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Genesis — Firth Of Fifth
Album: Selling England By The Pound
Avg rating:
7.6

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2191









Released: 1973
Length: 9:32
Plays (last 30 days): 0
The path is clear
Though no eyes can see
The course laid down
Long before

And so with gods and men
The sheep remain
Inside their pen
Though many times
They've seen the way to leave

He rides majestic
Past homes of men
Who care not
Or gaze with joy

To see reflected there
The trees, the sky
The lily fair
The scene of death
Is lying just below

The mountain cuts off
The town from view
Like a cancer growth
Is removed by skill
Let it be revealed

A waterfall
His madrigal
An inland sea
His symphony

Undinal songs
Urge the sailors on
'Till lured by the siren's cry...

Now as the river
Dissolves in sea
So Neptune
Has claimed another soul

And so with gods and men
The sheep remain inside their pen
Until the shepherd
Leads his flock away

The sands of time
Were eroded by
The river
Of constant change
Comments (529)add comment
 gpsfreak wrote:

Technically interesting song, but how did it wind up on the Groovy Mix? 



there's a groovy mix?
what a wonderful album.

love this song.  i'd like to hear i know what i like in your wardrobe immediately following, though...they seem to go together.
 Wonderloaf wrote:

Soul-less, dreadful dirge
"too cool for the room" shit


Learn how to use the  "Skip Button"!  ...problem solved.  That way, you can spare us from your drivel!  

 HectorPascal wrote:

RP. Where else would you hear stuff like this. WONDERFUL. All in glorious FLAC - hooked for life.




You bet!  Thanx RP!
 unclehud wrote:

Thanks for this, BillG.  Hadn't heard it in a dog's age.  Still an extraordinary example of the music  creativity of this band and of this era.




Same here!! Thanx RP!!   
 patbelle wrote:

Let’s not compare, let’s just listen and enjoy. Thank you Radio Paradise for daring to play this kind of song.
Patrick BELLE
France




I Agree! Thanx RP!   
Steve Hackett shows on this tune you don’t have to play a million notes to make a great solo.
Enjoying all the positive and negative posts. Genesis was well aware that they were writing these songs for a specific and small crowd (that which I consider myself a member) that enjoyed this progressive style. They knew it was not radio-friendly, unless you considered university FM stations that played whatever they wanted. So please go ahead and love or hate this, but it brings joy to my heart. Hoping to learn the intro on piano over the next few months.
Let’s not compare, let’s just listen and enjoy. Thank you Radio Paradise for daring to play this kind of song.
Patrick BELLE
France
Thanks for this, BillG.  Hadn't heard it in a dog's age.  Still an extraordinary example of the musical creativity of this band and of this era.
One of my favorite albums in high school.. good stuff 
Brilliance!
Soul-less, dreadful dirge
"too cool for the room" shit
I saw them as the  main act at the „german Little Woodstock“ in Saarbrücken 1978: terrific
Prog-eriffic!
Grew up on this. In the 80s and 90s. LOVE old Genesis. This was their glory days. 
Opening piano solo and the guitar solo midway through are just sublime. Thank you Bill.
 john_m_hopkins wrote:
Rush?
 

Rush could only wish.....
Genesis' "Foxtrot" album blew my mind wide open when I was a teenager, and "Selling England" does the same. Been tickling my brain in all sorts of interesting places ever since.
Rush?
oddly enuff

i prefer Peter Gabriel solo and Phil lead Genesis

this stuff is dog shit
 peter881 wrote:
A guitar solo to die for . . . 
 
I remember seeing them do this live at Earl's Court in the 1970's, and 40 years later Steve Hackett still plays it at his live gigs . His current band are every bit as good too - check out his Genesis Revisited albums.
RP. Where else would you hear stuff like this. WONDERFUL. All in glorious FLAC - hooked for life.
The song that turned me on to Steve Hackett back in 1975. Spectral Mornings is still one of my absolute favorite albums.
 noe.architecte169 wrote:
It's not Peter singing ?
 
