...AND THEN THERE WERE THREE...

2,5 stars really!!

How can a band survived the departure of such a great guitarist as Hackett and not replace him? Well the band will not do that well but all things considered this album is not as catastrophiic as most people tell it out to be. Sure, they will have their first top 10 hit with the atrocious Follow You! Sure, the epics are gone (save one that is relatively unnoticed)! Sure, they have no great instrumental passages , but this is a transitional album, not just musically as Collins was also close to slamming the door as his marriage was on the rocks..

Many tracks still have a Genesis touch , and no-one mentioned in the other reviews mentioned the only track referring to their previous stuff: Deep in the Motherlode . With this track being the only "epic" of the album (written by Rutherford on top of it - this actually almost makes up for the atrocious and endless tear-jerker Your Own Special Way on the previousalbum) telling the quest (a very common theme in Genesis tunes) about a young man who "still has mother's milk still wet behind his ears" in the great wide west human jungle.

But clearly the band chose to explore a different alley and explain it in the opening track, Down and Out as they apologize for the change to happen. Burning Rope , Allright Joe, Ballad Of Big are all decent tracks but have that unfinished feel as if they were waiting for Hackett to come back and put his guitar parts. And when guitars do intervene , they sound like Hackett (Many Too Many). Undertow is also worthy of note, but clearly the album is not of the calibre we had been so used to. But still quite good with what to come in a couple of albums later.

Of course , this pivotal album is the start of Genesis's metamorphosis from a Progressive Butterfly into a Pop Larva, but this album still has a few things going for itself. Those who blame Collins for the changes are simply wrong , his writing credits are few and far between. And nothing gets done in Genesis without banks 's consent.

This is the last GENESIS' record that I can listen all the songs without being bored, except maybe "Follow You Follow Me", which was a big hit during those years. Despite Steve HACKETT's departure, Mike RUTHEFORD took the control of the guitar elements, and succeeds very well. We feel here that the songs are less loaded, more floating and romantic. The longest tracks are still quite progressive ("Burning Rope", "Lady Lies"). The keyboards are absolutely omnipresent, varied and rather floating and melodic: There are some parts where the keyboards get so coloured and deep that it becomes almost quintessential ("Burning Rope"). The rythmic guitar and melodic solos are well suited for the modern keyboards. Mike RUTHEFORD's bass is quite impressive, and we can easily listen to it because it is not hidden by the guitars. COLLINS' drums are quite good, but obviously not as good as on "Trick of the Tail".

The line on . "And Then There Were Three" says that it marks the beginning of the band's commercial reinvention, which is misleading. Despite the loss of Steve HACKETT and the presence of the popular "Follow You, Follow Me", the band still has one foot firmly planted in the progressive rock of yore. The opening track, "Down and Out", actually addresses the pressure they felt to create more commercial music -- tellingly, it's one of the album's more complex tracks. With the trio splitting the songwriting and Mike RUTHEFORD assuming guitar duties, some different styles emerge. Tony BANKS' are the better tracks, as he may well be the most complete songwriter of the three; "The Lady Lies", "Many Too Many", "Burning Rope" and "Undertow" each invoke some small degree of majesty.

RUTHEFORD doesn't attempt to fill the void left by HACKETT, instead playing his typically polite guitar on songs like "Snowbound" and "Say It's Alright Joe". Phil COLLINS' drums assume a larger role in the mix, and he's clearly grown more comfortable as a vocalist, belting it out on songs like "Deep in the Motherlode". One of the best tracks from the album, "Scenes From A Night Dream", recounts the story of Little Nemo and includes some fantastic subject matter that prog rock fans will enjoy.

If there's any knock on the album, it's that the band can be noisy in their pursuit of a suitably "large" sound as a trio. (Oddly, GENESIS seemed to recover better from the loss of Peter GABRIEL than HACKETT.) They would re-think this approach on "Duke", abandoning prog's sprawling spires in favor of tighter arrangements that a trio could capably climb.

Many people call it the end of the old GENESIS, and I can't disagree on that. Here they go for shorter songs, but I still can't call this album a sellout. Yes, it does have "Follow You, Follow Me" (which I felt is the album's low-point), their first exploration in to '80s pop (although this is from 1978), and it sounds like it fits better on their self-entitled album from 1983, but to me, most of the rest of the album is actually quite bearable. Steve HACKETT is gone, to pursue his solo career, so he wasn't around telling them to be more progressive. I have to admit I do like many of the songs here like "Burning Rope", "The Lady Lies", "Snowman", and "Say, Is it Alright, Joe". Addmited none of the album reaches the heights of the GABRIEL-era matieral. It doesn't even reach the heights of "Wind & Wuthering" (nothing like "Eleventh Earl of Mar" or "One For the Vine" here). The Mellotron has all-but vanished (a little is buried on "Many too Many", but that's it). Tony BANKS started to use more polyphonic synths in place of the Mellotron, and this was also the first album he used his Yamaha CP-70 electric grand piano (something he'll use much more extensively on Duke). And since HACKETT is gone, it forced Mike RUTHEFORD to play regular guitar as well as bass. Yes, this album is a disappointment compared to what has came before, but it's to me a worthwhile album.

This was the first Genesis album released in Perú, and I remember buying it the morning it reached the stores, with great emotion I opened the album and.........???? This is not Genesis.

The album itself is not so bad, some songs like Undertow and Burning Rope are progissh, but the weak sound of the keyboards plus the absolute lack of darkness and atmospheric guitar makes it depressing.

"Follow You Follow Me" along with Your Own Special Way" (from W&W) are the simplest and most clearly pop songs, created only to gain female audience and attract teens.

A friend once told me "Genesis is dead and the only thing you can read in their tombstone is And Then There Were Three". With great sadness I must accept he was right.

''The Genesis Sell Out Album' as many would have you believe.Actually this is a real 'belter' of an album that carries all of the pomp and power of classic Genesis but married with shorter peices.In particular I love the wall of sound on 'Deep In The Motherlode' while 'Burning Rope' is one of the best Genesis songs around.There are no weak songs though.I would prefer to think of this is as the perfect 'pop' album for prog fans!

Anyone here play guitar?

The departure of Steve Hackett led to the title, his distinctive guitar sound being instantly missed. Genesis however were clearly conscious of this, and the songs are generally shorter in structure, with Tony Banks tending to dominate the relatively few instrumental passages.

"Burning Rope" is the most progressive track, with echoes of the Genesis of old and superb lead guitar from Rutherford. The track has a power and majesty which is not immediately apparent, but which shines through with successive hearings. The final track, "Follow You, Follow me", was a surprise hit single. The song is admittedly very lightweight and commercial, but it still retains a certain creditability in Genesis terms and it makes for a very pleasant ending to the album.

There are many other highlights, such as "Snowman", "The lady lies", "Many too Many" and "Undertow". When compared with what went before, these are pretty straightforward songs, with little real prog to them. Seen in that context, they are highly accomplished pieces of music, well crafted, and competently performed.

As long as you're not looking for a "traditional" Genesis album, "And then there were three" has a feel of quality to it from start to finish, and indeed is thoroughly enjoyable. This was probably the last Genesis album where band members had a reasonably equal influence, before Phil Collins dominance began to come to the fore.

Gong! Sorry to those who dislike this but yet again Genesis prove the pundits wrong with this great album, 1 year on from Wind and Wuthering. Goddnesss if only bands to day could be as creative over such short periods. Sure this album has a totally new feel to it without Hackett but it brings a new edge and well some of us grew to love the Genesis that evolved into the 80's. For me best tracks are ' Undertow', ' Ballad of Big', ' Burning Rope'' Deep in the motherlode' and ' Say it's alright Joe'. Sure they were getting more commercial but so what not all commercial music is bad and these guys were well above the flotsam and jetsom.

Once again Genesis find themselves having to survive the loss of a key member (Steve Hackett), and taking it all in their stride. Some fans hated this album and saw it as the beginning of the end. I would disagree. There was clearly a conscious effort to write shorter songs on ATTWT, while trying to avoid losing the power and melody that was typical to the genesis sound. Writing songs as individuals rather than as a group, is also very much in evidence. Possibly a reaction to Steve going. Although it should be said, Mike Rutherfords bold decision to play lead guitar pays off impressively. There are some absolute classics on this album, starting with the opener 'Down and out' one of my favourite Genesis songs of all time. In 5/4 time, in chugs along with aheavy down beat before building to an uplifting and memourable chorus. The track also features some of Tony Banks' best work on the album, both interms of chords and soloing. 'Burning Rope' is another all time Genesis classic IMO as are 'Deep in the Motherlode' and 'Say its alright, Joe' AND 'The lady lies' All full of Genesis melancholy and melodrama. The album as a whole is rich in melody and mood, but is more accessable than 'Wind & Wuthering'. IMO it's just as good an album, but for different reasons. Its also more tunefull, but less commercial than 'Duke' its successor. With the exception of 'Scenes from a nights dream' and 'Follow you follow me' there is not a weak track on ATTWT. For all those who snubbed this album first time around I highly reccomend you give it another go. Listern to it LOUD and without prejudice and you may find that all things that made Genesis great before were still there, in force, but in a more concise, and tastefully modernised package.

This is a fine effort by Genesis. There are alot of pleasant songs on this album and it is certainly worth having. It is a far cry from their earlier works but different in this case is not a bad thing at all. "Down and Out" is a good album opener, nice and aggressive, and also sets the tone for the album well. "Undertow" and the next few following songs are good songs, but seem to be missing that Genesis complexity of old. Still, they aren't horible songs and you can listen to them and enjoy them. Starting at "Deep in the Motherlode" the album picks up and shows off some of it's better compositions. "Many Too Many" seems to be a commercial ballad, but listen to it again and you can hear some beautiful chord changes. The bass work by Rutherford is awesome in many places, for me particularly "The Lady Lies" and "Scenes from a Night's Dream" show excellent and beautiful work in this respect. "Say it's Alright Joe", again, is not quite commercial, it is quite a sad tune and not "pop" as you could call it. "The Lady Lies" is truly an awesome song, it smacks of disco, but it isn't Bee Gees, high tenor, let's do lots of coke disco... it's Genesis disco. Genesis disco actually sounds creative and has people playing instruments in it. genesis disco is good... very good indeed. Don't let the cheesy keyboard instrument 'stripper' sound in the beginning of the song fool you. The rest of the song is just cool. "Follow You, Follow Me" is really the only 'commercial' work on the album and not a very good commercial effort at that. It isn't bad and it isn't good, it just is, which to some people may be worse than just plain stinking. The album is actually enjoyable and in truth a more rewarding listening experience than many would criticize. Using comparitive criticism is an easy route to take for this album, but it isn;t the right approach. Face it, albums like 'Selling England by the Pound' do not come along everyday, or every year for that matter. Their sound has totally changed, but they are minus 2 out of 5 of the power lineup so what do you expect? Take the main vocalist and the lead guitarist out of ANY band and see if the sound dosen't change. Look at King Crimson, excellent band, but have to be seperated into periods because it was a band that constantly morphed. Most people would enjoy this album and it has enough complexity to satisfy the average progger. Although power proggers may not be impressed. If you are looking for long compositions like Yes' Close to the Edge or ELP's Tarkus than this isn't what you want. If you are looking for a collection of short, excellently written songs, than this album will make you happy. Not a bad album by any stretch and is worth 4 stars.

