SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND

Almost everyone else, here, says "Buy it!", "Essential...". 30 some-odd Rock experts cannot be wrong - and they are not. This album glowingly exhibits the most enjoyably tasteful, intricate, soulful instrumental episodes Genesis had to offer. Yes, Rick Wakeman, et al. were good alright but not 'nearly' as moving as these interludes. The midsection instrumental of "Firth of Fifth" remains a very unique landmark of Rock history.

It's the cornball lyrics and vocalizations in between the (adept) musicianship that's hard for the serious listener to survive through. Either one has to be an extremely partisan Gabriel fan, or, have a cast iron stomach to listen to the entire album and declare it as 'the best', however.

Both the instrumental sections of "Firth of Fifth" and "The Cinema Show" had been (later) greatly amplified and re-energized in Genesis tours...for years to come and jamming harder at each go. "Selling England by the Pound", then, is a must have solely because it is the original studio album that spawned these Concert mind-blowers.