THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY

This was the thrid album I got by Genesis (after NC & Foxtrot), and I was immediately struck by how modern it sounded by comparison to earlier efforts. Especially, Tony's keyboards and synths seemed to take on a whole new spectrum of ominous textures to go along with his already famously ominous Mellotron sound. Think "Fly On A Windshield" and "Back In NYC" here.

I love Mike's bass playing, especially on the title track, which is one of my favorite "poppy" Genesis songs. He sounds like a dead ringer for Chris Squire on that song in particular, which is not a bad thing at all IMO.

I think it's safe to say this is the most puzzling concept album of all time lyrically. I'm not sure if it's really supposed to mean anything or if Pete may have played a big joke on us all, but it is filled with compelling imagery and atmospheric drama, even if you haven't a clue what the heck is going on.

While I wouldn't recommend it as a starter to anyone's Genesis collecion, due to it's heavy mood and baffling lyrics, there are enough moments of epic grandeur and majesty to make it quintessentially and unmistakeably Genesis.

I look at this album a lot like Pink Floyd's The Wall: both double concept albums with a lot of great music, but only about a single album's worth. The rest ranges from good to pure filler. That being said, those great moments make it my third favorite Genesis album, after Selling England... and Foxtrot.