SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND

Selling England By the Pound...there are no words to describe this masterpiece. Really, each track on the album is a fantastic representation of the symphonic genre as a whole. Say, hypothetically, you were asked to play someone the ultimate progressive rock album...it'd be a tossup, without a doubt, but this record would undeniably be in the mix. The thing I love about Selling England By the Pound is that, unlike their previous records, it doesn't have any filler songs; although those songs fulfilled a purpose in the past Genesis albums (which were also masterpieces, don't get me wrong), there's no need for them here. Each song is excellent enough to hold up its own weight, none of them prove to be exceedingly 'pretentious', which is often a complaint among those who dislike Genesis. Each song is good enough to be played without breaks necessary in between them, they're all masterworks. This record needs to be played straight through...because skipping one single track, even the so-called throwaways "More Fool Me" and "The Battle of Epping Forest" takes an enormous chunk out of the record's quality.

"Dancing With the Moonlit Knight" - From the first sentences Peter Gabriel elegantly mumbles a capella to the music box-like outro, this song is scrupulously finalized and complete; the constantly shifting arrangement, the rigorous guitarwork, the at times comforting and at times forceful vocalization...there are next to no discernible flaws anywhere in this track's impeccable structure. The only criticism I can give is that the ending drags a bit after two minutes. This is a small complaint, however, and hardly diminishes my high regards. No other opening track in prog history, in my opinion, can touch "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight". Rating: 10/10 "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" - The first thing that caught my attention with this piece was the lyrics, which corresponds to the music perfectly. The 'brand of whimsy' which Genesis is famous for is most distinguished on this song (although "Harold the Barrel" and "The Battle of Epping Forest" give it a run for its money). This track is almost like the group's answer to "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" with its almost psychedelic sound. The quirkiness which Gabriel-led Genesis is so famous for is perfectly embodied by this classic. The unconventional sitar performance from Steve Hackett and Peter's droll flute set the scene perfectly. Rating: 10/10

"Firth of Fifth" - Although it was never commended by the critics, "Firth of Fifth" remains one of the most beloved and well-known songs by the earlier Genesis, and is arguably their most manifestly jazz-fusion-influenced track. The song's highlight is Tony Banks's exemplary piano and keyboard work, most exceptionally at the beginning of the instrumental segment. The sound of the entire piece is quite classically influenced, this is the situation with most Genesis tunes, but it also contains echoing of jazz music (as I'd mentioned earlier), particularly in Banks's piano work. The lyrics aren't as mind-blowing as they usually are (they're commonly described as 'pretentious'), but they certainly don't take much away from the overall effect that "Firth of Fifth" provides. Rating: 10/10

"More Fool Me" - This song is a conventional, somewhat unexciting ballad which contains a few instances of lyrical panache, but not much else. It's most notable attribute is the vocal performance from Phil Collins, which isn't particularly spectacular, but does show off his blisteringly high tenor voice. Rating: 7.4/10

"The Battle of Epping Forest" - Although the song's length certainly isn't reasonable or justifiable, "The Battle of Epping Forest" is a fun song, but not much else. The lyrics are entertaining ("I followed a sign that said beautiful chest, it led to a lady who showed me her best"), but they're also a bit too...plentiful. Most classic Genesis tracks have generous amounts of instrumental work, but "The Battle of Epping Forest" is completely devoid of this characteristic. Had they cut this song down a good 8 or 9 minutes, it would be more diverting and listenable, but the sheer length of the track takes a lot of its listenability away. Rating: 7.6/10

"After the Ordeal" - This instrumental ranks among the best in rock music, without a doubt. It isn't one of the group's masterpieces, but it certainly provides a good chance for taking a breath between "The Battle of Epping Forest" and the concluding masterpiece, "The Cinema Show". Rating: 10/10

"The Cinema Show" - Selling England By the Pound's closing masterwork is not only one of Genesis's greatest achievements, but one of the greatest achievements in the entire prog genre. It begins with the perfect coalescence between Gabriel's mystical voice and Hackett's melodious and distinctive guitar. The melody is then slightly adjusted to better accommodate a more complete and complex composition; Banks's keyboards and Collins's drums come in and add greatly to the song's substance. Their flawless instrumentation continues until the final few measures of the song, which contain a reprise of the guitar motif from "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight". Rating: 10/10

"Aisle of Plenty" Finally, the album closes with this haunting melody; the humorous lyrics, which contain several subtle allusions to British companies, fit the melody perfectly, oddly enough; the album comes full circle with this fantastic and beautiful closing melody. Rating: 10/10

A+