Maybe the GENESIS trio was tired of Progressive Music. Maybe they were pressured by their labels in the U.K. and in the U.S. to record more simple songs. Maybe it was a combination of both things. But this album is very good, and it also was their first record that I bought after reading a review in a Rock magazine, and after listening to "Nursery Cryme" in early 1979. Also this album is very special to me because it brings me good memories from that year. I think that the decision of recording some shorter "commercial" songs like the criticized "Follow you, follow me" was a responsibility taken as a whole band, not only influenced by Phil Collins, who in those years still wasn`t a main composer in the band and he still didn`t record a solo album. The songs are shorter, but they are still interesting and with some Progressive Rock elements. "Down and out" is considered as GENESIS`s explanation of the change to shorter and "commercial" songs. The drums are interesting, and Banks` keyboards are very good, particularly the solo. "Undertow" has a very good electric piano. "Ballad of Big" has some good atmospheres. "Snowbound" is one of my favourite songs, with acoustic guitar, very good keyboards and Collins`sensitive vocals (which are present in all the songs of this album). "Burning Rope" has a lead guitar by Rutherford and very good drums. "Deep in the Motherlode" has distorted guitars by Rutherford. "Many too many" is one of those songs composed about being bored and tired of being a musician all the time due to contractual obligations. "Scenes from a Night`s Dream" has the first lyrics only written by Collins with GENESIS. "Say it`s alright, Joe" is the story of a lonely drunk man. "The Lady Lies" is a song about a "bad lady", which has very good keyboards, including a synths solo. "Follow You, Follow Me" is a very good ballad, and it was a hit for GENESIS.

Among other things, 'And Then There Were Three' is a document of Genesis music thriving in the short-song format. This would not last long, as their less-is-more approach would eventually just lead to less. But for what it is, this album is a total creative triumph, proof that, at least for now, Genesis could shapeshift through all kinds of creative phases and come up with the goods.

It's quite obvious Steve Hackett is missing, and even though his role seemed subtler than ever on 'Wind And Wuthering', it's clear Mike Rutherford didn't intend to cover the loss with his own stunning guitar work--because Rutherford's not a stunning guitarist. But what he does here on guitar, as well as his more familiar bass, is suitable for the material. Tony Banks lays down incredibly thick beds of keyboards all over these songs, all having a more linear flow than anything the band had done since their curious debut album. Some songs revolve around bouncy syncopation, like the agile "Scene's From A Night's Dream", "Ballad Of Big", "The Lady Lies" and odd-time opener "Down And Out". The rest of it is like being on some sort of pleasant morphine daydream. "Scene's From A Night's Dream" is an incredibly underrated Genesis tune. It's a quick one, at 3:30, but the energy put out by Phil on vocals and his active drum part is addictive. A fun little tale with a whole lot of spirit. "Down And Out" is based on a strange rhythm. The first time I heard it I had to check to see if the CD was skipping. It's a great choice for opener, a powerful, huge, lumbering thing with a foreboding quality that second song "Undertow" wipes away, brightening the tone for the rest of the album. Most of the songs-short for Genesis at this time-run into one another, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. "Deep In The Motherlode", "Many Too Many", and "Say It's Alright Joe" offer some of the most accessible Genesis yet, but are easy to get into and enjoy. High points come in the aforementioned "Scene's.", the arresting "Down And Out" and the emotional intensity of "The Lady Lies", as well as the pleasant chill of "Snowbound" and the absolutely massive epic strains of "Burning Rope" (the longest song at 7:07).

Phil's vocals are usually multi-tracked, fitting the multi-layered keyboard atmospheres. He's more assertive and emotional on this album than the previous two. Despite having a rather limp ending no thanks to "Follow You Follow Me" (the only poor song here), 'And Then There Were Three' is a powerful journey, offering an immense and delightful production that perfectly suits the material. It also signals the end of the grand symphonic Genesis era. Good stuff was yet to come, but this album seems like the final bow before heading toward a more conservative way of doing things. Life goes on, people get older, c'est la vie.

And Then There Were Three...

...musicians, two of them with some decent virtuosity on their instruments but limited talents as composers and too little progressive sensibility who were trying to create an album worthy to carry the name GENESIS after seven releases that where of high or just phenomenal quality. IMHO one has to emphasise on the word "trying" since this task was simply impossible to be managed after the demise of the two most important musicians. BUT I have to say as well all people rating this album below 3 stars are doing the mistake to compare ATTWT to the previous albums and I think that's not quite a fair comparison. Simply It just CAN'T have the same quality because the band is now COLLINS-BANKS-RUTHERFORD. Maybe they should have changed their name to "CBR", then there would't be that many discussions. So let's say ATTWT was "CBR's" admittedly quite decent and good debut and compared to any of their following releases (I think the only valid comparison) undoubtedly their best one. Sure it's not that much progressive (as my co-reviewer Proghead stated correctly, HACKETT was not there anymore to tell them), but I still regard it superior to Duke. Actually there is only one real dropper, their first world hit, but it's more or less just an "appendix" of the album and can be easily ignored.

I've got to admit that I like most of the songs but rather as a kind of background music because there is not any very special or outstanding one, the best and the one with the highest Prog potential being THE LADY LIES. Bass and drums are excellent, Tony Banks is introducing some new sound in his solo and even Phil Collins' vocs are excellent on here. Other fairly good ones are DOWN AND OUT (a little bit of reminiscence to "the good old days"), UNDERTOW (one of their nicest,but not too cheesy ballads) and SCENES FROM A NIGHT'S DREAM (good vocs and lyrics although being quite pop- ish). The worst after FOLLOW YOU FOLLOW ME is BALLAD OF BIG in my opinion and the rest are quite mediocre but not really bad rock songs or ballads, admittedly with a more dominating pop-ish character.

So finally how could ATTWT be rated as a Prog album? I would say it's still a rather good one of GENESIS (actually the last one that can be called such), but I'm hesitating to call it an essential one of, maybe only for fans of "CBR" which is officially not existing as a band's name. This is a site dedicated to Prog and we're speaking generally about the band called GENESIS and in this context I'd rather give it only 3 stars . Actuall the average of all ratings which is 3,5 probably reflects the fair value. Taking into account that two of the three musicians will become famous later on for their popular releases, ATTWT is within Prog still a decent album, that can be recommended not only to fans of "CBR" but as well to any lover of "light-prog" or Neoprog.

An Excellent album . even though without Hackett .

It has been so long I have not spun this CD until last night when I was in my car, the classic rock FM station down here in my country aired "Burning Rope" from this album. WOW! man ... my adrenaline exploded! It meant that I had been longing for the music of this album. The keyboard solo in Burning Rope reminded me to my teenage days when I first listened to this album with a very sad feeling due to the departure of the pivotal member of the band: Steve Hackett. Even though his departure was commemorated with a seminal live album Seconds Out, I felt so sad about his departure. Even though, I found later that his solo albums were all excellent. Despite my sad feeling and preconceived mind that Genesis would lose its soul with Hackett's departure [the same preconceived mind I experienced when the vocalist - Peter Gabriel - left the band years before], this album proved that the Genesis sound was still around.

I remember vividly that I first purchased this album in a cassette format sometime in late seventies when the glory of great band started to erode. The music industry was swept by the strong wave of punk rock. Later, when I can afford it, I bought the CD version. I was truly amazed by the fact listening to the opening track Down And Out; it's a wonderfully composed song with a weird time signatures. The disparities of tempo between keyboard and drum beats have made this track weird but it's very unique and enjoyable. Undertow and also Ballad of Big are beautifully composed. Snowbound is a nice song that - I think - has inspired many neo prog bands in later days.

As I mentioned above Burning Rope is a beautiful song with catchy melodies created by keyboard sounds. The song flows nicely from tasty keyboard sounds at the intro part to the transition into quieter passages after singing line by Phil Collins. This song has a strong structure and excellent arrangement. When the music reaches keyboard solo, it sounds nicely and the melody line has landed firmly into my mind and it became a melody that I have kept emulating it as Burning Rope part. Great tune!

Many Too Many is a straight forward slow rock music with a catchy piano and keyboard work. The melody line as sung by Phil Collins is so catchy. The Lady Lies is a masterpiece and it has become my all-time favorite. The composition is great; the structure is tight and cohesive; the melody is killing and . the punchy solo keyboard is truly top notch! The Lady Lies is at par excellent with Gabriel era music, in a bit different vein.

Yes, Hacckett's gone but .. This album is recommended still. Keep on proGGin' ..!!!

Yours progressively,

GW - Indonesia.

Not really a bad album, though the absence of Steve Hackett surely sets it's marks in the music featured here, with the notable lack of his unique guitar playing. The style of this album can remind you of the neo-prog movement that evolved in the early 80's, notably Marillion, only that it kinda fails to catch focus and general direction throughout the 53-minute playing time. This album has a nice handful of good songs, like the explosive opener 'Down and Out' (one of their best, IMO) but also some really weak ones as well, making this one very uneven overall. Definitely not one of their best albums though fans should give it a spin, though it most likely will give mixed feelings. A brave though lacking album which to me stands out as good but non-essential. 3/5

Despite wondering how wonderful this could have sounded with Hackett still around to soften its edges and further advance the searing guitars that leak in and out of the tracks, '...And Then There Were Three...' still stands as a superb album. The three piece most certainly moved onward to new ground here - while still retaining the sense that they were offering a complete package, for the first time in their 70s material Genesis were out to empower their shorter pieces more than anything else, so this is very much an album of separates, with little thematic continuity from track to track. But this is by no means a hindrance to the record, and there are some intriguing moments captured here that can't be found anywhere else in the band's history.

The music almost feels like a natural progression from the heavy synth and drum-led prog of 'Wind And Wuthering', now refined into smaller bursts of energy. The opener 'Down And Out' firmly states this, moving from its tense, fragile synth (very much an introduction for the album and not just the track) into a veritable overdrive of marching drums and guitar, rolling in and out of step, laden with Banks' favourite key sounds of the time. If you're playing the record at the proper volume, you'd have to seriously be looking the other way to miss the power here, as Phil launches into a rendering of some ruthless executive imparting his 'wisdom' to players in danger of being ousted by the times - applicable of course to the music business as much as anything else.

This is followed up by the beautiful 'Undertow', a Tony Banks piece featuring both his thoughtful lyrics as well as the trademark washes of piano and synth. It's worth mentioning the credit that must go to the band and David Hentschel for managing to mix so many dense sounds together equally without completely burying the drums and the vocals, particularly in the chorus strains of this piece about surviving through 'dark nights of the soul', where Phil's aching vocal fights a wall of sound from Banks. This effect is mirrored in the Rutherford piece 'Snowbound', a fairytale-like piece in which hides a glimpse of something sinister and quite sad, where in the ending the distant calls for the snowman ring out against a backdrop of soaring, thick, undulating synth waves that Tangerine Dream would have been proud of (let it be a commentary on the quality of this album that even though my favourite Genesis era is the earlier era, and my favourite albums are Trick and The Lamb, 'Snowbound' is still among my favourite tracks).

The priceless offerings continue with tracks like the towering 'Burning Rope', 'Deep In The Motherlode', 'Many Too Many', and 'Say It's Alright Joe', all offering more excitement, dynamics, and moving lyricism in their short minutes than entire albums by the band would achieve in later times. Rutherford handles all the guitar duties rather well, and even though Hackett's absence is obvious, the usual range of sounds can still be found, from delicate 12-string passages to pronounced soloing (check out the awesome break in 'Burning Rope').

