The Firth of Fifth guitar solo is possibly one of my favorites of all time.

Probably the best Genesis album of them all.

Dancing with the Moonlit night will just blow minds, great record.

I can't really find a flaw in this record... It's perfection over the icing of the cake sort of way... never get tired of it, never will.

"I Know What I like" chorus, while not vocally perfect, is anthem-like and accessible, something that Genesis had not prioritized up to that point. Regular middle-class folks began to take notice, and I believe opened new doors for the band. Plus, for me it is one of the most endearing Pete/Phil unisons in their catalog.

i never fell so instantly in love with a record than with selling - i put it on, opened the cover like a book and listened, and it just surpassed my highest expectations, it was the music i have been waiting for

These guys were only 23 years old when they made this record!

Firth of Fifth ..... alla King Crimson . I knew it , I though this for years and always told my friends the 2nd part was like crimson !!! Fantastic : D

My favorite Genesis album. I always end up coming back to it.

Cinema Show and Firth of Fifth - for me, Genesis' greatest works.

I first heard 'Selling England' when I was about 17. It was a challenge at first listening...strange and unique. Today It remains one of my favourite Genesis albums along with 'Nursery Cryme.' Every song is highly original and the musicianship is just amazing. The album is full of drama, beauty, humour and much excitement. Love the cover painting as well. (Lost on todays cds) A classic album that will be praised for many years to come.

this is one of the greatest prog albums of all time--along with Close to the Edge

The Lonely Rocker admires and adores this fabulous gorgeous fantastic album!

My favourite Genesis Album....I was in my teens when it came out....still sounds unique today !!

Magical album from the best of times, utterly brilliant.

"Selling England by the Pound" is my favourite Genesis album. I like all the songs of this album, but my favourite is "The Cinema Show" with Mr. Tony Banks playing your magical keyborads in the instrumental section 7/8. Attention KZfaq people, listen this album, close your eyes and enjoy the music!

If I had to pick just one. . . this would be my all-time favorite Genesis album. The increasing trend toward pop and hit singles got them fame and fortune, but nonetheless disappointed many of us who were with them from the beginning.

Steve talking about the evolution of the guitar on Firth is cool. What a fine piece of music. Thanks.

Firth of Fifth, best song on an magnificent album, and After the Ordeal is one hidden gem

The Cinema Show it's the best of Genesis, in my opinion. It's just so deeply touching.

I absolutely love this album

The best album ever written. Lots of brilliance and no weaknesses. Firth of Firth is the greatest track ever for me.

I love hearing musicians who are always striving to be better give honest critiques of their own work in retrospect. As I get older, these PG-era Genesis albums just seem to sound better and better.

My favourite album It's a masterpiece

hauntingly good

This album had just come out, and I never knew about the band. It blew me away then, and still does...

No one cares about "After the Ordeal"...I do. This was my first Genesis album , it was given to me when I was 5. My first record player. Mind blown. lol

I have listened to I Know What I Like" so many times, And I just noticed that where they say "Over The Garden Wall" they were nodding off to Peter and Tony's old band the Garden Wall, which then merged with Mike and Anthony (Phillips) band, The Anon, to form the band we all know and love!

You are obviously a god that has descended to earth to grace us earthlings with these gems. Many thanks!

Steve hackett seems like a lovely guy

Aisle of Plenty is a brilliantly haunting conclusion, especially how it fades out. The fact that the band regards it as an insignificant after thought illustrates how bands often fail to appreciate the profound affect they have on their fans.

I confess: in those years, after a lot of time spent listening Genesis I chose to play punk music. Now I know the truth: I would never be able to play as Genesis played...

thats my fav album of all time I heard it once n went out next day, i needed it. Thats when genesis became my fav band. I found a a unique band with a unique sound. It just whacked me. Its one of the greatest albums of all time

Escuche este álbum con mi padre por primera vez cuando tendría 8 o 9 años. Mi madre llegó con el CD original por entonces, años después me compré el vinilo original inglés. Para mi es una auténtica experiencia oír el álbum completo.

