Selling England By the Pound Review

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Selling England By the Pound ReviewI listened to Genesis obsessively while in graduate school and this 1973 recording was always a favorite. For me, Selling England by the Pound represents everything about progressive rock that I hold near and dear: intricate ensemble work, virtuosic musicianship, cool synthesizer sounds (ARP Pro Soloist!), and "hummable" melodies. I know the "hummable" melodies thing will raise a few eyebrows, but they are nice to have around and there is no shortage of them on this recording.
There is a mixture of long and short pieces on Selling England by the Pound, which range from quiet acoustic pieces to full-blown, over the top, prog extravaganzas. The longer pieces include Dancing with the Moonlit Knight (8'03"), Firth of Fifth (9'37"), The Battle of Epping Forest (11'44"), and The Cinema Show/Aisle of Plenty (12'41"). Sandwiched in-between the longer pieces is the poppy I Know What I Like (in 1974, it reached #21 in England), More Fool Me, which is an acoustic piece with Phil Collins on vocals, and After the Ordeal, which is a short instrumental written by guitarist Steve Hackett. Each of the longer pieces are excellent examples of their highly disciplined ensemble approach to arrangements, which include pre-composed solos and display the use of a few carefully placed chords that make the transition between sections in different keys seamless. The transitional chords and mellow 12-string acoustic guitar parts, along with smooth synthesizer and guitar tones, a full Rickenbacker bass sound from Mike Rutherford, and the ability of excellent drummer Phil Collins to make even a 5/4 seem natural impart an unhurried, warm, and intimate feel to the whole recording.
Based on what I have read, writers block plagued Genesis during the recording period even though Selling England by the Pound is conceptually sound (it comments on English class structure) and it is only Firth of Fifth that suffers from a dodgy lyric. Furthermore, keyboardist Tony Banks expressed irritation with vocalist Peter Gabriel's decision to plaster lyrics over the entirety of the already busy The Battle of Epping Forest. So many lyrics in fact, that Peter reportedly ran out of breath during live performances of the song.
Although the sound quality of this 1994 remaster is not nearly as good as my old LP, it is still pretty good.
In spite of it all, the guys in Genesis came through with a remarkable recording of progressive rock - one that I return to again and again. Very highly recommended.Selling England By the Pound OverviewIf one had to pare the prog-rock story down to a handful ofessential albums, this would undoubtedly be one of them. SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND was the culmination of all that Genesis had been striving for since their late-'60s inception, the refinement of the vision that developed on TRESPASS, NURSERY CRYME, and FOXTROT (somewhere in the world, there's been a second-wave prog outfit named after every one of thesealbums). The fusion of a complex classical mind with an electrified rock heart and pastoral folk spirit defined Genesis' anatomy, and never more effectively than on SELLING ENGLAND.Peter Gabriel's startlingly unpretentious tale-spinning is at its best on "The Battle of Epping Forest". Tony Banks's elegant, sophisticated keyboard work is a vital element of nearly every tune, and the electric/acoustic guitar tapestry woven by Steve Hackett and Mike Rutherford is the perfect icing on the cake. Somewhat anomalous but entirely welcomeis the Gabriel-era band's catchiest, quirkiest song "I KnowWhat I Like (In Your Wardrobe)", the tale of a somewhat daft gardener. Phil Collins's lead vocal on the gorgeous acoustic ballad "More Fool Me" paints the shape of things to come.If you only buy one Genesis album, make it this one.

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