SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND

This was one of the first progressive rock albums that I ever listened to at the tender age of 18, and still remains the standard by which I judge all other prog albums (at the wizened age of 23). I hesitate to use the word "perfect" to describe anything crafted by human hands, but this album at the very least comes as close as any album I've ever heard.

Here we see every member of the band's classic lineup at the height of their powers, both instrumentally and in terms of songwriting. Banks and Hackett stand out particularly well (particularly on "Firth of Fifth," the best song in a collection of exceptional ones).

I've heard a few people dismiss the shorter tracks on this album as "filler." In my mind, nothing can be further from the truth. While the album's four lengthy epics do indeed command the listener's attention (and deservedly so), these shorter pieces are not only absolutely essential to the "flow" of the album - most significantly "Aisle of Plenty," which brings the album to a satisfying close thematically, revisiting (and deflating) the quixotic dream first presented in "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight." It makes the album feel cohesive, well-structured, and symmetrical. They also (with the exception of the aforementioned "Aisle of Plenty") hold up very well as standalone pieces.

I could go on longer, but there are really no superlatives I can use that haven't been used already. To such a deservedly acknowledged classic like this, I have nothing to add.