selling england by the pound

Genesis found a more polished expression of their literary ambitions and told us how their country lies with this pastoral progressive rock concept album.  After the artistic triumph of 'Foxtrot', the band had exhausted themselves with extensive touring.  While they were putting together material for a new album, their label released 'Genesis Live' as a stop gap and to capitalize on their growing reputation for their distinctive performances.  

'Selling England by the Pound' was produced by Genesis with John Burns and featured Tony Banks on piano, organ, electric piano, mellotron, synthesizer, backing vocals, and twelve-string guitar; Phil Collins on drums, percussion, backing vocals, and lead vocals on "More Fool Me"; Peter Gabriel on lead vocals, flute, oboe, and percussion; Steve Hackett on lead guitar and nylon guitar; and Mike Rutherford on bass guitar, bass pedals, rhythm guitar, electric sitar, twelve-string guitar, and backing vocals.  It took six weeks with everyone contributing to the composition of the album.  

Hackett recalls:  “'Chewing through your wimpy dreams' was actually intended as a reference to a growing corporate influence.  Wimpy is a fast food place in the U.K., like McDonalds.  It was the sense of old England being taken over; the corner shop giving way to the multinational [corporation]...We were bringing England to America with the album title, so they would know there’d be some unusual references.”

Gabriel considers:   "[We were] a bunch of writers parading as musicians...Tony, Mike and myself started off at school thinking we’d be songwriters and wouldn’t get involved in any other sort of performance rubbish...The others, less conscious of the ebb and flow of audience interest, spent a lot of time tuning their 12-string guitars. At the front of the stage I was painfully conscious that I was the one people would throw things at...I think I’m a mixture of shy and show-off, so the natural state is probably quiet and holding back – but give me the right opportunity and I’ll make a fool of myself and prance around.  You don’t do something like this unless you need it at some level, that attention." 

'Selling England by the Pound'  made it to number seventy in the US and three in the UK.  

http://www.genesis-music.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKIkzGGAG9s

interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx3Tg2Kg4g4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FBcz3tBH74

'Selling England by the Pound' 

full album:

00:00 - Dancing With The Moonlit Knight

08:03 - I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)

12:13 - Firth Of Fifth

21:48 - More Fool Me

25:00 - The Battle Of Epping Forest

36:43 - After The Ordeal

40:58 - Cinema Show

51:40 - Aisle Of Plenty