SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND

There are so many reviews for this album that I'm sure not many people if any will read this. I still must review this album briefly because it is truly is a masterpiece of progressive rock and currently is rated #1 of top 100 prog albums of all time. The only problem I have is that this album seems to place Foxtrot and The Lamb is somewhat of a shadow, although I feel they are both better records. This album shows the most jazz influence of all the Genesis records, and probably is the most English sounding of them all as well. This website is responsible for turning me onto most of the classic prog that I still enjoy today and I remember this album has been at or near the top since the beginning. I first picked up Foxtrot, which is amazing of course so I had even higher expectations for this album. I have to be honest, upon first listen I did not get what all the fuss was all about. The Cinema Show is debatable for best Genesis song (most will say Supper's Ready, which probably is their best), but the rest I thought was just good and not amazing. Over the course of time, the album grew on me but I always liked The Lamb and Foxtrot much better. My opinion has now changed due to one thing, the new remixed/remastered albums. I feel that this album (along with Nursery Cryme) is the most improved of all the Genesis albums sonically, and now while still below Foxtrot and The Lamb is not that far behind them. I never got to listen to Selling England on Vinyl so I basically never got to hear what the album was supposed to sound like until the new mixes came out. You can now hear all the little nuances that make this album special. You can hear new things like precussion extras (the pot noise in The Battle of Epping Forest I didn't even know was there), Steve Hackett's guitar(the non-solo sections, finally) and all the interplay between the band members. Bands just don't make albums like this anymore. If anyone actually reads this album review and doesn't have the album already, just go buy it. Just make sure you get the new 2008 remaster, and you will not be disappointed. Yes there is a little clipping, but they sound infinitely better than the DE remasters or any previous editions and people need to be less picky and be thankful that they remastered them again. Look at the 2005 Gentle Giant remasters, which are the worst modern remasters I have ever heard.