http://www.strawberrybricks.com/The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive RockCopyright 2017-2020 © Charles Snideren-ushttp://www.strawberrybricks.com/guide/releases/and-then-there-were-threeShortly after mixing Seconds Out, the three remaining members of Genesis-Tony Banks, Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford-headed to Relight Studios in Holland to record this, their 11th record. Rutherford chose to fill Steve Hackett's now vacant position, but that wasn't the only change: Genesis also made a conscious decision to shorten the songs in order to present a greater diversity across the record. Boasting 11 tracks, …And Then There Were Three… still contains the band's substantial musicality and a wonderfully dark production that gives it a uniform feel—something not usually associated with the Genesis. Driven by a deep bass pedal, "Down and Out" leads off with a punch. The songs are not only shorter, but also concise. Gone is most of the instrumental flash, but certainly not the fire; and keyboards dominate throughout. "Undertow" carries on in the tradition of "The Carpet Crawlers" or "Afterglow;" beauty was never in short supply in Genesis' repertoire. "Snowbound" follows in similar convention, but here accentuated with David Hentschel's powerful production. The romantic "Burning Rope" is most like the previous Wind & Wuthering album and one of Banks's finest compositions; and at seven minutes, it's the longest track on the record. Ambulating over a rollicking bass line, "Deep in the Motherlode" kicks off the second side. It's easy to see how its middle section could have gone elsewhere, but the band keeps sharp focus and drive straight through to the end. "The Lady Lies" is similarly cut. "Say It's Alright Joe" gives Collins's vocal a spotlight, further enhanced with his theatrics when performed live. The album closes with "Follow You Follow Me," a track that nearly didn't make it onto the album. Written out from a "jam" by the band, its simple enough structure contains an even simpler lyric; it marks not only the end of side two, but also the end of an era in Genesis history. As a single, it reached No. 7 in the UK and a respectable No. 23 in the US. The album was also quite successful, reaching No. 3 in the UK and No. 14 in the US, where it charted higher than any of their previous releases. Genesis spent most of 1978 touring in support of the album, which included two treks across the US with the "mirrors" in tow. Milwaukee-born Daryl Stuermer, previously in Sweetbottom and Jean-Luc Ponty's group, joined the band as their touring guitarist, in another relationship that would extend decades.http://www.strawberrybricks.com/guide/releases/and-then-there-were-threeSat, 14 Nov 2026 18:29:07 -0600