SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND

After finally buying and listening to this album for the first time a little over a month ago I think I'm ready to reveiw it. 5 star because it is essential to prog, it sounds familiar to a lot of what I like and thats because of the influence this album produced. IMO its a 4 star album for quality but 5 star for influence. Listening to the full album is tiresome and gets dull about half way through, but each individual song is strong.

Track 1 Dancing with the Moonlit Knight is an excellent opener beautiful song overall, the lyrics, the music, everything. 2. Next is I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) and is a great follow up. So far the album is a masterpiece and deserves the credit it gets on this site. 3 Firth of Fifth surpasses every other song on the album, and is my favorite Genesis song. I prefer Firth of Fifth to probably any other song from this era of symphonic prog music. More fool me is a good 4 star song and a good break to the explosion of amazing music that came before, and now the second half of the album starts. The battle of Epping forest is dull and boring, doesn't seem to belong with what came in the previous songs, it is also the longest song which really drains me of desire to continue listening. Although when I put my headphones on and just listen to this track, I enjoy it and would give it 4 stars, with the flow it seems irreplaceable but annoying somehow. After the Ordeal seems to end before I can get into it, but doesn't leave room for complaints. Cinema show is my least favorite track, and is completely overrated. Really doesn't fit with the album, its just a really poor track. Luckily the album ends with Aisle of Plenty, its short and sweet. A good song and a good close to an excellent album.

The album is close to masterpiece, 4 stars IMO because of the lacking Cinema Show, and the average Battle of Epping forest. But 5 stars for the influence made on prog. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5. An album I will probably listen to the rest of my life.