SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND

Flawed though it may be, this album is a downright masterpiece. The peak of Genesis' career is found in the contents of Selling England by the Pound. There are four feature tracks on the album, and each one has an arguable right to be named the group's best piece. "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight," "Firth of Fifth," "The Battle of Epping Forest" and "The Cinema Show" all boast full-fledged Gensis: upbeat and fun, often whimsical lyrics and music juxtaposed with absolutely stunning and/or beautiful passages. There is no use in looking at these pieces in depth; just know that within each piece so many great things happen that your soul won't know how to handle it all.

What about the other four tracks, though? Well, you get two fillers in the first half: "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" and the Collins-sung "More Fool Me." They aren't bad, but to throw them in with those gigantic juice machines is preposterous. In the secnd half, however, the pieces actually compliment the awesome factories. "After the Ordeal" is a nice instrumental and "Aisle of Plenty" beings back a theme from the opener for a captivating close.

If you're reading these reviews because you aren't sure whether or not you want this, please stop. Buy this album. You don't have to be a fan of anything in partciular to love this album, or Genesis' music in general. But regardless of how many Genesis albums you have, you'll listen to this one more than any other. It's simply the best.