The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway

long ass album damn

Never heard this album before. Really enjoyable. Smooth prog rock.

Why are the most challenging albums to listen to always double albums? Any patience I had for this prog rock nightmare was lost when I heard the lyric "Erogenous zones I love you."

Look... I don't know, man. This thing is just a lot. And I don't mean it's "a lot" in terms of its plot. Well, not entirely, at least. I knew ahead of time that this album had a particularly strange story, and after reading over the synopsis on Wikipedia... Yeah, it sure is. I'm sure it means something to someone, but just at a glance, it comes across like one of those surreal "I'unno, shit just happens" kinda plots. A lamb lies down on Broadway, and 80 minutes later, a raven is stealing the protagonist's penis, which he had cut off to avoid becoming a slipperman as a result of having sex with the laima — and this is after Death tried to kill our protagonist with gas, but our man just shrugs it off and walks away. In terms of plot, it's basically the audio equivalent of one of those heady art films you're told you're supposed to like **because** it's so weird and doesn't make any sense. I mean, it's not like I can't deal with strange plot; TOMMY certainly isn't very normal. It's just, all this... Fwoof. So I didn't bother listening to the lyrics. I mean, I heard that despite the plot they're actually really good, but, hey, if I'm not bothering with the story, I may as well throw out the words all together. If this website had comments (and thank goodness it doesn't) I'd give you full permission to call me out on this front. In the absence of lyrics, then, this thing would have to live and die off of its melodies, and I had faith in it. After all, I liked SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND enough to consider it a new benchmark for judging prog albums, and that was literally the one before this. I'm not expecting this to sound **exactly** the same, of course, but I didn't doubt they'd keep up that same quality level. And they did, don't get me wrong. In the first half of this, I was thinking that even though I haven't heard enough of their catalog to make a complete call (I haven't even heard "Supper's Ready") this was probably their masterwork. It was so good! The performances are top notch! There's some damn good melodies on this! I mean, damn, I gotta kick myself in the ass some more for not listening to this material sooner. I couldn't get enough of it! Then it kept going. And going. And going. And going. And... Like, this is what I mean by "it's a lot." This thing is 94 minutes and dense with material — 23 tracks, goodness. And no matter how much I like what I'm hearing, well, "too much of a good thing" isn't a saying for nothing. And I didn't even listen to this thing in straight shot; I queued it all up by record side, one at a time. So maybe I should have taken more time between sides? Who knows! All I can tell you is that even if I had been listening to the lyrics, I probably wouldn't have been able to for the whole album. It gets me thinking about the plot again. It's like, I'm no stranger to concept albums. Matter of fact, I love a bit of story in my music. I find I tend to have stronger attachment to songs if I can understand them in the context of a narrative than if they were presented on their own; it's why I take to jukebox musicals as much as I do. It's why I imagine fight scenes and general music videos to songs so much. So, I just think about the rock operas I love: THE WALL, TOMMY, JOE'S GARAGE... And the thing about them is no matter how weird they get, and something like JOE'S GARAGE gets very weird, is that there's a strong sense of action and reaction. There are characters who make choices, and it's all pretty easy to latch on to. Compare with THE LAMB, where... I mean, like I said: it's an art film. There's barely any plot to speak of; it's mostly just the protagonist running around randomly and seeing strange things until the album, like, jus' kinda stops. I can only identify one choice he makes on the whole album, and it's when he chooses to save his brother over returning to New York. However, I don't have any attachment to what's going on. Who's the protagonist? Who's his brother? What's their relationship? Why do they suddenly have the same face? What does any of this mean? Maybe if I read the long-ass summary Gabriel wrote into the gatefold... But just taking the music on its own, I have no idea. Hell, I haven't even felt the need to mention the protagonist's name: it's Rael, for the record. Like... I just can't picture it. And no matter how much I like the music, if a concept album can't succeed on that front... Fwoof. It feels like something I need a lot more time with; a lot more than this randomizer would allow. I can imagine after a couple or so spins I'd forgive it for its nonsensical plot and just enjoy it on its melodies — if I can do it with Coheed And Cambria... Like, I don't want my issues with the plot and the length to take away too much from how good the music itself is. I do really like what I've heard of this era of Genesis and what they've made and I wish I'd gotten into them sooner. And maybe if I had I'd be more familiar with this album and would be able to be lighter on it. But on just a first listen... I can't lie about how I feel. Once more for the world: fwoof.

A masterclass in prog rock, simply as. Solid 5 Stars.

I’m at a 5. Not quite what I was expecting as a follow-up to “Selling England by the Pound” – that’s a pretty straightforward prog rock album. This is… certainly something, though I think its wild eccentricities are right down my alley. Peter Gabriel should probably be tested for drugs. This is a science fiction journey that starts in New York City with a graffiti artist named Rael, who becomes abandoned by his brother & entrapped in a cave, before dealing with humanoid factories & weird insectoids that can’t decide how society should work. He then finds 32 doors that seemingly only have one way out, before escaping to face his fears. He then dies of anesthesia, gets revived as a humanoid blob of gelatinous flesh, meets some mythological temptresses, but because he’s so goddamn boring, he literally kills & eats them. Afterwards, he canoes his way to a society of “Slippermen” (and by all means, please Google “Slippermen”), who rip his dick off in an attempt to make him fully human again… before a fucking raven takes his ripped off dick and flies away with it. He finds a portal back to New York City, but before going through it, sees his brother drowning in river rapids near a ravine, and decides to save him… before it turns out, he was his own brother all along. He has saved “himself”. From what? I have no earthly idea. That is, at the very least, my rough interpretation of whatever this story is, which is a maddening concept album that feels like a Star Trek parody on drugs. I truly cannot imagine writing this at all. And yet, for whatever god damn reason, because it’s Peter Gabriel, his maddening vision somehow fruitfully comes to life in one of the coolest prog rock soundscapes I’ve heard from a 70s album. Even if you ignore the batshit insane plot from a lyrical standpoint, the instrumentals, vocal performances & song titles do a decent enough job of getting a framework across. I don’t think this is as good as Selling England by the Pound, if only because it’s 40 minutes longer & is significantly more confusing due to the concept album plotline, but in terms of pure musicality, this feels kind of even. There’s some fantastic melodies throughout this thing, some excellent guitar work, and some absolutely mental drum patterns from Phil Collins. Honestly, the whole album feels pretty captivating throughout; even at 94 minutes, I never found myself in too much of a lull, but it certainly helps that each side of this album is sort of its own act in this overarching story. Combine that with the number of ambient instrumentals that work as transitions, and the pacing of this album keeps it feeling fresh. I liked it, but I totally get why someone else might hate it – it’s a weird fucking album, for sure, and following this plot might take away from some of the more musical moments scattered throughout. It’s definitely not the straight-forward, easy, mesmerizingly good album that “Selling England By The Pound” was, but it’s not trying to be at all. For Peter Gabriel’s final album as a member of Genesis, he sure went out with… it. I still truly don’t know what “it” is, but he sure seemed happy to find it. Ultimately, this is a goofy science fiction album that plays itself totally straight, and which has no right to work as well as it does. I’m a sucker for that sort of campy B-movie bullshit, sue me. At worst, I think it’s a 3 if you hate the presence of a plot, or if the album is just too long to hold one’s attention – for me, it’s a 5. God bless the other members of Genesis for indulging Peter in this wacky plot. How that same man wrote “Melt” & “So”, I’ll never truly know. What a guy.

I really like Invisible Touch (the song, haven't listened to the whole album), so i thought I'd really like Genesis. I am now realising it was stupid to think I'd enjoy a band Street hearing one song. I didn't really enjoy this album. There were a few songs that i liked, but I didn't enjoy most of them. I have also generally struggled with longer albums and this is definitely a long one at 1.5hrs. I was enjoying disc 2 more than disc 1 but then it just became instrumentals.

There is a decent single album somewhere in these songs, but for being 90+ minutes the whole thing gets very old pretty quickly. For many of the songs, the vocals just get washed out by the instruments, or the whole song just sounds like noise without much groove. 4/10

They’re trying to be Pink Floyd or The Who but falling very short of that.

Like most things involving Peter Gabriel, this critter here is a lot. I think I've listened to this -- or part of this -- maybe once before.If you're feeling proggy, there's a lot of good stuff to get into -- solid musicianship, extended concepts, some general weirdness. I liked it this time around just fine. And that's about as far as I can go -- I really didn't have the time to sit and appreciate it for the full runtime, so it made for pleasant enough background music. I guess my brain wasn't in "challenge me" mode. Counting Out Time may be the worst song about sex ever written.

It’s alright

ALT for lang, og alt for meget Phil Collins...

Det kan noget sine steder. Men det bliver for langt, både i spilletid og i spyttet. Helt ærligt så vil jeg hellere have 80er Genesis med Land of Confusion, I Can’t Dance og Jesus He Knows Me

No. It was like proof but with all the likeable bits removed. There was no fun left in it. Then to make it a double album was just cruel.

