating through a journey of melody. There are some great moments, highly proficient musicianship, an interesting concept. The album feels like the ideas dilute more and more as it progresses. It's better than Tarkus. I don't think it quite matches Aqualung. I hate to give it a three after all this because it is highly different and interesting in places - far from MoR. But you know me - 2 for average, 3 for good.
Listenable.
I like the Peter version of Genesis. very prog
A lot of things to like on this album, though they kind of came in bits and pieces. I liked it overall, but I think it lacked some consistency that makes it closer to a 3 than a 4 to me. 3.25/5
Muzikaliai suprantu, kad gražiai padarytas albumas. Nelabai klausiau teksto, bet kai kurios muzikinės dalys labai geros.
Like with much progressive rock, it's a fun listen for the musicianship but there just isn't enough good songwriting or vocals for me to care about keeping the album in rotation.
07/08/2025 Turns out early days Genesis is a little different to the version I knew.
Genesis’ Selling England by the Pound is not really what I expected at all. I’m familiar with the 80s iteration of the band, which was ok, though I never really paid loads of attention. But I’ve never listened to Peter Gabriel era Genesis. It’s waaaaay nerdier than I expected, even for prog rock. But it’s legitimately pretty fun. I think there might have even been a bit where they were singing in Olde English. I have no doubts that I won't be revisiting this any time soon, but it is fun and not a bad listen at all. Some of it is really impressive, even. 3.7/5
A perfectly acceptable background accompaniment to unpacking. I quite liked the rich feeling of the instrumentals, but that is all I really have to say.
Interesting. Not sure I liked it, but it always kept me on my toes with unexpected twists and turns.
As an 80's kid my first experiences with Genesis and/or Peter Gabriel were with their mainstream hits. So Prog Genesis led by arty weirdo Gabriel is always something difficult to wrap my head around.
Halfway through this record and I’m googling “the history of ideas”. It’s a tangent, but I’m sure Peter, Phil and the rest would allow it; tangents being essentially the point of what would retroactively come to be known as “prog” and all. Anyway, I digress. I’m looking up whether Genesis – from that Greek “genea”, generation – were themselves a great influence on Queen, or particularly influenced themselves by Yes. No. King Crimson seems to be the root of this particular genealogy, but only just. And Queen were around a little later but not by much. The consensus would be that “progressive” approaches to rock just seemed to happen. Which makes sense when you consider a) that “prog” is a tag applied 20 years later – there was no “scene” to speak of, I suppose – and b) the almost causal relationship between emerging, relatively accessible musical gadgetry and bands like Genesis, Queen, Yes etc. In fact, we might here want to pause briefly to allow for a sort of materialist-technodeterminist reading of musical history. (Thus the googling of “history of ideas”.) Is all music history the history of art’s relationship to its material paradigm? And in asking so, must we make space for a Heideggerian analysis– zuhandenheit, and all that? Sorry, back on track. From Future of the Left to Tenacious D, the influence of Genesis is so much broader than I’d have suspected prior to listening to this record. It’s a sort of intertextual melange; at once I’m wondering if Jack Black could have ever existed without Peter Gabriel only to then find myself exploring whether Genesis’ shared melodic sensibility with The Smiths is coincidental or not. (The closing passage of “The Cinema Show” and supermarket-positive reprise of “Knights…” has something of “Some girls (are bigger than others)” about it – a melancholy arpeggio juxtaposed with po-faced vocal performance. Marker of influence, or coincidence based on volume of ideas presented? I’m not sure.) This album is full of thoughts, and full of questions – a superb example of a particularly British, especially camp creativity. A feast of genre pushing sonic experimentation that seemingly never takes itself any more seriously than a Punch and Judy show would (which is to say, both extremely seriously and not at all). In short, it’s the sort of music that takes you off on a tangent. I probably could’ve just left it at that, come to think – but where’s the fun in that?
Honestly really dug this, but it was a bit drawn out. I liked all the different instrumental passages, you never really knew where each track would take you. But damn it felt long.
A bit "twee" to give it anything over a 3 - but I never realised Phil Collins was *such* an epic drummer!
I wasn’t really familiar with early genesis (more familiar with the Phil Collins incarnation). This was interesting, almost show-tune like. Peter Gabriel’s voice was not as “finessed” as it is in his solo work.
Previously rated: The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (3/5) ******************************************* The previous Genesis was 237 albums ago, so I don't remember it well enough to directly compare. There is some good stuff here and there, but also a lot of prog nonsense like flutes, falsetto, and rolling Rs. Best track: I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)
Good listen.
It was nice background when reading a fantasy novel
Folk Rock, 1973 -> 3
Eugh Genesis. Peter Gabriel's voice isn't my favorite, and Genesis has this habit of gluing completely unrelated musical snippets together and calling it a song. But there's some impeccable musicianship displayed here, and I like More Fool Me, so a 3.
I'm a massive fan of prog rock, however Genesis has never done it for me at all. Let's give this one another go... I like the opening track although it has some cheesy flourishes, the Firth of Filth is probably the strongest track on the album for me.
It’s not my cup of tea. It’s alright but nothing really hits all the way. I do like little elements tucked away in the songs.
Eh
Nothing special
Very pleasant.
Decent prog stuff, not my favourite though, 3 stars
A nice album, but it doesn’t quite deliver as their big hits we all know and love. It’s enjoyable, but I find myself reaching for their more popular songs instead.
Dancing With The Moonlit Knight // Firth Of Fifth // 3.5/5
Excellent! Geordie Greep took a lot of elements from here.
Musically very good, enjoyed parts of this - really liked the first track but not really my thing as a whole
This is more on the prog side of Genesis. I know this is the "wrong" opinion, but I like Genesis better after Gabriel left. I also like Gabriel better after Gabriel left. They both experimented with actually trying to make hits while still having a unique sound, and it worked great for all of them. This is still good, but Gabriel and Collins both have even better music ahead of them.
Its a good album
Moments of instrumental prog rock fun, sandwiched by bad singing and worse songwriting.
Medieval vibes (but for knights, not jesters)
Progressive rock is not really my thing, but there were enough positives to keep me interested. Crazy how different 70's Genesis was from 80's-90's Genesis.
I just couldn't get into this Genesis album. I totally get that they came from progressive rock roots and some of the songs on here are good, but are too damn long. If they were anywhere as good as long Pink Floyd songs, I'd probably rate this higher. 3/5
This one’s going to take a few listens to really get it. I like what I’m hearing. 3.75 out of the gate. Likely a 4 if given proper time.
Conocía solo una canción de génesis, "Invisible touch", la cual no está mal, pero siempre me pareció un rock muy comercial. No sabía que esperarme con este álbum pero la verdad es que me sorprendió mucho. Un álbum muy experimental, una especie de rock progresivo muy chulo. Se nota que es de sus primeros álbumes.
