SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND

One of the most well-rounded and complete albums ever crafted. Every member of Genesis shines in some way or another on this album, and every song is nothing short of amazing. From the quiet intro of Dancing with the Moonlit Knight to what could possibly be the best keyboard solo of all time in Cinema Show, there is no weak track on this album. Hackett is a guitarist's dream with searing leads on Dancing with the Moonlit Knight and Firth of Fith, but also is melodically brilliant in The Battle of Epping Forest and Cinema Show. Banks is incredible with his amazing work throughout the entire album, he continues to push himself to a creative peak. Phil Collins plays sophisticated drum patterns and gets a spot to shine vocally with More Fool Me (which to some is an awful track, but to me it is incredible). Mike Rutherford plays intricate bass lines as well as guitar phrases and creates swirling atmospheres with Steve Hackett during the "acoustic" sections. Peter Gabriel is at his best with great flute work on Firth of Fith, and he's at his lyrical best with deep songs like The Cinema Show, etc.

Dancing With the Moonlit Knight is an awesome intro that goes through so many different moods it does nothing but dazzle the listener. With searing tapped leads from Hackett and some might mellotron from Banks, this is one of the highlights. Other tracks worth mentioning are Firth of Fith, which features great interplay from all the members, and great solos from Gabriel (on flute, respectively), Hackett, and Banks. The Cinema Show features many different moods throughout the 11 minutes, but the highlight is the killer Banks solo in the 7th minute.

Overall, this is an incredible effort by an incredible band. Although my overview was only over a few tracks, rest assured that the album is one of the top albums in the progressive genre. 5/5.