This album can objectively only be given a 3 as the sheer numerical average of what I felt like giving it and the propensity this album had to impress me and piss me off with each track. I felt like giving it the same review Taylor did at MANY points, particularly at Cuckoo Cucoon and Counting Out Time. It does many things so well, but makes you wait way too long for them. I blame this album for feeling so unmotivated to keep up with the review, but alas, here I am, white Monster in hand, reviewing. If you're going to make a concept album you want people to stay engaged during, at least make it enjoyable ALL the way through.

I've never heard of this Genesis album, and given the fact not a single song on this record has considerable streaming numbers, neither has anyone else. And for good reason, Good God. I'm not sure why I was expecting the cool 80's sound that I usually expect from Genesis, this album came out in 1974 lmao, but I wasn't expecting THIS. Unfortunately, this piece of shit is genuinely almost unlistenable. It changes direction almost every second song, not even the FOUR FUCKING SIDES of this trash is thematic. They tried WAY too hard to be experimental on this thing. Here are some lowlights: Whatever the fuck that horrible dumb fucking record scratch sounding guitar solo dogshit was on Counting Out Time. The Waiting Room (possibly the worst song on this album after Count Out Time), pretending to be Frank Zappa, but what I imagine Zappa would sound like if he was on drugs and also retarded, then finishing it with an absolutely pitiful attempt at imitating Pink Floyd The blatant overuse of keyboards on The Colony of Slippermen, I didn't realise I was listening to a fucking Britpop record by The Charlatans. I'm not sure what else was after that, because I gave up. This album was fucking torturous. I'd rather listen to Throbbing Gristle. At least THEY were interesting. I hate this album. Fuck this shit. I thought I'd like it because Phil Collins and 80's Genesis is awesome. I wish I'd never heard this, it genuinely took years off my life in the amount of cortisol that flooded through my body.

I don't think the chaotic development of this album did it any favors, it has elements of quality but I think each track suffers from some unpleasant or dated oddities.

A Genesis album I’ve never heard of, or heard of any song from. Odyssey of an album both in length and tone - deep cut, the album. A strange listen but one I really enjoyed.

Backloaded as fuck or it just took a little while to click. I think it's the latter, cause once it did, it felt massive, soulfull, complex and intentional. In the best way possible this album felt a LOT longer than an hour and a half, it felt like a never ending voyage, a must take trip that I would gladly take again. 9/10

The Lamia - Great song The first disk was pretty mid but i felt the second disk built up really well to songs like The Lamia which was my favourite. Honestly i feel like it would be better to split the album by disk but alas. Gonna go 3/5

My lord the transitions here are phenomenal on the first and second sides. This is a lot to take in at once, 1h34m runtime is daunting. This is a good album but my lord is it LONG. I am not opposed to a double LP but in this case, getting Eno as a producer made this feel a lot longer than it is. There are some definite highs here musically, conceptually I really can't remember what this was about. I tried to pay attention but man it just lost me. Would have been a 5/5 if it were just side A and B but this really gets stretched out. If side C and D were their own album and I hadn't just listened to A and B it would 100% be at least a 4/5. I will return to this at a later date, I did not feel I was in the right headspace to consume this in one sitting and there were some songs that really blew my socks off specifically Fly on a Windshield and In the Rapids/It (the transition is so smooth it's basically one song, whatever) for two entirely different reasons. Highlights: Fly on a Windshield, Hairless Heart, The Chamber of 32 Doors, Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats, In the Rapids, It

This was way weirder than I expected. I grew up with the radio-friendly hits, so this felt like walking in on someone’s dream mid-sentence. Definitely some big, sweeping moments. There's ambition all over the place. Sometimes it just wanders. Didn't hate it. Didn't love it. That said, it has its charm. It’s got that early-70s flavor that’s hard to hate. Some bits dragged, some were weirdly great. Definitely not the band I remember from the MTV days. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - Carpet Crawlers - Lilywhite Lilith - The Lamia

4.5

one of their masterpieces

Been sleeping on Genesis fr

And I'm being generous with this

I have no interest in this type of music and I'm old enough and secure enough to give up on this lmao

Not my favorite Genesis album but definitely worth a listen. It's kind of different, maybe theatrical or something else I can't put my finger on. Would be nice to have on in the background for another activity, nice ambiance but you don't really need to get into it.

Something I always hated about prog-rock is that it's usually a bunch of musicians proving how really great and technically proficient they are, without making really great and technically proficient songs. I personally find this dichotomy more interesting 4/10 Bloated, boring and pretentious.

82/100. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis is a great progressive rock record with solid production and strong vocals throughout. While I might not love it quite as much as some others do, it’s still extremely enjoyable, especially considering its ambitious 90+ minute runtime. A bold and imaginative album that showcases Genesis at their creative peak.

I generally don't like the idea of a concept album, because it feels overly high-minded and pretentious. Pete Townsend is most famous for his concept albums that he promises to fans of The Who and I would just prefer he write good songs that aren't necessarily connected to a larger story about a boy who (insert action he takes) but is not prepared for (insert event) and he must navigate his way around (insert location) to achieve his dream. I also prefer Genesis when they mix together the prog-rock and 80's rock together on an album. Peter Gabriel's weird dressing up act isn't necessarily my thing either and I've always thought he was a sufficiently good lead singer but his music has always been a "3" on a scale of 1-5. BUT, this double album that is also a concept album is worthy of a listen. It's still probably too long and bombastic for me to listen to frequently but there are some good songs on here and the not-as-good songs tend to be briefer. Out of 23 songs, I would say half of them are worthy of a listen. The first five songs are a strong way to start the album and I do wish it kept the energy up through the entire album. Side 2 fades in terms of song quality. It feels like Genesis was working to get a double album out of these tracks. Either that or...drugs. I am, once again, asking that artists consider not making their album a double album. Yes, you have a lot of songs written, and yes, they are SO GOOD in your opinion. Maybe they are wonderful but leave a little bit for the next concept album you do.

such a novel concept of being a double album, though as someone who thinks genesis is alright... its good for the first like 50mins. some good track afterwards, but still a wonderful album haha. good driving music to and from a gig.

As much as I enjoy Genesis's later stuff man this stinks. It is such a long, dull album which sure does cool stuff. Phil Collins is great as usual and I'm so glad they made him the lead after this.

Side 2 gets a little too proggy, but it's a good listen.

Kan nog säkert lista ut detta album på några dagar men själva musiken är inte tillräckligt bra för det

Interesting and I'm still undecided on how much I like it.

This was fine. It was a bit long and I kinda tuned it out after a while. Bits and pieces of it were good and the rest just felt forgettable.

Belanglos. Hab es für eine 40min Autofahrt ausgesucht und konnte demnach nicht mittendrin auf was anderes wechseln. Gesang klingt manchmal wie Bowie aber da höre ich lieber Bowie

Musically nice but nothing exciting. No songs that stuck out.

Some nice moments but the obsessive over use of electronics ruined anything good

A complex entry in Genesis's discography. It has good instrumentation and some nice songs, but I feel like it didnt really grab me (especially compared to other prog rock concept albums). Overall- decent album but didnt capture me. 2.5 to 3 range

3 stars not the Genesis music I was expecting but still good.

Wankers

Bloated

A monster of a prog rock double-album -- the musicianship is tantalizing, and rarely uninteresting. It does require attentive listening to properly enjoy, which is no small ask for a 90+ minute release. I'd argue that this cake is 90% cake, 10% icing... meaning that it's inherently progressive in nature, and lacks most pop elements that would draw in the casual listener. Some might consider that a drawback, but if you listen attentively, you gain a true appreciation for the songwriting variety and style. As a drummer myself, I'd consider this one of Phil Collins' best works - he is/was a true pioneer of the instrument.

I was annoyed to see this come up on the generator, because it's a) progressive rock and b) the brainchild, at least in part, of Peter Gabriel, perhaps the most insufferable figure in 20th century popular culture. And that was before I saw the 90-minute runtime!! So, I'm loathe to admit that I actually liked this record a decent bit. It's tight throughout, with some blistering highs, which I actually think come when it sheds the prog and embraces Gabriel's pop sensitivities (!). The Carpet Crawlers is a true marvel, a song that I can only imagine could mean anything to anyone, but to me, means that the only way out is through ("We've got to get in to get out"). The album's definitely too long for my taste, but I did go back and listen to it a second time before logging my review, so that's worth something. I hate finding out that my biases were misplaced >:-(

Say whatever you want, it’s the type of rock I really like.

Good album for the most part.

Not really my style.

Me, pointing at Peter Gabriel as slipperman to my drug dealer: ‘I’ll have what he’s having!’ This is my first intro to genesis (other than, of course, Phil Collins’ Tarzan soundtrack and I had absolutely no idea it was going to be like this - an hour and a half, track into track, absolutely bloody bonkers. I think this merits another listen as right now I have no idea where this stands with me. All I know is I put this on to unpack the dishwasher and an hour later I’ve cleaned my whole house.

Great album.

Just too bloody long.

Much prefer the more commercial period for Genesis i.e., post Peter Gabriel. Too progressive rock for my tastes.