First time listening to it in full. Solid prog rock, done really fun bits here and there. I think I missed it by 30 years, I would have loved it in my teenage years.
I forgot to rate this. It was fine
decent but nothing really grabbed me
Didn’t realise so much prog sounded the same. Still good.
This is an album for dudes who pay $85 a foot for speaker cables. It's for the guy who tells you how much you have to hear it, and then talks through the whole thing while you're trying to listen and can tell you the exact temperature in the studio that one day in 1972. Super proggy. Some good songwriting, and great vocals from Peter Gabriel & Phil Collins. Peter Gabriel plays flute and oboe on this record. There's an electric sitar. Mellotron. Cello. You get the idea. More is more. Good musicianship, but if prog isn't your thing, this won't be your thing. Maybe it works better if you're high? Glad I heard it, but probably won't be adding this to the rotation.
Only currency I know is dollar $$$ (And British people aren’t real.)
This had some beautiful moments that were frustratingly brief. I do wish I liked this more, but I'm just so allergic to the very ADD nature of '70s prog rock. I can't stand that a single good sound or idea can't be enjoyed for longer than 15 seconds. I guess that's why I'm more drawn to punk, I think a 15 second idea can be an entire band and genre. So I can't bring myself to like it that much, there's too much going on, and a lot of it I don't care for. But I do like solo Phil Collins, so what I like from there I do get a bit of in here.
Moments of brilliance and also moments of wtf am I listening to. This one is a mixed bag which I find is common with 70s prog rock. I have tried to listen to this in the past and I enjoyed it more this time around. 6/10
I thought the opening track was exciting, but this slowly wore on me. There's doing the most and then there's doing too much, which is always the line to ride in prog. This crosses over into "too much" for me, but there are absolutely moments of brilliance and I'd understand why someone would love this album.
Not bad, but nothing spectacular either.
Beautiful instrumentals really Firth of Fifth is beautiful, but too long
Honey, what did you put in my tea?
I liked this album. I'm sorry to say I wasn't at all familiar with Phil Collins /Genesis in the way they are presented here. I knew him as more of a pop figure, which I guess is due the fact that you NEVER hear this old Genesis stuff on the radio. I may have to do some research as to why because the music is definitely good enough to be played/talked about. It's just as good as a lot of Rush stuff, and some Pink Floyd as well. Not sure if that's some sort of heresy, but there you have it. I liked the theatricality and virtuosity of a lot of the songs. They seemed like they were really trying to make good challenging music on this album. Definitely a lot of surprises, and while not all of it went over without any hiccups, I think there's something in every song to roll around and it's rewarding on subsequent listens. 3.75
"In the beginning... " these guys were NEERRRDSS.
Interessante, ma si perde un po' via.
Great album title!!! If you're really into Progrock, then this is your shit! Not a progrocker but can appreciate the craftmanship and good songs!
I don't know what to make of this -- british bard prog rock? Nice to listen to, but I don't know what else to do with this album, 3*
So I'm not really a fan of prog. Used to be when I was younger, but ended up growing out of it when I decided I wanted more concise or "intentional" music (punk, technical/math rock), or, if you're gonna have ten minute long songs, it needs to be a vibey/atmospheric type thing (post-rock/metal, black metal). But even among prog, this is still one of the weaker ones I've listened for this project. I still gave them 3s, but I preferred the Yes albums. Mostly because those are rock, whereas this album is more folk influenced. Which is weird because I'm always down for folk, but I don't know what it was with some of those 70's prog bands and wanting their music to sound like a ren faire soundtrack. Mostly, though, this album is just fine for me, although The Battle of Epping Forest tries my patience. It's all over the place, some really annoying (if intentional) vocal inflections, and some really weird crushed guitar picking that feels out of time. Very plinky in a select few spots. But yeah. It's fine. Music is well done/performed. Mostly just isn't for me.
Now I understand why punk had to happen. ...Just kidding! I prefer my prog crossbred with something a little heavier, but there are some lovely moments on this album, particularly during 'The Cinema Show'.
You can tell that Peter Gabriel had a lot of influence on the group at the beginning and after he left the more commercial/pop came out. That's not a bad thing but definitely two different bands, a lot like the line up changes in Fleetwood Mac - you see and hear the influences.
point2.
Excites for their upcoming album, what an interestingly haunting but refreshing project. Faves: - Dancing With The Moonlit Knight - I Know What I Like - Firth of Fifth
Much more experimental than expected
Album 727 of 1001 Genesis - Selling England By The Pound (1973) Rating : 3 / 5 I'm not as much of a prog rock fan as I might have suspected. Good album from a great band, of course, but suspect it would take multiple listens to get the full impact.
Hee jooongeuuuns, wie heeft die Phil Collins-muziek opgezet? Er zitten aardige stukjes pop tussen, maar het geheel bezwijkt aan allerlei interessantdoenig folkgedoe. Teveel conceptplaat, te weinig goede muziek. Jammer jongens.
Progrock uit de 70s, ik vind dat vaak wel tof om te luisteren. Het zijn meestal geen liedjes, ondanks dat ik dat graag heb, maar meer composities. Ook gaan ze richting het theatrale en snobistische en nemen ze zichzelf veel te serieus. Ik ben verder slecht bekend met het complete oeuvre van Genesis. Ik ken wel wat verhalen over Peter Gabriel en Phil Collins, er is ook al wat solowerk langs gekomen, en het bekendste van Genesis voor mij zijn toch de latere 80s nummers als Land of Confusion. Gek genoeg staat Invisible Touch niet in onze snoblijst. Dat was natuurlijk ook niet snob genoeg, daarvoor moet Peter Gabriel erbij zitten. En die ging na het hieropvolgende album uit de band. Voor de snobs zal Genesis toen wel geen Genesis meer geweest zijn. Er zitten hier wel hele toffe stukken tussen, als het wat meer rock wordt, maar er zitten ook irritante theatrale stukken tussen. Er zit van alles in, van ergerniswekkend tot oorstrelend. Ik ben bang dat als ik het allemaal ga middelen, op een nietszeggende 3 uitkom, terwijl deze muziek echt wel meer is dan nietszeggend.
