THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY

Personally I think this is the greatest album of all time. Clocking in at more than 94 minutes it gives you more : more emotion, more complex lyrics and more atmospherics with great playing form Banks , Hackett and Collins and diverse vocals, moods and concepts from Gabriel.

The title track opens with a brilliant complex piano solo and as the cutain rises Gabriel is away. This track should have benn released as a single. As the first track fades the haunting Fly on a windshield comes in followed by the brilliant lyrics of Broadway Melody of 1974.Watch out for the drumwork in the bridge between these two. Then the poppish Cuckoo Cuckoon embellished with Gabriel's flute. In the Cage is regulatly voted as the best ever Genesis track and is certainly explore powerful emotions. The epilogue of this track when Rael is released from the cage is possibly the best atmospheric conclusion to a song ever.The first side ends with The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging a Brave New Worldish track in which people have become cogs in the machine . How prophetic.

The second side starts with Back in New York City often considered Genesis best track and more punk than punk . I'm not sure Gabiel got the voice right here and think that Jeff Buckley did it better. Hairless Heart is a beautiful instrumental. The two singles follow next the humourous Counting out Time and the ever popular Carpet Crawlers. The first disk finishes with the Kabbalish Chamber of 32 doors. It is a nice song but it is the last fifteen seconds which are most memorable. This would have been the place to have the intermission in the Movie with the audience breathless

The sequencing into the second disk is brilliant as we thunder back with the Rocking Lilywhite Lilith. Even those who don't like prog will tune into this one,The waiting room is a jam and Anyway is a short but thouroughly enjoyable rock piano piece. The Supernatural Antheitist is Hackett's moment and he doesn't disappoint. The Lamia is another frequently rated Genesis best.You'll love the lead break at the end. Silent Sorrow is a filler .

Colony of Slippermen is another comic piece where Gabriel's vocals star.Ravine is a filler. The Light is a somewhat pointless reprise but the ending is magical.Riding the Scree is Tony Banks at his best.In the Rapids builds up to the riff driven It which is something a bit different to finish up with.

This is the mother of all concept albums which puts the punk Rael in the prog world of Lamia and Slippermen. It is thus also prophetic as punk supplanted prog.At times it may seem to lose momentum but it always comes back and it is thouroughly so it can be listened in it's entirety is one siiting. This was prog's finest hour