Always amuses me anytime I'm reminded just how prog Genesis were in the 70s...still lame though

I’ve been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. Before that, I really didn’t understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Duke where Phil Collins’ presence became more apparent. I think Invisible Touch was the group’s undisputed masterpiece. It’s an epic meditation on intangibility. At the same time, it deepens and enriches the meaning of the preceding three albums. Listen to the brilliant ensemble playing of Banks, Collins and Rutherford. You can practically hear every nuance of every instrument. In terms of lyrical craftsmanship, the sheer songwriting, this album hits a new peak of professionalism. Take the lyrics to Land of Confusion. In this song, Phil Collins addresses the problems of abusive political authority. In Too Deep is the most moving pop song of the 1980s, about monogamy and commitment. The song is extremely uplifting. Their lyrics are as positive and affirmative as anything I’ve heard in rock. Phil Collins’ solo career seems to be more commercial and therefore more satisfying, in a narrower way. Especially songs like In the Air Tonight and Against All Odds. But I also think Phil Collins works best within the confines of the group, than as a solo artist, and I stress the word artist.

Great album. Love the narrative.

God that plodded.

The album kind of fell off after the first record, and overstayed it's welcome a bit, but not a bad album all in all. Ironically, Genesis was better without Peter Gabriel, and Peter Gabriel was better without Genesis. Favourite songs: Counting Out Time, Broadway Melody of 1974, Fly on a Windshield, Hairless Heart Least favourite songs: The Waiting Room 3/5

I had taken a break off this project recently as it had started to become rather onerous to wade through all these endless iterations of white dudes' rock from English speaking countries but this? This right here? Fuck yeah! I had no idea! And I really should have had an idea. On one last day before the summer holidays, when the history teacher rolled in the VHS unit for us to see a movie or something for that year's last lesson, Birte and Tanja produced a tape of Marillion at Lorely, the 1987 concert. So we watched that. And Thank you, Birte and Tanja! That had kicked off quite a bit of fandom. Now, I had been somewhat aware of Marillion being compared to or even accused of copying Gabriel era Genesis but only in the context of Grendel/Supper's Ready. But now I see! And it's wonderful. How have I not heard this before?? At #366, the easiest and most pleasantly interesting long album so far. Only one moment where my attention, interest and joy drifted off a bit (Counting Out Time) but other than that, Perfection. This is the good prog. 10 stars.

I have happy memories sitting around with my older siblings listening to this while reading.

Not their best

Phew! Got through it. The 70s hey! Crazy times. To be fair , there probably would be a few decent songs here if they just made it 40% shorter, changed the lyrics, changed the synth and most of the rest of the music.

Prog rock not really my genre, particularly when as uninspiring as from Messrs. Gabriel, Collins, Rutherford. I did like *some* moments. That said, why stop at a 90 minute double? I felt that with just a few longer/additional songs there was a potential triple album lurking here....;)

Oh if only we’d been served “never mind the bollocks” the day after instead of the day before this. If an album could encompass everything that was so painfully unexciting about the pre-punk rock era, and perfectly frame why the energy of a new movement was so desperately needed, then this is it. This was dull, really dull. A tedious listen of such epic length that to listen beyond the first disc is an act of self abuse. A concept album. A double album. Prog rock. Everything I’m not looking for and more in a pretentiously “meh” package. Tiresome.

woah wtf lol

Solid, very entertaining.

Long

The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is the sixth studio album from Genesis, and the last with Peter Gabriel as their lead singer. The Lamb... is a double LP, which was composed as a concept album; it is a story about a Puerto Rican boy in NYC. Some reviewers have commented that the story doesn't make a great deal of sense. The Lamb... did not fare particularly well, commercially, and the critical reviews were mixed at the time of its release. As years passed, and as this was the last release from the original lineup, the album is seen in a different light. The Lamb... is generally thought of as the best work from that grouping. These are dramatic, elaborate prog rock songs - Genesis, version one, at their best.

I am much more familiar with Genesis and Peter Gabriel as separate entities, and in my opinion, it is much more interesting if you looked at their relationship in reverse. It would likely be considered a super group... Peter Gabriel joins Phil Collins and Genesis to create an ambitious concept album that explores the estranged vision of the self in the melting pot of 1970s New York City. Still, it is a concept album. While musically, it held my attention, I didn't follow the purported narrative suggested in articles about the album. But I believe them, and I trust Gabriel and the whole gang, so I am guess that it would grow on me. So, today, I give it a three and half, convinced it might eventually move higher in my book.

There's probably no point going over old ground about double-albums, because a double-album that is also a concept record has even greater challenges. The White Album could potentially be winnowed down to a single disc, but The Wall couldn't. The benefit of telling a narrative is that, if the story is strong enough, you can be excused a few musical lulls - it happens in opera all the time. But, like Wagner, you need incredible moments to balance those interminable quarters of an hour. I don't even like The Wall all that much, but I recognise that the almost title track, Comfortably Numb and Mother are big songs that hold up the rest of the record. I borrowed The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway from Belfast Music Library in 1999 or 2000. I still have no clue what the story is. The three songs that taped from the CD to keep were the title track, Carpet Crawlers, and Counting Out Time. These are still three songs that stick out for me, although Counting Out Time is obviously not good. Neither tunes nor tale are holding up this pair of platters - it cannot be streamlined, but it is also lightweight, almost vapourous once you reach The Chamber of 32 Rooms. What would one cut? There is so little variation in the music and not much cohesion in the story. By contrast, their previous album, Selling England by the Pound, has more musical diversity and more engaging storytelling in any single song. Compare Counting Out Time with I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) or In the Cage with Dancing with the Moonlit Knight. Although, let it be known that this 2.5 is not equivalent to the 2.5 I gave Hot Rats by Frank Zappa. This is more like the 2.5 I gave Bayou Country by CCR. There are things to like in the musician, if not on this particular record. Oh, I gave Bayou Country 2. Shame on me. Scoring music is hard. I only had time to listen once to this album which I am encountering for the first time. But my impression is that it is silly without irony and has the quality of feeling like the work of a clever music student who has earnestly set out to make The Greatest Musical in the Universe. This is exactly what young people who don’t yet know their trade should be doing and I credit Peter Gabriel and co for their energy and self-belief. This is pretty bad stuff. The main problem, I think (only 1 listen) is that the lyrics dominate everything else not just because there is so much of them but because while the studied slickness of so many 5/8 and 7/8 time bars gives the veneer of meticulous planning and rehearsal the lyrics force the top line to work against all that. No compromise was made to the contour or rhythm of the melody - no word left behind. It all had to go in. This would be dandy if there was an ounce of real poetry in The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway but it’s all excruciating. There are end rhymes but there’s no sense of rhythm or metre; no elegance of language whatsoever. I won’t quote any but since ‘it’ was the last thing on the album and thus the last lyric that positively bowled me over I direct the reader to that atrocity. 2/5

Look - I dig Peter Gabriel, but a 90 minute Prog Rock epic about a Lamb and Broadway is an avenue too far! Two stars because there are hints of Gabriel’s solo sound at times.

Ah, Peter Gabriel. This one gets quirky, but I like it. Not my favorite Genesis album, but it definitely puts a bow on Gabriel 's time with the band. I guess this is a concept album? I really wish I could've seen these guys live back then, but I wasn't born yet, so that would've been impossible. My favorites on here is Back in NYC, Waiting Room, Anyway, and Riding the Scree. This gets a 4 from me.

I love some Genesis, especially the post-Gabriel work. Yeah, I know this is supposed to be their best incarnation, but I find the Collins-led version more balances innovation in songwriting and ease of listening. However, this album should be considered on its own merit. There are plenty of good melodies on here, but there is also some sprawling ideas that seem unfocused. As a complete work--intended to be listened to/seen in one session--there is enough good music to hold one's meditative attention, if they choose to vibe with it. If not, it's too slow at times for those unwilling to explore their own minds with this as a soundtrack. I believe I will appreciate this more as I get more comfortable with it, so I'll round my 3.5 up to a 4.

I grew up knowing a very different version of Genesis than this one, and it was so surprising to me when I first learned about the sort of music they were doing earlier on in the band's history. This is super theatrical and eclectic prog rock drawing from rock, funk, classical, jazz, ambient soundscapes, and baroque keyboards. No hooks or bangers here; this isn't an album with radio-friendly hits, but rather a sprawling, flowing narrative with everything and the kitchen sink thrown at it to bring it to life. It feels like they used every possible recording technique available at the time (or maybe even invented some new ones) to conjure up every mood and texture imaginable. Song structures are complex, and repeating motifs are woven throughout. The keyboard is a big focus here, with guitar and drums adding interesting elements and Peter Gabriel's vocals delivered as though he were embodying different characters on a stage. I didn't realize how long this was when I began listening to it, and it took me several days to finish. Ultimately, it's so dense that, although I made it through to the end, I didn't completely take in all there is to explore here. I would need to listen to it several more times to fully appreciate everything offered within its complexities.

I like Genesis, but this one was loooong. Sort of like the band Yes, this one at times sounds like music theory nerds making an album. There's some good songs, I know it's a concept album but I felt like the point could have been made in a shorter period of time. 'It' jams.