Before: Ok Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel! I've never sat and intentionally listened to Genesis tbh. I think we watched a Genesis music video in one of my college classes but I could not tell you which one lol Standout tracks: Dancing with the Moonlight Knit More Fool Me Weakest tracks: The Battle of Epping Forest After the Ordeal Standout lyrics: "And you know, I'd always hold you and keep you warm - oh, more fool me." - More Fool Me "Once a man, like the sea, I raged; once a woman, like the earth, I gave" <3 - The Cinema Show During/after: Okay so I have mixed feelings on the first track alone. I recognize the lyrical depth here and instrumental performances are just impressive as hell. Love a good synth too. As much as I appreciate so many aspects of this opening track, I just didn't love listening to it. Firth of Fifth has a really neat intro; I love the long and complex piano and the sudden switch. I know I'm a loser and a sucker because I fucking loved More Fool Me. It's probably the most palatable for normies and it's a TRAGIC LOVE STORY<3. I'm just a sucker for a good love song and some sweet and/or lyrics (and we've got both here). The Battle of Epping forest, while complex and nuanced and just interesting, was genuinely just annoying to my ear, unfortunately. The exception to this, however, is the trumpet (or brassy synth?? idk) licks about 9 minutes in. The Cinema show is driving and fun in parts with a cool switch up as well, and it's probably my favorite track from the album's latter half. This is so British sounding in like, a medieval way. I can tell that it's an important precursor and inspiration to the math rock of the 80's and 90's. The mixing and production quality is great. I'm conflicted, because listen.... it's really epic and tells stories and I understand the significance and the vision, but I just didn't like listening to it all that much lol. I'm confident that it would hit hard with some *ahem* psychedelic substances, so maybe it'll be worth a relisten and reevaluation at some point. Even though I didn't love the listen-through personally, the talent really shines here, so my uncultured ass is hitting it with a very strong 3 to a very light 4. Since we only get a whole number, 5-point scale (grrr), I feel like I need to round down to a 3 because my ear just didn't enjoy it all the much, and I want to keep the ratings true to my listening experience. 3/5.
Two great songs: I Know What I Like and The Cinema Show. Not enough to make for a great rating.
I've never heard it before now -- i like the name and the cover and i sorta like the music, but it's not exactly my cup of tea? it's very musical theatre, actually, but i did find it boring at times. Overall, I would not be upset to listen to some of the tracks again, but I don't think I'd reach for them.
Pretty sick actually wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. Sufficiently weird, minstrel-y metal-y folk-y jammy(!), and serving a bit of bowie at times.
Had some highs, but this was way too long. The tracks ended up blending in to each other.
Some excellent moments, some awkward moments, I think if I spent a lot of time with this I'd probably grow to like it more. Similar to a lot of other classic prog groups there is just so much going on sometimes and they really dig into some goofy themes that kept me from easily sinking into the tunes.
Very melodic, almost like an epic in musical form. I liked it, but it does lack any real standout songs. Overall as a concept it was fairly good. 3/5 Might listen again
favorite track: The battle of Epping forest. Overall score: 7.2/10
I’m honestly shocked that I’m not as into this record as I used to be. When I was a baby [read: 12 and in my prog era of my brief 2 years of classic rock obsession before I got exposed to punk music], I remember really enjoying Selling England by the Pound. In actuality, I think I was just into “Firth of Fifth,” which is a pretty great prog song. I have a couple issues with this record, but the main one seems to be the main issue with [early era] Genesis overall. Whatever Peter Gabriel is selling, I’m not buying. He is a rock musician for theatre kids, and while that has its place, I’m not ever up to join him in the passenger seat for his joyride. I’m not a fan of his singing, I’m not a fan of his lyrics, and I’m not a fan of his theatricality. Now, normally, the input of one band member– even the frontman– isn’t enough to dissuade me from a band entirely, but I think Gabriel’s influence looms so large over Genesis at this time, that it’s hard to separate the two. He is someone I seem to be mostly against, although we do align in the ‘80s when he’s making straight up pop music, but especially here, he mucks up a genre I already seem to have a hard time with, now that I’m no longer a dorky 12 year old. Gabriel’s vision for prog is excessive and derived from the vaudeville tradition, and I don’t give a fuck about any of that, so I rarely ever want to listen to it. But my other issue is that, for a prog band, Genesis seems to be pretty goddamn tame. I get the impression that all of them sit down to play; it feels technical and precise, but that precise technique requires the players to have almost no fun while they play this music. I was in mathcore bands, so I’m sure it was fun to WRITE this album, but it’s not particularly exciting to play, because it’s the type of music that requires concentration. As a result, I feel like none of the instrumentation here really stands out. The guitars are very subdued, the bass is basically nonexistent, and while I’d say the keyboards are maybe too prominent, they’re not sticky earworms by any means. Compare this to a contemporary peer like Yes, and the difference is night and day– because I can imagine Yes being active and bopping around the stage. I can’t imagine anyone from Genesis having fun while they play this. Now, of course, there is one exception, and that’s Phil fucking Collins. Phil Collins is not only playing drums that tower above everything on here, but it sounds like those drum parts are incredibly fun to play. Selling England by the Pound is a drummer’s dream record, one that imagines a world where they are the star of the show. And that’s fun, and very cool to hear. But no one casually listens to music just for the drums. Thankfully, despite these critiques, Selling England by the Pound is far from the worst record ever made. There are actually some great songs here. Obviously, “Firth of Fifth” is a standout of the genre overall, but I do admire “Dancing with the Moonlit Knight” and “The Cinema Show,” despite their prog-ness. I wouldn’t say either are my favorite songs of all time– again, the Gabriel-ness of it all– but I can get behind them enough to not trash them. I also think “More Fool Me” is a gorgeous song, and Collin’s vocals are amazing. The actual issue seems to be either the songs with not enough excess where Gabriel is still being extra without the band’s support, or when it all goes into ✨too much✨ territory, like on “The Battle of Epping Forest.” It ends up creating a weird dynamic whiplash, and while I get how that can feel engaging and appear to create variety, to me, it creates incoherence. Selling England is nowhere near as obnoxious and up-its-own-ass as The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, so I’m a lot more forgiving of it. And sure, while I’m not going to seek anything out here after this listen besides “Firth of Fifth” and “More Fool Me,” I can respect what is happening here. But respect is not enjoyment, and I’m not really on the same wavelength as this record, and maybe prog-era Genesis as a whole. Criminal that there’s no ‘80s Genesis in the book. Truly, if Invisible Touch was here, I’d be able to stomach this record a little better.
Not really for me. It has good energy, but just didn't connect.
I wanted to love this , I think I like it and that’s ok too
Preposterous. Not always necessarily a bad thing.
Один большой спектакль длиной в альбом. Данный альбом сложно воспринимать как музыкальное произведение, так как песни, которые длятся около 11 минут, больше воспринимаются как мьюзикл. В этом плане альбом действительно стоит похвалить, так как инструментал в нем качественный, и и мелодии в нем реально звучат. Отдельно стоит выделить тот самый отрывок из первой песни, который стал очень известным семплом. Самой интересной песней мне показалась After The Ordeal, трек без слов, служащий переходом между длинными и, не побоюсь этого слова, затянутыми песнями. Selling England By The Pound сложно оценить положительно как музыкальный альбом, так как его тяжело слушать, но своим экспериментальным наполнением он вдохновляет и поражает одновременно. Сильно экспериментальные 3/5
Good, but too prog for me in general.
