And Then
There Were Three, more than either of its immediate predecessors, feels like
the beginning of the second phase of Genesis -- in large part
because the lineup had indeed dwindled down to Tony Banks, Mike
Rutherford, and Phil Collins, a
situation alluded to in the title. But it wasn't just a whittling of the lineup;
the group's aesthetic was also shifting, moving away from the fantastical,
literary landscapes that marked both the early Genesis LPs and the two
transitional post-Gabriel outings, as the
bandmembers turned their lyrical references to contemporary concerns and slowly
worked pop into the mix, as heard on the closing "Follow You Follow Me," the
band's first genuine pop hit. Its calm, insistent melody, layered with
harmonies, is a perfect soft rock hook, although there's a glassy, almost eerie
quality to the production that is also heard throughout the rest of the record.
These chilly surfaces are an indication that Genesis don't quite want
to abandon prog at this point, but the increasing emphasis on melody and tight
song structures points the way toward the group's '80s work.
Released
7 April 1978 (UK)23 March 1978 (US)
Recorded
September–October 1977 at Relight
Studios/Hilvarenbeek,
NL
Length
53:27
Label:
Charisma, Virgin, Atlantic
Producer:
David
Hentschel and Genesis
---------------------------------
By H. Jin (Melbourne, Australia)
---------------------------------
By H. Jin (Melbourne, Australia)
In a way, it seems kind of ironic that the departure of key frontman Peter Gabriel barely caused Genesis to bat an eyelid musically speaking, yet the loss of the increasingly marginalised Steve Hackett resulted in a major reinvention of their sound. But it's not so surprising really: Hackett's extended classical guitar interludes formed a major part of Genesis' prog sound, often taking a song in a completely new and exciting direction. Tony Banks has stated publicly that Hackett was his "ally" in persuing the more experimental prog-rock side of the band. Without Hackett on board, you get the feeling Genesis became a bit of a two-on-one, with Banks' musical amibition increasingly tempered by Mike Rutherford's wistful balladry and the growing pop sensibilities of Phil Collins.
'And Then There Were Three' clearly highlights this shift in direction. It's not just that the band start bringing in upbeat pop and love songs, even the "proggy" songs are considerably more stripped back and direct than before. Without Hackett's instrumental bridges and solos, the tracks are much shorter on average, and follow a more standard pop-rock verse/chorus format. There's nothing as ambitious as 'One For The Vine', or even 'All In A Mouse's Night', here. And the lyrical themes are becoming less fanciful and more wordly, with a greater emphasis on personal relationships and character studies. The result is a bunch of tracks that sound like pop songs trapped in a prog song's body, or vice versa.
Fans of old-school Genesis will enjoy the three most prog-styled tracks; 'Down And Out', 'Burning Rope', and 'The Lady Lies'. All three tracks showcase the bands' continued exceptional musiciainship and high-quality songwriting, even if the complexity has been reigned in slightly. Other familiar Genesis staples include the 'Your Own Special Way'-esque Rutherford ballads 'Snowbound' and 'Say It's Alright Joe', and the more ambitious Tony Banks ballad 'Undertow'. At the other end of the scale, 'Scenes From A Nights Dream' was probably the most poppy thing they'd done at the time, while 'Many Too Many' and the obvious hit single 'Follow You Follow Me' are straightforward love ballads. The simplicity and accessibility of the latter tracks must have come as a real shock, especially since their previous album 'Wind And Wuthering' contained some of their least immediately accessible work.
It's a real mixed bag on 'And Then There Were Three', and I can understand why the album is under-rated, even dismissed, by many fans. The sheer diversity of styles means that it's not consistently prog enough for the hard-core Genesis base and not poppy enough for the 'Invisible Touch' crowd, despite having moments that appeal to both. And being the first album featuring this new approach, it's fair to say that the band are still working things out. A couple of tracks seem to end a bit awkwardly, as if the band weren't quite sure whether to strip them back or take them further.
'And Then There Were Three' doesn't quite have the musical and lyrical consistency of Genesis' very best work, and is probably more important for the direction it led to than for what it actually is. But the album does showcase a wider variety of styles than had previously been heard on a Genesis album before, and when the band do get it right (the three prog tracks, 'Undertow', 'Follow You...') they're as good as ever.
[3.5 stars]
'And Then There Were Three' clearly highlights this shift in direction. It's not just that the band start bringing in upbeat pop and love songs, even the "proggy" songs are considerably more stripped back and direct than before. Without Hackett's instrumental bridges and solos, the tracks are much shorter on average, and follow a more standard pop-rock verse/chorus format. There's nothing as ambitious as 'One For The Vine', or even 'All In A Mouse's Night', here. And the lyrical themes are becoming less fanciful and more wordly, with a greater emphasis on personal relationships and character studies. The result is a bunch of tracks that sound like pop songs trapped in a prog song's body, or vice versa.
Fans of old-school Genesis will enjoy the three most prog-styled tracks; 'Down And Out', 'Burning Rope', and 'The Lady Lies'. All three tracks showcase the bands' continued exceptional musiciainship and high-quality songwriting, even if the complexity has been reigned in slightly. Other familiar Genesis staples include the 'Your Own Special Way'-esque Rutherford ballads 'Snowbound' and 'Say It's Alright Joe', and the more ambitious Tony Banks ballad 'Undertow'. At the other end of the scale, 'Scenes From A Nights Dream' was probably the most poppy thing they'd done at the time, while 'Many Too Many' and the obvious hit single 'Follow You Follow Me' are straightforward love ballads. The simplicity and accessibility of the latter tracks must have come as a real shock, especially since their previous album 'Wind And Wuthering' contained some of their least immediately accessible work.
It's a real mixed bag on 'And Then There Were Three', and I can understand why the album is under-rated, even dismissed, by many fans. The sheer diversity of styles means that it's not consistently prog enough for the hard-core Genesis base and not poppy enough for the 'Invisible Touch' crowd, despite having moments that appeal to both. And being the first album featuring this new approach, it's fair to say that the band are still working things out. A couple of tracks seem to end a bit awkwardly, as if the band weren't quite sure whether to strip them back or take them further.
'And Then There Were Three' doesn't quite have the musical and lyrical consistency of Genesis' very best work, and is probably more important for the direction it led to than for what it actually is. But the album does showcase a wider variety of styles than had previously been heard on a Genesis album before, and when the band do get it right (the three prog tracks, 'Undertow', 'Follow You...') they're as good as ever.
[3.5 stars]
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