Peter Gabriel going way over the top with his creative vision. I don't find it particularly appealing - I enjoy the Phil Collins version of Genesis way more - but maaaaaaaaaan, the sheer effort that was poured into this. No wonder Gabriel split from the band after this.

I never understand the big fuss. It's not bad but it's not ...I don't get the fuss

По мнению А: 3/5 По мнению С: 3/5 ИТОГОВАЯ ОЦЕНКА: 3/5 (13.02.2025)

⭐️⭐️⭐️ this is a very long album and a bit of a complex listen for me. this will require future listening to figure out whether or not i like it

Highlights: Hairless Heart, Lillywhite Lilith, Anyway. In a nutshell: another bloated concept album I don't know what to make of Lamb Lies Down. It's unconventional, weird, experimental...the definition of prog. It is a strange mix of Pink Floyd prog meets Brian Eno meets Yes. There were a few WTAF moments (specifically in Counting Out Time) and I struggled to pay attention from Track 9 onwards. Again, just because you can make a double album doesn't mean you should. That said, this provided the blueprint for Peter Gabriel's solo material, which is worth exploring. Overall: 4/10

I liked this album less than I thought. Of course there were interesting and good moments. However there were too many moments that were too dragged out or boring, and on some songs I did not really enjoy the vocals (Cuckoo Cocoon, The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging). The biggest downside for me is that this album is goes on for too long. I was quite tired at the end of listening to it. Favourite tracks: In the Cage, Hairless Heart, The Carpet Crawlers, The Lamia, The Light Dies Down on Broadway

When I was 16, I had a "ProgMania era" in my life. It was the period in which I discovered many bands of all genres, especially progressive. Perhaps of all these, Genesis was the band that I explored the most superficially. I remember having only heard Sailing England by The Pound, and I remember that I liked it. And that was it. Listening to the band now years later, I feel that my 16-year-old self would have loved it if I had determined to listen to them carefully. My modern self, however, ahhh... not so much! I mean, it's a very good album, it has great songs and incredible sound effects for the time, and in fact a legitimate album from the peak of Progressive Rock in the 70s, but... I don't know, something about this almost flashy sound doesn't really appeal to me. I'll give it a fair 4 stars.

Never heard this one. It got better as it went through. Good van music waiting for work

Curious stuff, this. Some of the first album was actually pretty good, sounding fairly modern in style and vocal effects. But crazy imagery and allusion that didn’t hold together for me. Then the second album just came undone in most respects - again, wife vs music.

I’ve never heard of this album - so much happening on here. Some songs weren’t that bad (‘broadway melody of 74’) but o found myself skipping through sings as the album progressed. Definitely had vibes of the who’s Tommy. Will probably never listen again but good to know it exists.

Largely unlistenable and turgid.

A bloated 70s prog rock, double concept album. This must have sounded dated 2 weeks after release!

This flatulent and bloated album gives you a lot of time to think about how to review it. In the end all it’s worth saying is that it’s ‘extremely boring’.

Wait, THIS is what Genesis sounds like? I was thinking it would be more like jammier Peter Gabriel (which, I guess technically …), but this was kind of cool and noisy at some points. Definitely coming back to this one. —— update: Came back to it, and uuuugh, I wish I had never started listening to the lyrics!!! You’re ruining everything, Phil Collins!

Misschien niet enorm hitgevoelig maar het concept vind ik wel enorm vet. Zeker als je helemaal in de betekenis van het karakter Rael gaat duiken #IBpositive

So I was pleasantly surprised at first, not because I dislike Genesis (I actually LOVE the invisible touch album) but because I didn’t expect this album to be so psychedelic and progressive. I really liked the first like 6ish songs but like most albums this long (23 songs!) it’s just bloated and too long. Like it really overstayed its welcome. I had to try and listen to the second half of the album twice cause I thought maybe I was being too critical but the later part of this album doesn’t really add anything substantial, where I. Contrast the beginning of the album is great. Honestly had this album been edited down to just like 12-14 songs that would’ve pushed the album to a four.

All new songs for me... not bad.

The older I get, the more I'm too old for this. Give me Rush or give me death.

The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is widely regarded as one of Genesis's most important and influential works, inspiring generations of progressive rock musicians. -- https://store.acousticsounds.com/d/178476/Genesis-The_Lamb_Lies_Down_On_Broadway-Hybrid_Stereo_SACD?srsltid=AfmBOoqY9Ce99zbVJVEBShZlZ8FNg-GMGjxxdWnZBMC8ETwR_b21g0Ci

Way too forgettable to be that long. It wasn't bad but I couldn't tell you anything about it afterwards. And it was long. 3/10

94 minutes

The first half was really good then it got contemporary....

I can't say I've been a fan of Genesis, though their early material is preferred and when Peter Gabriel was still in the band. I've heard bits and pieces of "The Lamb..." and I liked what I heard, but never in it's entirety. I appreciate some Prog rock, if I'm in the mood and this was enjoyable enough, especially the first two sides of the record, but with sides 3 and 4, it started to drag and get into the category of, "they should have cut it shorter". Overly long, for my tastes and a taste of Genesis is good, but too much and I'm full.

Counting Out Time is so wack and fun

This album was interesting. There were a lot of experimental type songs sounds, a lot that reminded me of Pink Floyd. It was okay. I'll give it 3 start

I listened to this while cooking and that was pleasant I guess but none of the songs really stood out to me. Absolutely not bad, but I guess it was a bit boring and mediocre.

Compared to Selling England By The Pound, this is like a gift from God. Seriously though, some of this stuff is really really solid. Peter Gabriel's last album with Genesis so I guess they went out on a high note.

This is a wild and diverse album. Very very proggy and not very similar to their later albums. Amazing keyboard work. Rich, thick arrangements of sound. You can hear the influence of this album in many of the prog jam bands that are currently popular like Umphrey’s McGee. While it’s got a lot of energy, there weren’t many tracks I connected with. Sonically however, it’s outstandingly diverse.

The last one with Peter Gabriel on vocals. This is a good finale for the best era of the band.

Rad, but long

Progtacular

Not a genesis album I liked at all

Welcome to some brainy opera

I went into this with no context at all, except knowing that this was Peter Gabriel's last album with Genesis and that it was a 94 minute double album. I kind of wish I'd read more about this. Is this a concept album? Is there a story, or a theme that runs throughout? It's hard to tell because there's so much there to take in. And that I think is this album's biggest problem. This didn't need to be a double album. There is what's clearly a lot of filler here. Short, two minute instrumental songs that, while they sonically vibe with the rest of the album, really feel like filler. My guess is that they had more than enough content for one album but not enough for a double and decided to stretch. And that kind of sucks because it falls into the trap that I feel like a lot of double albums do. Rarely does a double album match the demand of its length and keep the consistency up the whole time. An example of this is The Who's "Quadrophenia" which for some reason isn't on this list. Another might be Pink Floyd's "The Wall," which is on this list. But even the Beatles had to resort to filler tracks on their self-titled album (The White Album). Anyway, there's some cool stuff here like I said, it just gets lost in the double album of it all. I wanted to like it, but I wasn't crazy about it. Also kind of happy to be done with Genesis, to be honest. Two stars. Standout Tracks: In the Cage, Back in NYC, Anyway, Here Comes the Supernatural Anaesthetist

My favorite Genesis album and I can't make it all the way through. Carpet Crawlers and the title track are my favorite tunes but this is not my jam, sorry.

Like a number of other prog rock bands in this collection, Genesis doesn't need more than one album for the vast majority of us to get the feel for them, and it's particularly frustrating that the two Genesis albums in this collection were created and released only a couple of years apart. At the very least, it would have been nice to get one Peter Gabriel-helmed album, and one Phil Collins-led album, but I guess that's not meant to be. I'm not sure I could say that I enjoyed this album much more than "Selling England By The Pound", and I definitely wish this wasn't a double-album, as it loses steam long before the second disc is even ready, but I'll give them credit for taking the whole "concept album" concept pretty literally. I'd also say that the best tracks are found as you flip from Side 1 to Side 2 ("The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging" and "Back in N.Y.C." in particular), although "Counting out time" is also a fun self-contained number that also seem pretty out of place. As a soundtrack to a musical about a Puerto Rican kid on a spiritual journey, it's definitely more musically interesting and engaging than Andrew Lloyd Weber's rock-oriented compositions (and I would highly recommend reading the Wikipedia entry for the album for the plot summary, as there's no way I would have ever found a story from the songs themselves). But that may not be saying much, I admit. And props to Peter Gabriel for finding some inspiration from Jodorowsky's films, with all their bizarre/allegorical mind-bending qualities. Interesting too that both Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel cite it as their favorite Genesis album.

I was dreading this one. The only album to date which made me physically ill. Peak nausea around The Supernatural Anesthetist. Came back later and finished the monstrosity. The only good thing about this album is the title and the bit in the title song where they sing the title. Like 20 seconds of an hour+ album.

Not sure what to make of this one. It feels like it may take multiple listens to enjoy.