If there are blemishes on the album, they would be the somewhat pointless story of 'Ballad Of Big' (a shame, since the piece is musically very strong), and the pop song 'Follow You Follow Me', where the band create a simplistic summary of their own style and run with one hook melody while Phil sings in a mode nobody ever really wanted to hear Genesis enter... it's not 'More Fool Me', and it's not even 'Your Own Special Way', this is a one dimensional love song. For shame, lads. Four and a half stars - a half star off for closing this majestic album with a turkey.

I dunno, I really enjoy this album...the production is muddy, but there's enough of that old Banks synth magic to keep proggers interested, in my opinion. Shorter songs, but great lyrics and good themes. Even Follow You, Follow me is quite pleasant to listen to, especially if you are in a happy relationship at the time. A controversial album, but it sounds a lot more like Wind and Wuthering than it does Duke to me. Hackett is missed, but that's life, folks.

And then there was melody, and this album has it in spades. If you're looking for instrumentals, go elsewhere, it's all about the tune. Clocking in at 7:03, "Burning Rope" is the longest and most proggish song on this album, and it sports the only guitar solo. Banks keyboards are the main thrust for most of the songs, and that's not a bad thing. Everything is rounded out nicely, filling your speakers with massive keyboards, Collins excellent drumming, and the occasional guitar flourishes. Songs subjects are set in the American west, "Ballad Of Big" & "Deep In The Motherlode" and fantasy-based, "Scene's From A Night's Dream" & "The Lady Lies", with others very well written. You won't find the poppish, pap stuff until a few years later, (okay, "Follow You, Follow Me" is here, but I have a soft spot for the song since it was played at my wedding in church by friends :-p) This album is a blueprint for Neo-prog, so if you are a fan of such, 4-stars for you. Otherwise, for the forward thinking prog fan who likes the more complex, time change style of old Genesis, 3 stars. Good, but non-essential.

This is Chapter One of MY BIGGEST PROGROCK DESILLUSIONS. Imagine my sheer euphoric mood because of the wonderful symphonic albums in the post-Gabriel-era 75-77 and then the confrontation with the poppy tendencies on this album, what a cold shower! Of course this is not a bad album and of course it contains some great songs but in general 'the Phil Collins-trio' fails to generate the excitement I was used to while listening to the symphonic rock dinosaur Genesis between 70 and 77. It's unfair to judge Genesis on the commercial crap entitled "Follow you , follow me" but I simply conclude that from this album it was over with the compelling and captivating Genesis compositions. So I decided to follow Steve Hackett solo, GOODBEY GENESIS!

An unremarkable late 1970s work!

Still it is far more listenable than, say, "Tormato" by YES of the same period. Hackett left the previous year and his absence is more than obvious. The trio continued to pursue succesful and more commercial career from then on, trading however the genuine adventurous musical approach with the chart-topping mainstream pop products. It is announced here with "Follow You Follow Me", their first big hit. Two opening tracks, "Down and Out" and "Undertow" are still interesting, while the rest of the album is less inspired, if listenable "soft-prog" that fades away quickly from memory. In no way essential staff that can appeal to GENESIS fans only. 2,5 stars.

Rolling Stone mercilessly dubbed them "the Incredible Shrinking Band". Reduced to a trio, and clearly one with a paucity of good ideas, they probably should have at least instated a hiatus to stop and rethink (which they did AFTER this album).

Obviously the band are at an impasse, trying out all sorts of ideas. Unfortunately, most of them don't stick. On the plus side, "The Lady Lies" is a nice sort of farewell to their extended prog epic stuff, and "Down And Out" brings some dense fusion influence (courtesy of Collins' tenure with Brand X?), making for one of Genesis' most memorable album-openers ever! And "Many Too Many" and "Follow You Follow Me", while explicitly turning towards a pop direction, are just fine for what they are.

On the other hand, there is the matter of the rest of the album. It's a LONG album, too. 53 minutes WAS long for a vinyl record, remember! The repetitious "Burning Rope" showed that they had run out of ideas where epic sympho-prog was concerned. And with the exception of the superior "The Lady Lies", the story-song format was on its last legs here. It becomes almost self-parodic with the silly "Scenes From A Night's Dream", easily the most TORMATO-esque thing here. And what was up with all those Wild West-themed songs, anyway?

In the end, this feels like a mess, like a collection of demos. An exquisitely-produced collection of demos, but demos nonetheless. I think they were rushed into the studio too soon, probably pressured by Atlantic to bank on the success of WIND & WUTHERING. While "Follow You Follow Me" performed well, becoming their first American top 40 hit, it just felt like they weren't ready to make a whole album just yet.

Just when you think that all is lost after Steve Hackett left, the remainding 3 members released a solid album that is probably as good as Wind and Wuthering. I like it because the songs are tight and catchy. Also, Tony Banks did a good job and unlike Wakeman in the late 70s, his keyboard sounds are great.

Note: This is pop, not prog at all! Also, there's little guitar playing here. Tony Banks and Phil Collins are the 2 most dominant members.

Down and Out is a strong opening track that shows how much Genesis changed without the guitar master. It is more uptempo, is dominated by beautiful keyboard playing, and Phil Collins stopped trying to sound like Peter Gabriel. The next two tracks are not very remarkable. Thanksfully, Snowbound redeems them. This track has only mellow verses and energetic choruses. The contrast between the two is what makes this song work. Burning Rope and Deep in a Motherlode are two tracks nominated by synth riffs, the latter being better. The next 2 tracks are good, but not great. Say it's alright joe climbs back to good music. The Lady Lies is another highlight with Tony Banks at his best. Nominated entirely by synth riffs, keyboard playing, and a magnificent synthesizer solo ... this is what Genesis is about! The album ends strongly with a pop song.

Highlights: Snowbound, Deep in a Motherlode, The Lady Lies Let Downs: Undertow, Ballad of Big

My Grade : C

This album should have been titled "Three Blind Mice" because they were obviously lost without a clue on this one. Perhaps it's because Phil was absent while he dealt with his personal family difficulties. Maybe it's because Mike was trying to become a better guitarist in order to attempt to replace Hackett and Tony was trying to make a leap to composing shorter, more commercial melodies. In any case, it didn't work on any level and belongs way down the list just above "Genesis" and "Invisible Touch." (Those two compete for the title of worst album.) There's not a memorable song included and, if not for the fluke hit "Follow You Follow Me," it may have sunk the band's ship altogether. They must have realized this fact themselves because their next effort, "Duke," is one of their all-time greatest. Some will disagree but I have to call 'em as I see 'em and this one is a stinker.

Aptly titled And Then There Were Three... after the sudden departure of Steve Hackett during the mixing sessions for the live album Seconds Out, this album would mark the beginning of the three man incarnation of Genesis comprised of Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, and Phil Collins. This would also mark the final album Genesis would release in the 70s, and while not even remotely close to the best album they released, it still was a fitting closer to the decade that saw them (and many other progressive rock groups at that note) reach infamous heights. And though there is no Peter Gabriel or Steve Hackett, this album is still pretty solid and shows that Genesis still had some progressive rock left in them (this is probably the most progressive of the three piece band albums, with Duke following shortly behind). Now if you're one of those types that think that Phil Collins ruined Genesis, you'll be surprised to hear that this album will be surprisingly good and along with Duke made a fine farewell to their old sound before they made their cross-over into pop music. Furthermore, it wasn't entirely Collins' fault for the format change, you can hear more pop influences in the Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks penned compositions than the Phil Collins' penned ones. But enough of my ranting.

The album opens strongly with the bitter and aggressive Down and Out. Powerful drumming from Collins and a solid foundation from Rutherford are augmented by rich organ chords and floating synthesizers from Tony Banks in an interesting 5/4 motif (at least that's what I think). It opens the album on a sullen and distant note, but I think it is one of the best songs on the album. You can hear an underlying guitar theme in Undertow, and you can just hear the spot where Hackett could have put a solo on top of but alas he's not there. This track reminds me a bit of Afterglow off of Wind & Wuthering, and it's a pretty somber (yet far from sparse) piece. Ballad of Big has a more upbeat feel and Collins' drumming keeps a marching/stampede style beat. Rutherford's bass performance is also pretty interesting and during the breakdown section molds well with Tony Banks' organ and synthesizers (you'll find quickly that Banks is the dominant musician on this album). Snowbound brings back hints of when Peter Gabriel was in the band as a very mellow introduction with an underlying flute melody (or so I think). It's a majestic piece that feels like Ripples off of Trick of the Tail. Burning Rope is the longest and most musically expansive piece on the album, that said, though, it does tend to meander around the same riff throughout the entire piece and there really is no sense of evolution in it. Rutherford tries his best to imitate a Hackett style guitar solo but for the most part comes up a bit short, still it is a pretty cool guitar solo.

Deep in the Motherlode has an expansive synthesizer intro with a rich sound overall. Collins' drumming is ever so consistent and Rutherford plays a subdued role this time with a fairly simple bass performance. It's a good song, but nothing truly captivating. Many too Many is filled with an aura of melancholy and mystery. The majestic orchestrations and instrumentation give way to a strong chorus and some hints of more Hackett influenced guitar can be heard. It's an okay song, but it could have been a lot more than it turned out to be. Scenes from a Night's Dream has Collins attempting a lyrical narration of sorts with the lyrics telling a story. The music is majestic and has a genuine upbeat feel but it's more of a throwaway piece than anything else. Say It's Alright Joe is another throwaway piece in the end, but Collins' heartfelt vocal when comibned with the mysterious instrumentation comes off quite effectively overall. The Lady Lies is one of the better pieces on the album with expansive performances from everyone as well as a superb rhythmic performance from Collins and Rutherford, who perform incredibly well under Banks' lush synthesizer solos. Follow You Follow Me ends the album on a lighter note with a more commercially oriented piece, though the mixed percussion is very nice and the chorus is somewhat catchy.

In the end, And Then There Were Three... would be the last true progressive album from Genesis, and though Duke would have a lot of progressive moments, this album edges it out on that. Do I like Duke more? That would depend on my mood, but what's for certain is that And Then There Were Three... seems to be missing something when you listen to it all at once, and I think that would be Hackett's signature guitar sound. But if you can get past that then you'll find some enjoyable music here. And once again, Collins didn't ruin Genesis, it was more Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford's fault in the end. 3.5/5.

