THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY

Well, let's see. After the much accomplished Selling England By The Pound, Peter Gabriel decided that he would make one more album with Genesis, do a tour, and then quit the music business for a while to raise his expecting daughter. So, he came up a short story after William Friedkin approached him to do a screenplay for a film, although I'm not too certain that the short story was for the film Anyway, the short story would become the basis for Genesis' upcoming album, entitled The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. After writing lyrics for some music that Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Steve Hackett, and Mike Rutherford had been jamming around with, they began to record the album with the Island Mobile Studio with John Burns as the co-producer and with some help from ex-Roxy Music member Brian Eno.

The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway was released on November 18, 1974, and Genesis embarked on a tour that would center around the album. For the course of a year or more, they played the album live every night, with fantastic light shows and bizzare costumes courtesy of Peter Gabriel (who, by that point, had been very notorious for costumes). Many of the fans were puzzled over the performances, and the album would become their most notorious and controversial throughout their entire career.

Now, when it comes to reviewing an album like this, it's important to have some sort of handle on it. A double-concept album, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is quite a lot to swallow. It's most likely that more than just a couple of listens are required. It's also important to note that this album is not for everyone. Falling under the category of progressive rock, it's a very acquired taste. Most people that appreciate the work of Genesis from 1970-1977 ( Trespass to Seconds Out) have become Genesis fanatics and devote their admiration and loyalty to them. It's extremely imperitive to recognize that Genesis (mainly Peter Gabriel) is one of the most eccentric musicians that the rock and roll industry has ever had, and their work could very much come across as very pompous or over-the-top with complex arrangements and strange, yet at times, very silly vocals/lyrics. Now, with that said, let us review this sprawling, difficult, complex, and eccentric piece of music.

The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is a double album, split up into four parts (or sides). For the most part, the songs are connected to make four lengthy "suites." I must say that they did this very well, and this would be the only time in their entire career that they would do something like this. With that said, it's important that the album be played all at once, despite the fact that the running time of the album exceeds ninety- four minutes.

The first side begins with the title track, beginning with a very well-played piano intro. by Tony Banks. The song would have to be one of the most accessible songs on the album and in the entire early-Genesis catalog. It has some great lyrics that really set the scene and gives a nice introduction to the heroine of the album, leather-clad Puerto Rican gang member, Rael. After the final verse and Peter singing "They say the lights are always bright on Broadway/They say there's always magic in the air" a couple of times, the track dissolves into the first 12-string chords of "Fly On A Windshield." Now, the story begins to unfold with the forming of a violent dust-storm which wraps Rael in a cocoon of dust. After "And I'm hovering like a fly...," the band blasts through with a gritty instrumental led by the exceptional drumming of Phil Collins. Then, the song transforms into "The Broadway Melody Of 1974," a commentary about Howard Hughes, the Ku Klux Klan, Caryl Chessman, bitter almonds, Winston cigarettes and things of that nature...more or less the city of New York in which Rael is leaving to depths and worlds unknown. "Cuckoo Cocoon" is next, and Rael finds himself inside a cave after a long sleep. A little ditty of sorts, the short piece is led by the bittersweet flute-work of Peter Gabriel. Not quite as talented as Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson, but truly exceptional indeed. Rael notices a grouping of particles forming around him, closing in on him. "In The Cage" is next, and we are first introduced to Rael's brother John. With a tear of blood, John takes no caring for Rael's cries of help, and leaves him to face the surrounding cage around him. Fortunately, the cage dissolves, and Rael is left spinning like a top. Rael moves on with his journey and finds himself in some sort of factory, with people on a conveyor belt with numbers on their foreheads, including John with the number 9. "The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging" is the final track on side one, and leaves the satisfied listener wanting more.

Side Two begins with "Back In N.Y.C.," a reminiscence on the gritty New York life that Rael once knew. A synthesized masterpiece, the painful lyrics and glorious keyboards are revolved around a 7/8 measure by Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford. The first instrumental, "Hairless Heart," follows with beautiful synthesizers and classical guitars by Steve Hackett, and is followed by the quirky "Counting Out Time." Now, Rael is faced with the pressure of satisfying a woman sexually, with his trusty book of errogenous zones by his side, for he is a virgin and has never done such a thing. Of course, disappointment follows, and Rael is faced with a long hallway with "Carpet Crawlers" on the floor, making their way up a spiral staircase, which leads into "The Chamber Of 32 Doors." These two songs are wonderfully played and serve as the conclusion to not only the end of side two, but disc one as well.

So, let us remove the first record from our turntables and place the second record (remember to listen to side three before four for all the dummies out there!). The first song is "Lilywhite Lilith," which enters with a pretty good bang. Another fairly accessible song from the boys of Genesis, this one introduces us the the character of the same name, a bold blind woman who helps Rael through the mass of people out of the chamber into a cave, where he is seated to wait for Death. "The Waiting Room" is an instrumental drenched with Eno-inspired oddities which make way to a glorious-turned-strange workout by the band. "Anyway" follows, a song about Death and how Rael hears it approaching. Apparently, it's in the form of an anaesthetist in "Here Comes The Supernatural Anaesthetist," with some nice guitar chords by Steve Hackett. Following is "The Lamia," and Rael finds himself in another chamber with the lamia, a three-headed serpent-woman that caresses him for a while, then begins to try to eat him, but his blood kills her, and he eats her instead. The instrumental "Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats" serves as the conclusion of the third side with a quiet, euphoric glory.

Side Four begins with "The Colony Of Slippermen," where Rael is greeted by slippermen, people who have met the same fate as he, only displaying the aftermath (their figures). Rael has to see Doktor Dyper for a castration in order to avoid turning into a slipperman. His penis is placed in a tube, which is snatched by a raven, who carries it towards a ravine. Rael chases after it and sees the raven drop the tube in the ravine and float away. The instrumental "Ravine" follows with the same quietness of "Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats," but it sounds more eerie with the synthesizers. "The Light Dies Down On Broadway" is the reprise of the title track. Here, Rael sees a gateway which leads back to the New York streets. Of course, he is met with a dilemma after he sees John drowning in the ravine. He chooses to save John, blowing his chance of leaving the insane world he's been so unfortunate to be in. "Riding The Scree" follows with a reggae-like 9/8 rhythm that soars with the spectacular synthesizers of Tony Banks. Here, Rael jumps into the raging river to save his drowning brother John. With "In The Rapids," he reaches John and grabs onto him, riding the river out to safety, only to find that the face of John is, in fact, his own. " it" is the last song on the album, and is very confusing. I believe that it is the self- actualization that Rael has acquired at the end of the album for saving John, who is actually himself in the long run. Of course, I could be wrong, but I guess I'll have to be satisfied with this assumption.

On the whole, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is one of the finest albums ever made, and without a doubt the best concept album ever made ( Sgt. Pepper isn't really much of a concept album). It has a really intriguing story and is played very well. I would easily place this album in my Top 20 of all-time favorite albums, and I would say that this is my favorite progressive rock album. Not many other artists made albums as involved as this...only albums such as Tommy and The Wall come to mind. But The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway beats out those albums by a country mile...maybe even two.

One of the few albums that have perfectly crafted songs. 10/10 for all the songs, and a perfect five star rating with a bullet!