Review Summary: ...And Then There Was Pop.
Following the respective departures of Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett in ’75 and ’77, Genesis entered into what was to be their longest and most successful period as a trio. Tony Banks, Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford signified this second rearrangement with
...And Then There Were Three..., which served as the transition from
Wind & Wuthering’s fading progressive wanderings to the pop-infested
Duke. Essentially, this means that the band’s final 70’s recording still seems a little unsure about accepting the popular breakthrough that beckoned. It’s an unsteady merger of Genesis’ artistic and commercial sides, one that ultimately allowed the fan-hated pop to sneak in.
Divided as it is, there are plenty of parts to the album that manage to appease the progressive crowd, even if the average song length is shortened. Collins is coming into his own as a vocalist at this point, seeming more confident and having a far larger presence than before, although the sound still relies heavily on Banks’ keyboards. Rutherford took over as lead guitarist when Hackett’s position wasn’t filled, keeping his bass duties the same way Collins kept his drumming. Obviously, tour musicians were added, but the remaining Genesis core continued to be fully responsible for their output.
During the record’s strongest moments, the pop/prog mix works out well.
Burning Rope balances the two nicely, revealing some classic Genesis passages among catchy melodies. The band’s characteristic storytelling is still upheld with
The Lady Lies, though the narrative is much more straightforward. Accessibility does persist even within the prog-oriented material, and the muddy production doesn’t do much to add some punch to the songs. The positively chaotic rhythm of
Down and Out makes it a misleading opener, which ever so slightly recalls the more intense sections of
The Lamb; references to the past are generally a good thing here.
When the band truly ventures into pop territory, the results are uneven. The oddly placed
Follow You Follow Me is the unavoidable hit, catchy and cleverly written, but lacking in substance. For those who believe the group ever sold their soul for success, this is a particularly great track to blame.
Ballad of Big is their first attempt at a simple rocker, which really fails to make an impression, and the equally unremarkable
Many Too Many finds itself a throwaway among too many (no pun intended) other ballads. Despite the overall inconsistency, there are gems to be found, particularly the
Afterglow-esque
Undertow and the quiet
Snowbound. Genesis clearly went downhill after the losses of two crucial members, but
...And Then There Were Three... is just interesting enough to look into.
Genesis Mark V:
Tony Banks – Keyboards
Phil Collins – Vocals, Drums
Mike Rutherford – Guitar, Bass
Highlights:
Down and Out
Undertow
Snowbound
Burning Rope
The Lady Lies
