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Genesis Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Release Date: 1974 11 18 Running Time: 95:17 Label: Atco Given all the overt literary references of Selling England by the Pound, along with their taste for epic suites such as "Supper's Ready," it was only a matter of time before Genesis attempted a full-fledged concept album, and 1974's The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway was a massive rock opera: the winding, wielding story of a Puerto Rican hustler name Rael making his way in New York City. Peter Gabriel made some tentative moves toward developing this story into a movie with William Friedkin but it never took off, perhaps it's just as well; even with the lengthy libretto included with the album, the story never makes sense. But just because the story is rather impenetrable doesn't mean that the album is as well, because it is a forceful, imaginative piece of work that showcases the original Genesis lineup at a peak. Even if the story is rather hard to piece together, the album is set up in a remarkable fashion, with the first LP being devoted to pop-oriented rock songs and the second being largely devoted to instrumentals. This means that The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway contains both Genesis' most immediate music to date and its most elliptical. Depending on a listener's taste, they may gravitate toward the first LP with its tight collection of ten rock songs, or the nightmarish landscapes of the second, where Rael descends into darkness and ultimately redemption (or so it would seem), but there's little question that the first album is far more direct than the second and it contains a number of masterpieces, from the opening fanfare of the title song to the surging "In the Cage," from the frightening "Back in NYC" to the soothing conclusion "The Carpet Crawlers." In retrospect, this first LP plays a bit more like the first Gabriel solo album than the final Genesis album, but there's also little question that the band helps form and shape this music (with Brian Eno adding extra coloring on occasion), while Genesis shines as a group shines on the impressionistic second half. In every way, it's a considerable, lasting achievement and it's little wonder that Peter Gabriel had to leave the band after this record: they had gone as far as they could go together, and could never top this extraordinary album. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Tracks: Title Composer Time 1 Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Banks, Gabriel, Collins, Hackett, Rutherford 4:55 2 Fly on a Windshield Hackett, Collins, Banks, Rutherford, Gabriel 2:47 3 Broadway Melody of 1974 Rutherford, Collins, Banks, Gabriel, Hackett 1:58 4 Cuckoo Cocoon Banks, Rutherford, Hackett, Collins, Gabriel 2:14 5 In the Cage Rutherford, Banks, Hackett, Gabriel, Collins 8:15 6 Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging Gabriel, Hackett, Banks, Eno, Rutherford, Collins 2:45 7 Back in N.Y.C. Banks, Gabriel, Collins, Rutherford, Hackett 5:49 8 Hairless Heart Gabriel, Banks, Rutherford, Hackett, Collins 2:25 9 Counting out Time Hackett, Gabriel, Banks, Rutherford, Collins 3:45 10 Carpet Crawlers Hackett, Banks, Gabriel, Rutherford, Collins 5:16 11 Chamber of 32 Doors Gabriel, Collins, Banks, Rutherford, Hackett 5:40 12 Lilywhite Lilith Rutherford, Gabriel, Hackett, Collins, Banks 2:40 13 Waiting Room Hackett, Banks, Collins, Gabriel, Rutherford 5:28 14 Anyway Hackett, Collins, Rutherford, Banks, Gabriel 3:18 15 Supernatural Anaesthetist Collins, Gabriel, Banks, Hackett, Rutherford 2:50 16 Lamia Hackett, Banks, Gabriel, Collins, Rutherford 6:57 17 Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats Gabriel, Collins, Banks, Hackett, Rutherford 3:06 18 Colony of Slippermen: The Arrival/A Visit to the Doktor/The Raven Rutherford, Gabriel, Collins, Banks, Hackett 8:14 19 Ravine Hackett, Collins, Gabriel, Rutherford, Banks 2:05 20 Light Dies Down on Broadway Banks, Hackett, Rutherford, Gabriel, Collins 3:32 21 Riding the Scree Gabriel, Banks, Collins, Hackett, Rutherford 3:56 22 In the Rapids Collins, Banks, Gabriel, Hackett, Rutherford 2:24 23 It Banks, Collins, Rutherford, Gabriel, Hackett 4:58 Releases: Year Type Label 1994 CD Atco 1994 CS Atlantic 2002 LP Classic Collection 2009 CD EMI Europe Generic 1997 CD EMI Europe Generic 1999 CD Import CD Atco 1986 CD EMI Music Distribution

Group Members: Anthony Phillips Peter Gabriel Mike Rutherford John Mayhew John Silver More >> Similar Artists: Camel Yes IQ Giles, Giles & Fripp King Crimson More >>

Influenced By: Pink Floyd The Beatles Edgar Broughton Band Atomic Rooster Procol Harum More >> Followers: Asia It Bites Pendragon Kate Bush Isildur's Bane More >>

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