SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND

In my opinion, Selling England by the Pound is Genesis' best work, largely due to how consistent and well-rounded it is. The lyrics, music and overall structure are inspired through and through, and there's a little bit of everything that makes Genesis the great band they are thrown into the mix. You've got refined, elaborate epics like "Firth of Fifth" and "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight," some super-dense, theatrical storytelling from Gabriel ("The Battle of Epping Forest") and some of Tony Banks' finest keyboard work ("The Cinema Show"), as well as the only song of their early years that could qualify as a pop song ("I Know What I Like"). Even the Phil Collins-sung acoustic ballad "More Fool Me" fits perfectly into Selling England's sonic tapestry.

Production-wise the album sounds amazing, too. For the first (and last) time, Steve Hackett's guitar playing is just as prominent in the mix as Tony Banks' keyboards. Hackett cuts loose with sweep-picking and tapping on "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" and takes his finest guitar solo in Genesis' discography on "Firth of Fifth," which positively screams.

Lyrically, Gabriel examines the changing landscape of England and laments that its authentic culture and history is being forgotten in the wake of globalization and modernization. This concept is somehow fully explored without infringing on the music's ability to resonate and stretch out.

Genesis may have had more ambitious individual songs and concepts elsewhere in their career, but the classic quintet line-up was never more balanced and functional as a unit than on Selling England by the Pound. And to me, that makes it the group's greatest album.