Selling England by the Pound is my favorite Genesis album (then Foxtrot, then Lamb).
I think it might be just about the "proggiest" album I've ever heard, from the absurd synths to the vocal impressions. On my first few listens, they definitely put me off a bit, but I've warmed to them.
I absolutely love the little interlude in the middle (jump to 3:25) of Firth of Fifth that starts slowly with a few flute notes (I think), then ramps into a beautiful piano piece which then transitions into the rest of the song. I'm not a huge fan of the rest of the song, but I listen for that moment.
The whole album is so dramatic, whimsical, melodic and jarring. The song that best displays this is easily The Battle of Epping Forest. I think most fans of this album would tell you to hear The Cinema Show if nothing else. While it's an excellent song, it doesn't have the absurdity and drama that I cherish to be representative of the album as a whole. It basically plods along without any major mood shifts.
|