SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND

In 1973, Genesis would release what has now become their most beloved and popular album from the Gabriel era period of the band (1969 to 1975). Selling England by the Pound was the group's fifth album and the group's highest charting so far. This new piece would turn out to be an even match, if not greater one, to their previous masterpiece Foxtrot which contained the epic twenty three minute"Supper's Ready".

The album opens up with the soaring rocker "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight". Starting with a quiet acoustic guitar melody accompanied by Peter Gabriel's soft vocals the album slowly picks up pace before pounding grand piano notes and Steve Hackett's suave guitar performance kicks in. Hackett's musical ability on this track is mesmerizing and his solos are spectacular. I personally find that this album contains Hackett's best guitar work out of their entire discography and it is already noticeable on this first song. Next up is the very popular "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)". This song was the group's first charting single and a concert staple to this day. The song opens with a very strange lawnmower sound effect with a spoken word intro by Gabriel. Much of the song is filled with prominent keyboard melodies, sitar riffs, and some decent bass work from Rutherford. The song ends with a flute solo by Gabriel and a repeat of the unnerving lawnmower effect.

Going into song three, we come across "Firth of Fifth" my favorite song on the entire album. Beginning with a majestic grand piano piece by keyboardist Tony Banks the vocals and other instruments enter creating a very powerful grandiose song. Gabriel's vocals eventually leave to allow a soft keyboard and flute duet enter only for that to exit and let the keyboards take full stride. Hackett soon enters creating one of his most dramatic and emotional guitar solos on the entire album, closing out the rest of this mini-epic leading into the soft "More Fool Me". This is a simple song sung by drummer Phil Collins accompanied by acoustic guitar played by Steve Hackett and Mike Rutherford. It isn't the first time Phil Collins handled lead vocals. He had vocal duties on "For Absent Friends" from the album Nursery Cryme.

What would happen next is probably the craziest moment on the entire album as we hear "The Battle of Epping Forest." After a tense military drumbeat, the wild thumping bass, ringing keyboard and staunch guitar run rampant throughout the song while Gabriel sings along trying to catch up to them. Filled with mesmerizing keyboard solos and leaping guitar lines, Gabriel tries out different voices to represent the characters of the song which is a tale of a gang battle at Epping Forest.

After this hyper tune ends we meet up with "After the Ordeal". The only instrumental song on the album, this is a showcase for more of Hackett's glorious guitar work. Beginning with a baroque guitar and piano opener the song leads into Hackett's guitar workout that never fails to satisfy me. Now comes the next epic on the album "The Cinema Show". Starting with a quiet acoustic guitar piece similar to the opening of "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" we have a soft dreamy guitar piece filled with references to Oedipus Rex and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Halfway through the song the vocals end and once again Tony Banks's virtuoso keyboard talent enters with one of his best solos in the entire Genesis canon, not to mention some of Phil Collins finest drum work.

Last we are left with the lush "Aisle of Plenty" which sounds like a leftover coda to "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" but also serves as a nice conclusion to an already lovely album.

The band would then tour into 1974 before recording their sixth and final album with Gabriel, the epic concept album "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway". If you are new to Genesis and new to the Peter Gabriel era of the band, which is completely separate itself, please pick this up. It is an essential not only of Genesis but of progressive rock and something that not just a "prog" fan should own, but a fan of music as well.