Not a favourite album with many fans this was the first album post Hackett, and his absence shows itself throughout the record. Gone is the mystery, atmosphere and beauty of the earlier 'classic' albums, replaced here with more straightforward prog tinged rock songs. The tracks are shorter, and are more inclined to follow the standard verse chorus verse pattern. Not what fans of the band were expecting at all. Nevertheless, the music here is actually very enjoyable, and I have always thought the record more than a decent effort in the Genesis catalogue. 'Down And Out' starts off with a synth note, and builds into a mid paced song, quite aggressive vocally, with Mike Rutherford's guitar working away nicely in the background. His duties now extend to lead guitar as well as bass, and he actually does a very creditable job. Although I prefer Duke as an album to this one, Rutherford's guitar work is better on this record, at least to my ears. 'Undertow' is a slower track with a strong melody and good drums and percussion. Collins is in fine form throughout this album, as is Tony Banks; in fact, his keyboards are the dominant force on the record. 'Ballad Of Big' is another good song, with an eerie, trembly keyboard opening leading into another mid paced piece, with catchy chorus. Again, strong percussion here. 'Snowbound' is a quiet, gentle, melodic song, with nice chords from Rutherford and a lovely chorus, backed by Bank's wash of keyboards. Very nice. 'Burning Rope' ends what was the old side one of the vinyl. Many rate this the best track on the album, but I think it is just average, though it does have a nice guitar solo from Mike in the middle, where he tries, I think, to emulate Hackett a bit. 'Deep In The Motherlode' is one of the highlights here for me. Starting off abruptly with keyboards and drums, and a good bass line, it has some fine effects on it. I like the lyrics on this one too. The middle section is slower, and is backed by atmospheric keyboards, before the guitar screams in and the song picks up to mid pace again. Wonderful stuff this one, with Phil's drums adding a nice touch as the song fades. 'Many Too Many' is a lovely short track, with excellent piano work from Tony, and a well sung melody from Phil. As the song ends Mike supplies some simple but effective guitar. Very good. 'Scenes From A Night's Dream' has fantasy lyrics about, well, a night's dream, and Phil sings this one well, with again good percussion backing the dominant keyboards. 'Say It's Alright Joe' is another highlight. Nice piano again, and good low key guitar chords from Mike back a memorably melody, especially in the chorus, which is very powerful indeed. Superb. 'The Lady Lies' is another tour de force for Tony, with lyrics that could have come off A Trick Of The Tail. A catchy mid paced track, I love the piano work here. Finally comes my least favourite, the poppish 'Follow You Follow Me' which was, of course, a minor hit for the band. This track is the least Genesis like song on here, though, for some strange reason, I can actually imagine Peter Gabriel singing this one, almost as if it were a continuation of 'I Know What I like', though it isn't. All in all an album that deserves higher ratings than it usually gets. Although the sound has changed with the departure of Hackett, this album, and the next, were still decent efforts. It was Abacab that started the decline for me.

This is a significant record for a couple of reasons. First and most importantly it's the first record after the departure of Steve Hackett (as the title of the album implies). This also would be the last studio album that GENESIS would use mellotron on. Tony Banks would use the beloved mellotron on the song "Many Too Many". My favourite two tracks are "Snowbound" and "Undertow". The keyboard playing of Tony Banks is probably what stands out the most on this album for me and of course Phil's vocals.There is something about the overall sound of this record that takes me to a good place. Hard to explain really, but this is a special album for me. It's interesting too that the single "Follow You Follow Me" doesn't sound like it belongs here, it's different from all the rest but I still like it.

My least favourite track is the opener "Down And Out". I swear I thought this recording was defective the first time I heard it, the way it seems so chopped up in places. "Undertow" hits the spot for me. It's a Banks composition. Fragile vocals and keys. Sounds like mellotron too here. A full sound before a minute.The chorus just breaks me. Themes are repeated. Beautiful track. "Ballad Of Big" has a nice intro. it kicks in at 40 seconds. Once again a great chorus and song. "Snowbound" is a Rutherford song. It opens with fragile vocals in a mellow soundscpae.the chorus melts me. "Hey there's a snowman...".

"Burning Rope" is a great Banks tune with some nice drumming to open. I like the synths too. Vocals after a minute. Nice guitar after 4 minutes. "Deep In The Motherlode" is a feel good song for me, just listen... "Many Too many" opens with piano as mellotron comes in, then reserved vocals followed by drums. A fuller sound on the chorus. I like this one a lot. "Scenes From A Night's Dream" has some energy and harmonies too. "Say it's Alright Joe" is mellow with fragile vocals. It kicks in before 1 1/2 minutes. Nice. The contrasts continue. "Lady Lies" has a releaxing beat with organ as Phil sings. Lots of synths after 3 minutes. "Follow You Follow Me" is obviously a shot at a hit song. I like it anyway.

This album takes me to a good place everytime.

Being a Genesis fan since 1973, I stopped the purchase of their albums after 1977 (Wind & Wuthering) for a very long period of time. It is only in 1996, that I entered their later repertoire. I must admit that I was quite astonished with "And Then There Were Three". I could find here a lot of fine moments which reminded me of "the good old days". There are virtually no weak tracks on this album. But there isn't either a great, fantastic nor epic moment. "Down and Out" is a good opener : good rythtm with heavy keys but weak melody. "Undertow" and "Snowbound" are in line with "Ripples" or even "Blood on the Rooftops": nice & poppy melody. Side one also contains a quite rocky song "Ballad of Big" which is very nice to listen to. "Burning Rope", the longest track on the album could have been the epic we all expected but that we won't get. It is a bit like "One for the Vine" but instrumental part is not on par. It is still one of my fave here.

The balance between rocking numbers ("Deep in the Motherlode", "Scenes from a Night's Dream") with more melodic ones ("Many Too Many", "Say It's Alright Joe") goes on. "The Lady Lies" being a mix of both. The closing number "Follow You, Follow Me" will be a hit single and does not bother me at all (reminds me of "I Know What I Like"). It will reach number 7 in the UK (23 in the US). Globally, I believe that there is a lack in intrumental passages and that is a pity. So, one feels quite disappointing that some tracks are not developped a bit more. IMO this will also be the last good studio album till "Calling all Stations" about twenty years later. But at the time of release, this not not known yet ...

Globally a good album (no highlights but no blunder à la "More Fool Me") and a good surprise for me. The album will peak at Nr. 3 in the UK charts and Nr. 14 in the US. It is their most successful record so far (even if "Selling" and "Trick" will also reach the third spot in the UK (but they won't get as high in the US). Three stars.

The self-conscious reference to the group's title says all that needs to be said about this album, really. It's a chapter title from the famous Agatha Christie novel, and the loss of STEVE HACKETT does feel a bit like a murder. Certainly there's a hidden subtext. We've lost two of the five; who's next?

GENESIS ought to have waited until they'd worked through their loss before they went back to the studio. The material presented here had the potential to be excellent, but they have not come to grips with the limitations of being a trio.

Ah well. This disc is an enjoyable listen nonetheless. The rolling bassline and drums make 'Down and Out' an excellent opening track, followed by the cracking, dynamic ballad 'Undertow', good enough to fit on a GENESIS album of any era. 'Ballad of Big' is an incongruous thing, an enormous, bombastic sound fronting a strangely incomplete tale. Again RUTHERFORD shines with his rolling bass line, and TONY BANKS lights up with his keyboard. Fabulous climax to the song in the last 80 seconds - but not matched by the story, lending an odd feel to the song. This could really have benefited from a little more thought.

'Snowbound' is an obvious GENESIS ballad, derivative of their earlier work and my personal favourite from this album. I just adore the timbre of the keys here, allied to PHIL'S maturing voice. 'Burning Rope' is the album's 'epic' track, almost measuring up to 'Mad Man Moon' (of which it is derivative), with some competent guitar work in the central section.

The second half of the disc is much less essential. The muddied production and the use of fewer instruments means it begins to sound the same after a while - the first GENESIS album to overstay its welcome. The only real break is the closing track, the shiny 'Follow You,. Follow Me', the inoffensive, unwitting target for a generation of 'Genesis Sells Out!' protestors. Actually, I think it's the only song on the album that tries to move away from the 'let's do what we did last year' formula. The most progressive, if you like. The real crime is, of course, that it's catchy. Can't have progressive music appealing to the masses, don'tcha know. I want the music to remain my secret! Honestly, we're like over- jealous boyfriends ready to smack the face of anyone bold enough to admire our girl. Let 'em look, lads; she's still yours.

Overall an enjoyable release, if not up to previous standards. This has nothing at all to do with some 'sell-out'; it's purely a function of the band attempting to find out what they sounded like as a trio, and not quite getting it right.

The suitably titled "And Then There Were Three..." showed a significant departure for Genesis, both in personnel and the form their music would take. This wasn't just a one-off experiment or a lackadaisical attitude to this album, but really a foundation for the future musical direction of the band. The longest song on this album timed in at 7:09 with most of the songs around 5 minutes long or less. Many of the songs exhibited a commonplace radio-friendly structure, although they were all filled with flourishes of the group's prior symphonic progressive glory. However, for the most part, Genesis maintained interesting subjects for the lyrics of their songs like in the past, just shorter and to the point. The two most notable exceptions being Many Too Many and Follow You, Follow Me, which of course were released as singles and got a lot of radio play.

Steve Hackett of course was gone, leaving for a semi-successful solo career mostly because he felt the band was not agreeable to many of the songs he wrote for the band. Tony Banks and Phil Collins tended to get most of the songwriting credits since Gabriel left. Instead of looking for another guitarist, Mike Rutherford took over playing the dual role of bassist and lead guitarist. Rutherford was adequate, even fairly good at the guitar, but was a far cry from Hackett's talent.

So, is this worth your time? Yes, I'd say so, unless you have something against shorter format songs. Think of And Then There Were Three as a radio-friendly version of Wind and Wuthering. The keys are still dominating, maybe even more lush in places than on Wind and Wuthering and Phil Collins shows some improvement in his singing capabilities. What's missing are the extended instrumental sections filled with keyboard and guitar solos, and of course, Steve Hackett. Still, this is an exceptional release for 1978 considering the state of the times for prog rock.

Not a chance at being a masterpiece, but still a worthwhile and excellent album. I'd say maybe 3.8 rounded up to four stars seems deserving.

Something Missing...

OK, this sounds like Genesis, sort of, but spot the number of songs over 6 minutes. That'll be just the one, then.

Listen out for the theatricals.

*crickets*.

"I don't want to beat about the bush, but none of us are getting any younger. There's people out there who could take your place. A more commercial view! A fresher face!"

This accounts for the *gasp* accessible nature of this album - of course, it could be argued that Genesis progressed towards this approach... The lyrics to "Down and Out" spell it out further; "You and I both knew the score, you can't go on like this forever."

Lyrically, this is the most intimate Genesis album to date - and musically, too - the melodies are strong, and show the path that the trio would follow on the next album, as well as plundering heavily from the illustrious past of Banks and Rutherford's baby.

Rhythmically, "Down and Out" hiccups like a thing demented during the verses in a vain attempt, it would seem, to preserve a continuity between "old Genesis" and "new". I could care a whole lot less about the odd time signature being used - it sounds like a dance for Jake the Peg, and since it all hinges around a monotonous pedal point, it just sounds like old ideas being recycled badly. Even Phil's drumming sounds mechanical and uninspired, with occasional insane flurries as if to say "listen guys, we still play complicated stuff!". The dramatic chorus hovers around pedal points too, creating a big "symphonic" sound, but at the expense of musicality, and Tony Banks keyboard solo winds up and down pointless scales.

That said, there is a pleasing overall tone to the piece, and the melancholy vibe fits the autobiographical lyrics down to the ground.

When "Undertow" kicks in, I remember the point at which I gave up on this album on its release - oh no, not another "Ripples", I thought!

To be fair, it isn't another Ripples, as it is a lot more sophisticated, and spine-tinglingly autobiographical in places; "Stand up to the blow that fate has struck upon you, Make the most of all you still have coming to you". It does come across as a radio- friendly ballad - but, I'm pleased to say, there is a lot more life in this old dog; While obviously gunning for the bigwig-pleasers, Genesis maintained a fair level of musical quality in here.

"Ballad of Big", however, represents a drop in quality. The story is entertaining, about the bully who receives an important lesson in humilty from a tribe of Indians, but the music is insipid and doesn't tell the story, rather it provides a meandering and plodding backdrop to it. First real turkey on the album.

"Snowbound" begins like another "Ripples" - but with a suitable dose of icy production and arrangement. The chorus reminds me a little of Radiohead's "The Tourist", only instead of "Hey, man, slow down", the lyrics run "Hey, there's a snow man", and the entire song is weaker than Radiohead's monster, robbed of momentum by the arrangement on the line "Filled with the love of all who lie so deep".

