SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND

Whatever songwriting inspiration that was used for Foxtrot was carried over to this great album, and then some. Selling England By the Pound is noticeably softer and quieter than its predecessor, but it is every much as atmospheric and melodic. It's melancholic, silly, nostalgic, and melodic. But above all, it's good prog.

The album starts with the fantastic 'Dancing With the Moonlit Knight.' (10/10) The song starts off slow and gradually builds into a fast-paced prog fest before ending in a rather beautiful manner. This is easily the rocker of the album and features one of the best instrumental sections.

'I Know What I like (In Your Wardrobe) (7/10) is a poppier song with a rather fun vibe and a very catchy chorus.

I'm not sure I can conjure a sufficient adjective to describe how incredible 'Firth of Fifth' (10/10) is. The opening piano is incredible, the flute and guitar solos are haunting, and the middle reprise is pure synth bliss. This is the only song that can make me feel both uneasy and filled with joy in its duration. Firth of Fifth is an emotional roller-coaster of beautiful melodic prog.

'More Fool Me' (3/10) is another song with lead vocals by Collins. The vocals are fine, but the song is simply uninteresting.

'The Battle of Epping Forest' (7/10) at first glance would seem like an amazing song. Unfortunately, though there are many good parts, the song is too lyrically dense and overly long. This is also Gabriel at his most exorbitant, which may take a certain listening requirement to get through.

'After the Ordeal' (7/10) is a slightly medieval sounding instrumental. Hackett is absolutely fantastic on this song.

The album concludes with the amazing 'The Cinema Show.' (10/10) It starts with a beautiful acoustic intro and just builds from there until the midway point, which marks the beginning of perhaps the greatest keyboard solo ever. Banks really let loose on this one and has created an atmospheric and melodic masterpiece. With that said, this is probably my favorite Genesis song.

Though Selling England By the Pound has a few noticeable flaws, they all fit into the overall paradigm of the album. This, along with Foxtrot, is Genesis at their best, and is a must have for prog fans.

9/10