SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND

The band begins with my favourite (I have many favourites, but this is THE favourite) Genesis track, "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight". Some of PG's best vocals and TB's best keyboards grace this track, and these complement SH's gentle acoustic AND electric passages. This song is one to watch for tempo, as it starts off slow, then speeds up slightly, and then gets even faster with SH's angry electric guitar and PC's swift but tight drumming. The whole band plays with flair that was present but not quite so noticeable on earlier albums.

The next song is Gabriel-era Genesis' only real 'hit' as such. Although pop annoys me a lot of the time, I do like well written and performed pop songs from time to time, and "I Know What I Like" is just eccentric enough to grab my attention and pleasantly entertain me for its 4 minutes. Of note is MR's weird electric sitar which I don't think was present on any other Genesis songs. I read somewhere that the lyrics are about a crossdressing lawn-mower, and although I'm not entirely sure this is true, the lyrics are still pretty amusing ("cuckoo to you" indeed!).

The grand "Firth of Fifth" graces our ears next, with a piano opening played by TB with considerable precision. What stands out in this song is the tight composition: all band members flawlessly play and complement each other, but if the song belongs to anyone, it's Tony. Pianos, keyboards, synthesizers oh my! PC's drumming is tight, SH's guitar is fantastic and PG's vocals are great...when they're there (this track seems to be instrumental dominated).

We follow this up with the album's low point. Another poppy Collins ballad. It's not bad, it's not good. It's not even ok. Whenever I hear it (not often) I suffer from a severe case of indifference. It's perfectly fine if you're into ballads, but I would've preferred another "Harold the Barrel" personally.

The next track, "The Battle of Epping Forest" is another one of those great Genesis epics that utilises PG's story-telling, TB's keyboards and SH's guitar work to great effect. While it's certainly memorable, I find it less enticing than, say, "The Musical Box". Still, it has enough tempo and theme changes to interest the average progger...it even has funny voices.

"After the Ordeal" is an extension of Foxtrot's "Horizons" in that it showcases SH's prowess on the guitar. This song is, however, a lot meatier than "Horizons", in that TB also gets his chance to shine on the piano (as if he needs any more). It's an instrumental only, so it gives us a break from the lyrical side of things...

...that is, until we come to "Cinema Show" - one of Genesis' great epics, which tells the story of a modern Romeo & Juliet going to the movies...delightful. It starts off dominated by SH's acoustic guitar and PG's vocals, but gradually the other band members come into play and contribute wonderful keyboard, drum and guitar parts. Quintessential Genesis!

The album concludes with "Aisle of Plenty" (or "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" Part 2 if you will), which continues the first track's musical theme. I was quite delighted to find my favourite Genesis track has a smaller cousin! Both tracks act as bookends for the rest of the album and as a result, the album feels tighter and more complete I feel.

Well...It's a masterpiece. All proggers should own it, or at least have heard it 3 times. For Genesis fans, this goes without saying.

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