...AND THEN THERE WERE THREE...

...And Then There Were Three... is in many ways Genesis's most controversial album. It is frequently dismissed by fans, critics and even the band themselves. To some people, it was the end of civilisation as they knew it:

1. Eleven - count them - tracks. 2. Only four tracks over five minutes long. 3. Very few extended instrumental passages. 4. The absence of a virtuoso lead guitarist.

This last point is particularly pertinent as Steve Hackett had produced some of his finest work with the band on the preceding studio album Wind And Wuthering. Not replacing him inevitably meant that there would be nothing like Blood On The Rooftops or ...In That Quiet Earth. However, the dominant sound on both Wind And Wuthering and this first "three man era" album is Tony Banks' keyboards. And what a glorious sound it is, a veritable "wall of sound" if I may be so bold as to use Phil Spector's terminology. Of course in the case of ...And Then There Were Three..., this sound is delivered in shorter and inevitably more commercial tracks than previously. The two longest tracks - Burning Rope and The Lady Lies - should satisfy any fan of earlier 70s progressive rock by the band. The former track contains the album's only guitar solo by Mike Rutherford, but what a solo it is. You could even say that it is a fair attempt to "do a Hackett". The opening track Down And Out is stunning and one of the band's most powerful pieces ever. Definitely a track to play loud. It is driven by huge organ riffs from master Banks and Phil's drum fills are wonderful. The weird time signature and excellent keyboard solo also contribute to this track's excellence. The remaining track with progressive tendencies is Deep In The Motherlode, which is probably Mike Rutherford's best ever solo composition for the band. Of the other tracks, the best ones are Tony Banks' Undertow and Many Too Many. The former has a tremendously powerful chorus that can send a chill down your spine. The latter shows that it is possible to write a great three minute ballad. Mike Rutherford contributes two other very good tracks: Snowbound and Say It's Alright Joe. Although these are just traditional verse-chorus tracks, they are beautifully performed. What's left? Well Ballad Of Big is musically quite strong - big organ riffs again - but the cowboy lyrics don't seem to go down too well with most fans, this one included. Scenes From A Night's Dream is a track I could do without. It's not bad but I think it's weak compared to the rest of the album. And that just leaves us with the hit single Follow You Follow Me. In many ways, this track sticks out like a sore thumb because it is so different in style to the rest of the album. However, it is quite a pleasant little track and probably sounds best when you are sitting at home with your loved one. In addition, it contains another nice keyboard solo. So in summary, whilst ...And Then There Were Three... does not contain the extended compositions - and hence more complex musical ideas - of earlier albums, it has a sound which is a natural evolution from the previous albums. Musically it has more in common with 1970s Genesis albums than it does with 1980s Genesis albums. There is certainly nothing here that sounds like a Phil Collins solo track, which certainly isn't the case with the following studio release Duke, containing as it does Misunderstanding and Please Don't Ask. So if you are a fan of 1970s Genesis but you initially dismissed this album and haven't listened to it for years, I urge you to give it another listen. You may be pleasantly surprised.