SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND

2nd Best Album of all time in the site, does it really stand out? This album could've easily been one of the most valued albums of all times if it wheren't for Rolling Stones magazine who gave this album a 0/10 because it offended them for some reason, don't trust them, even tho they issued their apologies later, it was already too late and then they gave "abacab" a 10/10... WHAT!?!?!

Anyhow, after "Land of Confusion" and "The Musical Box", this albums has the songs that made me stay with Genesis forever, i already like "The Musical Box" a lot, and it's still one of my favorites tracks, but "Firth of Fifth" and "The Cinema Show" blew my mind back in 2012, i entered college in 2013 and everyday i went on the train i listened to those songs over and over in repeat, they were and are still absolutely fantastic.

As always i review by song:

1.- Dancing with the Moonlit Knight 10/10 What a way to start an album, with the most epic voice solo ever done, so much that the world moved in 2016 when Peter Gabriel sang it again live after more than 30 years. This song is a complete experience, an staple of what Genesis is, from the amazing instrumental/solo part, to the delivery of the singing, to all the layers that are traveled here while the story is being unfolded, really hard to top... and then they finish the song with one of the pretiest performances done on instruments, recreating life.

2.- I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) 10/10 Is this the first pop Genesis song? Probably, is the one that has been used a lot by the band and very apreciated by people from all eras, that doesn't make it a bad song at all, it's really happy and well executed, it's not like the first song at all but it still deserves a 10/10 for being so well done, entertaining and timeless. "You can tell me by the way i walk!" "The only thing about me is the way that i walk!" What is with Genesis and walking?

3.- Firth of Fifth 10/10 Issued many times as the perfect prog song, and it's easy to see why, technical achievements, master play from everyone on the band, this is the song that probably united and used the band to it's maximum capabilities, so then you know that it's perfection, there's not another way to describe it, they toped the first song somehow! I play the piano and i'm still not good at this song, but i keep trying and it's really fun to play everytime, it contains one of the best solos of all time, but the whole song is a classical masterpiece.

4.- More Fool Me 8/10 A really mellow song, completely done by voice and guitar, it doesn't show much technicality on guitar, the voices are good and all but i'm not a big fan of this one, too simple.

5.- The Battle of Epping Forest 10/10 I have seen people recommending this song as one of the most epic ones ever made, atleast when people ask for those, and i don't think that this is the one, but the answers still guide well those who ask because of this album. As for the song itself, the direction taken here is still fantastic, the introduction it's magical, the song then gets a little standard but it quickly becomes interesting by the amount of changes done, in voices, piano and sound in general, it even has an odd-time signature singing. It sets different ambiences while telling the adventure, sometimes telling it like a nursery rhyme, and others like a drama, showing what Peter Gabriel theatrical experience can do, even do that was already shown with Supper's Ready one album earlier. This song reminds me to some songs on Foxtrot and "Robbery, Assault and Battery" from "A Trick of the Tail".

6.- After the Ordeal 10/10 An instrumental song that i love a lot, i have always been more about the instruments than lyrics, this song explains exactly what it tries to say without any lyrics, that shouldn't be a surprise, but sadly it is nowadays. I like how Tony Banks does the major part on the first half and then Steve Hackett does it in the next, they could've made a nice side group, it could still happen tho.

7.- The Cinema Show 10/10 5 years ago i never expected to review this song on a site, but i knew since then i would listen to this song my whole life, this is it, when it all completely started, this when i realized that music could be made this magical, making you feel different settings by cheer sound alone, and that was really astounding for me, i already love OSTs, but those are made specifically for different situations, while this one goes from peace, living life, enjoying life and finally the climax, in the most simple way to put it. This piano solo IS the best ever done, and in live renditions they mixed it with "Riding the Scree", in other live renditions it has a different set of drums (1978, dijon), all welcome additions, how can you perfect perfection?

8.- Aisle of Plenty 10/10 "Who Dunnit?" is not the biggest sh*tpost made by Genesis, this song deserves the 10/10 because it's a continuation of The Cinema Show, it's the first song made about a super-market ticket and... i don't know, after all this adventure with this album, the last song brings you back to earth happy anyways.

The complete score for this album is a 98/100, wich obviously translates to 5 stars, completely well deserved and i hope to see it someday on number 1! See you in the next review... the craziest one, see you in 1974.

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