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Genesis - Selling England by the Pound CD (album) cover

SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND

Genesis

 

Symphonic Prog

4.65 | 4653 ratings

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Gatot
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
5 stars A True Masterpiece Classic Prog Album

No doubt, this is a masterpiece prog album that set the standards for rock music in the glory days of seventies. This album represented my second in love with the band after I listened to Nursery Cryme album and knew the band the first time from my big bro, Henky, who introduced me to the world of rock music and prog rock in the seventies. Well, by the time there was no such definition of the kind of music Genesis was playing - we just simply said it "a not straight forward kind of rock music" (unlike Deep Purple, Golden Earring, Uriah Heep, Led Zeppelin, Humble Pie, Grand Funk Railroad, etc.). What reallly clicked me back with this album after having listened to Nursery Cryme (and love "musical Bix" and "Harold The Barrel") was when I visited Jakarta and I saw a cassette of this album was being played in my other brother (Jokky) in his VW Beetle when he picked me up at the Jakarta railway station. Oh man . the album's "Firth of Fifth" did really kill me at first listen! I could not even believe what I was hearing from the car's sound system: a never heard and wonderful classical piano intro delivered with full energy and uplifting mood opened a wonderful song ."The path is clear ." oh my God .. The melody and the harmony of this music really kill me since the first time I listened to it even until now. I could not believe that any humanbeing has ever created this masterpiece composition!

There is no such thing as bad track in this album - even though I thought that "More Fool Me" did not fit into the whole album. But, it's okay as this might serve as a break after listening other wonderful and a bit complex tracks. "Dancing With The Moonlit Knight" had even become a standard greetings for me and some friends couple years ago when I worked for Price Waterhouse Consulting. As management consultant at the time we usually worked sparsely at client's premises and by the end of the day we gathered at our head office or at classic rock café. It's not the gathering that I want to mention but the greetings we typically used. Unlike "Hey man, how's life?" but we yelled: "Can You tell me where my country lies? ." and the other person who received that yell would respond "It lies with me. Cry the Queen of Maybe ..". That's exactly the opening lyric of Dancing With The Moonlit Knight!!!! Even recently when we exchange messages through our cell-phones, we still use these lyrics. What a rocking vibe man .!!!

The Battle Of Epping Forest(11:43) is also a song with memorable experience. This unique song has even inspired a local cover band based in Malang, East Java, who named the band after pieces of lyrics of this relatively complex and hard-to-understand- at-first-listen track,ie. "Gang Voice". Yeah . the band name was Gang Voice! After The Ordeal (4:12) is also a wonderful instrumental outfit with great melody and harmony. The melody is truly touchy. This kind of melody has inspired, lately, many neo progressive band as part of their composition.

No one will ever say The Cinema Show (11:06) - Aisle Of Plenty (1:31) is a mediocre track regardless their musical taste. I also love the cover version by The Flower Kings in their compilation album "Scanning The Greenhouse". The live version of this track in Seconds Out album is also a great performance with Bill Bruford on drums.

Well, I guess I have to stop it here as I have a lot of good memories about this album and I might probably write a 200-page novel for this album only. But, I'm sure that you are not going to buy that novel because it's too long. Non musical thing, I'm really amazed with the sound quality the album produces - it's really great. I even always use this CD if I want to buy new stereo set. I like the sound of Taurus bass pedal in Firth of Fifth. I don't know how could it happen as the released year was 1973 and the recording technology was not advanced at the time. Super Highly Recommended! Keep on proggin' .!

Progressively yours,

GW - Review #318

Gatot | 5/5 |

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