THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY

There are several definitions of the word "classic". When it comes down to this album, I don't see it as "a standard of excellence", though in the prog rock world it definitely has a "recognized value" and it is certainly historically memorable. If you want a general picture of "The Lamb", here it is.

It's a double album that does not feature a whole lot of elaborate music like that on 'The Lamia', 'Riding the Scree', and 'Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging'. (Fortunately, Peter Gabriel did some good singing on those tracks.) That means that the album is mostly loaded with numbers that don't work for me personally. In addition to that, the strategy of listening to the album in its entirety without interruptions (as some fans of the album would suggest for greater appreciation) didn't cut it for me.

In other news: Tony Banks is using synthesizers with dull timbres a lot. No more washes of Mellotron sounds. No more hardcore organ. No more emphasis on tone from one of my favorite keyboardists. Mikey Rutherford does an OK job as a bass guitarist, but Phil Collins is not too shabby on only a few moments, and Steve Hackett's guitar parts are so meager that it hurts me. There seems to be a lot more of the emphasis on lyric-writing and rhythm rather than music-writing, melody, and harmony. But that's not it. I also forgot to mention that they mistreat some of their musical themes and variations.

Also, there is quite a noticeable bulk of embarrassing lyrics like "So you think I'm a tough kid? Is that what you heard? Well I like to see some action and it gets into my blood." Wait, it gets better: "It is chicken, it is eggs. It is in between your legs". Seriously? Is that what Peter Gabriel was made of at the time? I mean, maybe the guy was influenced by some famous writers who heavily implemented metaphors and other elements of literature, but this is just an awkward way for Peter to serve his messages. Plus, the concept, a story about an NYC street punk Rael, who embarks on a quest to find his identity and to manifest his freedom, is very confusing. What is this, a parody on punks? Don't even get me started on the whole picture of a Puerto-Rican punk jumping through hoops (escaping the Colony of funny pimple-laden dudes, riding a mountain slope, etc.) only to indulge himself in sexual satisfaction and find out that he has been looking for himself all along. What is it that he was looking for in himself exactly, I don't know. I do know that I haven't learned anything from that story. That really tells me something about those so-called "bad trips" (as some fans of this album dubbed it): they suck. They suck because they don't have a purpose, and that's why they are "bad". Sure, there are references to Greek mythology, sexual revolution, Peter Gabriel's own nightmares, etc., but this only means that the lyrics are just bloating with ideas that don't work together very well. That's why this "one whole lengthy nightmare" does not work, and Mr. Banks could back me up on this one. This is not the Genesis I used to know. This is Genesis in shambles. The album lacks potential in terms of intelligence (that is, the lyrical ideas are poorly slapped together), entertainment, and viscera.

Ratings/comments (if you have to ask):

---------------------- Disc 1:

1. 'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway' - ** ; 2. 'Fly on a Windshield' - *** ; 3. 'Broadway Melody of 1974' - * ; 4. 'Cuckoo Cocoon' - * ; 5. 'In the Cage' - ** ; 6. 'The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging' - **** ; 7. 'Back in NYC' - * ; 8. 'Hairless Heart' - * ; 9. 'Counting Out Time' - ** ; 10. 'Carpet Crawlers' - **** ; 11. 'The Chamber of 32 Doors' - **

---------------------- Disc 2:

1. 'Lilywhite Lilith' - *** ; 2. 'The Waiting Room' - *** ; 3. 'Anyway' - *** ; 4. 'The Supernatural Anaesthetist' - ** ; 5. 'The Lamia' - **** ; 6. 'Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats' - * ; 7. 'The Colony of Slippermen' - ** ; 8. 'Ravine' - * ; 9. 'The Light Dies Down on the Broadway' - * ; 10. 'Riding the Scree' - **** ; 11. 'In the Rapids' - **** ; 12. 'It' - ****

Stamp: "Try it yourself."

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