The Depths · All albums

Selling England by the Pound

Genesis · 1973

• Scores: Noise 1, Unease 1, Complexity 3 (each 1 to 5)
• Genre: Rock, Progressive Rock, Art Rock
• Mood: whimsical, theatrical, pastoral
• Sound: long songs, odd time signatures, Mellotron, twelve-string guitar, English whimsy

Selling England by the Pound is the Genesis album where their long, theatrical songs reach their most elaborate form, recorded in August 1973 at Island Studios in London. Tony Banks plays Mellotron, Hammond organ and ARP Pro Soloist, "Firth of Fifth" joins three of his separate pieces into one, and "The Cinema Show" moves into 7/8 for its second half. Mike Rutherford tuned the pairs of strings on his twelve-string guitar to harmony notes instead of unison, and Steve Hackett used a nylon guitar for the first time on "After the Ordeal". "Aisle of Plenty" reprises the opening melody of "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight", so the album ends where it began.

Track list

1. Dancing with the Moonlit Knight (8:05)
2. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) (4:08)
3. Firth of Fifth (9:38)
4. More Fool Me (3:12)
5. The Battle of Epping Forest (11:49)
6. After the Ordeal (4:17)
7. The Cinema Show (11:06)
8. Aisle of Plenty (1:33)