 

Yup.  There is one track on Selling England by the Pound that was sung by Phil Collins (More Fool Me, I think?) but it's definitely PG on this track.
love the original genesis, but not crazy about this song
A guitar solo to die for . . . 
This must be one of the best prog-rock/art rock albums of all time.

That said, most of early Genesis is pretty unforgettable.   There I said it.  
For me it's Gods-like. The "old Genesis" with Peter Gabriel was musically like heaven on earth....
This LP left an indelible impression on me..   so very good
The mortar between the stones in our wonderful, old auditorium has never been the same after Rutherford hit the bass pedals playing Firth of Fifth during the Wind & Wuthering USA Tour opener here in Boulder, Colorado.
It's not Peter singing ?
 
A poor mans King Crimson
Technically interesting song, but how did it wind up on the Groovy Mix? 
I always WANT to like this song more than I do. It's just a little too over-the-top for me, and as the song goes on I like it less and less, until at the end I'm left with "Meh."
 unclehud wrote:
BAM!  A shot from high school!  Lighting up in a Mercury Comet with the sunroof open and springtime streaming in ....
 
They made Mercury Comet's with sunroofs?!?!?  my father must've bought the low-end model...so sad
  brilliant !! {#Music}
Bass pedals!!!!!!!!!!Awesome
 Limpopoking wrote:
One of my extremely rare 10s

 
Same here. While not the emotional surreal punch Foxtrot (the album before this) had on my young mind, this was more mature and complex and hard to argue against it being their best record.
BAM!  A shot from high school!  Lighting up in a Mercury Comet with the sunroof open and springtime streaming in ....
 westslope wrote:
I listened to this album shortly after it came out in the early 1970s and immediately liked it.

To date, it is my favourite album of early Genesis work.  Lamb, Fox Trot, Nursey Cryme, they all contain songs I love but none of them come close to Selling England by the Pound.

In your opinion, which early Genesis album is better than Selling England?

 
None of them - it is (for me) the finest album ever made.
For me, this is the finest album EVER made.

Bought it the week it came out and have never tired of it.
 milaremi wrote:
Agreed @Westslope.

Never get enough of Selling England - used to listen to it while reading Tolkien.  Great memories

 
I still do!
 (Banned) wrote:

Well the fact you have no disrespect for Phil Collins says a lot.  However: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firth_of_Fifth

 
Pete's last Genesis album was the "Lamb", the one after this
Amazing!!!
Thank you thank you thank you for playing classic Genesis. This tune shows what badass musicians they are. More please! {#Bananajam}
 Limpopoking wrote:
One of my extremely rare 10s

 
Me too!
Great guitar solo.
 haretic wrote:
 (Banned) wrote:
And this is Phil Collins you know...  God Bless him, even though he is still alive.  Maybe reason even more!

 

No disrespect for Phil Collins, who of course played drums and sang harmonies with Genesis on this album;
but I'm pretty sure that's Peter Gabriel's voice out in front. I believe this was is last album with Genesis before
Phil stepped up to replace Mister Gabriel.

God bless them both, and all the rest of us!
 
Well the fact you have no disrespect for Phil Collins says a lot.  However: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firth_of_Fifth
One of my extremely rare 10s
 (Banned) wrote:
And this is Phil Collins you know...  God Bless him, even though he is still alive.  Maybe reason even more!

 

No disrespect for Phil Collins, who of course played drums and sang harmonies with Genesis on this album;
but I'm pretty sure that's Peter Gabriel's voice out in front. I believe this was is last album with Genesis before
Phil stepped up to replace Mister Gabriel.

God bless them both, and all the rest of us!
Agreed @Westslope.

Never get enough of Selling England - used to listen to it while reading Tolkien.  Great memories
I listened to this album shortly after it came out in the early 1970s and immediately liked it.

To date, it is my favourite album of early Genesis work.  Lamb, Fox Trot, Nursey Cryme, they all contain songs I love but none of them come close to Selling England by the Pound.

In your opinion, which early Genesis album is better than Selling England?
 Isabeau wrote:

Lovely with a touch of menace .... perfect description. 