I wasnt intimately familiar with the Prog-Rock Era of Genesis with Peter Gabriel as the frontman. I was surprised by the sound- very different from late Genesis. I found myself really enjoying a lot of the songs and instrumentation. The lyrics on the other hand were a little trite and silly for the advanced musicality of the instruments. I also prefer Gabriel as a solo artist. Overall- good album. 3.5/5
Enjoyed this a good deal more than Alex and Ted, want to go 4 but Battle of Epping Forest is a parody of prog rock. I think a good producer could cut 30 minutes of this and make it a legitimately great album. Maybe drop the vocals for some of the obnoxious medieval imagery. Left this feeling intrigued by Genesis and wanting them to chill out like 15% on the constant changes. Instrumentation rips, some songs are great as is, vocals are good minus the words. Maybe when Frank’s kid learns AI he can make me a stripped down version of this. Selling England by the Ounce? We can workshop that.
Man… I tried my absolute hardest to like this album. And to be clear, it was awesome. I found pockets of nearly every song to be interesting, but the overall ideas to be too broad or niche for me to understand. Ill definitely come back to this again. Firth of Fith and Aisle of Plenty were fantastic
An odd album in that as I listened to it more, I found myself liking it less. My first impression was this is unlike anything I’ve ever heard and not really what I expected. I thought I was at least somewhat familiar with Genesis’ sound but think I may not be as versed in the Peter Gabriel period. I also knew this period of Genesis was a big influence on Phish and Trey in particular, and that he gave their induction speech at the Hall of Fame a few years ago. I came in interested. At first, I kind of liked how chaotic it was, and thought that meant there would be more to hear on subsequent listens. But I’ve listened to this at least four times now and I’m kind of annoyed by it for the same criticisms of others - overall it feels like a lot of ideas slapped together with no cohesion. The songs don’t really build to anything meaningful in the way other prog or jamband music does. And the melodies just aren’t that catchy. I’d still consider myself Genesis-curious, and I’m happy to have this as a reference point. I like Cinema Show and Firth of Fifth.
5/10
I feel like a clown whenever it turns out I enjoy a prog thing a lot more than I expect, with this one being another example of that, it's pretty good! I think I enjoy Peter Gabriel's voice more in this context than I do his solo work (although I couldn't shake the feeling I was listening to that stuff a bit because it's, well, Peter Gabriel), especially because it has all the fun noodling of prog that feels exciting instead of just lame or like too much (like Yes). I take that over feeling like this album tortured me.
En blandet omgang progrock, Peter Gabriel og Phil Collins
Liked it less than Lamb, less cohesive.
Pretty good, but being prog and from the Yes era, they're inevitably compared, and Yes is just on a different kind of plane from others. So that kinda hurts the score, because if I want to hear 70s prog I'm gonna turn on Yes, not Genesis. No offense.
There are things that you need to do before you die, like going to the supermarket or listening to this album
проходное звучание, не цеплянуло
Awesome at times, weird at times. Phil Collin’s is a legend.
Klang seltsam nach Mittelalter oder dem Soundtrack eines Fantasyfilms. Irgendwie schräg.
I want to like this. I desperately want to like this. At points I actually do. But overall this just isn't that great. I struggle so much with Peter Gabriel - both the solo albums and Genesis.
Överlag gillade jag musiken. Tyvärr lider sen lite av 70-talsskjukan. Långa flummiga låtar. Men faktiskt inte fullt urballade som andra skivor på denna lista. Ändå bättre, rent musikaliskt. Men tror jag gillar det mer om det kokats ner till mer klassiska låtar. Det finns så många bra element, men lite här å där.
I prefer Peter Gabriel's solo material. A lot of these songs sounded like generic prog.
Not really a prog rock guy, but didn’t mind this. Would need to be Dark Side of The Moon or something to get more out of me for prog rock. Simpsons: Yes
Never a big fan of prog rock. This album however, is one of the better ones. Not bad actually…
Musically, this is great! However, there seems to be a lack of cohesion within each song. I did enjoy my listen, but it was a little all over the place.
Interesting, but not too into it.
I never realized how much of a prog rock band early Genesis was. It’s OK. But it doesn’t hit as hard as some of their contemporaries. Maybe that’s why they “matured” the way they did. Not everyone likes the more pop version of Genesis either. But it was very much its own sound. Throughout this album at various times I thought I was listening to Yes or Zappa or ELP or or or.
emotional. a bit too emotionally intense for me. I prefer less emotionality today
I wonder what makes folks switch from Prog to pop. Genesis really shifted as a group.
Genesis is an important band both as a prog rock entity and for the careers it launched. Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett. Mike Rutherford. Oh and um that drummer fellow. Bill Collings. Why do we pick an album nobody seems to like? I’ll be fair, Genesis - their seventies stuff - kind of passed me by so I might be missing something. (I loved Peter Gabriel’s solo stuff. Really enjoyed Steve Hackett. Found Mike and the mechanics interesting. And can appreciate Will Colliison. Man sold a lot and is a great drummer songwriter and producer. For prog rock give me Jethro Tull. All day every day. But nonetheless is an album a must listen when there are 13 others by the same band that everyone likes better? 2.5 in case I’m missing something.
Disco existente basicamente para mostrar o talento de cada um dos integrantes.
Interesting, but not very. It's hard to judge these albums when you first hear them 50 years after their release.
full blown prog rock pomp
Great art rock album rock. Nice to hear such good drumming from Phil Collins.
Not bad, no Lamb
Strange but listenable
Not great. Not awful.
I definitely know Genesis and enjoy some of their tracks, not sure if I have heard anything off of this. This album gives me very much Pink Floyd vibes. I have not heard of any of these tracks so far. Pretty artsy
I have a love/ hate relationship with Genesis. Maybe this is a very good band to make that idea clear in fact. I LOVE quite a few Genesis songs and even whole albums. I also can't really get into some others. They are a band that has changed over time. To me, personally, I felt they "somewhat" evolved over time, but I can't quite say that as some early work is sublime as well, but maybe (again for ME) overall they grew in a way. Some super fans completely disagree and take this the opposite way. I am not willing to argue. Preference in this case is not a hill to die on but we can try to see each others perspectives. I think it is mainly an old school/ new school thing but whatever. For me this album is "somewhat weird" and hard to genre. It is still Genesis and you can hear them in there. It isn't bad or anything, just not my go to cup of tea.
I enjoyed the impressive musicianship, particularly the guitar solos and drums, but also found it very annoying, especially the keyboard solos and vocals.
