THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY

So you've got this band...pretty damn good band too. The lead singer's one of the best in the business...everybody's pretty much rounded out in this band. But as everyone who's been a band member is sure to have experienced at some point will tell you, we've arrived at an era of internal conflict. To further re-reiterate (as it were) what I'm trying to convey here...picture Jim Bruer's stand-up excerpt concerning 'When Tequila Enters The Party In My Stomach.'

I just bought it yesterday, this is my first listen. To be fair, my first taste of Genesis was "Selling England By The Pound" and that one had to grow on me. But I could not help but think while listening to this theatrical drama of a double album, that something IS missing...A feeling I got when I listened to the latest A Perfect Circle Album (13th Step)..."IT" is missing.

That's what's going on in The Lamb Dies Down on Broadway. Genesis is sick. I would even go so far to venture that on a level Genesis IS the embodiment of the Rael/John entity. Gabriel's only the mouthpiece.

On the track entitled, "The Light Dies Down..." It seems that Gabriel is telling you exactly what's going on- In a way, he's left the band already in that he's seen the window of opportunity and his heart has left...but his brother(s) are drowning, and so he decides to muster up what's left of his heart and go back and help in anyway he can - even though he knows that when he leaves, he leaves solo (as is the case with Rael and John). Sadly, as with most situations with an internal conflict there is a loss and there is a victory. In this case, I will speak what I perceive about the music...it is found wanting in some respects, there are points on this release where I hear the cohesion expected of Genesis, and other points where, clearly the music is as tense and divided as the group were.

I am no expert, but it's my opinion that this is NOT a Genesis release. It's too "Gabriel- heavy", in like manner much of what is proffered now by the band calling themselves Genesis today is too "Collins-heavy."

I will say no more as this was my first listen and my knee-jerk reaction-review, I have more research to do on this release and the environment that gave birth to it. This seems to me to be one of the albums that layed the groundwork for groups in the vein of Dream Theater to build upon. The groundwork mind you, not necessarily the foundation.

I would not recommend that the neophyte start here - try A Trick Of The Tale Foxtrot