 
Lovely with a touch of menace <—- that deserves to be posted again
 LowPhreak wrote:

Yes, I've known that since the album was current. I was just being facetious. {#Wink}

 
I did not know so thanks SurlyRon for the background.
 SurlyRon wrote:
LowPhreak wrote:
And what pray tell is a Firth of Fifth?

Is it like a Fifth of Filth?

Or Forth of Firth?

 
The title is a pun on the estuary of the River Forth in Scotland, commonly known as the Firth of Forth.
 
Yes, I've known that since the album was current. I was just being facetious. {#Wink}
LowPhreak wrote:
And what pray tell is a Firth of Fifth?

Is it like a Fifth of Filth?

Or Forth of Firth?

 
The title is a pun on the estuary of the River Forth in Scotland, commonly known as the Firth of Forth.
And what pray tell is a Firth of Fifth?

Is it like a Fifth of Filth?

Or Forth of Firth?


Sounds like a drummer who is lead vocalist.  Brilliant!
Lovely with a touch of menace like most early Genesis
 GeorgeMWoods wrote:
Pretentious. Like all their stuff.

 
Ok, so let's see your playlist.
 Kassbomb wrote:
Lovely with a touch of menace like most early Genesis

 
Lovely with a touch of menace .... perfect description. 
And this is Phil Collins you know...  God Bless him, even though he is still alive.  Maybe reason even more!

 
Definitly Godlike. {#Notworthy}

- Am I the only one that feels that after the 60's - early 70s rock music entered in decadence?
Pretentious. Like all their stuff.
Spectacular.

I recently learned to play this... or approximate it... on piano.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AD-er_H_4o 
The Mother of All The Genesis Albums {#Good-vibes}{#Music}
 markybx wrote:
Pure poetry

9 -> 10

 
love. song and album. sigh...
 drews wrote:
"selling england by the pound" rings truer than ever as the neoliberal ideologues from the outsourcing corporations rip apart the infrastructure of this once great country, and slowly drag us towards a third world future of extreme wealth and poverty, a devastated healthcare system, crap transport, corruption and tax evasion

but then again we're not having the shit bombed out of us like the poor sods in Syria, so can't complain too hard  

 
I disagree, we should be more than complaining. They should be working for us, not using us as their private income and power stream. More and more are seeing through the unjust system that keeps people in perpetual slavery and uses fear as the tool to keep us in place. This includes the fear of us being within a war zone rather than in the 'safety' of our controlled state. 

It's time for a peaceful reset. I'm in. I'm ready for it. 
 
YES   YES   YES 
OMG, I forgot how much I love this song.  Please play more Gabriel Genesis!
I have to admit that the "Second's Out" version is even better than the studio album, musically even more dynamic with Bruford back there with Collins (when not singing).  Hackett's live solo is stunning. 
Pure poetry

9 -> 10
"selling england by the pound" rings truer than ever as the neoliberal ideologues from the outsourcing corporations rip apart the infrastructure of this once great country, and slowly drag us towards a third world future of extreme wealth and poverty, a devastated healthcare system, crap transport, corruption and tax evasion

but then again we're not having the shit bombed out of us like the poor sods in Syria, so can't complain too hard  
This song takes me to a time and place in my youth. Especially the live version on "Seconds Out". Love this song.
Best album ever. Best band ever.
Man, I love the hook on this song.

Never tire of it. 
And now I know what undinal means. 
genes at their best! Please play more!
 Aural_not_Oral wrote:

It's one o'clock and time for lunch - Hum de-dum de-dee.
When the sun beats down, and I'm lying on the bench
I can always hear them talk...

 
Probably one of my favorite set of lyrics.
One of the truly great progressive rock albums, by one of the great bands of all time.
 westslope wrote:

Selling England by the Pound is definitely my favourite Genesis album and is far better or certainly more consistent than the Lamb Likes Down on Broadway album. 

 
Ditto here.
 bluematrix wrote:
Just gave me chills. Again. As it has since I was a wee lad. Thanks Bill.

And what a great segue into Frou Frou... dang, you're good.