"Burning Rope" kind of has that early Genesis sound, with an attractive melody that quickly grows old once you've heard it more than twice, but is an ear-opener the first few times. The instrumental section is pretty good, although a little artificial feeling in places. Rutherford turns in a respectable if unremarkable solo, the proceedings dominated, as usual, by Banks' keyboards and Collins' rhythms.

Essentially another autobiographical song ("You're old and disillusioned now as you realise at last, That all all you have accomplished here will have soon all turned to dust. You dream of a future after life, well that's a maybe, I don't know.").

What seems like a cry to the pioneering spirit continues the "cowboy" theme introduced in "Ballad of Big" - "Deep in the Motherlode" looks back to the Genesis glory days musically, while urging "Go West, young man", and similar variations on the "tomorrow never comes" theme that pervades the lyrics. The rather lugubrious song gives way to a musical highlight in the shape of a bridge that describes the tough journey that lies behind the romantic notion of the escape to pastures new. Rutherford's guitar really hits the spot here, and the musical journey takes new shape that could have been extended much longer... if only...

Another pop ballad follows in "Many too Many", packed full of arcing melody and singalong chorus, which lyrically continues the underlying themes of the album. This is a strong song, with the hunger of a rock band not really knowing what they're trying to achieve, but at the same time, having something to write about.

"Scenes From a Night Dream" is way to jolly for my taste, and seems like it comes from a different session - although the off-kilter riff ties in with that of "Down and Out". Album filler, made for the skip button. Poor little Nemo indeed.

"Say it's Alright Joe" is a late night in the bar atmospheric killer of a tune, back on the thematic lyrical track, and fully worthy of the name Genesis, which suddenly explodes into a rocker. The only real problem is that this track is too short (and feels it), but then we have six whole minutes of "The Lady Lies", which is the absolute highlight of this album, in a more "classic" Genesis style.

We wrap up with "Follow You, Follow Me", another Phil special of a pop song - I've never been keen on this one, although the instrumental breaks are nice. Essentially, it's a love song, but there is also a flavour of cameraderie and a continuation of the theme of sticking with it whatever the weather.

So in summary, a Progressive Pop album - the pivotal point in Genesis' career between old and new, with plenty of flavours of both, and only a few duff moments. For this reason, this album is not likely to be considered a masterpiece by many - but it has got an awful lot going for it on the Prog front, as well as being accessible to a non-Prog audience. Lyrically, as pointed out, there is a strong concept running through the album - perhaps accidentally, since particular themes are constantly revisited in the manner of a lyricist with recurring thoughts, doubts, fears and resolutions - but a concept nonetheless.

"ATTWT" has never been a favourite of mine in the Genesis back catalogue, and I was fully prepared to give it a rating of 3, or even 2 - but that would be only in comparison with the great material that this band put out in earlier years.

Compared to most, and especially for the time this was released, this is an interesting album combining progressive rock and introducing a new slant to progressive pop. Contrary to many opinions, it's not even a hint of the Neo-Prog movement that was to come, except, maybe, in the personal intimacy of the lyrics - something Prog Rock was never particularly renowned for previously.

On the strength of the better material, therefore, I think this album deserves a score of 3.5/5 - it definitely an album that should be listened to by anyone who considers themselves a fan of Prog rock, and one that should be owned by any fan of Genesis - and it's worth dusting it off every now and again as a "winding down" listen.

Rounded up to 4 - not really essential, but very worth a listen.

These three were survivors and though they'd lost one of the greatest front men in music and an irreplaceable guitarist, they wanted to keep making music. Good music. So in 1978 they made the best of a challenging situation, pulled together and wound up with a collection of fine songs. In hindsight, it is probably their most significant transition album, showing a marked move toward the airwaves but still with a few toes in the prog rock camp, not quite willing to let go of their symphonic past just yet. Consequently, And Then There Were Three was one of the best crossover records of the late prog era.

There are some unremarkable moments and the original mix is a bit muddled, but mostly the material is a logical continuation of A Trick of the Tail and Wind & Wuthering. At times the tone of the album has similarities with early concept Genesis though still missed after four years is Peter Gabriel's abstract wit, replaced by Collins' everyman veneer. Solid post-symphonic rock is 'Down and Out', Rutherford doing an admirable job doubling on guitar, Collins' mean drumtrack and Banks's backbone. 'Undertow' slows things down, capturing the record's quieter lullaby sound and a strong vocal from Collins, as with the catchy 'Ballad of Big', pretty 'Snowbound' and more visions of sugarplums, and lushly symphonic and very prog 'Burning Rope' featuring more surprisingly good guitar parts from bassist Rutherford. Cool L.A. sheen for 'Deep in the Motherlode' which faintly echoes this band's glory days, more childhood memories from Collins and one of the better cuts in 'Scenes From a Night's Dream', weird cautionary tale-telling of 'The Lady Lies', and very appealing ballad 'Follow You Follow Me'.

This was their first major immersion in the pop market and their future was written on the wall, but a very nice offering nonetheless and hits the spot on a late night when you don't need endless changes and screaming synths.

...And Then There Were Three is the first record Genesis made that indicated a more commercial approach to their music. Sure there had been attempts at commercialism before, but this recording had a new sound to it, that none of Genesis previous efforts had. Many conservative Prog. rock fans believe this album signaled the end of Genesis as a prog. rock group. The album is pretty different and more commercial, but still contains some of the most beautiful songs Genesis has ever written IMO. Down on the Motherlode and Burning Rope, stand out as the most beautiful ones. All songs on this album are really good prog. rock/ pop songs except Follow Me, Follow You which I find to be pure commercial Pop and not worth listening to if you´re anything like me.

The songs are not progressive in the vein previous Genesis material were. Which means the prog. Rock elements are more subtle and incorporated into the songs. There are no 3-4 minute soloes on this one. This was actually the first Genesis album I owned. I bought it second hand for 1$ ( it was a little damaged and smelled of smoke as the LP had been through a fire). The best dollar I ever spend. I had heard Land of confusion and other hits from the 80´s Genesis, and never thought much of the band. But I was lucky one night that they played Firth of Fifth ( As I later found out the song was called) on the radio late at night, and I caught interest in Genesis instantly.

At the time I didn´t know about the bands history or discography for that matter, and I accidently stumbled over ...And Then There Were Three in the aforementioned LP format. I came home and put on the LP. Accidently on side B and Down on the motherlode came to me with it´s wave of keyboards and intelligent lyrics. I found it beautiful and intriguing. Later on, after listening to ...And Then There Were Three for hundreds of times Burning Rope is my favorite.

The most funny thing is, after listening to every album from Genesis, reading biographies and being a fan for the last 10 years, it is actually the Peter Gabriel period that most excites me. But ...And Then There Were Three will always mean a lot to me. It is a unique album, both for its time and if you listen to it today. It is highly recommendable both for prog. rock fans and rock/pop fans. Almost a 5 star rating from me.

"And Then There Were Three" - Genesis, personally...ranks as one of their crowning achievements. There's no Hackett and there's no Gabriel. This is one of its charms. How they managed to produce such a tight ensemble without the aforementioned involved is quite impressive. This album just goes to show how talented this band was, and that the rhythm section of Rutherford and Collins could really lift these guys to strange heights. You won't find a more dizzying and tight slice of prog.rock anywhere with the opener "Down And Out". I've heard Genesis had to drop this song from their live setlist because it was almost sure to fall apart in one show or another due to its complexity. Most of the rest of the album is pastoral in nature, nicely written songs(avoiding commercial cliches) with excellent keyboards from Tony Banks. "Snowbound" ranks right up there with "Blood OnThe Rooftops"(from "Wind & Wuthering"). In fact, Tony Banks plays a large compositional role on this album and gives it that 'je ne c'est quoi?" feel. I have a tendency to relate this music to autumnal colours in Southwestern Ontario (Canada) when the maple trees turn to purples, yellows and maroons. As far as Genesis goes, this album is on an island - not unlike "Trespass". They never recorded one like it again. For that reason alone, it gets 5 stars on a personal level, but a noble "4 stars" for the newcomer. Even the minor hit "Follow You, Follow Me" isn't all that commercial sounding. It has a gorgeous keyboard solo from Tony Banks that I never grow tired of. "And Then There Were Three..." is highly recommended and it's a crime it's so underrated.

It seems the year 1978 wasn't a great one for Prog-Rock, but still, this Genesis release was a perfect compromise of accessible shorter songs, along with technical prowess and dynamic flair. In some ways, ATTWT features the most incredible, tight playing to be found on any Genesis album (yeah, it's taken a lot of gall to say that....) - Collins is ALL OVER his drum-kit and manages to sneak in many odd-metres, his vocals becoming more confident, although at times he seems to struggle with his high notes. Tony Banks' ARP synth is surely working over-time (but he uses at least 7 other keyboards to give it a rest), and Mike Rutherford does an admirable job with his Basses and Bass Pedals, also taking a risk with becoming lead- guitarist - not an easy thing to do after Master Hackett. This time around we only get 2 longer pieces in 'Burning Rope' (just over 7 mins) and 'The Lady Lies' (just over 6 mins) - both Banks' compositions and they show-off the powerful potential of this 3-piece ensemble (and I don't mean a lounge chair, recliner and coffee table, either !!). In other cases, 'Down and Out' is an intense 5 minutes, full of fast-paced rhythmic jerkiness (the main theme being in 5/4), 'Undertow' is superb, emotional and quite moving, 'Ballad of Big' with its cowboy legend lyrics is full of abrupt tempo changes from verse to chorus and convincing imagery, it holds together quite well, 'Snowbound' is a soft ballad and breaks up the tension a little. 'Burning Rope' finishes up the first half in a colossal way. PhilCo's drum kit must've been huge at this stage !! The rocking 'Deep In The Motherlode' has never been a favourite of mine, but the softer mid-section is pretty good, 'Many Too Many' is another little ballad, with quite a standard melody, but it is just so beautiful. 'Scenes From a Night's Dream' is quirky, kind of cheezy but still fun. 'Say It's Alright, Joe' is another of the amazing tracks on this album, alternating between soft, nimble verses, and loud intense choruses. 'The Lady Lies' starts out with quite a 'slinky' melody (something akin to a strip- tease, I imagine) with Banks bouncing along gleefully on his Hammond, great vocals (and drumming) from Phil, awesome synth solo and riff during the instrumental passage, and some terriffic Bass playing. The Piano work is also noteable. Rounding off the album is the hit single 'Follow You, Follow Me', which is commercial, but Banks' keyboards save the day with this one. For me, this is the last truly 'progressive' album from Genesis (although they paid 'lip service' on subsequent releases) and deserves a full 4 stars.

Still in bussines

Anyhow for me a transitional album in Genesis catalog. At first listen i was not very impressed after hearing the previouses albums this one is in between, not bad not very good. With time and patience some quality material emerged out of it, and in the end i realised that And then there were three is a good album. Sometimes i find this album to have a lack of direction after stunning Trick of the tail and Wind & wuthering, and has diffrent aproaches who sometimes run out of steam or don't have the energy to make some. So after all this is not a bad album they are still in bussines, but with no more epics, maybe the only epic is a piece composed by Rutherford named Deep in the motherload, the rest of the tracks are good but no more than that. Some of the best tracks are Down and out, Ballad of a pig, Scenes from a nights dream and Deep in the motherload. In my opinion this is a good album not as good as the next one Duke and not as good as the previouses ones, 3 stars, enjoyble.

