Open Web Player
[As a foreword, this is a review of the mid-90s remastered version of And Then There Were Three. Unfortunately, Amazon's labeling for the different pressings for this CD isn't entirely clear- I think this one was labeled "original recording reissued".]
This album gets a lot of flak from Genesis fans, and not just the Phil Collins hating faction. While A Trick of the Tail seems to get a lot of praise from all corners, Wind and Wuthering and this album both seem to be surprisingly met with either indifference or outright hatred. And Then There Were Three understandably represents to some the moment when the band really turned its back on its storied prog-rock past, as it is the first Genesis album released after Steve Hackett left (the band had already lost Peter Gabriel 2 albums back). It also has the band's first bona fide pop hit in "Follow You Follow Me", which certainly doesn't endear it to prog purists.
But still, this is a really good record. The songs are shorter, and have less "theoretical complexity", but the arrangements are dense and lushly layered. I'd venture to say this is actually a more interesting sounding recording than the fairly straightforward mix of A Trick of the Tail, as there's often an almost panicked urgency in songs like the slightly progressive "Down and Out", "Deep in the Motherlode", and the Brothers Grimm inspired "The Lady Lies". The instruments often sound like they are stepping all over each other. The 1994 remaster at least adds a fair amount of clarity in the top end, as compared to the original CD pressing's muddy sound.
I'd also say that the band really started to master pop balladry on this album. Sure, "The Carpet Crawlers" was a wonderful bit of beauty back from the Gabriel days, and "Your Own Special Way" had an awkward, naïve charm I find hard to resist, but songs like the incredibly lush and layered "Undertow", the smoky bar ballad "Many Too Many", and the lovably maudlin "Follow You Follow Me" sound like a band that figured out how to make songs with broad appeal that actually sounded heartfelt. Occasionally, there are some slightly questionable lyrical ideas, such as the western-themed "Ballad of Big" and "Scenes From a Night's Dream", but the manic energy of a band trying to preserve its identity after the loss of 2 key members keeps those songs entertaining. The band still retains some of its prog-rock roots, notably in the 7 minute long "Burning Rope", and the aforementioned "Down and Out" and "The Lady Lies", but those songs are still more compact and direct than they might've been if recorded a few years earlier.
All in all, this album may be viewed by some as a compromise that doesn't succeed in capturing either side of the band, but its almost confused approach manages to actually make it quite interesting, and it's hard to argue with the quality of the songs.
Frequently bought together
$12.28
Get it Jun 11 - Jul 3
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
+
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Similar items that may deliver to you quickly
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2014
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2024
Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2007
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2018
Top reviews from other countries
Furs Oleg
Livraison a été rapide
Reviewed in Belgium on October 26, 2023
Furs Oleg
Reviewed in Belgium on October 26, 2023
Images in this review
