The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway

If one had to pick an album to define progressive rock, it would be a double; and more often than not, Genesis' The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway would top the list. The sprawling double-album revolves around Peter Gabriel's story of a NYC street kid, Rael; that it roughly approximates every boy's journey out of adolescence is more than likely what gives the album its universal appeal. The anthem of "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" begins with Tony Banks's rolling piano giving away to Mike Rutherford's monster bass line. Immediately, this isn't the bucolic or quirky Genesis of albums past. The production is thick, loud and upfront; and above all, appropriate. The Mellotron on "Fly on a Windshield" lends a menacing edge, while the playful melody of "Cuckoo Cocoon" provides the album's single. "In the Cage" reignites the proceedings, with Banks offering some huge synthesizer lines. One can feel the testosterone in "Back in NYC;" with Gabriel's lyrics direct and his delivery forceful, it's totally in your face. "Counting Out Time" is similarly immediate—sexual initiation laid out in numbers. The melodic emotion of "The Carpet Crawlers" points to the future, as does "The Chamber Of 32 Doors." After the roar of "Lillywhite Lilith," the third side meanders until the elegant "The Lamia" slithers in, one of the strongest melodies on the album. Steve Hackett, who's also taken a step up in the mix, provides one his most elegant guitar solos on record. With a rollicking organ line, "The Colony of Slipperman" then hastens the pace. "The Light Lies Down on Broadway" reprises the journey so far, and the transition from here to the end of the record is as smooth as the first side. "In the Rapids" is a kind of emotional finale to the work and finally, Gabriel leaves us with the moral of the story, something Monty Python's Knights of Ni would certainly not want to hear! Put it all in a first-class Hipgnosis gatefold jacket and it's not hard to see why this became Genesis' bestselling album to date. Massive and sprawling, the album is nonpareil; the band is inventive, profound and, at times, timeless. Genesis embarked on a world tour from late 1974 until mid-75 in support of the album, performing the epic Lamb—costume changes and all—in its entirety for each show (none were filmed). The tour also proved to be one of the catalysts for Gabriel's departure from the band. The remaining four members would regroup in July 1975; but that of course, is another story.