My favorite, most nostaglic and most heartwarming memory in Genesis history. A thoroughly mind transporting experience. Very satifying!

I remember back in high school a friend played his Lamb Lies Down tape in his car. I couldn't believe it was the same Genesis I "thought" I knew so well from the radio. I was like geez, these guys were once in the same universe as Yes, Floyd and ELP? That's when I decided I needed to go treasure hunting. All the Gabriel-era albums are classics, but for me, SEBTP is their crown jewel.

This interview certainly didn’t heighten my fond memories of this monumental classic.

To me, Firth of Fifth is a Perfect song

how come that such a synth solo like cinema show becomes such a "crowd pleaser" as rutherford puts it? i guess because banks/genesis had the passion for music that could really "take you higher" -- i hear that music and i feel elevated, it opens a window to a world of utter beauty -- this music touches me really deeply in the heart, and i am glad if others feel it that way too!

Can't believe they didn't talk about Dancing With The Moonlit Knight! My favourite Genesis track!

Why didn't they talk about my favorite song off of this amazing album... Dancing with the moonlit knight!? I wanted to hear the background story to that one!!

kfs I agree,the piano is simply wondeful, the whole thing is a piece of beauty, and Steve's work is just so yummy....

My favorite Genesis album.

There is a whole lot of brilliance in the above video. :)

one of the best guitar solos ever,

A great album!!!!

I can't wait for the box set.

@jwild611 Yes...Epping is a wonderful song!!! Even some of the Genesis lads said it was 'too wordy.' I personally love all the words...and delivered so well by Pete. The song builds to an amazing ending, especially where Phil changes the drum beat and Steve's simple but 'heart felt' solo soars!!!

FoF is one of the best songs with THe best solo section of any song. Tony and Steve were perfect and couldn't improve in any way.

SEBTP is my 2nd favorite Genesis album, after ATOTT. Of course, I just love I Know What I Like and Cinema Show--beautiful stuff with some great atmosphere!

Yes !

peter´s vocals are so clever that it complements the busy bottom, without sucking the air out. Phil, you were just too close to it ...VYASA

This is so interesting hearing their semi-negative feelings about this album as it remains probably my favorite of all their works with Foxtrot coming in a close second.

Selling England... a class album. Genesis at their very best!

@nymetsman321 the complete interviews are now up for the gabriel era albums. search 'genesis selling england by the pound complete interview'

I spent hours watching the mad hatter label listening to the music. Talk about music education. Many people find it "challenging" - it is, but at the same time it sounds very obvious, or else it wouldn't have clicked with me at that age.Complicated music - but accessible and melodic.

Selling EBTP is a monster. really huge, firth of 5th, like the Crimso song that never happened. Odd this was the height of their prog rock. Threw it all out by The Lamb,went rockprog not progrock. luv luv this versn of Genesis. They had at least 1 more left in this quintetimagine,sort of a great combo of peter g's car LP/trick of the tail,woulda gave floyd a run for their $. floyd swallowed it all prog wise by '77

It is nice to hear them talk so well of The Cinema Show which I think may be the best Genesis song ever. I sometimes nearly cry to its beautifullness in the instrumental 4 minute ending. Such a concentrated continous flow of fantastic themes in short time is rare. But the Selling England by the Pound allbum was uneven in quality. Even Peter Gabriel says he didn`t like the "I know what I like"-song. I agree.

Good ol' creativity.

I'm gonna tackle your point (which is a fair one, you bet) from a different window. I kinda see it as a number of extremely EXTREMELY strong egos each vying to be heard...and needing some quality time to be, at that! You can even hear the egos now - each never backs down. You'd have to agree, after listening to these interviews, that each individual has their own particular idea of the trajectory the band's history took. And each would go to the mat arguing that theirs is the ACCURATE one!

@dummytree 'After the Ordeal' is a perfect interlude between 'Epping' and 'Cinema Show.' It also stands on its own as a great piece of music.....

