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Selling England By The Pound

by Genesis (1973)

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Genesis — Selling England By The Pound: Track-by-track review

1. "Dancing With The Moonlit Knight"

The de facto title track, Gabriel begins the proceedings by delivering the song's mission statement — "Can you tell me where my country lies" — unaccompanied. As acoustic guitars enter the soundscape, Gabriel sings of a modern England overtaken by commerce, regardless of cost to more traditional values.

"It lies with me!" cried the Queen of Maybe
for her merchandise, he traded in his prize.

As Banks adds some understated piano playing, Gabriel addresses the British public, imploring them to seize the day. As the main theme of the tune begins, he takes all to task for not doing so.

Young man says "you are what you eat" — eat well.
Old man says "you are what you wear" — wear well.
You know what you are, you don't give a damn;
Bursting your belt that is your homemade sham.

So, we're all in this together. Get over yourselves.

After the closest thing we're going to get to a chorus (featuring some subtle rhythm guitar work from Rutherford), the band kicks into to full fusion mode. Hackett delivers a sharp solo, complete with tapping and hammering techniques, while Collins drives home the backbeat and Rutherford chugs along underneath.

From there, the Mellotron kicks in. After more satire from Gabriel — did he foresee the credit crisis? — the band fires it up again. Banks and Hackett trade leads before a Mahavishnu Orchestra-like climax.

The ending section, nicknamed "Disney" by the band, is built around a four-note riff from Rutherford. The band adds Mellotron, flute and assorted sound effects. It's a welcome change from all that's preceeded it.

NERDLETS — One-sentence impressions of this song

2. "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)"

Collins described this song as, "us doing our Beatle thing, really." Certainly, the Fabs brought Indian music to the masses a few years earlier, and Rutherford introduces the sitar to the band's arsenal here (not that it would stay for long). Also making its band debut on this album is Banks' new ARP synthesizer, which is featured briefly on the opening track but is front-and-center on the chorus of this track.

The song fades in the with the droning sound (another nod to Indian music) of a cosmic lawnmower. Gabriel sings as a slacker who is simply happy with doing yard work for a living despite the objections of Ethel, Mr. Lewis and Mr. Farmer.

Whether the song is based on the perspective of the slacker (a "lawn mower") or the actual tool is anyone's guess.

When the sun beats down and I lie on the bench,
I can always hear them talk.
Me, I'm just a lawnmower — you can tell me by the way I walk.

NERDLETS — One-sentence impressions of this song

3. "Firth Of Fifth"

If someone asks you what 70s English prog was all about, play them this song. All of the elements are here — abrupt shifts in tempo and meter, strange lyrics, a long instrumental section and, of course, lots of Mellotron.

Banks opens the track with a lengthy piano solo. In addition to its classical influence, sections start off in 4/4, but Banks tosses in the occasional bar in 13/8. Still, the melody has a flow to it that makes such complex changes barely noticeable.

The lyrics, likely Tony's as well, concern sailors preparing for battle, but temptation awaits ...

Undinal songs
Urge the sailors on
Till lured by the sirens' cry.

Yes, it's not going to end well for our heroes, but not before a lengthy, memorable instrumental passage. It begins with a piano and flute melody, followed by a short piano interlude. From there, we hear a reprise of the intro, this time with the full band and Tony playing the lead on synth and organ. Collins contributes mightily to the section with some heavy jazz-rock fills.

But the track is best remembered for Hackett, who delivers the greatest guitar solo in the band's history. Hackett plays a variation of the flute solo but loads it up with long, bending notes. These passages are punctuated by soaring Mellotron swells, bringing to mind the early days of King Crimson.

NERDLETS — One-sentence impressions of this song

4. "More Fool Me"

Collins' second lead-vocal track with the band — the madrigal "For Absent Friends," from Nursery Cryme, was the other — is a simple song of love gone wrong. Unlike some later Collins-led ballads, this one seems to have an upbeat ending.

But when it comes
Round to you and me
I ask myself
Do I really believe
In your love.
Yes, I'm sure it will work out alright.

Accompanied only by Rutherford's acoustic guitar, Collins delivers the song with the tenderness it deserves, though he sounds nothing like the frontman he would become. The 2008 remaster is definitely recommended for this song, as the guitar intro is hardly noticeable on previous releases.

NERDLETS — One-sentence impressions of this song

5. "The Battle Of Epping Forest"

Without question, "The Battle of Epping Forest" is the wordiest song in the band's history. Gabriel introduces more than a dozen characters into this 11-minute epic, with each one seemingly more contemptable than the previous.

Off in the distance, an army, led by Gabriel's flute and Collins' military snare drum, approach along the Forest Road. Must be an interesting squadron, given that they're marching in 7/4 time.