For some reason I'm always a bit sceptical about Genesis... I sometime feel its too religious, but I am not sure if this actually warranted, or just due to the band name and some minor things in some songs. This album was a bit of a surprise. The cover art definitely mirrored the music quite well: a theme album touching on old English culture. We had Joanna Newsome's 'Ys' album here recently, and this reminded me a bit of that, but in a more modern and rockier setting. Overall I didn't really find a favourite song, but I thought most of the songs were quite decent. I don't have any deeper analysis; it was a pleasant listening session, but didn't move me in any particular way, so a dead on 3 feels appropriate.
The first minutes of "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" was really, really good and I was really having high hopes for the album. Then I remembered this is progrock and the progrock began, it quickly went down hill. I just wish the first minutes kept going, felt a bit like "Rainbow" and it had some great riffs. Firth of Fifth is on this record and I think it is one of the better progrock tracks. Their complete commitment to the fantasy theme makes it quite fun. I you like progrock this is probably a great album. For me it's not really my style but still decent.
Pretty pretentious proto prog, perhaps precocious pap, perhaps pretty passable.
Good dinner music
Bit weird, good tellers though
Need to give this another listen someday. At first I wasn’t sure what I was even listening to. Some parts felt a bit too goofy. But by the end I’d fully been swept up into it. Has the potential to rise highly in my estimation but for now I’ll give it a 3.5/5
Before the key members of Genesis gained commercial success as solo artists, Genesis gained an audience as a Prog band with interesting and thought-provoking songs which received moderate critical acclaim. I've never been a fan of Genesis or Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, but albums such as "Selling England" and their earlier records opted for overly, long drawn-out epic songs with an English sounding conceptual pieces that lost my interest after the first couple of tracks. In some ways, I prefer this album to their later work, it feels more low key, there are moments to like, but for me, not a lasting relationship.
This was not the Genesis I was expecting. Over the top prog rock. Album started off pretty good but I found myself getting bored toward the end. Another one I think a bean bag chair, some headphones, and it still being the 1970s would have helped immensely. It was alright. I don't have a strong opinion either way.
story telling 70s album w the ever present organ lol... reminds me of Styx, Kansas, etc and sounds so dated but I have always liked Genesis and I still love Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel so I have lots of praise for one of their first efforts, mostly bc I know well what their sound developed into (selling OUT by the pound?), which may be them trying to fit into radio rotation but I LOVE Genesis starting with Duke, which now sits in my mom's basement. I do like the very sweet More Fool Me and I Know What I Like - for me the best track on here (prob bc it's the most melodic)
Weird medieval England themed Prog Rock by the band of the dude who made the Tarzan soundtrack. I don't know what to think.
Gosh the music Genesis created in the seventies is beautiful. Progressive music can be easily overdone, but it was so easy to melt into the music. Genesis knew exactly where their limits were. And they had such variety in the instruments! Truly, a treat to listen just the instrumentals. But the lyrics and vocals detract from their strongest element. I would get lost in the music, only for the vocals to jar me. Their fantastical lyrics aren't accessible, but they make for good enough lyrics. I suppose I'm just a sucker for lyrics written by Lana Del Rey--or at least Genesis' eighties work.
I found the concept of this album to be interesting. While progressive rock, it seemed to dabble a lot in the space of baroque or even renaissance folk type music. That's quite the crossover. Overall though, I still struggle a bit with progressive rock. It often sounds to me like jam sessions in which the band is just switching context or theme on a whim. This album didn't exactly escape that scrutiny from me. But still, I think Genesis stands as such a pinnacle of progressive rock because they found ways to make it approachable and thematically captivating. This album, despite me not flat out loving it, accomplishes that and is a fascinating specimen.
Prima
I think it must be a production thing but earlier Genesis always seems to lack a depth and quality in the sound
Decent Prog rock. No one will confuse it for Yes... but a reasonable listen. 2.5-3 stars
After getting the likes of Yes, ELP, ELO and other prog rockers, I'm not at all surprised to see Peter-Gabriel-era Genesis appear in the daily feed (and I now see we have two (2!) Genesis albums, unfortunately). I'm quite sure the band members enjoyed the whole stream-of-consciousness music and lyrics that seems to constitute the entirety of the genre, but it doesn't do much for me (and the opening track seemed to have this in spades, along with "Firth of fifth" and "The cinema show"). I enjoyed "I know what I like (in your wardrobe)" and "More fool me" more than the others, although that may not be saying much, I know. It *is* weird to hear Peter Gabriel in a different context than his solo career and musical evolution. And while I didn't enjoy the song (at all), I like it that "The cinema show" lyrics were inspired by T.S Eliot's "The Wasteland". And Phil Collins' drumming is quite good on this album. Although I doubt I would have enjoyed listening to a full set by the band when they toured the album, I must admit I'd have paid good money to see Peter Gabriel in "full costume with a helmet and shield representing the Britannia character" for some songs, and with a stocking over his head for "The battle of Epping Forest". The photo in the Wikpedia entry for this album is hilarious, but probably doesn't do justice to the actual event.
I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to-- a lot of the music was really good though the lyrics seemed inane at times. I feel like this is the kind of album a ten year old boy might think was really awesome.
3/5
phil collins!!!!
Track one was a banger- I definitely hear guitar sounds that Grizzly Bear would go on to rip-off verbatim. I thought immediately, oh, this one’s a strong 5. Then, despite all the proggy glory and medieval references, it lost me along the way. I gave it a second listen, and felt exactly the same about it. I’d give it a 2.5 for being meh, but I’ll up it 50 cents for how awesome track one would most definitely sound live. Can’t believe I haven’t heard this track before.
Better than the last one
Like most prog there are great songs hidden within, but needs a good producer to cut the crap out.
A couple of highlights, but a bit dreary in the middle.
Genesis coming in with a damn-near-four! I have to admit, my only exposure to them was the somewhat-novelty tune “I can’t dance” that my mom was into in the 80s for a couple of weeks. I was not expecting a prog-rock odyssey into, what, Robin Hood? This album rips way more than it should and Phill Collins’ prowess as a drummer shines. Every song is an epic with multiple movements and it keeps you on your toes.
Really nice
I don't know how to feel about this album. This is before Phil Collins became the full time singer for Genesis. He does have a song here. I was a bit bored during my listening session. But I liked the sound of this album. 3 stars for "Selling England By the Pound".
Honestly it was just ok.
Pretty. Pretty good.
So close to being epic. Just a shame it never gets far away enough from annoying. Slightly too out there for me 3.0
Obviously not the genesis I’m used to hearing. But what a band, Peter Gabriel voice is so good. I hear the influence on Marillion for sure. Very proggy and no chance of this going mainstream. I liked it not sure I have the time to keep going back to it. I can’t remember anything I heard so it’s a three for me. But I could be short changing this one.