". And Then There Were Three" is surely the weirdest Genesis album to review, since it is trapped in a time of transition for the band, now reduced to the Banks-Collins-Rutherford that eventually came to achieve worldwide stardom status. It is regular consensus among prog-fans' circles that Gabriel's departure the Genesis magic was gone and with Hackett's departure the Genesis art was gone. Well, they may be overstatements but they're not grossly out of the mark either. This album, the first after an unsatisfied Hackett left the band, is proof that Genesis was still keen on progressive inventiveness but also that it was looking on toward different horizons, eventually coming to fruition from the "Duke" album onwards. This is the first Genesis album not to reach the level of excellence that had deservedly made it a major name in the British art-rock scene. But it also has some highlights, too: for instance, this album comprises what are arguably the best Rutherford-penned pieces ever (tracks 4, 6 & 9), as well as some really captivating Banks-penned ballads, and finally, a further exploration of Collins' drumming style (particularly featured in the mix) and the best Rutherford lead guitar input ever (clearly emulating Hackett). The latter signifies the band's tendency to make their sound more robust, while keeping their melodic eerie approach intact from their "Trick" and "Wind" days. The effective opener 'Down and Out' is a loud-and-clear testimony of this line of work: less impressive are tracks 3 & 8 (the latter would have made a strong instrumental, though), but the general idea remains. More successful are the two Banks (relative) epics 'Burning Rope' and 'The Lady Lies', which fit the Genesis prog standard sufficiently, but IMHO fail to grasp the special magic of Banks' better times. On this time only, Rutherford surpasses his buddy: 'Snowbound' is beautifully moving, 'Deep in the Motherlode' is pure symphonic elegance and 'Say It's Alright, Joe' bears an amazing sad atmosphere (better exploited in live renditions, indeed). Banks' inspiration is better served in his two tremendous ballads 'Undertow' and 'Many Too Many', based on mesmerizing piano chord progressions and emotionally charged synth layers. .And then we come to the album's end, the infamous 'Follow You Follow Me' - this sing-along song that might as well have been a Eurovision safe bet is the announcement of yet more futile things to come and overcome the world of Genesis. Unlike 'Harold the Barrel' (a demonstration of witty cabaret-like humor) or 'More Fool Me' (a moment of relaxing romanticism), this individual song is a disgrace for the whole album, because it directly reflects the fact that Genesis was on the verge of leaving their sense of art behind in favor of unfocused immediate appeal. Whichever greatness found in other album tracks was a sing-off letter, whichever shortcoming was a symptom of something else coming to contaminate the area with a thing that is not and should have never been part of Genesis world. But again, that is to be considered in later albums' reviews. so let's leave it with regarding ".And Then There Were Three" as a very good but not essential prog-rock album with some undeniably excellent moments.

Oh... That's who kept it progressive...

With the departure of guitar god Steve Hackett after Wind And Wuthering it becomes painfully clear who was steering the band in the progressive direction over the last couple years. Gone are the long symphonic compositions such as ''One For The Vine'' or ''Ripples'', these types of tracks are instead sacrificed for shorter, more straightforward songs. After a seeming revelation with the success of ''Your Own Special Way'' and ''Afterglow'' the trio seems to have decided to go for a more commercial road getting off the seeming dead-end street that was the late-70s progressive genre.

...And Then There Were Three... is a very controversial album, loved by some and despised by others, this is an album that has its charms at times, yet at other times shows the clear end of a band which started out so brilliantly. It starts out rather promisingly with the haunting riff and synths that open Down And Out. Unfortunately, this is one of the few songs that really jump off the album to hit you ''right between the eyes''. Fast paced and rockish, it's clear the the band has taken another direction. Slowing once more a more familiar crawl is the second track Undertow, which gets better as it picks up but unfortunately remains fairly average.

Already the two types of songs on the album have been presented -- the fast rockers and the slow tracks (slightly) reminiscent of old Genesis. Which turns out better? Well, as proven by the fast Ballad Of Big it's the fast songs that here prevail. The synth driven Scenes From A Night's Dream further proves this point as the album's best short track with it's excellent melodies and atmospheres along with some killer drumming from Mr. Collins. Of the slower tracks there's a mixed bag to be had. Say It's Alright Joe and Many Too Many are both rather enjoyable tracks with continued airy synths and well done vocal parts. Others, however, such as the pop-hit Follow You Follow Me and the terribly irritating (thanks to an annoying chorus and eyebrow raising lyrics) Snowbound show that Genesis should just stick to the faster tracks in this version of their line-up (something they'd do much better on Duke).

A couple songs where everything really comes together is the few longer tracks on the album. The promising keys that open Burning Rope are not soon let down as the song makes its way through some chilling and somehow beautiful melodies throughout the song. With a clear chorus and fairly poppy undertones this song is one that really shouldn't work, but does somehow anyways -- A stellar standout. The Lady Lies is the other long(er) track on the album and though weaker than Burning Rope it's creepy music and lyrics make it quite the track that's well worth the listen.

A very good album that has a very split following of lovers and haters, this one is very hard to decide a rating for. Being that (many) fans will likely enjoy it while others will avoid it like the plague, and it's not the best Genesis album to start with this one is going to have to get a 3. ''Good, but not essential'' well describes the buyability of this album. While the album's creepy music (the cover pretty well describes the tone of the music) may appeal to many, its pop-rockiness will harshly turn off others. But, if you like all that stuff then give it a shot! You'll likely find something to enjoy.

I don't talk round corners. It's right between the eyes (and ears)!

The mother of all transition albums and really it missing more than Steve Hackett although he would have helped. I really think what else is missing is the organ and mellotron. It is one thing to remove one element of your sound but two is really hard to compensate for. Genesis was not the only band who moved away from the more rich and full sounds of the Hammond to the thinner polyphonic synthesisers in this time period. It was almost like every band who had made their sound with a Hammond were no putting it back on the shelf.

Another problem is the band was really trying to write in a similar although shorter style but it doesn't work quite as well. The full Genesis sound needs the long instrumental spaces and we only hear glimpses of it. There hints of the old sound in the beginning an end of Down and Out where the keyboards and guitars almost make you think Hackett is there. Undertow is beautiful Tony Banks song and sounds in the vocals like Mad Man Moon and One for the Vine except it is missing the great instrumental parts much like Heathhaze on Duke. The same goes for Many too Many as well. The song that really points us to the not too distant future even more than the sappy Follow You is Scenes From a Night's Dream penned by both Banks and Collins in a very simple and poppy pace along with poppy vocals. This one sounds like it could have ended up on Invisible Touch.

In some ways they were starting to repeat themselves and it was short of thin at the seams. Instead of Harold the Barrel we have Big Jim Cooley. Instead of the Sandman we have the Snowman. Some of the themes were similar to past ones and I think the band thought as well and it was the key factor to cutting up the Duke Suite on the next album. Many of themes here are darker in feel but not anger or power but more and and depressed. this album doesn't make you feel good to listen too. Say it's Alright Joe is just a throw away.

Still there are some gems here in Burning Rope, Deep in the Motherlode and the Lady Lies that give you the image of Genesis past. Still in the end I would rather listen to Duke because it more upbeat than this one even though I rate them each 3 stars.

Deep In The Motherlode

Many people ("many too many"!) live under the false impression that Genesis became a commercial pop band straight after Steve Hackett left the band in 1977. This is actually not really true at all. Even if Hackett is definitely my favourite member of Genesis, I still very much like the present album - the first one they did after Steve left. Indeed, And Then There Were Three is actually one of my favorite Genesis albums! The only songs here that might be considered commercial or Pop are Follow You, Follow Me and Many Too Many. However, both of these are good songs anyway (and nowhere near the blatant commercialism of things like Invisible Touch and Jesus He Knows Me, that would come years later)!

When Peter Gabriel left, Phil Collins stepped up from behind the drum kit and took over lead vocal duties. In a similar way, Mike Rutherford here stepped up to take over lead guitar duties. What other band could do something like that! There is so much resources within the group which is truly remarkable. Usually, a really great band has one or maybe even two members that stand out as having something really special, but Genesis had (at least) five unique talents among their ranks! Rutherford does a fine job playing guitar, but they would hire Daryl Streumer to play guitar on the road.

However, there is not that much guitar here as And Then There Were Three is more of a keyboard dominated album. And Tony Banks simply shines here! There is not a bad song on this album, but my favorites are Deep In The Moderlode, Down And Out and Burning Rope.

This album is very underrated and I believe that it would appeal to fans of both older and newer Genesis (if they only listened to it with an open mind!).

Important moment for Genesis.This is the album that begin to move away Genesis from progressive rock.Not happy but important moment!The album is still mostly progressive rock,but with some exceptions.Big wondering between 3 and 4 stars for me.I think it's 3.5 actually because of some great songs like Down and Out,which has the same compound metre like Dance on a Volcano - 5/4,Undertow and Burning Rope.I believe it deserve 4 more than 3!

The point at which many diehard fans gave up and turned away in disgust, with now Gabriel AND Hackett missing. The trouble for me is that I was a 14 yo when this was released, I got it as soon as it was released, and Collins singing was my first introduction to the band, and I loved it.

Looking back over the years, and acknowledging the genius that came before this album, I am still of the opinion that it is a very good LP and I still enjoy putting it on now.

There are, if people care to listen, some great prog moments, and Down and Out starts it off very well. Rutherford really steps up to the plate replacing Hackett on lead guitars, as much as I regret his passing. The drum work is excellent and Banks continues his by now trademark wall of sound keyboards from the previous LP.

I love Undertow, and it is particularly apt in the deep mid winter here in the UK and elsewhere. I like the feeling of defiance and utterly no regret at what has passed in life before in these lyrics. Again, Collins drum work is superb and the sound produced in the chorus is pure prog. I always rated Banks above all other keyboard players, including the maestro Wakeman himself, and he shines here with a magnificent crecendo of noise.

Yes, Ballad of Big is silly, but it is fun as well with a fantastic singalong chorus. I think Collins shines on this and the whole LP.

Snowbound is a rather throwaway track - nice but by no means essential and it is for this that the LP really only deserves four stars. This was the start of a pattern of worryingly weak tracks which rather detracted from the excellence of all else.

For example - Burning Rope, a track which has to be near the top ten of most Genesis tracks. Rutherford brings a rockier feel to the band's guitars and Banks moves his song along at a great pace. Again, Collins roars along with complex drum patterns and meaningful, soulful lyrics. This track continues the rather melancholic, wintry feel to the words...Yet only eagles seem to pass on through. It is also a rarity in that the track starts with the chorus. An outstanding piece of work which convinced me that this was a band worth sticking with. Just listen to Rutherford's guitar solo in the middle.

Deep in the Motherlode tells very well the story of loss of innocence in the great American gold rush, and contains some brilliant keyboard & guitar interaction toward the end period. Many too Many is simply fantastic. Say it's all right Joe proved that Collins could, when pressed, tell as good a story as Gabriel and also act it out on stage - you see and emphasise with the bum of the title. Scenes from a Nightdream is a fantastic commercial prog song, with poor little Nemo on a knife edge. All parents will emphasise with the darker elements of nightmares of children in this song.

The Lady Lies keeps the album chugging along at a brisk pace. And then we come to the heresy....yes, it's a hit single...Top of the Pops, Nationwide (well, I am getting on!) & etc. And do you know what, I really don't care. I've lost count of the number of fans who were introduced to the band by this track and then became hooked on proper prog as a result. Even if they didn't, it's an excellent pop song, well played, and utterly effective. Good on them.

