THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY

As far as I'm concerned it is just as good as the earlier 2 Albums "Selling England" & "Foxtrot." The band retains most of the same instruments & sound from them as well. The themes are slightly changed though parts of the album do retain the fantasy/mythology lyrical story telling style mainly on side 3 (1st half of disk 2).

The first thing that I would have to express the most about this album is the live show. Unfortunately when Genesis performed the Lamb live in 74-75 there was very little video footage (about 10 minutes worth) recorded mainly due to problems that the band would sometimes have with the show (slide synchronization, equipment, etc...). It was the most complex show that the band had done to date. If you get a chance to see THE MUSICAL BOX perform the show live, do so. You will not regret it. They have all the licensing, slides, props, & costumes from Genesis & Peter Gabriel. Be sure to immerse yourself in the story of Rael before you go...it helps.

You cannot compare just listening to this album to seeing it done live. The whole aspect of the show will give the album a whole new meaning. The lyrics & the story of Rael became much more clear to me after seeing the show twice so far. The lyrical point of view that Gabriel puts forth on the Lamb is from a very existential point of view. Gabriel has never revealed much in interviews about the Lyrics. As the last lines of the lamb story state "IT's over to you."

The "urban" flavor represented in the music & lyrics gives the band a semi-new sound. A few tracks have some great extended keyboard solo sections mainly on In The Cage & Riding the Scree. They can be somewhat reminicent of the way some of the earlier jams on Selling England. Tony always sounds great on the ARP soloist with organ in the background. His mellotron sounds practically make the walls feel like they are breathing during Fly on a Windshield (creating images of Pharohs going down the Nile), and the mellotron on Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats has to be the most angelic sounds that have ever been recorded on this awesome prog essential instrument.

I think that Steve Hackett's best guitar solos reside on side 3 of the album. Though the most obscure point of the album. Many people seem to miss that there are some great guitar solos on tracks like Anyway, The Supernatural Anaesthetist, & The Lamia. His solo on Hairless Heart kind of reminds me of the Firth of Fifth solo. A lot of people discredit Hackett's writing on the album, but you can hear his influence. He does some really cool guitar synth effects on in the cage if you listen very closely in the background of the verses.

Phil's drumming & harmonies are by far the most complex ever on the Lamb. He sings more on this album then any Genesis album to date so far. He adds some great new drum sounds to this album and even plays a little bit of vibraphone on tracks like Chamber of 32 doors. I love the percussion break down that he does on Riding the Scree. He uses new sounds (sounds like monkey skulls) that are somewhat ethnic in nature. A sound that Gabriel embraced on his early solo albums. Phils drumming dynamics play a very important sound on the album. He takes us to new heights on Fly on a Windshield, Riding the Scree, & The Waiting Room (evil jam at the end). Another element that sets this album apart from previous Genesis albums is the use of some odd timings on a few tracks. Though Genesis had used odd timings in previous albums, they only seemed to be in certain parts of the song/jam. For once we have complete tunes like Back In NYC, which is in 7/8 for almost the whole song, or Riding the Scree in the ever popular 9/8 time (A Genesis favorite).

One of my favorite things about the album that I saved for last is Mike Rutherford's use or should I say overuse of the Moog Bass Pedals. They are all over the place on this album. I think they could have been more pronounced in the actual recording. I'm sure they did it for a reason. There were probably not many stereos back then that could actually make the bass sound good & deep. Once again, if you see the show live you will really notice the bass pedals. They will slam you in the face. Mike is like the glue on this album that holds everything together. Also when you see this show live you will notice how much 12 string is played by Rutherford. A lot of times when I thought it was bass it was 12-string with the pedals. Mike is the master of the two combined, more than any other musician of the prog era.

To sum it up, It is one of my favorite albums of all time. The band's direction begins to change after the Lamb with Gabriel leaving. I think it was the height of the Gabriel era. The band seemed to skyrocket into success following this album. Do your self a favor. Go see the show live! It will change your perspective.