Det är ganska bra. Jävligt duktiga musiker känns det som men det är också extremt proggigt och svårt att få grepp om ibland. The battle of Epping forest är väl en höjdpunkt.
I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would.
This is dads music
I have a bit of long-standing prejudice against this era of Genesis. In college, I took a course called the poetry of rock music, and one of the last sections was supposed to be an analysis of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards writing for the Rolling Stones. But somebody turned the teacher onto Genesis, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, and the teacher was so taken with it that he ditched the Stones and we reviewed Genesis/Peter Gabriel instead. Of course I did not like that. In general, I like Genesis better after Peter Gabriel left and Phil Collins took over the singing and more of the songwriting, although I have liked a lot of Gabriel’s solo career. This is pretty decent though for early prog rock.
Neither like or hate the album. The length of the songs was a bit discouraging but ,I powered through and , it was just okay.
2.6 - not my cuppa, but can say it’s musically done well
This is so 70’s it hurts. Like most, the only thing Genesis-related I knew going in was “In the Air Tonight,” and that obviously isn’t here. I heard so many different here. Yes, The Who, Rush, even a little Pink Floyd. It was such an eclectic sound, one that dares to expand on itself and reach new heights. And it does occasionally reach them. It’s ambitious and I can always appreciate that. Ambition can sometimes earn your three stars on its own. But I just really wasn’t taken with it. It came across as corny and some ideas were either not as original as I think they thought they were, or were otherwise just not too clever. The suites were cool and mostly well done, but I just didn’t really care. But this is a good album and I’m happy to have heard it. It’s very typical 70’s and I could’ve done with a little more oomph behind the otherwise well defined sound. Three stars. Standout Tracks: Dancing with the Moonlit Knight, More Fool Me
It was interesting to hear what theyre about.
3.8
3.5
Seit 45 Jahren nicht mehr gehört. Da werden Jugenderinnerungen wach.
Selling England By The Pound is a very interesting album. I always expected a bit more of a new wave sound from Genesis (If Peter Gabriel's So was anything to go off of) but while there are elements of that here, there is more focus on the prog rock elements. The album structure is also pretty unique where it goes short song, long song, short song, long song etc. In general, this album is pretty good, the melodies and instrumentals are well done and the whole album just feels pretty interesting to listen to. I feel that this album is something you really gotta get into if you want to enjoy it to the fullest but if you can do that, you'll find a pretty good album here. Best Song: The Battle Of Epping Forest Worst Song: I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)
sounded decent but songs were too long
3.5
orðinn frekar ginkeyptur fyrir proggi á eldri árum. finnst þetta síðra en fyrri áheyrnir en gef annan. 3,5.
I understand what they were trying to do. A lot of rythm switches and experimental time signatures, but it also has to sound good. 3/5
was not expecting virtuoso prog-rock from genesis, but hey i guess it's the early 70s
Ah, the full Genesis, when there were five. Generally I prefer Phil Collins-vocal Genesis; I think Peter Gabriel did some odd stuff for the sake of oddity more than art. Nevertheless, his voice remains clear and balanced even today. "Firth of Fifth" was the song I heard that made me want to go back and listen to some early Genesis. It's pretty masterfully crafted, even for prog-rock. It continued to make the live set list over the years, along with "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)". The musical tangents of "The Battle of Epping Forest" are good unto themselves but feels a little sprawling since they do not repeat. At least "The Cinema Show" maintained a consistent musical theme, also over 11 minutes. Perhaps it is the flutes or occassional narration, but Selling England By The Pound gives the impression of a bard show in Renaissance England traveling through the forests by wagon. It's always impressive to get a group together and be able to convey complex musical ideas and keep it tight. There seems to be so many ideas here that there is a lack of focus, or at least the focus is not on melody. The shining moments are when melodies do pop up, especially amongst some complicated rhthyms, but sustaining such highs must wait until Phil Collins takes the lead on future albums.
Prog-rock Genesis, Peter Gabriel Genesis! Interesting to see what Genesis (and Peter Gabriel) were getting up to before I knew them. Worlds apart from the versions of them I'm familiar with. This album was interesting, but none of it really particularly grabbed me.
I cannot believe this was recorded in 1973. It sounds way ahead of its time. I've never really listened to much Genesis, but I am a big Phil Collins fan. Phil kills it on the opening song. Some of the drumming sounded like drum and bass music from current times. In all honesty because of the length of songs on this album, it's an album that really needs to sit with you for some time to digest everything that is going on. I was limited on time, but I feel like I heard enough to get the gist. My initial impression was Pink Floyd meets Rush meets Yes. I will be listening to this again and checking out other Genesis albums.
This is a Genesis I have never heard before - I didn't realise they had a very different, prog-rock sound in the 70s. I thought it was okay but I prefer their 80s pop sound. Fave Track: Dancing With The Moonlit Knight Rating: 3
Honestly I feel like I like the parts of this album more than what they become. The songs are full of cool sounds and experimentation but all put together, I just feel like it gets a bit incoherent and meandering
I think I've discovered prog isn't really for me.
Ik merk dat ik een kleine achterstand oploop elke keer als dat duivelse prog rock langskomt. Het is wel erg veel de laatste weken. Het vergt veel mentale energie. Dat gezegd hebbende is Genesis wel te behappen, met het duizelingwekkende gedrum van Ome Phil. En waar veel prog rock zangers me totaal niet bekoren, valt Peter Gabriel me altijd wel mee. Los van het monster 'The Battle of Epping Forest' heeft deze plaat niet veel fases met oneindig cryptisch en middeleeuws geneuzel aangedreven door zenuwachtige synths en overdreven gitaarspel, hetgeen wat prog rock voor mij vaak onluisterbaar maakt. De eerste helft van het album is zelfs best sterk met de energieke opener en de epische 'Firth of Fifth'. Ook de folky 'More Fool Me' viel in goede aarde. Vanaf dat dertien-minuten durende misselijkmakende sprookje 'The Battle of Epping Forest' was het voor mij wel weer even genoeg prog rock. Toch was de voldoende al lang en breed veilig gesteld door de gave eerste helft. 6,5/10 Highlights: Dancing With The Moonlit Knight Firth of Fifth More Fool Me
Ook al begint mijn relatie met progrock de laatste tijd aardig te verzuren, zit er toch altijd een stukje opwinding bij Genesis. Ondanks het feit dat Dancing with the Moonlight Knight een echte progrock-klassieker is vind ik het een erg tof nummer. En bij deze luisterbeurt wijdt ik dat aan het stemgeluid van Gabriel. De eindeloze dromerige gitaarpartijen van Steve Hackett kunnen me daarentegen gestolen worden. I Know What I Like is daarom ook een lekker beatle-esque tussendoortje en misschien hoor je al wel de eerste verwoede stapjes van Gabriel en Collins naar de meer mainstream poprock die ze daarna beiden zijn gaan maken. Dat duurde bij Genesis uiteindelijk tot ver in het CD-tijdperk, maar heeft hen geen windeieren gelegd. Tot en met Firth of Fifth is Selling England by the Pound dus een koflje naar mijn hand. Wel progrock, maar behapbaar. Daarna worden de nummers langer en langer. Het niveau is beter dan 70-s concullega's, heel blij wordt ik daar dan toch ook weer niet van. 7/10 Highlights Dancing with the Moonlight Knight I Know What I Like
I’ve gone on record with my disdain for this kind of record. It falls into the Rush bucket for me. Maybe I’ve met too many dads in my life who would say “you kids these days don’t even listen to music with guitars”. The playing on the album is tight, but I just can’t get behind the music.
