It's always been a love or hate it album. I love it - my favourite Genesis album, ever.
It's always been a love or hate it album. I love it - my favourite Genesis album, ever.
What can this strange device be? When I touch it, it brings forth a sound (2112)
So very true. I see it as Genesis' equivalent to Thick As A Brick or The Wall or Discipline. Massive, ambitious, forward thinking, groundbreaking albums for the bands, that work for so many people, but still fail in some areas, and ultimately leaving no one sitting on the fence, like you said, you either love them or hate them.
Definitely my favorite Genesis album could even be my favorite album by any artist.
Not a Genesis album I listen to often. I'm not a dolt. , but trying to understand the album reminds me of some of my college courses. It's wordy and convoluted. The sound of this album is great. The music is excellent. The story takes the enjoyment out of it. YMMV.
An album to be listened to all the way through in one sitting. Musically, it's so densely packed with recurring themes that it might be Tony Banks' finest compositional work with the band (although the next two records have similar recapitulations as well). I was not an early adopter of this record as my Genesis favorite album but after spending two solid weeks listening to nothing else about nine years ago, I finally "got it".
One other thing -- the stereo remix of this album is an utter abomination. Yes, I can hear more Hackett parts than I knew were there and Peter is more up-front but a lot of Tony's work is deeper in the mix and the reverb, that added a mystery to the sound, is gone. I never understood the point of that and it simply ruined the album. The DE is far better.
Side three has always been my favorite.. but overall still rank the album above the "other" album on the charts at that time.. Tales..
I made a script out of the album story for one of my film classes in college. Sure makes you think about what the story is about... and I still dont know if I know what's its about. haha.
Seems like I always went to side three too, when it was new to my listening, but now can listen to it front to back pretty easily.
For once, I agree with Rufus! It really has gotten better with age, I think. It's like the rock equivalent of 'The Prisoner'. It plays best as a complete whole but there are also moments that stand out- witness the long-lasting stage popularity of 'Carpet Crawlers', the title track and 'In The Cage'. I've always been fond of 'The Lamia' and was glad Steve Hackett dragged that one out of mothballs.
I too am not happy that the remixes are now the only in-print versions of their albums. I think the band should rectify that...it's not what the fans heard originally, even younger ones like me. The remix is relatively faithful in that nothing dramatic has been added/removed (that I can recall) but the overall sound is quite different, the vocals as with all these remixes are high in the mix.
I never understood why people don't get what the story was "about" ... it's about a Puerto Rican guy named Rael who gets sucked into some kind of other dimension, or dreamworld, and goes through some fantastical episodes. It's described fairly clearly in the album and through the lyrics. It's done in a bizarre, fantastical, imaginative style, with lots of symbolic references. Lots of room for interpretation, but actually a pretty clear storyline.
Full of sybolic meaning...its everywhere. The story line is right there inside the cover.. but the difficulties Peter was Having with the band and visa versa is all there...
Dance on a Volcano... the first song Genesis released after this album... was an answer of sorts to Peter... If you want to climb the music mountain... its tough... its a hard climb...the pack on his back was his marriage and wife and child more or less...
I loved Trick of the Tail and W&W..... I am a huge Peter Gabriel Fan.... and I am not sure if those two albums would have been as good with his involvement.... or not? I think no matter what it was better to have made the split as the tension was not healthy for any of them. we'll never know what might have been if Peter stayed. I am happy with what he did with Firth of Fifth and Cinema Show....... leading up to this album...and then this masterpiece. ! Brilliant group writting.... Banks is amazing... All of them as a group had that special spark... I would have loved to have seen them work together one more time even if it was a short tour and 1 new song as a group....... But without Phill behind the drums my dream is now all but gone...
I never cared much for the story, but I agree it's all about the music and vocals. Always a three way tie between this, Foxtrot, and ATOTT for favorite.
It took me a long time to warm up to the Lamb, but I love it start to finish now.
Among other things, it's the first album where the distinctive Phil Collins drum style and sound showed up, even though he was obviously great before that.
This is one of my favorite albums (obviously) and I have bounced back and forth to which medley is my favorite section:
1) The Lamb/Fly/Cuckoo/In the Cage
2) NYC/Hairless/CoT/CC
3) Anyway/Anaesthetist/Lamia
Sometimes, I get hung on number 3 for awhile, then when I tire of this I goto number 1 and then number 2 and jump around. As a muso, there is just so much going on in these mixes that I still discover tidbits from time to time. Recently I discovered that Mr Banks used a TRON SAX tape set on the Lamia and Steve used the electric Sitar in places all over the album.
Can't believe it was 40 years ago that I started to listen to this work, tempus fuget I guess?
I know its controversial and unsettle what the lamb is actually about but in my opinion...
This story is about an acid trip. The progression of the story is sprinkled with entendre.
From droppings tab "I've got sunshine in my stomach" "something inside me has just begun"
Fly in a windshield when the effects first overwhelm
The creatures represent some of the distortion experiences during the trip (feels like flesh being eaten)
To the peak and conscious choice to return in riding the scree/in the rapids
"It is purple haze"
i feel old. lamb and nursery chryme are probably my two fav genesis albums.
Like the Duke thread, this thread got me to listen to this album again. I've been a big Peter Gabriel fan, but aside from a few tracks I've mostly avoided this album. Listening to the full album all the way through now I remember why: the music is some of their best but I can live without about 3/4 of the lyrics. I find that they distract me from enjoying the music too much.
Also, I really don't like how the 2008 version sounds. I should try to find the older version (which I gave away long ago).
A classic concept album!! Finding out for the reissue interviews that John is a personality of Rael leads me to believe The Lamb is about a bum that winds in a funny farm(In The Cage), and stuff like meeting the colony of Slippermen is just stuff happening in his own head.
2 out of those 6 will be celebrating Lamb's 40th at least... not that I wouldn't want to see the original 5 do it like any other Genesis fan. Although your line up suggestion would work for me too (if Rutherford was included of course). Ironically the only one who wouldn't be needed is me (apart from perhaps sound design). I'd rather be playing though! So now where is that old stripey rugby shirt... hmmm...
Here's a taste of what's coming (work in progress quick mix): https://soundcloud.com/sonicelements...n-work-in-prog
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