 
Hopefully everyone remembers that RP has been playing some of the best music around for 16 years with no commercials.

I donate every year for that very reason. 
Just gave me chills. Again. As it has since I was a wee lad. Thanks Bill.

And what a great segue into Frou Frou... dang, you're good.
 davesbuster wrote:
...... Most early Genesis fans seem to think the Lamb was their peak, but I think Selling England By The Pound was their high water mark.  After Steve Hackett left, it was all over.

 
Selling England by the Pound is definitely my favourite Genesis album and is far better or certainly more consistent than the Lamb Likes Down on Broadway album. 
 Motolorax wrote:
How do you do it Bill?
 
That's exactly what I thought when I heard him spin this track.  I love the fact that he has some excellent prog sensibilities (Genesis, King Crimson, Porcupine Tree and/or Steven Wilson come to mind) and that he manages to blend some prog to the mix almost seamlessly, even when it's one of the epics of the genre such as Firth of Fifth.
 TotalHip wrote:

lbaltz
wrote:
I never tire of this song.  If you like it don't miss the 2nd leg of Steve Hackett's spring 2016 tour if he's anywhere near you.  He and his band are incredible and their version of this tune is spectacular!

 
... and his solo in Firth still again brought chills to my spine. A wonderful show indeed.

 
I've caught the last few tours and Firth of course is a highlight.  Another was around a year ago, where he went into a very extended rendition of Fly on a Windshield / Broadway Melody of 1974.  Also met him on The Cruise to the Edge a few years ago and he's a genuinely nice guy.

lbaltz
wrote:
I never tire of this song.  If you like it don't miss the 2nd leg of Steve Hackett's spring 2016 tour if he's anywhere near you.  He and his band are incredible and their version of this tune is spectacular!

 
... and his solo in Firth still again brought chills to my spine. A wonderful show indeed.
One of Genesis BEST OF THE BEST!!
 Ikharry wrote:
For me, it's Steve Hackett who carried the creative and surprising twists in sound of Genesis in this period. I don't use the words genious often, but this comes very close....

 
Well I rather hope nobody uses the word genious often. Still, all semantic snarkiness aside I know what you mean.
Ah the good old days when Phil was behind the drums and his pop voice not heard. This is one of my all time favorite songs. Hackett and Banks at their best.
For me, it's Steve Hackett who carried the creative and surprising twists in sound of Genesis in this period. I don't use the words genious often, but this comes very close....
Amen !
How do you do it Bill? It's like you're rifling through my collection.  When the music world was going to goth and heavy metal for the first time in the mid 80s a neighbour 20 odd yrs my senior encouraged me to tape his record collection. Tull, Genesis, Led Zep, Floyd. My path was set. Thirty odd years later and with a broad and shifting musical taste these are the foundations of my life soundtrack.  I don't need to hear them all the time, but whenever I do put them on or Bill does it for me my life plays again. It's the magic of music. So I guess for me as somebody who considers them self no expert or muso, it's mostly irrelevant whether or not these tracks are technically or artistically standing the test of time, they are part of my life and deeply sweet music to my ears.  However, a quick listen to contemporary pop music certainly suggests to me that albums like 'Wish you were here' and 'houses of the holy' were born of something mostly lacking from most contemporary music. But like i said, I'm a zoologist, not a music critic.
 I sincerely doubt Pulp Fiction will still be on anyone's radar 40 years from now.  Remember this song is almost 43 years old and still has a very large and enthusiastic audience.  As far as I am concerned it has stood the test of time...
 For me, it has not lost its original flavor..Surely it is not like the usual ..  It is the unusual that has attracted me for all of these years.  To each his own.  misterbearbaby wrote:

 

 iggam wrote:

Early Genesis songs are like the movie "Forrest Gump", only longer and slightly less entertaining. 

 
I have to agree with the grumpy, dour post above. I can't believe I used to listen to this sh*t! 

I lay all the blame on certain extremely powerful, psychotomimetic recreational drugs that were prevalent at the time. I had just stopped playing in my county's (junior) symphony orchestra and wanted to believe that there was innate value in the compositions of some of the progressive rock bands. Ahemm...