Hallelujah! I had given up any expection of finding this album on the list (988 albums in) and the relief is palpable. This is one of the greatest achievements in rock. Utterly sublime from start to finish. It is so good that availability should be strictly limited to those capable of appreciating what is surely Peter Gabriel's finest hour (and that's really saying something). Mere words are inadequate and 5 stars aren't enough - just listen in awe.

Proggy AF but didn't mind this. Would probably give it another run.

Might be the biggest load of pretentious nonsense I've heard so far. From the absurd plot (as described on Wikipedia) which appears, incredibly, to be being taken seriously, to the self-indulgent tunes and length, this whole album is insufferable and self-satisfied. The single enjoyable track in it for me was Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats, a simple instrumental. Otherwise, yuck.

Too long, and too many atmospheric meh songs

I like Peter Gabriel and Collins and some genesis and tried to get into this project . Unfortunately , even after a couple of listens it just didn’t click for me . It strikes me as something that may grow on me overtime if I keep revisiting but as for today, it’s hard to say I liked it

as someone with a poor tolerance for prog i didn't mind most of this. it's a bloated, arrogant album in the way prog often is, but feels harmonious, energetic, urgent. there are many skips, but it warrants a relisten.

So many good songs here. I could easily listen to this again and actually get the lyrics this time.

Incredibly wacky in both good and bad ways. I can't honestly say this means as much to me as it does for some but I can definitely appreciate the passion and the earnestness that drives this project. It goes through so many twists and turns and you can never guess where the narrative goes next. I guess the modern equivalent would be those forum threads where everyone has to write one sentence of a story, to predictably unpredictable results. Favourites: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, In The Cage, Lilywhite Lilith, It (7/1001, 19th Mar. '25, 2144h.)

3.5/5

No thanks, didn't need a 90 minute Tommy wannabe today.

Prog 🤘

long album but I thought it was a fine listen. some of the songs had parts I liked but I dont think id listen to the songs just for those parts.

5/10 - it’s boring. Counting out time has some interesting instruments. So does colony of slipper men. Neither are particularly good tho.

This is exactly what I’m talking about when I say prog is dumb and stupid and boring. This is just the same dogshit song for an hour and a half and there’s probably some chump out there that thinks it’s the greatest thing ever created simply because the songs are long and it sounds goofy. At least Pink Floyd has good songs. This is ass

A banda sempre funciona melhor com seus integrantes separados.

It was okay. Nothing made me want to hit repeat.

Due to its great length as a double disc with so many strong songs, "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" might be my favorite Genesis record, even if there are bits of it I'd prefer to skip. But beyond that, this album demonstrates a wide variety of sound and styles. From an odd hybrid of prog meets punk on 'Back in NYC' to the proto-ambient atmosphere of 'Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats', the band routes its talented passages through the weird world of Peter Gabriel's imagination. The concept is incomprehensibly wacky, and when listening, you sometimes get the sense that Peter Gabriel snuck into the studio to lay down his lyrics and voice on top of whatever the band cooked up without him. Nevertheless, follow along with the lyrics and read what was written; even if the story doesn't make sense, the word play at work in these songs is remarkable. It all makes for an expressive and memorable record, the magnificent swansong of the Gabriel era of the band.

10/1001 The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is a really perplexing album. Over 90 minutes long and a great and quite imaginative concept, sadly however, it’s way too ambitious. Listening to the first LP was pretty good, and the music definitely held its own in comparison to its ambitions. The second LP though, not so much. Most of it fell flat and blended together until the last few songs on the d-side. I kinda get why people started disliking the pretentiousness of prog in the mid to late 70s. And at over 90 minutes as already mentioned it really is pretentious and self indulgent. That doesn’t mean it’s bad per se. Most of the first half was still very good. 3,5/5

Genuinely wondering why does no prog rock work on me as a huge Pink Floyd fan. These records are missing something I don't what.

The phrase "concept album" normally sends me running for the "off" button. They are usually pretentious crap. Still, I entered this with hope as I do like some Genesis tracks. I was thoroughly bored after about 25 minutes and irritated by "Counting Out Time". 2/5.

Bliss. One of the best three albums ever. Probably the best concept album ever. Keyboards are amazing. The variations in speed, key, emotion are just wonderful. And each track fits so beautifully together to make a fantastic whole. Truely a Ten, out of five.

Eclectic and interesting. Experimental

Rolled my eyes when I saw the length but this was actually pretty good.

5/5

2.9 The issue with including double-length concept albums on this list is that unless you have an affinity with the band already it's exceedingly hard to give it the time and attention it would need to get into it. I've listened to this several times over the course of a couple of weeks, most likely therefore rushing through other albums in the process. I quite enjoyed Selling England by the Pound from this list which is why I'm giving it more attention than I normally would. And yet it's still too much. The opening three tracks are a great starter. It then gets a bit too proggy but fair enough, I quite liked those parts on SEBTP. As you get to the hour mark though the fatigue really starts to set in. And you know there's still another 34 minutes to go. I had Pink Moon the other day, I could have listened to that and then gone on to another task in the same time that I'm now effectively waiting for this album to finally end. The resurgence of 'down on broadway' is a nice harper back to good times, but its not enough to save what is a tiring slow meandre to the finish line.

2.75

Rock progresivo. Disco larguísimo. Ni fu ni fa.

Bastante rollo ... Mejor la segunda parte.

Kind of reminds me of Tommy by the Who - there was a bunch of prog type stuff done at this time that just left me cold.

Carpet crawlers

Entirely too long, but it went by faster than other albums that are an hour and a half. There aren't any tracks that I think are necessarily 'bad', but there are plenty that could be considered unnecessary. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't really all that exciting. Was good. 4/5

Måske Phil Collins’ bedste arbejde, trommerne lyder virkelig godt på det her album. Når ikke helt samme højder som Selling England by the Pound eller Nursery Cryme, men stadig et virkelig solidt album fra start til slut

Sjovt lyt, det var eksperimenterende og eventyrligt men blev aldrig kedeligt

It was alright, but it get a bit long..

Um, this is not really my jam. I guess it’s a little better than yesterday’s selection but not by much.

Ugh, a prog "rock" album that's light on rock, heavy on pop. But, has a less coherent story than Quadrophenia and Tommy put together. I made it to "The Carpet Crawlers" and nothing impressed me. In fact, many reviews noted how much they loved Carpet Crawlers and it was a complete nothing song for me. One star - too long; didn't finish. Won't every try to understand Genesis. Good lord this was trash.

Yeah, no thanks. If my music is gonna tell a story— it is gonna be METAL!!!! And probably the story will be about dragons n’ shit!

Artistic benchmark meets commercial availability.

Much prog, much talent, much length, much… ability to zone out. Like I would definitely agree with someone defending this album as creative and technically impressive feat of musical discovery, but I would ask them to turn it down.

concept albums are always so interesting

Banger holy

What a strange and sprawling album. Almost none of these songs follow a traditional format and the instrumentals and production are pretty top notch. But it can be hard to follow or just way too experimental at times with random tracks of ambient noise thrown in for good measure. There are absolutely some gems, with my favorite being The Chamber of 32 Doors. What an awesome song. This was a fun but flawed ride from Collins, Gabriel, and the boys.

Genesis doesn't do anything for me, even a double album

I had no idea. What a wild ride. One forgets what great musicians Banks Rutherford and Collins were, not to mention Peter Gabriel's outlandishness. AMazing, arty, bizarre.

At the start of this album I was really surprised and into it, and then I found myself getting less into it by the end of disc 1. Disc 2 had some cool moments but I had already kind of lost the plot.

Filled with a lot of great moments. Excellent jams and songs throughout the entire album. Its a long sit but it doesn't really lose my interest and is plenty varied. All the songs work incredibly well on their own.

An hour and a half and you've used some time signatures, am I supposed to be impressed?

There’s some decent prog rock in here when Gabriel shuts the hell up. When he is singing I feel like if I wanted to listen to Pinball Wizard I’d listen to Pinball Wizard. Ultimately I don’t know why I’d listen to this over Selling England by the Pound or basically anything by Yes

Fun, but not super gripping

Definitiv anders. Aber nicht schlecht anders.

Some great songwriting on here, but the album is probably half an hour longer than it needs to be

I have always loved solo Peter Gabriel but to my mind Genesis are Phil Collins and the like and not something I really want to listen too…So when I saw a Peter Gabriel Genesis album I was excited and it delivered. I guess I just took it as Peter Gabriel which after reading up about it it might as well have been. Haha. Well I enjoyed all 1.5 hours of it. Very Good. Educated today…

6/10. Probably close to a 6.5 but regardless — it started out great. Was thinking it’d lead to an 8 but it went the wrong direction for me from there.

I have no idea why this album is on here. genesis has some great albums and this one is just meh

What is the point of prog? This sounds like Spinal Tap without a hint of irony

People keep saying that this album is weird but that's not the problem. I think BORING is a better word for it.

