Genesis – ...And Then There Were Three...

This has always been one of my favorite albums. And though my memory may be distorted, I recall way back in the day that this album was much-suspected, much-dismissed, and much-maligned when it emerged as the offering of the new line-up of Genesis. As a threesome.
I don't want to evade it -- this music is very sentimental, even potentially, sappy. But my gawd, is it good. If you're going to be ok with having your heartstrings tugged at a little bit (and more than a little bit), this may be a very profound listen for you, as it is for me.
There are songs about a snowman for criminy's sake, there is, what used to be known as, an old-school "story song" about Cowboys and Indians. There is another fable about stumbling across a seductive fairy queen of some species. I mean, you got some stuff going on here. You have to bring yourself to this record. You can't meet it halfway. Appraising it "objectively," it's always going to be hung out to dry.
This is a prog pop album you should give yourself over to, accept on its own , and marvel at the boldness (or the naivete of fame's isolation) of the people who wrote this and performed it.

PS: What I actually came here to say -- I have three copies of this PRC (PR) pressing, and it is prone to off-center spindle hole. Unfortunately, the music appears to be vulnerable to that flaw, especially for example, at the very opening of A1. There are a lot of held high notes on here, it turns out, and the ear is sensitive to wavering higher frequencies. So, you may find throughout the whole album, a subtle queasy warble. I have wondered if it was the characteristic idiosyncrasy of analog synths, but I don't think so.
For whatever reason, I have not listened to another pressing variety besides this one.

I picked up this US release for cheap at my local shop. I've always wanted to compare a US press with my 40+ year old japanese press. I had one, but gave it to my girlfriend back in 82' and laid down the big bucks ($17...lol) for the jap from my local stereo shop. I can honestly say the US tops the jap., by a lot. Soundstage, bass, Phil's drums, keyboards....everything is superior. The japanese pressing is weak in the highs with phils vocals distorting (sibilance) especially at the end

I never knew anything about this LP except Follow You Follow Me, as I got this record in a 4 pack purchase with other Genesis LP's. This record has huge production! There was no thin or tinny sound. There is full range, huge musical presence, and plenty of bass (my SVS SB-3000 sub sounded just fine). Phil's voice sounds smoother than on his later Genesis releases. I was pleasantly surprised with this album. I'll have to listen to it again and see if I can get a better handle on this one.

I've got a Richmond press, and I believe I've said it before- this record really doesn't sound bad. It's long as hell so it is perfect as a single disc, but it has *some* bass and *some* balls to it. Also the inner grooves sound much better than other super long single disc albums. Really not much sibilance/distortion to speak of. Maybe my setup just masks the flaws of this pressing and album, but it's always an impressive listen for its length.

In regards to the music itself, this is one that needs a few listens. Not because of incredibly complex music, but rather the density of this mix. And that's not to say that the compositions are run of the mill. It's a jam-packed mix that likely isn't helped by the fact it's a super-length single disc LP. As someone who prefers mid 70s Genesis, this record is always a pleasant surprise. It's a great balance of complexity and progressive rock with some pop sentiments thrown in. Additionally, we get some gentler moments of Phil singing with vulnerability. Speaking of vocals, I generally prefer Peter Gabriel over Collins, but it's mainly down to his humor, "bite"(?), and phrasing. I love Phil's voice, but don't always love how he implements it into Genesis compositions. Enough on that.
This album sounds huge. It's truly a strength and weakness of the project. On one hand it brings a really interesting, futuristic, and otherworldly sound , but on the other hand, each member's performances are just BEGGING for some separation in the cluttered mix, but it's something that won't come. That brings me back around to my first point... This album takes a number of listens to sink in. Early on it sounded like a mush of overly-loud instruments, but after repeated listens the subtleties of the trio's individual performances become more clear.

My copy matches the "RI" on the label. However the matrix on mine differs:
ST-A-784045-CCC-1-11 PRC (PR) on side one
ST-A-784046-CCC-1-111 PRC (PR) on side two