SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND

I could add my own opinion of this classic album, but with the over 400 reviews of the album already, that would probably be redundant at this point. If you're at this site, you've probably heard this album many times before and already know what you think of it.

I'm here to talk about a discovery I made while reading about the history of the album that I think enhances the album even more: namely, the trifecta of songs that open and close the album, "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight", "The Cinema Show", and "Aisle of Plenty" were originally conceived as a "Supper's Ready"-like suite. This explains something I had always wondered about with the opening track: it seems to build up tension for a resolution that never comes. Instead, it quietly fades out to lead into the rather flippant "I Know What I Like". The lead-in was meant to segue right into the opening of "The Cinema Show", but the band decided they didn't want their new suite compared to "Supper's Ready" and split it up to book-end the album.

Anyway, I've stitched it back together and I think the band made a mistake. I think the combined suite is even better than "Supper's Ready" and makes a fantastic conclusion to the album. I suggest the following running order:

1. Firth of Fifth 2. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) 3. More Fool Me 4. The Battle of Epping Forest 5. After the Ordeal 6. Dancing with the Moonlit Knight 7. The Cinema Show 8. Aisle of Plenty

This leaves the album still bookended with some of its best songs but also adds a resonance to the band's first lost suite (the second was on Duke) that I feel it's missing while bookending the album. Give it a try and see what you think. I personally think it makes a classic album even better.