More prog rock-esque than the shortly poppy-er Genesis that I know. Good background grooves
I think this just scraped a 3 for me. Didn't love it but there were some cool bits. This list is making me realise I really don't like prog rock that much - too wierd, not enough substance, just dudes saying stuff then jamming for way too long.
Challenging listen. Wardrobe is great. A lot of guitar noodling going on.
I don’t know how to rate this. It’s like if you took the awesome of solo Peter Gabriel and combined it with the suck of late Genesis and solo Phil Collins and combined them and were left with the musical equivalent of nothing. As if they balanced each other so perfectly that you’re left with a blank space, a void. That’s how I felt listening to this album. I felt nothing. The instrumentation was very good so I’ll give it three stars.
Love land of confusion (not on this album) but it gave me a decent look at the sound and energy this band has. Gotta say the instrumental’s really carry here. Bri’ish innit. 3.3
Prog rock just isn't my thing. But it's hard not to appreciate the level of musicianship on display. There were some great and interesting solos on this thing, especially for the time it was released.
3.5/5
Fine
It’s interesting, but in a way that makes it completely unenjoyable to listen to.
Not sure I got this one but there were some interesting sounds.
Rock imitando a trovadores medievales. Ni fu ni fa.
Rating: 7/10 Very good album overall. A lot of interesting ideas throughout and multiple great songs. Every member of this band is a virtuoso but the ideas on here do not always translate the best musically. There are many great melodies, riffs, and solos but also very dull moments. Favorite songs: Dancing with the Moonlit Knight, Firth of Fifth, After the Ordeal, The Cinema Show, Aisle of Plenty. Worst song: The Battle of Epping Forest.
Not what expected at all. Also had no idea genesis was of the same era as Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.
Exemplifies some of the best of prog, and also the absolute worst of it. Starts really nicely - Dancing With The Moonlit Knight / I Know What I Like are decent, then Firth of Fifth is just super instrumentally, rising and falling and then building up to finally hitting the vocals just before the end. Not sure about More Fool Me, but am absolutely sure that The Battle Of Epping Forest is absolute dogshit. After The Ordeal is an appropriately named track to follow (although really it's a continuation of the ordeal!), before Cinema Show which is very proggy but I do like. Then the closer is crap too. Some real highs and some turgid lows, that roughly balance each other out, so it's probably a middling to high 3.
It's a bit of a concept album, probably needs more than one listen to appreciate. Some very good musicianship going on though.
There are some high moments in this, and Peter Gabriel has a fabulous voice for this style of music. But a majority of this seems to be an intellectual rock with an occasional prog influence. Moonlit Knight and Aisle of Plenty stood out the most, the remaining being engaging, but a bit tiring by the end.
Never was much of a fan. Pink Floyd wannabes. Still, not a bad album.
I actually really didn’t hate this. As someone who generally dislikes most of what Phil Collins does overall, this actually tickled me. The theatrics and whirling guitar lines I found fun, so while I expected to bomb this review it might warrant a visit in the future. Three and a half. Fave track: After The Ordeal
My first exposure to Genesis was Turn it On Again and Misunderstanding. A far cry from the Steve Hackett Peter Gabriel prog days. This album was the first album I heard with the original lineup. My primary prog concept was Yes, so this was an adjustment to that. It's where I learned that prog was broadly defined. The standouts are I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) and Dancing with the Moonlit Knight.
I haven't played this in years since I lost interest in this style of music. I'm really not keen, though I get the point of the album, and Collins' drumming is great. A pleasant enough set of songs to listen to.
Good cool jams. A little 60s trippy for me compared to later Genesis but a cool listen.
I almost like I Know What I Like (In Your Wardbrobe), some instrumental parts of Firth of Fith, and the Battle of Epping Forest
Favorite Tracks: Firth of Fifth I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)
There were some good moments, but also some weirdness. I guess that could’ve been expected. The talent is there, but this felt like it was a soundtrack to a medieval movie.
Not what I expected. Some cool stuff on here
I enjoyed it but Phil Collins' voice has just never really done it for me. Some phenomenally trippy stuff here, really nest instrumentals for sure
Love gabriel, like gabriel genesis, really like this album. Ok it's a bit overblown and wanky but compared too the utter arse they produced with Collins its genius.
Not bad, enjoyed more than I thought but it's no King Crimson
Wanted to love this as I think of myself as a Genesis fan, but just couldn’t do it. The medieval orchestral folk prog rock is just not my thing. Admittedly, they are an amazing group of musicians, and some of this is quite interesting, but just not approachable from my perspective.
This album falls into prog-rock purgatory. It doesn't stand out to me. It was probably revolutionary at the time, since it came out early into the prog-rock movement, but in retrospect it doesn't feel revolutionary. I still enjoyed listening to it though. Best Songs: I Know What I Like, Firth of Fifth Worst Songs: After the Ordeal
They just copied Yes but go off
Have never listened to Genesis beyond their few hits that get radio play. I'm a sucker for prog rock so I really enjoyed it.
Mystical, magical, classical, satirical. Progressive at times. Melodromatic at times. Its no surprise genesis and phil collins have reknown recognition and fame. This album is an awesome tastemaker selection or for those looking for exciting and dynamic music. Personally it does not resonate well with me, Its cool but so far much of it is just chaotic, I appreciate it but did not enjoy it much.
This is excellent musicianship but it’s also very forgettable. I can’t imagine ever listening to it again. I guess if you love prog rock it’d be a different story but.. I’d rather listen to ABACAB. Or hear Peter Gabriel sing Sledgehammer. I can’t stop thinking about the Stonehenge scene in Spinal Tap.
Niks bijzonders
This is very cool and might warrant a relisten, but pretty much never what I want to listen to
More listenable than I'd expected. In my mind's eye (ear?), prog-era Genesis was going to be a group of dudes dressed up in Baroque outfits, making Baroque music. This was only maybe 30% of that.
Classic middle of the road music
I Know What I Like, and I’m not sure it was this. After the Ordeal, I switched to something else more my speed.