In the rear view mirror, it looks pretty tiny and silly now; it was a fad at the time I suppose. I did just re-watch "Forrest Gump" and had about the same hollow feeling.To survive the ages, music must have some feeling; it has to rock, not just roll.  (Watch "Pulp Fiction" also from 1994- now that still rocks!)

Steve Hackett's excellent musicianship isn't even sufficient to pull the sad "Selling England by the Pound"  album from the slow-burning dumpster fire it represents. 



 

 


A 10 just for the piano intro. Then they get to the jam in the middle of the song and it gets even better. I need an 11.
My favorite Genesis song I feel so secure knowing the sheep are in their pen waiting for the shepherd.
I never tire of this song.  If you like it don't miss the 2nd leg of Steve Hackett's spring 2016 tour if he's anywhere near you.  He and his band are incredible and their version of this tune is spectacular!
 For me, it has not lost its original flavor..Surely it is not like the usual ..  It is the unusual that has attracted me for all of these years.  To each his own.  misterbearbaby wrote:

 

 iggam wrote:

Early Genesis songs are like the movie "Forrest Gump", only longer and slightly less entertaining. 

 
I have to agree with the grumpy, dour post above. I can't believe I used to listen to this sh*t! 

I lay all the blame on certain extremely powerful, psychotomimetic recreational drugs that were prevalent at the time. I had just stopped playing in my county's (junior) symphony orchestra and wanted to believe that there was innate value in the compositions of some of the progressive rock bands. Ahemm...

In the rear view mirror, it looks pretty tiny and silly now; it was a fad at the time I suppose. I did just re-watch "Forrest Gump" and had about the same hollow feeling.To survive the ages, music must have some feeling; it has to rock, not just roll.  (Watch "Pulp Fiction" also from 1994- now that still rocks!)

Steve Hackett's excellent musicianship isn't even sufficient to pull the sad "Selling England by the Pound"  album from the slow-burning dumpster fire it represents. 



 


One of my earliest and still one of my favorite albums of all time.
 daveesh wrote:
this is truly painful.

 
Agree. Reminds me of experimental theater where you end up sitting through 90-minutes of a tortured performance, but see a glimpse of brilliance here and there. The hope is they learn through the process, grow the brilliance and shelve the rest of it.
Piano and base chords remind me sooo much of Renaissance except they are much simpler. Love this classical rock sound
 LowPhreak wrote:

Same here.

 
yep, one of my few 10s. but looking at the stats, we're in good ten company :)
 daveesh wrote:
this is truly painful.

 
Maybe you should see Dr. Flowers?


 westslope wrote:

I have it rated 10.

 
Same here.
In 1973, a friend told me "You have to listen to this band, Genesis - they're great!"  He dropped the needle and the first thing I heard was "It's one o'clock and time for lunch - dum de dum de dum"  "You've got to be kidding me - what is this crap?" I said.  It wasn't until after Gabriel left Genesis that I realized what I had missed.  Most early Genesis fans seem to think the Lamb was their peak, but I think Selling England By The Pound was their high water mark.  After Steve Hackett left, it was all over.
 iggam wrote:
Early Genesis songs are like the movie "Forrest Gump", only longer and slightly less entertaining. 

 
It's one o'clock and time for lunch - Hum de-dum de-dee.
When the sun beats down, and I'm lying on the bench
I can always hear them talk...
 daveesh wrote:
this is truly painful.

 
I have it rated 10.
 stunix wrote:
I never got on with early to mid Genesis. I've tried in an aim to educate myself, but, no, its just a bunch of noodling noodles.

 
In my opinion you either like early Genesis it or you don't.  I've always like early Genesis maybe growing up with it as a teenager in the 70's helped. I'm not sure it would be something I would enjoy if I just heard it for the first time.
oh. is this still on?
Im a huge prog rock fan from Floyd to Heep and Tull to Tree.    I never got on with early to mid Genesis.   I've tried in an aim to educate myself, but, no, its just a bunch of noodling noodles.  Love Gabriels solo stuff from start to finish thou, Rotherford and Collins have produced some commercial stuff worthy of a listen or two, but Hackett and Banks?    Sitting with Tap in the WATN file.

