SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND

Selling England by the Pound is Genesis' shining moment. The concept is crystal clear and well executed. The lyrics are clever, incisive and Gabriel's voice never sounded better. Steve Hackett's guitar work on this recording is mindblowing. Tony Banks' piano and synthesizer work on Firth of Fifth showed him to be among the best of progressive rock's keyboardists and is probably his best work. Peter Gabriel's flute on the song is stirring in its beauty and simplicity. Collins, who is far from my favorite vocalist or drummer, provides excellent and sometimes subtle percussion work on this record. The weakest link in the whole recording is his thin falsetto on the beginning of More Fool Me, though the song itself (considerably more lightweight than the rest of the material on this album) is a lovely melody, even if it pales in comparison to the rest of the record. Rutherford's bass is the most understated voice on this record but his sense of aesthetics and restraint serve to highlight his (and the band's) overall musicality. While there are isolated tracks on Trespass, Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot and (dare I say, lest I lose all credibility) The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway and A Trick of the Tail that may show fleeting moments of higher creativity, Selling England by the Pound is Genesis' most consistent and representative recording and stands as one of the best of the genre. Five stars.