@dummytree Yes...I loved that Charisma 'mad hatter' label too!!! It was art and music combined into a delightful blend!'

Great album

@steveclarkmusic9 I think I may have been 15 or 16 when I discovered the classic Genesis. My first album being Trespass. This was in 1980 or so , I think. Every album from Trespass through Trick of the Tail are my favorites, yes. I miss the old days when albums were packaged thoroughly and required real art direction. We have reached a point where artwork is almost absent given MP3 downloads etc. Sad.

You all are posting these intellectual comments, but I've only got one thing to say. I love Genesis so damn much.

every Genesis album is a world of it´s own...don´t compare!! Comparision is beginning of illusion! - J.Krishnamurti

I gotta agree with Pete's view of the I Know I Like chorus...

The more I study these band analyses of the early Genesis albums, the more I'm gleaning the fact that Peter and Tony...ummm...just did NOT see eye to eye, and really rather resented each other. Is it me?

@Incudius It's like a Gilmour solo: Sometimes a few notes tell more stories than a million notes.

Wow!! Mr Hackett at last...

If you took Genesis' songs and reduced them to the chords and melody and had some other band play it, I think one might get the idea that they're this cutesy pop band. The vocal lines are so good and so melodic but at the same time everything has a bit of an edge to it. Pete's voice, Steve's solos that are really more like melody lines then they are traditional pop group guitar solos. And of course Tony crazy manic synthesizers. All those unusual and colorful elements elevate what might otherwise be adult contemporary theatrical pop. I hope that came across as a compliment. He mentioned King Crimson. There's a band that had all those edgy unorthodox qualities but they didn't have those perfect vocal lines. That's what I'm trying desperately to say. At least for me, they manage to capture my imagination and get me hooked on just damn good music. I could sing along (badly) with Genesis all day. (Psst, only their early stuff. But don't tell the others.)

El mejor disco de la historia, sacando a The Beatles.

gee, what an album, really.

The best Genesis album. Followed by Trick of the Tail. Lamb has grand moments, but I don't fully rate it - overwrought, weighty, dull, though often brilliant.

Mike is really Gandalf.

I love these guys to pieces...and Selling England. But it has just struck me that Mike Rutherford (here) speaks a little bit like Prince Charles.

I wish I could see the full 45 minute interview. In 11 minutes there is no mention of Dancing with the Moonlit Knight, possibly their best song ever. Regarding Epping Forest, I for one enjoy the track very much. But, that said, in every interview I have ever seen, the band is in complete agreement that they screwed up there.

A March in progressive rock, like Brain Sallad Surgery

The battle of epping forest is a hard listen.

@benlorenc peter gabriel confesses that he got carried away on that songs´ lyrics

What a wonderful, endlessly fascinating record. Makes you wonder how they could bring themselves to do some of the embarrassing rubbish they put out in the 80s.

@dummytree ...I so care about "After The Ordeal".

After the Ordeal is a great instrumental hinge leading into Cinema Show and then Aisle of Plenty. Sorry to hear that Tony Banks was never down with it. I wish he expanded on his position and said why. I frankly disagree.

@Hrci04 It is a killer album, ain't it?

Who was the bassistmback then was it the guitarstmfor genasis now

Lyrically it was T.S. Elliot

@lorenic95 want me to type u what he says?

They should have "SOLD"

I don't think "I know What I Like" is too much Beatle-esq. Imo.

An Album I would take on a desert island!

It's a shame really. This is an amazing album, truly, apart from one song, which i think spoils the fun for me. The Battle of Epping Forest is an 11 minute waste of time in my book. I mean, it has a couple of nice riffs and hooks here and there, but overall it seems as though it was put on the album with the sole reason that so much work had gone into it that they couldn't afford to leave it out.

Phil, mais t'as vraiment gâché la vocation de genesis

Let me just say- Dogs

they all speak so softly cant hear them at all!

good grief, by the way they're talking, sounds like the whole creative process was pretty miserable! Good job the results were good :-)