5
Great track. Sends shivers up my spine. If you don't hear the extremely low bass pedal notes then it's a good excuse to buy a sub.
this is truly painful.
thank goodness for PSD when a song like this is played.
 misterbearbaby wrote:

 

 

In the rear view mirror, it looks pretty tiny and silly now; it was a fad at the time I suppose.

...

To survive the ages, music must have some feeling; it has to rock, not just roll.



 
I suppose one could say that about most any hit record of the past 50 years (looks tiny and silly), if one were cynical. Anyone saying SEBTP didn't have "some feeling" or created a "feel" (atmosphere), then they just don't get it.

Eh, opinions...
 On_The_Beach wrote:

Well, I think we've pretty much beaten this one to death. I prefer Pete-era Genesis, but will be the first to say that Trick of the Tail was excellent and several other Phil-era tracks were outstanding. We both appear to be Genesis and 70s prog fans, so I say, cheers, LowPhreak!  {#Cheers}

 
Yeah truce man, we flogged the snot outta that burro. {#Biggrin}
Def a 70's prog fan like you. It's what I grew up on and played in some of my bands, {#Drummer} I can dig any era of Genesis but after Duke it wasn't prog anymore. :(

Here's to all ye Squonk huntin' carpet crawlers!!  {#High-five}  {#Cheers}

 

 iggam wrote:

Early Genesis songs are like the movie "Forrest Gump", only longer and slightly less entertaining. 

 
I have to agree with the grumpy, dour post above. I can't believe I used to listen to this sh*t! 

I lay all the blame on certain extremely powerful, psychotomimetic recreational drugs that were prevalent at the time. I had just stopped playing in my county's (junior) symphony orchestra and wanted to believe that there was innate value in the compositions of some of the progressive rock bands. Ahemm...

In the rear view mirror, it looks pretty tiny and silly now; it was a fad at the time I suppose. I did just re-watch "Forrest Gump" and had about the same hollow feeling.To survive the ages, music must have some feeling; it has to rock, not just roll.  (Watch "Pulp Fiction" also from 1994- now that still rocks!)

Steve Hackett's excellent musicianship isn't even sufficient to pull the sad "Selling England by the Pound"  album from the slow-burning dumpster fire it represents. 


 LowPhreak wrote:
It's more than just me with that opinion about PG, but of course you won't hear it from his uber fans. I also had friends back then who thought much the same - well before the internet was even a concept on some nerd's slide rule.
What gets me is people constantly whining about PG's departure, when actually Genesis was much more than just the vocals/lyrics, whether Peter or Phil sang. It was the instrumentals and compositions that made them what they are, like several other great prog bands, and it didn't stop when Peter left.
 
Well, I think we've pretty much beaten this one to death. I prefer Pete-era Genesis, but will be the first to say that Trick of the Tail was excellent and several other Phil-era tracks were outstanding. We both appear to be Genesis and 70s prog fans, so I say, cheers, LowPhreak!  {#Cheers}
Early Genesis songs are like the movie "Forrest Gump", only longer and slightly less entertaining. 
 On_The_Beach wrote:

So this whole thing is about Pete wearing a flower mask after its "best before" date?
I have to say at this point I've lost interest in the entire subject.
As for needlessly calling me biased, here's a news flash; anyone who likes some music better than others (like you, me and everyone else) is biased by definition.
Personally, I've never heard anyone other than you refer to Gabriel as having an "entitled snotty rich kid vibe".
Certainly sounds like a completely open-minded and unbiased comment to me.

 
It's more than just me with that opinion about PG, but of course you won't hear it from his uber fans. I also had friends back then who thought much the same - well before the internet was even a concept on some nerd's slide rule.

What gets me is people constantly whining about PG's departure, when actually Genesis was much more than just the vocals/lyrics, whether Peter or Phil sang. It was the instrumentals and compositions that made them what they are, like several other great prog bands, and it didn't stop when Peter left.