This album in all its English quirkiness, is the album Charles Dickens would write if he were a prog rocker.
I got introduced to this album about 4 years after its release. This is not top 40 Genesis, but prog rock Genesis, virtuoso Genesis, moody and meandering Genesis…and the Genesis that got me through my early High School years. This version of Genesis does NOT grow on you…you either love it or hate it.
There is something to say for a band whereby each member has a successful solo career and in the case of Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, a blockbuster superstar career.
Upon first listen, Steve Hackett instantly became my favorite guitarist and one I wanted to emulate going forward. Hackett’s approach was jazz/classical which was consistent with the 3 years of guitar lessons I had. He was not a flamboyant “ax-man” …..in fact, he played sitting down surrounded by his effects and pedals. Hackett’s guitar solos were melodic and memorable pieces in their own right. He was an early user of a guitar synthesizer and is widely credited with developing the technique of finger tapping that Eddie Van Halen popularized. Brian May, Eddie Van Halen, and Alex Lifeson are just some of the guitarists that list Hackett as a major influence on their guitar playing.
Peter Gabriel was theatrical and strange but gifted with a vocal range that could be artsy and affected in one instance and gruff and soulful in the next. When Genesis got loud (which was often), it was with Gabriel leading the way.
Phil Collins is by far the most under-appreciated drummer in all of rock and roll. There is nothing he cannot do with a drum kit and can fill in for Bonham, Moon, Peart, and the rest of them. He is that good. He was the perfect drummer for a band who composed in odd and varied rhythm signatures (sometimes within the same song).
Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford (keyboardist and bass/rhythm guitar respectively) rounded out the band and, along with Gabriel, were Genesis’ primary song writers.
The album title, “Selling England By the Pound”, was lifted from the Labour Party’s political manifesto of the time and the concept of the album was to lament the decay of English Culture, warn of the disappearance of the bucolic English country side, and call out the increasing Americanization within English society…especially the music business. This was Brexit before Brexit…MEGA vs MAGA.
The opening track, “Dancing With the Moonlit Knight” contains many references to the corrupting nature of modern conveniences (Credit Cards, Green Stamps, Tesco discount cards) and is a paean to old English custom and contains the lyric : “Paper late!” cried a voice in the crowd. “Old man dies!” The note he left was signed ‘Old Father Thames’. It seems he’s drowned. Selling England by the pound.”
“I know what I like (in your wardrobe)” was the next track and was the band’s first top 30 single. The song incorporates interesting rhythms and background sitars…but is immediately accessible and pleasurable to listen to.
“Firth of Fifth” opens with an absolutely gorgeous grand piano vignette that is reproduced later in the song with swirling synths. The piece is rhythmically complex using rare 13/15 and 15/16 time signatures. Hackett’s guitar work is masterful and the piece remains a show-stopper in live Genesis performances.
“The Battle of Epping Forest” opens the B-side and is a fictional depiction of real life English gang wars happening at the time in London’s east end. The song contains characters such as “Liquid Len”, “Bob the Nob”, and the “Bethnal Green Butcher”. When we lived in London I made it a point to frequent Bethnal Green , which was a working class Jewish neighborhood where you would go for good Jewish deli (it is now very fashionable and unaffordable). The song has a great driving beat and features some of Rutherford’s best bass work.
The final standout of the album is “Cinema Show” which is another show stopping staple at live Genesis events. The song opens with dreamy 12-string acoustics strumming and picking to a beautifully hummable melody …”home from work, our Juliet clears her morning meal…” and then “Romeo locks his basement flat and scurries up the stair. With head held high, and floral tie, a weekend millionaire”. The song concludes with a 4 minute tasteful and indulgent keyboard solo with Rutherford and Collins holding the bottom end in 7/8 time. The musicianship is unparalleled.
I listened to this record every day for two months straight…each listening revealing a new riff, a new lyric, a subtle bass line.