Gut, mit Peter Gabriel als Sänger
I like the piano pieces. I don't like the music very much.
Some good stuff but mostly weird.
Me gustaron algunos temas, aunque sé que no le dediqué toda la atención que exige.
Hated it from the jump, then was kinda digging it, then found myself working overtime just to appreciate the prog-ness of the whole mess for what it is. The Battle of Epping Forest delivered some major Spinal Tap “Stonehenge” vibes, so it has that going for it, which is good. Clearly some amazing musical performances here, and I want to respect the art form, so three stars instead of two.
Too soft until the final two tracks jam out!
It was ok, some interesting songs, but a lot drug on a little too long.
Enjoyable progressive rock album.
Sounds like Kansas. Love the soft intros, but ehh on the meat of the songs. Super interesting lyrics. Good background / working music. A bit melodramatic at points, but also some triumphant riffs. Trippy / feverdremish at times, but in a good way.
This is such an interesting album, because as a child of the 80's it is a bit shocking to hear Genesis spread out their songs and do prog-rock. Though honestly, if anyone had purchased the full albums in the 1980's, it wouldn't be too shocking as the Genesis albums always had a prog-rock song or two. "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" is prog-rock, just covered in a melty pop coating. I am very hit or miss on the prog-rock Genesis. It's technically very well done and pretty interesting at first. Some of the songs are too naval gazing for me and are too much "Lord of the Rings" for me. Good album, though I would argue this isn't even the best album during the prog-rock era.
3.8. Enjoyable album. Phil Collins is a great drummer. I’m not sure if I ever really appreciated that. I was also surprised by the guitar work.
Loved the guitar and Phil Collins' drumming on some of the tracks. Very interesting prog rock album like a strange alternative dimension Pink Floyd. A bit too strange/artistic for me overall.
It's rubbish but in a weird way I kind of enjoyed it.
Litt meh, men har sine øyeblikk
Ok background music
Lil weird but good
Very unique style. Each song told a story. Enjoyable listen, but I wouldn't give it anything greater than 3 stars.
Good but not as good as Jethro tull
Dancing With The Moonlight Knight I Know What I Like Firth Of Fifth
A little too much organ for my liking, but not terrible.
A high three. This album has FANTASTIC moments and some great instrumentals, but as a whole, it’s lacking. Collin’s vocals don’t really add a lot to it in my opinion either.
Not what I was expecting from a Genesis album. The longer tracks were cool, but overall I found this one never really hooked me.
I didn't like or dislike this album except for the fact that I had to spend another hour listening to a mostly boring genesis album. This one felt aggressively British in the same way that arthur by the kinks does but wasn't as good as that album. The cinema show had some interesting stuff going on but otherwise a flatline for me. However, broadway melody of 1974 from their other album came on right after and I definitely should've put it on my playlist back when I got that album.
I feel like I almost like prog rock
was alright, a few good songs but nothing stuck out. overstayed its welcome a bit
Es muy buen disco, pero no tanto de mi gusto musical. El rock progresivo me aburre bastante.
Короче, я вроде и залайкала один трек, но целиком все-таки не прониклась. Достаточно занудно, хоть и мелодично.
I really loved the opener Dancing with the Moonlit Knight, a beautiful medieval prog folk song, one of my favorite new discoveries from this project. 7.7/10
I love a good wibble rock, but this is too much even for me. I need more histrionic female vocals and songs about Viking lore. Or the wearing of purple capes.
It's a weird album with a few tracks I liked, not that excited about it though.
Peter Gabriel is better without genesis. Genesis is better without Peter gabriel.
Dancing with The Moonlit Knight - 8.5/10 I Know What I Like - 7.5/10 Firth of Fifth - 8.5/10 More Fool Me - 8.5/10 The Battle of Epping Forest - 7.5/10 After The Ordeal - 8.5/10 The Cinema Show - 8.5/10 Aisle of Plenty - 7.5/10 TOTAL - 65/80
Not my cup of tea
Dancing with the moonlit knight: banger 5/5 song I know what I like: wel een vibe 3/5 Firth of Fifth: crazy piano intro, iets te chaotisch wel 3/5 More Fool me: nice langszaam met goeie vocale harmonieeen 4/5 The Battle of Epping forest: goede momenten maar te praat achtig 3/5 After the ordeal: nice strumming en goeie harmonie 4/5 The cinema show: 3/5 Aisle of Plenty: 3/5
Makes me want to watch the animated LOTR movie. Did not age well overall, but still an enjoyable listen.
Look I love prog rock. And I love some Genesis. For whatever reason this album has never done it for me in the ways I see it placed amongst the best of the best in the genre. There are great bits but a lot of this feels off to me and wholly uninteresting. Again I lack the why behind my observation but this album feels like a over the top campy and foppish British lad caricature
Not sure what to make of it. Not the best prog but alright
I should just copy and paste my prog rock album reviews because they’re always the same. Musically complex and played with a high degree of skill, usually long and self indulgent but occasionally interesting enough to remember to pay attention. This all may come across as negative but that’s an overly pessimistic interpretation of the review.
It's fine. A little too self-indulgent for me. My biggest problem with most prog rock is the same problem I have with jam bands, I forget what song I'm listening to by the time they finally get to the end of it. But it's technically very good, and some of the songs were interesting, if a little long.
Selling England by the Pound was quite an enjoyable listen. The way that Genesis were able to weave in all the guitar and drum solos, with the themes of England "selling it's soul to America". They've done this in a way that is almost whimsical in nature, and I barely noticed the almost 60 minute runtime! Best: Firth Of Fifth Worst: After The Ordeal
This is interesting only from the perspective of where they came from. I'd love to hear a later date album on the list. Otherwise, how bizarre.
I thought it was alright. Pretty cinematic but nothing that kept me wanting to replay any song. A fine experience on its own though.
Prog opus that starts off strong but then becomes a bit to twee and whimsical for its own good. I've got to be honest - I prefer the Phil Collins lead Genesis over this one. Best Tracks: Dancing With the Moonlit Knight; I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe); Firth of Fifth
I went in fully expecting not to like it and it was.. Okay? I actually liked it more much more than I thought. Was it great? No. Would I purposefully put it on again? Probably not. Would I skip every songs if I heard it again? Definitely not. Side not of appreciation for the few last songs that close the album. It really ends on a high note
couple of classics
This was simultaneously impressive and idiotic.
Pretty typical album of the 70s prog rock genre. Peter Gabriel is the vocalist on all but one of the tracks. Phil Collins sings on the other and, as a ballad, it is the least progressive in terms of style. Some songs are really long as prog rock songs tend to be. Phill Collins' drumming is pretty interesting. Steve Hackett contributes some cool riffs. Tony Banks' keyboard seem to dominate most songs. Overall, it's a good album if you like prog rock.