I was not familiar with any of the old Peter Gabriel stuff, but I knew it was prog rock and not the poppy Phil Collins 80s Genesis, so the weirdness did not surprise me much. Long album, but it was OK, interesting stuff, but not an album I'm looking to listen to again any time soon. Did Phil Collins sing lead on any of these songs, or is his singing style and sound just that similar to Peter Gabriel that it's hard to tell the difference? Favorite track: Carpet Crawlers or Anyway.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I was expecting. When I think of Genesis, I normally think of the Phil Collins fronted, more poppy Genesis of the 80's. Turns out, I really like Peter Gabriel fronted Genesis (which isn't surprising, because I also like Peter Gabriel's solo work) Only criticism is that it dragged a bit. Felt a little indulgent at times.

Oh boy, I got entirely too anxious for this one to be over.

As "prog-rock concept" albums go, this one wasn't too bad. Several of the songs here are really good, I just felt it stretched on for far too long.

I quite like a bit of early Genesis, but this has always left me a bit cold. Perhaps it's the length, perhaps it's the rambling storytelling going on, perhaps it's the lack of memorable tunes. But, for whatever reason, this always leaves me a little cold and it's not an album I'd pick out to come back to. Foxtrot, sure. Selling England by the Pound, yes. I think Seven have a copy of Trespass on CD somewhere. But not The Lamb. The Carpet Crawlers is, obviously, a lovely tune. The Lamb Lies Down itself is OK as well. But there's too much going on here and, ultimately, I'm an 80s kid so this version of Genesis was something I came back to after I'd gotten into Marillion and so on. This is a 3. It's all fine, but not my favouriteGenesis thing. Glad I came back to it and listened again though. Now, where's that copy of Script For a Jester's Tear...

**An ok album, nothing exciting

Boring and lasted over 90 minutes

No. 285/1001 The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 3/5 Fly on a Windshield 3/5 Broadway Melody of 1974 3/5 Cuckoo Cocoon 3/5 In the Cage 3/5 The Grand Parade 2/5 Back in N.Y.C. 2/5 Hairless Heart 3/5 Counting Out Time 4/5 The Carpet Crawlers 4/5 The Chamber of 32 Doors 4/5 Lilywhite Lilith 3/5 The Waiting Room 2/5 Anyway 3/5 Here Comes 3/5 The Lamia 4/5 Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats 3/5 The Colony of Slippermen 3/5 Ravine 2/5 The Light Dies Down On Broadway 4/5 Riding the Scree 2/5 In the Rapids 4/5 It 3/5 Average: 3,04 Very long prog rock record. Didn't like some things they did musically. Collin’s voice is a big plus. Overall I‘m pretty indifferent.

It seems fitting that I have to review this double-LP towards the very end of this 1001 albums project. Spending three years on this app, and going through so many different music styles, is like listening to a gigantic prog album, is it not? At times it's like going through a treasure trove, in the same sense that there are many treasures to dig out in *The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway*. You feel like your understanding of music broadens, just as your horizons do. Other times, it's mind-numbing. You feel desensitized and alienated a little, as if you were "In The Cage", watching "The Grand Parade Of Lifeless Packaging" (what a neat way to sum up capitalist alienation, by the way, and how does that song lyrics nail that idea on the head!). To sum it up, using this app for three years is both thrilling and exhausting, just like this Genesis double-album -- a release I struggled with before, because I found it so damn *chatty*, squashed by its heavy concept and ambition, instead of being really musical. I guess my mind *did* broaden, because now I find it rather wonderful, and much more musical than my memory of it, with actual memorable tunes. Like most positive reviewers, they are the title-track, the amusing and snarling number about the story's protagonist buying a book about sex and losing his virginity, "Counting Out Time", and the moving-yet-also-ominous "Carpet Crawlers". About this double-album as a whole, and to use a contemporary reference point, it sort of comes off as a slowed down version of a Black Midi or Geordie Greep LP. Which means it's pretty digestible after all. 😉 The entirety of the first disc is worthy of a 5/5 grade, apart from that horrid synth solo displaying a slimy and hackneyed sound in the middle of "In The Cage". Given what l've read in the reviews, I expected the second disc to be a huge, self-indulgent letdown, but I was pleasantly surprised it was not so much the case. I didn't mind the experimental, illustrative or musique concrète cuts (mostly instrumental in nature) -- apart from the stupid and pointless "Riding The Scree", they allow the second disc to breathe in a way, and bring welcome dynamics at this point. And the songs per se are still pretty good -- It's just that they're exploring turf already well-covered in the first disc, and so sound extraneous to an extent. It's a 3/5 grade for this second disc, then. As for the story, I would lie if I said I followed it closely. We're talking about a music album anyway, not a book. If I return to this album, I will end up following the conceptual yarn a bit closer for sure. What struck me instead here is a musical takeaway: out of all the Genesis albums, this is the one that foretells the most the subsequent solo career of Peter Gabriel -- up to its Hipgnosis black and white artwork. Pretty logical given that it's the last one Gabriel made with Genesis As you can see, I have mostly *musical* feelings about this record, which belies my earlier estimation of this record as being too *chatty* (it still is to an extent, but not to the point it ruins the music). So all in all, *The Lamb lies Down On Broadway* is a pleasant surprise. One of the things I love the most about this app is when it manages to make me change my mind. Glad it does that here. 4/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 9/10 for more general purposes (5 + 4) Number of albums left to review: 4 (plus the 80-ish extra LPs listed on this app, included because different past versions of the book have mentioned albums that have since been dropped in subsequent editions) Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 429 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 255 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 315

pretty long, i like some of the songs, others arent my thing

I got about 9 tracks into this, thinking that it was pompous and self-indulgent. I mean, prog is meant to be pompous and self-indulgent, but this doesn't manage to be interesting with it. I looked at the track listing and discovered I was only just over a third of the way through it and I've decided to give up. There simply isn't enough time in my life for this.

A prog masterpiece - is it bloated? Yep. It is barely understandable as a concept album? Yep. Does it rock? Yep. Is it weird enough to enjoy? Yep. Just dive in to this strange world and enjoy. Best Tracks: Cuckoo Cocoon; Counting Out Time; Lilywhite Lilith

Very fun side of genesis I hadn't heard before. But some songs of the album are a bit too "out there" so it is a 4/5

I'm glad I got exposure but that was a rough and extremely long listen

I actually enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. Spacy prog rock with excellent vocals and compelling songs. Maybe I like Genesis?

At first I was super Cuckoo cocoon was cool In the Cage Counting Out Time is disgusting, sry this song just single handedly knocked a point off this score nah sorry I gave you a good shot, there were some decent stuff but other than those select songs this aint great

I avoided listening to this when I saw the runtime, and I rolled my eyes as the concept album narrative revealed itself, but I'll be damned if this bloated mess didn't wear me down into submissive appreciation by the very end.

Hard to review this one. Genesis as usual are excellent prog rock. This one does require a lot of attention from the listener and it's a long double album. Not really something you put on as background music as it really shines when you really sit down and focus on the listening experience.

listen, there's nothing wrong with it. i quite like it, even. i like the prog in it. it's just not rocky enough to entertain me.

Excellent prog rock, but a bit long.

Interesting, but not quite my style.

A cool experience.

Peter Gabriel is wacky and makes wacky nonsense. You can't look at Genesis without admitting that. With that said, this is a great album. Concept albums almost always get a little fanciful and out there and this one does that in spades. Most of it being based on dreams and having a loosely disjointed thread is so great to see in an album. All the skill and talent are here and they built something they wanted to do in their own way, knowing it would be weirdly received by critics at best. Not all music can be like this but I'm really glad some is.

The album art, tho a little interesting doesn't do much for me. I got five tracks in on the car stereo, but this is a headphones album. Cinematic opening track. Fly on a Windshield/ Brodway Melody has a cool vibe. In the Cage; again so cinematic, driving energy. The synthy stuff is so good on here. This would all go great with 1980s animation like Time Masters or Gandahar. Back in N.Y.C. gives me anxiety, but it goes places. Maybe three tracks didn't instantly hit me on disc one, but they were all strong enough that I believe with more time appreciation would grow. I think taking a pause or intermission between disc one and two is the way to go. It felt jarring to go right into it. The Waiting Room was captivating. Anyway made me want to re-listen instantly. The Lamia won me over. Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats was very pleasant accompanying the sun rise while listening. Then an audio play. The vocals could be a little louder. Great ending track for this cinematic experience. Takes you out on a high. Peter Gabriel makes really good cadence choices that make the listener pay attention. The production, creativity and writing are interesting throughout the two discs. It's a lot to listen to in one sitting, but it's quite the accomplishment. I'll need to schedule another listen someday.

A concept album that I just didn't expect, not for me

I get why it's on this list but it's not for me.

A lot of good songs but way too long for enjoyment. A few cheek sound songs.

Good but too long 3.5

1.5

Heavy. I like it better when Genesis was a five piece.