I heartily award this album 4 stars. It has a fantastic feel, in spite of the melancholic nature of the lyrics. It is the sound of a band very determined to prove, stubbornly, that they would continue to survive. And, yes, there was still some great stuff to come.

Get over your prejudices - buy it - you'll enjoy it!

I find this album extremely hard to give a ´proper´review. I guess my feelings towards this album keep getting in the way since it was released. At the time it was out in the stores I though Genesis was finished. At least as the band I used to know and love so much. First, I could never really understand why they didn´t replace Steve Hackett. The lack of a real fine lead guitar is too obvious all the way through. Mike Rutheford may be a fine bass player and a more than average rhythm guitarrist, but clearly he is not a natural born solist. His solos are more tentative than thrilling (except maybe on Burning Rope). And he has nothing of Hackett´s or Philips elegance and fluidness, no matter how hard he tries. And it does not seem he was trying very hard...

The band was not in their most inspired phase either. Few songs are memorable and this is sure quite inferior to anything they had released before (including From Genesis to Revelation). There are of course some nice stuff: Many Too Many, Burning Rope are good examples of their great songwriting skills. Still, everything here sounds rather contrived and half baked. Although many progheads dislike the last track, the hit Follow You, Follow Me, I think it is an excellent prog pop song. At least it worked better as a whole than all of the other tunes on the album.

...And Then There Were Three... still remains a strange album in my collection. Not really bad, not really good. Transitional period, I guess. It´s unfair to compare it to Wind & Wuthering, but I still think it is inferior to Duke, for example. Definitely not for the newbies.

Final rating: something between 2 and 2,5 stars.

I think it's funny how the majority of GENESIS 'fans' would blame PHIL COLLINS for everything that's bad on later band albums.

And you know why it's so funny? PHIL COLLINS didn't wrote the majority of the songs that 'suck', in fact, he basically didn't even touch the songs (check the album Wikipedia page and you'll see - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...And_Then_There_Were_Three...) and yet... 'PHIL COLLINS sucks'.

I'm not his fan, not at all, I think he's a fine drummer and I like his voice, but that's it. This album is not that good, not that bad, and it's not that different from A Trick Of The Tail (1976) and my favorite Wind & Wuthering (1976). It's just a follow up a little bit more pop, the band was trying to find a new sound, that's all.

It's incredible how people are 'robots' and like to just take others opinions and say it out loud as if would be true. Grow up, learn a bit, listen, and then you can have your own opinion. Best if not comes with a 'PHIL COLLINS suck', cause that just make you stupid.

Wind & Wuthering Part 2, without Hackett this time...

Yes, without Steve, the band was not a Prog band anymore, if not a straight-forward rock band with a keyboardist having the lead role, they edged pop stuff every now and then but also prog, however full fledged Pop Genesis was still to come.

So why did I started this review saying 'Wind & Wuthering Part 2' if I just stated that they're not a Prog band anymore? Well if you listen to both album's keyboard selections, the melodies and chords, the semi-dark atmosphere, it all fits, the only key factor that makes And Then There Were Three not seem to sound like Wind & Wuthering is that Steve Hackett is not here delivering outstanding atmospheric touches and supporting to the song-writing. Still, Mike Rutherford was able to imitate him quite well in killer stuff like Burning Rope, Ballad of Big, Down & Out and Many too Many.

I'll leave the comparison behind and talk about the album specifically now. The quality of And Then There Were Three is by every means good, you can find it a bit boring just for the fact that this has been already been done greater in Wind & Wuthering, but the material is definitely on good standards. The already mentioned Burning Rope being in the heights of Wind & Wuthering's strongest material, also The Lady Lies and Down & Out having very good compositions and great musicianship.

Then you got Many too Many and Say It's Alright Joes which to seem to fall in the likes of All in a Mouse's Night, solid keyboards and compositions, but they don't go any further in exploring instrumental passages, complex time signatures or any outstanding solos. Don't get me wrong All in a Mouse's Night is very good, but done, somehow, again and again and even in a weaker way it just isn't very interesting, still not bad.

The rest, with the exception of the decent pop song Follow You Follow Me, is in the standards of those two previous mentioned. Ocassionally good solos or melodies, but straight forward compositions with no real surprises, yet having that similarity with Wind & Wuthering due to the melodies and mood, which makes quite of a bonus.

I really wouldn't put this album alongside Invisible Touch or Abacab or the like since they really don't share anything other than having overall short songs. Usually when I listen to Wind & Wuthering, I listen to this before or after it, it just fits the mood and style. Many may not share this observation I find, but well, what can I do about it? I do, and thanks for that, I like this album and listen to it with enjoyment.

3 stars.

At the time of its release in 1978 I'm sure I wasn't the only Genesis fan who was disappointed by And Then There were Three... No long epics here; instead there are eleven short and straight to the point commercial rock songs. Yes this was the start of Genesis' metamorphosis from prog giants to lightweight eighties pop/rock.

This was of course their first album since Steve Hackett's departure who left down to reasons of feeling his own input was being neglected. However it's doubtful had he stayed that the change would have been so drastic.

With the benefit of hindsight and time And Then There Were Three isn't a total disaster and it's certainly better than the last two albums to feature Phil Collins before he jumped ship in the nineties. Sure there's a fair amount of lightweight fluff, none worse than the hit single Follow You, Follow Me. The songs certainly lack the complexity of the past but have an immediacy of melody and while there's nothing that I would consider an essential Genesis classic there's a handful of good and even a couple of very good tracks. Best is album opener Down And Out, darker sounding than anything else and brimming with power. Collins plays an excellent drum pattern playing fast triplets on his bass drum. Deep In The Motherlode also drives along nicely and Many Too Many is a pleasant ballad to name a few higher points.

And Then There Were Three is undoubtedly the worst album they had released so far, with the exception of their debut, From Genesis To Revelation, but it's far from a total disaster. Taken on its own terms without comparing it to past glories it sits as a fairly good, easily accessible light rock record.

Out went Hackett and on went Genesis as if nothing had happened. Rutherfield plays a few guitar licks on the album but apart from that I can hardly hear the difference with the preceding albums. The style and dreamy atmospheres are very much the same and the song quality doesn't seem to be affected that much either.

Some songs suffer from Phil's tiny voice and limited range, but there are plenty of very pleasing ones as well. Down and Out is a vigorous opener and despite the exodus, the band sounds confident and passionate. Also Burning Rope, Deep in the Motherlode and to a minor degree The Lady Lies and Follow Me are essential Genesis stuff. I don't know what the commotion is about Follow Me being commercial. At least its not as cheesy as I Know What I Like. And I haven't heard much complaints about that one.

Man of the album is Tony Banks again. Again he proves he is the best keyboard player of his generation next to Richard Wright. While the often pointless drivel of virtuosos like Wakeman and Emerson has aged badly, Banks' keyboards still sound fresh now and play an essential role in each song. He's sure not a man of great gesture but instead one of texture and content. 2.5 stars

Hello you good old chap prog, I've been longing for you. You know, recently, these few dozens of hours I've been visiting your distant relative, 80-90's Genesis, so I'm so glad that I'm back here in your complex arms.

Am I ? I should be, but something is not right. Because I've been afraid that because I love Gabriel era Genesis, my ratings can be biased, I have ventured into dark age, to be really frightened so I could run to past-Gabriel-but still in 70's Genesis like little brat to his mommy. This is of course better, this is prog and that means that "Three" is able to offer a lot of classic Genesis era. I'll not enjoy it as much (common, Scenes from a Night's Dream is clear sign of decline in bands ambitions, even it can't be simply thrown out, as there are its good moments).

3(+), it's warming, but I'm still shivering a little bit.

An album I resisted from the start because of the loss of Steve HACKETT and the lack of a cohesive concept, sound or style to glue all of the songs together. But, I have to admit, there are some AMAZING songs (or, to be more accurate, parts of songs) on this album. The B parts of "Say It's All Right Joe" (4:18) (9/10) and "The Lady Lies" (6:08) (9/10) (amazing percussion work from Phil!) are among my all-time favorite Genesis themes. "Snowbound" (4:47) (8/10), Burning Rope" (7:07) (8/10), and "Deep in the Motherlode" (5:14) (8/10) all have some truly outstanding parts, but they just don't hold it together for the entirety of the songs--they sound like two or three songs forced together unnaturally. The rest must have been throwaways from previous Genesis or solo projects. Thank goodness for Duke, ABACAB, and the "Mama" album to show that these guys still have something left in them.

And Then There Were Three... is the album that marks a change in sound for Genesis, utilizing more of a pop sound. This is also the first album without Steve Hackett. It seems that with the absence of Hackett, the remaining members felt compelled to fill in their otherwise-thinning sound with heavy synths. Although this album is mostly pop oriented, there are still some prominent progressive moments strewn throughout.

"Down and Out" features a 5/4 time signature, which is slightly odd and progressive compared to most pop music. It also is quite aggressive. "Burning Rope" sounds very lush with its heavy synths and doesn't seem all too different compared to the music on their last album. It progresses lightly, and might be the best track on the album.

Most of the tracks, however, are thoroughly cheese-filled, which foreshadows the effect that the upcoming '80s sound will have on previously-progressive rock bands. Not too much stands out, but this album is above-par compared to most pop music.

OK, OK, so Genesis moved over to shorter, snappier songs on this one, and yes, it includes Follow You Follow Me. But let's not go overboard here - aside from that one song, the album is miles away from the slick and shamelessly commercial pop Genesis offered up in the 1980s and 1990s. With Steve Hackett gone, Mike and Tony Banks pick up the slack and take a sidestep away from the pastoral prog of their earlier years, presenting a synthesiser-heavy variation on the Genesis sound which still finds plenty of room for all the whimsy, drama, theatricality and weirdness the band had been known for.

And whilst the sound might be different from what came before, I'd hardly call it simpler or more accessible - this is a dense, occasionally impenetrable album with a surprising amount going on if you look beyond the simpler tracks like Follow You Follow Me.

Unfortunately, the band don't seem to have given themselves enough time after Hackett's departure to really iron out their new sound, with the result that the denser tracks feel awkward and half-formed, rather than the simultaneously accessible and lavish numbers the band used to turn out so effortlessly under Hackett's tenure. That said, part of the issue here may be the rather murky mix; the remixed and remastered CD reissue of 2007 greatly alleviates this and allows previously obscured qualities of the material room to breathe, resulting in a much better listening experience.

I wouldn't go so far as to call this essential Genesis, but it doesn't quite deserve the bum rap it usually gets. It's not a bad album - just the first , release to break the streak of great albums they'd put out from Trespass to Wind and Wuthering. I'd pick any of those albums - or Duke - over this one any day, but on the other hand if you're after prog-oriented material then you'd probably prefer to this to any of their post-Duke material.

Three Gold Stars for the threesome that still have the prog edge!

And Then There Were Three is one of the last decent Genesis albums before the onslaught of 80s syrupy ballads and teenybopper sounds that the band generated as nothing more than session musicians. At least here as a threesome the band proved they are still able to create innovative wondrous prog such as the alarmingly proggish Burning Rope. This is one of the last prog pieces from Genesis before they turned to commercial 80s kitsch-tack. Banks is wonderful on this album and Collins can still create dark atmospheres. To hear a sound such as the one on Burning Rope fills me with sadness after hearing their 80s albums. I know I am perhaps wishing for a Genesis like the beast of the 70s when Gabriel was mon capitaine, but at least the band performed like virtuoso musos rather than session hacks. Collins did not have to resort to love ballads either, at least not focus purely on this style as he had so much more to offer. But he was swallowed up on the power ballad bandwagon and I guess once you are on it, it is virtually impossible to get off. The smell of success was burning in the nostrils of all 80s bands especially metal rockers who opted for the love ballad in order to squeeze out a few thousand dollars out of the industry. Innovative music was the victim of all this in favour of straight 4 on the floor time sigs and soaring melodies, soaring guitars and soaring concert tickets. Genesis fell into this hole as we all know but this album is a true surprise containing enough prog to satiate the average progger.

