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

This album, in reality, isn't half bad. It continues the vibe from Wind & Wuthering. The complexity of the songs remains and there is much layering. With only three left, they can bring out sounds they weren't able to before. For instance, this is the most guitar playing I've been able to hear on an album since Tres.

Down And Out: The opening was a great opener 20 seconds of synth and then a GREAT thick guitar riff to follow. The song is a pretentious as the lyrics, but that's the point. Hackett is gone, so what do they do? Write a song about a guy who just plops in and does nothing...

Undertow: This is a change of pace. We hit a solemn song, but the lyrics are much more sad than the music. This is the song that sets the tone for the rest of the record. Banks runs with some piano and Collins sings the song calmly. Rutherford almost does nothing here, but the track itself is a large ballad...

Ballad of Big: Now Rutherford runs some nice riffs on this song, while Banks provides the doubletrack to the guitar. Bass churns on this song, and almost a swing beat.

Snowbound: Lyrics here are the most proggish on the album, besides Deep in the Motherloade. A snowman? There are great synth buildups and singing from Collins, high and strong singing.

Burning Rope: The verse sections on this are reminiscent of Mad Man Moon, but the song as a whole is reminiscent of it. A long ballad, but it's soothing to listen to when we get to the verses. The staccatos in the middle of the song work excellently; and that middle section works well as a melody. The song ends just how it began, quick and simple.

Deep in the Motherloade: A good slow pace and a swing to the song. The bass staccatos in the middle add good pace to the song. There is a nice solemnity to this song on some sections.

Many Too Many: Calm pianos opening this nice little ballad. Collins' calm singing lead like a lullaby. The buildup in this song works great. Rutherford has a great lead melody in this song, along with his solo to close the track. This song as a whole is like a cry for hope.

Scenes from a Night's Dream: A song with bursts and little Nemo... A nice little story told based on the character Little Nemo. It's a quick paced song as it hops up and down. Interesting how it fades out, just cuts quickly to end with a jam on the fadeout. Dreaming...

Say It's Alright Joe: Another calm song. We won't see more of this until the next album, Duke, with Alone Tonight and Please Don't Ask. It's calm like Many Too Many, but Banks throws in some soothing synth triplets. Almost a sad song...

The Lady Lies: Another song with a swing. A lot of bass and crashing guitar sounds. Fast piano key hits and a nice and slow piano solo. Some crashes and breakdowns. This is a great complex piece before the ending of the album.

Follow You Follow Me: A great hit to end the album with. Simple, the riff is tantalizing. The lyrics are great to follow, and all the melodies harmonize. The chorus almost brings a tear to my eyes every time I hear it. A song to dance to as well... Now what happens to Genesis afterwords depends...

This album is well constructed, but it takes sometime to get used to listening to. I thank Rutherford for finally getting some guitar riffs in the songs. 4.5 should suffice for this record. This shows that they can segue into a new era after suffering two hits from losing .