Could someone have told them no? This album is over 90 minutes of which we did not need.

a bizzare concept but some excelent music and jams genesis is better with peter

Peter Gabriel's swan song before leaving Genesis. At the time, he thought it would be his formal exit as a professional musician, with intent to focus on his family. We now know that would end up changing, but regardless. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is a monumental effort in progressive rock, one that even eclipses albums from it's contemporaries. The so-called "rock opera" has a way of making itself seem greater than it actually is, but Genesis manages to deliver. A marathon piece that manages to be engaging and well-paced, though I will admit it loses a bit of steam by side D. By that point, you kind of start wishing it would wrap up sooner rather than later.

Decent listen.

Genesis be genesising

Love Peter Gabriel and his era of Genesis. Love this album.

Oh heck... I don’t have time for this…

Not my jam

I like Genesis. But I like the Phil Collins led Genesis. I do like the Peter Gabriel album, but this... There are some interesting themes, but overall I don't come back to this album.

Long album, maybe too long with a odd story . But has a lot of great songs, would be much better if it was a single album.

Okay but not my style

Gabriel era Genesis >> Collins era Genesis A rock opera of sorts, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is a sprawling prog-rock adventure. In the Cage is an absolute jam. Love the synthesizer and bass work with the poly-rhythmic drums throughout. Back in N.Y.C. is another standout -- synthesizer dances up and down arpeggios while the bass thrums slowly. But really it is the drum work that shines here -- busy, but tight and always gratifying. Hairless Heart is both a very strange song name and a great instrumental ballad bridging Back in N.Y.C. into Counting Out Time. Things spread out into aural / ambient territory on Silent Sorry in Empty Boats before bleeding over to the multipart odyssey The Colony of Slippermen. The foreign sounding synth instrumental intro channels a more experimental atmosphere that's far from where this album started, but things quickly adopt a familiar tone as Gabriel takes the mic. Riding the Scree is way groovier than it has any right to be. While the tone of synths (often what I associate with ELP) is inherently silly (to me) the song absolutely jams with an energy similar to Stranglehold. Love this album through and through. Soft 5 (9/10) territory

This is prog rock so I'm sure it'll rank low globally. I enjoyed this album, but the runtime was fairly long. It doesn't match the same love I have for albums like Tarkus or Yes, but it was a nice, high energy listen. High side of 3 for me.

That was a bit of an epic album I must say. Never really listened to old Genesis with Peter Gabriel at all but now I feel like I must listen to much more. That was like a combination of Rush, Yes, and Pink Floyd all rolled up into 1 Prog Rock opera sandwich which absolutely hits all of the right parts of my music affinity. Even at a whopping 94 minutes that album absolutely flew by with the seamless transitions and little instrumental/synthy interludes that came out of no where. Absolutely a slam dunk 5

Oh wow this is a long boi. Also need to point out that ENO has "Enossification" on a couple songs. What a word. In The Cage is one of them and you can certainly hear him on it. What a jam. Also Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins sound exactly the same extremely weird. Some really fun songs and sounds on here. Ran a little too long for my taste but still highly enjoyable.

Like their last album I listened to, it was filled with bangers. This one however is much longer and much more varied in quality. That docks it a point for me. Last album, Phil Collins had something to show us. This album, the keyboardest completely shows off. Wow!

1970s long form relax drug music. But LLDOB is so good!!

Interesting one, there’s a lot going on here. I’m not a fan of Prog, but I found this very “listenable”. I’d have liked to have had this album over a weekend to try and get inside the story and the songs. It’s got all the weird self-indulgent noddling or Yes or Floyd but I think these boys have the ability to write a a tune as well. I’m intrigued enough to give it a 4.

When you think Peter Gabriel: Sledgehammer. Phil Collins: Tonight, Tonight. Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford: who? But when you hear them together…damn! This is not music for pop radio. It’s esoteric, masterful story telling with musicality second to none. Just the song In The Cage is Phil Collins playing drums like you have never heard him in his ‘80s heyday. I never got really into 70’s prog-rock but this album makes me want to explore more. Key tracks for me were the title track and In The Cage. If the intention really was to create a spiritual journey, I was sent in one day! I want to listen to this one again with my good headphones at home. I get early Genesis now.

Never listened to a Genesis album before this. And to jump in on a double disc release! Let's Go! First disc was cool and prog rock stuff that I liked overall, sounded a bit like Emerson Lake and Palmer: opening/title track, "Back in NYC", and "Counting Out Time". Hope you caught this gem from "Counting Out Time": "Erogenous zones I love you, Without you, what would a poor boy do?" Second disc seemed really atmospheric and less musical overall. What I remember was a pass. I liked disc 1 and could do without disc 2. I'd probably need at least another listen to have a really proper opinion. Will it happen. Maybe.

Thought I liked Genesis, but 'Genesis the musical' is not my thing

Couldn’t finish this whole album. Just really not good. Sounded the same, and the lyrics are awkward and weird. Lots of effects that are just really poorly done.

As progrock albums go, this one is mostly tolerable but, like so many others, is overlong.

complex, unique, truly superb. continues to reward relistens, more than a decade than i first heard it.

Every time they get a good bit going, they start throwing in cheesy prog cliche sounds. Album is way, way too long. For early Genesis, it’s okay. But I can’t wait for it to end. 2/5

Wasn't a fan of the instrumental tracks. The other songs were okay as background music. 3/5

Too alternative for me

geter pabriel

just pure sound. i mean really a good hour and a half of audio playing in my ears

One of my favorites, full of melody and bombast.

first listen a proggy, synth led dream sequence that lasts an hour and four minutes

Couple memorable songs but expected more.

Amazing prog vibes

Some good jams but too many wizard fantasy songs.

I'm not especially a fan of concept albums. This one made for a pleasant enough listen but not so pleasant that it made much of an impression on me or would inspire me to want to seek it out again.

Meh altough a great band with amazing musicians and incredible song writing, this concept album falls short for my taste. Its a great story but seems more like a music score for play or a musical. Its OK but not their best stuff also it was too long for not great.

My favorite prog concept album. It never takes itself too seriously and is more outwardly impressive if a bit showy musically instead of being self indulgent. The story is gritty, psychological interesting and gounded in NYC reality rather than being a flight of fancy.

I didn't really enjoy this one at all.

Utterly devoid of soul.

I didn't actually know Genesis was around as early as 1974, I think of them as a late-70s/80s band. A surprising amount of 80s synth for the early/mid 70s. Counting Out Time almost sounds Beatles-y.

Another album that makes me wish I was alive, and conscious in the 1970s. Great classic rock here with upbeat sounds added. Favorite Track: "Cuckoo Cocoon".

Really really mid

thought it was boring and every time i decided to listen to the lyrics they were genuinely insane

Not Genesis at their best but definitely making some interesting musical decisions

Generally enjoy Genesis, generally don't enjoy concept albums. This one didn't do much for me

Very pleased to seecthis here, it's an album with a massive reputation though I'd never heard it. Genesis started out as a Prog band and this definitely bears that out. Now the what do I think of it? Hmm. Well, it was OK. The stand out track being 'The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging'. For me it would need a further listen or two. But for now on 1 listen it's got to be worth a score of 3.

I didn’t realise until now that it is possible to be even more underwhelmed by a Genesis album than I previously imagined.

Putting their massive career aside and listening to this for what it is, is difficult when you remember 'Sussudio' and the rest of Phil Collins' hideous legacy. However, this is when Peter Gabriel had Centre stage. You have to give credit to Mr Collins as his drumming is exceptional. I have no idea of what the songs were about, apart from the life story of a random Puerto Rican or something. Take the music as a whole it was very good in a lot of places. My biggest criticism is that it is just too long. If it had been half as long it might have got an extra star.

Album 534 of 1001 Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (1974) Rating : 3.5 / 5 There was a time I would have probably enjoyed this more. Still, a fine album. May be better with a closer, uninterrupted listen.

It's got a few interesting instrumental moments but it's just too long for me and I don't like the singer's voice

Three times too long and five times too uninteresting

This album is wild. It's just like a wild progressive rock opera. It's so so long. I can't imagine anyone being super stoked on this and thinking that putting the whole thing on to listen to on a regular basis was a great idea. What a world.

Too long and too indulgent.

aka The Hobbit soundtrack.

My opinion on this album fluctuated greatly throughout my listen

Round two for Genesis! First one was Selling England by the Pound. On this record, I discovered Phil and Peter have moments where they sound quite similar vocally. At least back then they did! For the first 5 songs off this album, I found myself going, WOW, finally, a bunch of SONGS! These are weird, but there are motifs and choruses and just enough structure for me to sink my teeth into. If this is a nice 8-10 song record it'll get 4 stars from me. Alas. The record just gets bizarre by the end, and it goes on and on and on. So many songs. I found myself wondering if it was just a jam session. So much of it felt like a one take improv session. Then I read the Wikipedia and it turned out to sort of be exactly that! I know a lot of Genesis fans LOVE this album and I'm not here to argue. In fact, I'd love to hear from them and learn more about what they connect with about it. Because for me, I liked this more than Selling England by the Pound, but it still wasn't something I'd eagerly return to.

Another one I'm dreading. Yep, justified terror. Abysmal drivel. A bad idea executed badly. This list is ruining my love of music. I'll tolerate any pain or hardship, I listened to this to the end! And the cover is shit too.