Thankfully on this 1978 album the band are in fine form. I was quite amazed that the album holds onto progressive sounds as I had only heard to this point the 80s trilogy of mediocre albums from Abacab to Invisible Touch, so wasn't expecting much. Down and Out features some quirky time sigs with Collins brilliant on drums. The way the time sig keeps breaking into fractured dissonance is astounding. Banks is a revelation on keyboards. It begins the album brilliantly and signifies that Genesis are still as progressive as ever. Undertow is a prime example of how great Genesis can sound. Collins has that melancholy tone but it does not come across as saccharine or slushy. The guitar work is accomplished even though Hackett is definitely missed. Banks has some gorgeous organ phrases that encompass a serene symphonic atmosphere.

Other highlights are the Banks keyboard serenity on Many Too Many and we hear him shine on Deep in the Motherlode and Down and Out in particular. In essence this is Banks' album in terms of musicianship and it serves up a strong symphonic soundscape. Collins does some fine vocal work on Down and Out and the broken time sig in the middle is a solid progressive touch, reminiscent of Turn Me On Again in some ways.

The Lady Lies is a terrific song with a full blown keyboard solo. The time sigs diverge and there are enough mood shifts to keep the interest of its 6 minute duration. Scenes From A Night's Dream is a melodic track with magical lyrics about dreams, giant nymphs, dragons breathing fire, and prescient goblins; nightmares brought on by having food at bedtime. Follow You Follow Me is of course the big single on the album and it is certainly one of the better ballads of Collins with an infectious hook and some sing-along chorus lines. Overall the album delivers on many levels and still maintains a progressive edge that is definitely lost as the 70s draw to a close and create a new unimproved 80s Genesis.

Both the group's final progressive gasp yet also their first foray into poppier realms, 1978's game-changing '...And Then There Were Three' was the album that laid the groundwork for the phenomenally successful period Genesis would enjoy during the 1980's. With the departure of sorely underused guitarist Steve Hackett the British outfit had now slimmed down into a three-piece consisting of Tony Banks(keyboards), Phil Collins(vocals, drums) and Mike Rutherford(guitar, bass) the trio quickly moving away from their art-rock origins and embracing a less complex sound characterised by slick production values, shorter songs and a mainstream sound designed to appeal to a wider demographic. This new direction would be evident on later albums such as 1980's 'Duke' and it's varied follow-ups 'Abacab'(1981), 'Genesis'(1983) and 'Invisible Touch'(1986) though it would begin on this curiously mixed release which sought to fuse the group's progressive origins with their new found pop leanings. Although Genesis had proved remarkably successful throughout the 1970s with their intelligent brand of symphonic style prog-rock, like their fellow progressive acts they were never a singles group despite the brief charting of 1973's jocular 'I Know What I Like(In Your Wardrobe')' from their 'Selling England By The Pound' album, a track which reached the lofty heights of no.13 in the UK. However, ...And Then There Were Three' would feature the charming, catchy if somewhat lightweight ditty 'Follow You, Follow Me', and the songs unexpected success(it would reach no.5) would kick- start over a decade's worth of hit singles for the new three-piece version of Genesis. Released in 1978, '...And Then There Were' three would prove to be the last album purchased by many an old-school Genesis fan, yet all those who left the story at this point would be replaced ten-fold by the beginning of the eighties, attracted by the crisp keyboard-heavy sound, Collins powerful vocals and a plethora of carefully-crafted pop ballads that would turn both lead-vocalist and group into household names. As an album, however, '...And Then There Were Three' proves fundamentally weak thanks to it's transitional nature, falling delicately between too disparate stylistic stools without satisfying the needs of either progressive rock fans of those with an ear for something a but lighter. Opening piece, the thrilling 'Down & Out', is one of the rare exceptions, a song pumped with a charging pace, forced vocals and trance-like percussion, whilst the surreal lyrics and LSD-flecked nuances of 'Scenes From A Night's Dreams' also provide a brief glimmer of the group's old fantasy-inspired past. These moments are far too few though, with the bulk of the album consisting of syrupy, mid-paced ballads, glutinous keyboard rock and a startling lack of invention. Undoubtedly the weakest progressive album of Genesis' otherwise excellent 1970s output, the difficult sonic balancing act that is '...And Then There Were Three' proves a disappointing denouement.

STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012

This album has received many bads reviews, some said it's the worst Genesis album including Tony Banks himself. For me, it's my favorite Genesis album post-Hackett era. It was a big blow when Hackett left the band letting Rutheford take the role of lead guitar, which he was not ready at that time. Yes ATTWT is missing Steve Hackett guitar, but there's some nice atmosphere throughout the album. Some songs have been written by Rutheford and others by Banks. Maybe that's why I enjoyed some material here because Collins didn't have a lot of influence on that album. There's a romantic and melancholic feel throughout the album but things get into a more rock style in some songs like "Down and Out", "Deep in the Motherlode,", "Say it's alright Joe" and "The Lady Lies". In the song "Burning Rope" Rutherford is playing a great guitar solo that Tony Banks would have developed further if Hackett was in the band, but it works well. This album was saved from a commercial disaster with "Follow You Follow Me". That song started with a long spacey guitar riff by Mike where Banks added some chords. It's a bit too simple for my taste but not bad, and a good way to end this album. This is a 4 stars album just for me but in a Progressive Rock web site, it deserves a 3.4 top. So I will make an exception this time.

Review Nº 142

"...And Then There Were Three..." is another Genesis' album marked by another change into their line up. This time it was Steve Hackett who left Genesis, in 1977, soon after the release and the tour of the live album "Seconds Out". The three remaining band members decided, again, not replace Hackett by another permanent band member. As happened with Phil Collins, who rolled both functions, vocalist and drummer, Mike Rutherford, who also played guitar, started also with the duties of bassist and guitarist. However, Genesis decided that for their live tours they needed a guitarist and for that role was called Daryl Stuermer, an American guitarist. So, he joined to Chester Thompson that already replaced Phil Collins on drums on their live shows, after the departure of Peter Gabriel from the group. So, the line up on the album is Tony Banks (keyboards), Mike Rutherford (basses and guitars) and Phil Collins (vocals and drums).

"...And Then There Were Three..." is the ninth studio album of Genesis and was released in 1978. The album has eleven tracks. The first track "Down And Out" written by Banks, Collins and Rutherford represents one great open for the album and is clearly a great song in the same vein of "Wind And Wuthering". It's the best song signed by all band members and consequently it's one of the best and more progressive tracks on the album too. The second track "Undertow" written by Banks is also one of the greatest songs on the album and is also one of the most beautiful songs composed by him ever. It's with "Burning Rope" one of the two best contributions by Banks on the album and is also very progressive. The third track "Ballad Of Big" written by Banks, Collins and Rutherford is a good song with some interesting musical atmosphere, this time in the vein of "A Trick Of The Tail". However, it's, for me, less interesting than the two previous songs. The fourth track "Snowbound" written by Rutherford represents another great moment on the album. It's the best song signed by Rutherford on the album and is one of the highest points of it too. It's very beautiful and it has also a wonderful choral work. The fifth track "Burning Rope" written by Banks is another brilliant song and represents also one of the highest points on the album. It's the only long epic song on the album and is without any doubt one of its best tracks. This is my favourite song on the album. The sixth track "Deep In The Motherlode" written by Rutherford is a typical Rutherford's song. This is also a very good song with great musical arrangements. It contains some brilliant guitar and keyboard works and represents one of the last great songs on the album. The seventh track "Many To Many" written by Banks is one of the smallest songs of the album and this is, in my humble opinion, the weakest song made by him. It's a beautiful ballad, very well sung by Collins but is undoubtedly, inferior to all other songs on the album. Unfortunately, it's the last song to use a mellotron on any studio recordings of Genesis. The eighth track "Scenes From A Night's Dream" written by Banks and Collins has fantasy lyrics about a night's dream. It's another small song with good vocals and lyrics, but like the previous track, it's also an inferior song compared with the rest of the album. The ninth track "Say It's Alright Joe" written by Rutherford is an interesting and beautiful song that fluctuates between some quiet moments and some musical explosions. However, it's also inferior to the most part of the tracks on the album. The tenth track "The Lady Lies" written by Banks finally represents another very good moment on the album. It's a song more in the classic Genesis' vein and it marks also one of the greatest musical moments on the album. This is really another great and fantastic song. The eleventh track "Follow You Follow Me" written by Banks, Collins and Rutherford is clearly a song released for a single with the intention to be a hit and achieve the top sales. It's a good pop song, but sincerely, it should never have been part of the album. I really think that it suits better on a Collins' solo album. Unfortunately, this is the song that would make the definitive turning point on Genesis' career.

Conclusion: Sincerely, I don't consider this album as a minor work as many of you consider. Obviously, it hasn't the presence of Hackett, or even it hasn't the presence of a true guitarist. As all we know, Rutherford is an excellent bassist but he isn't really a great guitarist. However, I think Rutherford did that function quite decently. For me, this is the last studio album that can be considered as a Genesis' progressive rock album, with the exception of "Follow You, Follow Me". This is, in my humble opinion, a Banks and a Rutherford album. In reality, it's essentially a Banks album because its sound is dominated by his keyboards. It's true that almost all the tracks are short, but the main prog characteristics of the group are still presents. After this album, the most part of the compositions made by Genesis were written more in the commercial Collins' pop style. So, "...And Then There Were Three..." is, all in all, an interesting mixture of challenging rock and pop style with a progressive touch. The album is neither too shallow nor too complex, and that is probably the main reason why I like it so much. So, this is for me, the last truly progressive studio work made by Genesis.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Although the departure of Peter Gabriel after "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" affected in part the musical and visual style of Genesis, making it more accessible, they still maintained a clear progressive vein. But the subsequent departure of the talented Steve Hackett after " Wind & Wuthering" was too much to sustain the group within the genre in which it was a reference. With no major intention of keeping or pigeonholing themselves in the progressive rock schemes, however wide and varied they may be, Genesis definitely moves away from the intricate and complex paths they proposed at the beginning of the 70s.

" ...And Then There Were Three..." is that album that makes the turn and breaks away from one style to begin to transform itself into another, neither better nor worse, simply another one, much more related to the commercial threads, of short and easily digestible songs. Where the evident protagonism in the vocal part of Phil Collins is accompanied by the shy guitars and keyboards of Mike Rutherford and Peter Banks respectively. For example: "Undertow", "Many too Many", "Say it's Alright Joe" and the very successful and radio-friendly "Follow You, Follow Me". Since shaking off the recent past is never a simple process, we find some of their original DNA in fragments of "Ballad of Big", "Burning Rope" and a little bit more in "Deep in the Motherlode", period. Just crumbs.

It is probable, although unprovable by the way, that if Genesis had started their musical adventure with this album, they would be qualified as a very successful pop rock band, which in fact they are; they would not be part of forums like this one; and the constant controversy between those who stayed with their first era and those who digested the change, would not exist. As a matter of personal taste, I'll stick with early Genesis.

2.5 stars.