Once everyone is in place, Gabriel launches into a long tale which, so we are told by the liner notes, concerns "rival gangs fighting over East-End Protection rights." Call it a British version of West Side Story — or East Side Story, perhaps?

In any case, the gangs are led by Willy Wright, who "made his pile on Derby Night; and hippie-turned-opportunist Little John (and yes, the Robin Hood reference is deliberate and is alluded to later on). While there "are no guns in this gentlemen's bout," there are chains and fists aplenty. But at least they stop for tea ...

The butler's got jam on his Rolls; Roy doles out the lot, with tea from a silver pot just like any picnic.

Other characters include con artist Mick The Prick, the passive-agressive, slingshot-brandishing Harold Demure and Mick's friend, Liquid Len, who has revenge on his mind. Topping it all off is Gabriel's delivery, which would make the boys in Monty Python proud.

Any complex narrative begs for a backstory, and we get it, courtesy of an extended middle section which deals with a "man of repute" who gets a lot more than he bargained for. Hint: "Invisible Touch" this ain't.

It all began when I went on a tour,
Hoping to find some furniture
Followed a sign, it said "Beautiful Chest."
It led to a lady who showed me her best.

Yes, it's a brothel, given that the Reverend blushes at the offer of an "old-fashioned Staffordshire plate" (wink, wink).

From this decable, the Reverend befriends Little John, who takes his hippie sensibilites (and what had been the Reverend's good name) and attempts to make it a cottage industry.

In the end, the Blackcap Barons, who have been watching the whole mess from their ivory towers, must make a final ruling.

"There's no one left alive — it must be a draw."
So the Blackcap Barons toss a coin to settle the score.

Musically, the song is a rhythmic treat. The verses are mostly in 7/4, with the chorus and bridge sections in a highly syncopated 4/4 (count it as 3-3-3-3-2-2). There's no true musical standout until the very end, when Hackett hammers home — literally and figuratively — his final guitar solo. It truly is an ensemble performance.

While certainly a crowd favorite — note the response to the intro of the live version on the 2009 live box set — the band always sold the track short. In fact, the song was never played live by the band after the tour for the record.

NERDLETS — One-sentence impressions of this song

6. "After The Ordeal"

This shorter instrumental piece is well-placed between two of the major works on the album. Basically, it's in two sections. The first is a relatively fast classical piano piece with Hackett's acoustic guitar on top. The second half is slower, with Hackett playing an electric lead and Banks switching to organ. Gabriel's flute gradually and grudgingly takes the lead near the fade-out.

The track is considered a compromise among some band members. Banks, quoted in the book "Chapter and Verse," says that he didn't want the song on the album. Gabriel agreed, but added that the second half of "Cinema Show" should also hit the cutting-room floor. As a resolution, both pieces were retained.

NERDLETS — One-sentence impressions of this song

7. "The Cinema Show"

The last of the epic tracks begins with Hackett and Rutherford on acoustic guitars (the latter used a 12-string, with the matching strings tuned harmonically to create the unusual sound).

The lyrics, written by Banks and Rutherford, are an allusion to the Fire Sermon section of T.S. Eliot's epic poem, The Waste Land.

The tale starts out simply enough. Romeo and Juliet, a thoroughly modern couple, are preparing for their date at the movies, though Romeo is hoping for a little more.

I will make my bed
With her tonight, he cries
Can he fail armed with his chocolate surprise?

The last verse, however, references the blind Greek mythological prophet Tiresias, who was sentenced to live as a woman (and worked as a prostitute) for seven years, and later determined that women derived more pleasure than men.

I have crossed between the poles, for me there's no mystery.
Once a man, like the sea I raged,
Once a woman, like the earth I gave.
There is in fact more earth than sea.

The second half of the song is an instrumental built around a understated, churning 7/8 rhythm, courtesy of Rutherford. Banks and his synths take center stage here. Collins' playing is busy, but it's downright restrained compared to live versions. Hackett's contribution seems to be minimal, and for live versions, he sits out after the vocals end.

This instrumental passage is among the best in the band's history, especially the melodic turn just before the 10-minute mark. This section, as well as the melodic line at the start, were incorporated into live medleys of keyboard solos from the period for years.

NERDLETS — One-sentence impressions of this song

8. "Aisle Of Plenty"

The band's habit of book-ending albums with similar themes — they did it on four of their next five albums — begins here with this short, spacey variation of the acoustic section of "Moonlit Knight." The lyrics are loaded with puns relating to supermarket chains ...

"Easy, love, there's the Safe Way Home."
— thankful for her Fine Fair discount, Tess Co-operates

The track is little more than an afterthought, though it is somewhat interesting musically. Rutherford and Hackett continue to play the "Moonlit Knight" variation underneath Tony's choral settings on the Mellotron. All the while, Gabriel recites either his wife's grocery list or ads for meats and produce.