It's very much conceptual prog-rock, isn't it? Sort of in the vein of Tommy and The Wall. It's a genre that, for me, hasn't aged terribly well at all. Partly because it has a tendency to take itself too seriously, leading to unnecessarily long albums.

i really enjoyed quite a few songs on this, but a 3 feels appropriate as i don’t see myself returning to this album in full anytime soon

I am enjoying this well enough, and I’m glad a project like this exists… I guess I’m finding it hard to stay focused and engaged for 23 tracks though haha This level of ‘progressive’-ness is approaching Rock Opera territory. I’m finding a lot of it to be sonically appealing but it’s hard for me to connect with a ‘groove’ here. too much progressive messing around for me and not enough groove. 2 stars instead of 3 because I know Genesis is capable of 'progressive and catchy' and this isn't really it.

Never heard of this before, really liked it despite thinking it was a little on the long side. Then listened to the invisible touch album, forgot how good genesis is

It's no Invisible Touch, but this is pretty solid. I had no idea this was Peter Gabriel either.

Genesis at their very best. Gabriel's tale of Puerto Rican street punk Rael in NYC is timeless. If I had to choose one album to take on a desert island ...this is the one!

An early favorite

First listen Saved 7/23 Top track: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

a long and pretty album that i started and stopped multiple times.

Don’t finish

Lots of cool synth parts, some good riffs, thunderous bass and epic sweeping passages. Peter Gabriel has the best voice of all the prog singers. But it's really a pretty tedious chore getting through this. It's an album of good moments that come and go without leaving much impression bc they're mired in a million overly elaborate ideas.

Meh.

OMG. why?????

Concept prog rock album. Really interesting and cool throughout even tho it is long. Standout songs: The lamb lies down on broadway In the cage The Lamia The colony of slippermen

I don’t understand Genesis. And I’m ok with that.

a really great album, the last Peter Gabriel-fronted release, still sounds progtastic, a concept album !

This concept album is clearly the Genesis that people had in mind when calling them an influence on Fish era Marillion - I was only familiar with their earlier albums and with late Phil Collins era. Enjoyed the music but the concept was kind of naff.

Really fun listen; I get that this might seem indulgent to others, but it's got such interesting progressions that it keeps exciting my ears over and over. Really long and hard to imagine revisiting often, but feels like an achievement for its time.

The best Genesis album I have heard yet (what is this like the 4th or 5th?). More of a jam album where each song leads into the next with multiple songs that were just noises. Really long, maybe the longest album I have listened to on here but it does somewhat go by pretty fast. At times kind of becomes muddled with being very similar throughout. Reminded me of Yes a lot throughout with some of the music and singing sounding like them. 7/10

I'm what the hardcore Genesis fans would call a poser (probably). I know Genesis' eighties music very well, and I know a smattering of their seventies sound. I definitely prefer their pop, mass-produced music over their long, overzealous jam sessions. They never strayed away from their progressive roots though, but I suspect they learned to tighten up the songs that last more than eight minutes. Genesis' The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway was a hallmark of progressive and art rock for the weird and other worldly sounds. These long songs definitely aren't for everyone but are soaring, satisfying epics. While this album was an exercise in patience, I only heard amazing music.

This project has taught me that I am not the most patient when it comes to true progressive rock. A lot of it draws on too much for my liking and ends up sounding like glorified jam sessions. I know some of the more mainstream hits by Genesis, and enjoy those quite a bit. I also enjoy Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins individually as artists. Therefore, I expected to enjoy this a bit more. But in the end, my impatience for prog rock won out. I ultimately found this album to be okay, but pretty difficult to get into. I guess just leave me with the mainstream Genesis stuff that the "not so hardcore" fans listen to.

I love this album. So many fantastic tracks. Superb composition and instrumentation. A lot of the sounds on this album are just magical. Title track is fanatastic, the intro piano sets the mood for the album so well. In the Cage's keyboard solo a few minutes in is so good. Back in NYC is an absolute killer track and I love the high gritty vocals. Carpet Crawlers is delightful and often gets stuck in my head. Anyway has such an amazingly sinister heaviness. The Lamia is one of the most enchantingly beautiful songs I have ever heard, amazing composition and chord progression (and the subsequent track sounds like heaven). "It" is simply one of the most perfect final tracks I know of, it wraps the album up so well with such an amazing energy.

Patchy, but Gabriel’s genius is still there

Amazing album. Love it.

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is the sixth studio album by Genesis, originally released in 1974. I was always familiar with Genesis' later work, which I didn't dig much. This list has opened my eyes to how good their earlier 70s work was. This one was on the weirder side. It was their last record with Peter Gabriel who insisted on having pretty much full creative control for the record. He wrote the whole thing and came up with the concept. While the band worked on new material at Headley Grange for three months, they decided to produce a concept album with a story devised by Gabriel about Rael, a Puerto Rican youth from New York City who is suddenly taken on a journey of self-discovery and encounters bizarre incidents and characters along the way. This double album clocks in at over an hour and 20 minutes long. It feels bloated at times. You can also tell that prog rock was started to get a bit wankery at this time as well. Some of the solos and time signature changes are a bit much and just barely veer into masturbatory territory. However, one thing I loved was the use of electronics. There are a few instrumental tracks that evoke a really psychedelic feeling/atmosphere, not unlike Pink Floyd. I'll give this another listen in the near future but for now it's a solid 3.

Heady and unique. Between the punchy lyrics and weird sounds, it reminds me a little bit of Pearl Jam. Didn't love it, but I do respect it.

liked the storytelling vibe overall, but felt that it is a tad too long. Also the flute and synthesizer use sounds great in this. favorite track: fly on a windshield other picks: lamb lies down, carpet crawlers, counting out time, anyway

should have been an EP

Genesis is a noticeable gap in my music listening experience. I’ve listened to some Peter Gabriel, some Phil Collins, though probably not as much as you’d expect of someone who loves arty rock music as I do. I’ve heard, and loved, Collins’ big hits of course, but I’ve never done a deep dive on any of them and only recently have I listened to any of Gabriel’s albums. Before this, I was a Genesis virgin and couldn’t name a song by the band. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is a fantastic record. It’s a lot to take in - almost no album should be an hour and a half long. I’d have to spend a lot more time with it before calling it a masterpiece (I listened to it 3 times over a couple of days and I’m still not close to grasping any sort of story on this concept album), but this has been one of the most enjoyable albums to discover on this project. It feels like Collin’s breaking out party - his voice is immediately infectious on the opening title track. There are several moments on the album of pop perfection: which surprise you when they occur because it’s such a delightfully weird album otherwise. The title track starts this at the chorus. The Carpet Crawlers, The Colony of Slipperman, and the closer It especially have extremely catchy and beautiful moments. It’s an amazing album that I’ll look to grab on vinyl when I can, and could be a 5 star for me if I can ever digest it fully.

I’m a sucker for an overblown concept album so there was always a danger that I’d love this. Fortunately I’m also a sucker for a catchy hook, good riff and a bit of poetic storytelling and these are all present in spades. Of course, there is a lot here that is batshit crazy but it keeps on rewarding me with melodies, basslines and little fills that just bring joy to my ears. I had to come back to it a few times and kept expecting it to outstay its welcome (23 songs, 94 minutes…) but it never did. An absolute masterpiece.

Somehow never listened to early Genesis before; this is great, although dauntingly long of course. It'll need a few listens, but it's a masterpiece. Lyrics might indeed be completely mental, but the music is incredible.

Struggle with Genesis TBH.

It had a moment or two but not nearly enough to justify the 90 minute slog

5.5/10

Prog rock album. Pretty good but really long and I felt like the album had some filler songs that didn’t stand out. Still there’s a lot to take in here and I liked it enough to want to listen again.

I did not want to listen to this album, but I did anyway. I did not appreciate needing to hear about erogenous zones so much; the whole album was really horny. Glad I never need to listen to this again.

Might be doing this in the wrong frame of mind but this was a bit of an ordeal. About an album too long!

The problem with streaming is you don't experience the bat shit crazy liner notes that peter Gabriel wrote on the vinyl cover. But, putting that aside, this is music that takes years to get into your DNA but, when it does, its majestic. Try 'Carpet Crawlers' as a stand alone track and you'l lget an insight as to what each piece can bring eventually. Its my favourite Genesis album and in my top 20 albums of all time.

Classic Peter Gabriel Genesis. A bit prog-rock for my tastes, but good nonetheless.

I've never listened to this one before. It's pretty good. Nothing Earth shattering. Just a decent Genesis album.

This was cool, I’d probably give it a 3.5.

3.2 I distinctly remember one time I was in a cab and the driver was going on and on about how great the band Genesis was. He gave deep descriptions of each album, their concepts, and their themes. I swore on that day I would check Genesis out. That was 18 years ago, and today is finally the day I sat down and listened to a full album. That cab driver is exactly the kind of person who would love this.

Kinda mid album, some bangers bring it up to 3/5

Yes yes yes - prime time Genesis before they went all weird and Mike Rutherford sold his soul!