And Then There Were Three [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Import]

Genesis | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 29, 1994)
• Original Release Date: 1978
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Import
• Label: Wea Int'l
• ASIN: B000002J2D
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (139 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #72,618 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

When the departures of original frontman Peter Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett left Genesis a studio trio of Phil Collins, Tony Banks, and Mike Rutherford, few could have expected the band to climb to greater levels of commercial success. But that's exactly what happened, and Genesis' left-field rebirth as a unlikely pop act began with this album, which introduced the newly slimmed-down lineup. But that's not the whole story. While the haunting love song "Follow You, Follow Me" introduced the band to the singles charts, elsewhere the group's penchant for accessibly complex composition and evocative lyrical dramas is in force on tracks like "Deep in the Motherlode," "Burning Rope," "Down and Out," and "Ballad of Big." --Scott Schinder

Product Description

Digitally remastered reissue of the 1978 album by the esteemed Prog/Rock band featuring a new stereo mix of the album. This reissue features the new mix of the album's original tracks (sans bonus tracks) yet adds a new breath of fresh air on these classic recordings. 11 tracks including 'Follow You Follow Me', 'Down And Out' and 'Burning Rope'. EMI. 2008. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an uncanny blend of pop-rock and heavy duty prog, March 25, 2006

By 

Dave "missing person" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: And Then There Were Three (Audio CD)

"...And Then There Were Three" was originally released in March of 1978, and it's the first Genesis album following Steve Hackett's departure from the band in 1977.

Now, don't get me wrong here--I'm not denying Hackett's compositional talent or his distinctive fluid guitar style. However, many fans have grossly overstated the importance of Steve Hackett's departure from Genesis. The sound of "And Then There Were Three" is very, very similar to that of the previous album "Wind & Wuthering". Okay, so there aren't any classical guitar spotlights a la "Blood On The Rooftops" on here, but overall, the albums are very sonically similar, and Hackett just wasn't spotlighted enough on the two previous albums, either compositionally or performance-wise, for his loss to be felt all that much.

Tony Banks, Phil Collins, and Mike Rutherford had such an incredible working relationship and chemistry together, as Genesis' 1978-1991 output monumentally demonstrates, that Hackett's leaving the group was undoubtedly for the best. That's not to say things wouldn't have been interesting had Hackett stayed. What seems to be overlooked by most of the fans who accuse Genesis of 'going pop' following Hackett's departure, is that Hackett himself basically 'went pop' in his own right on his 1981 solo album "Cured". All that said, it seems obviously clear that Hackett didn't leave Genesis due to them becoming 'too poppy', he left because he felt suffocated by the other guys and wasn't getting enough of his own compositions in.

In any case, "...And Then There Were Three" finds Genesis brilliantly carrying on without Hackett. Mike Rutherford was a fine guitarist in his own right, and even Banks played guitar (although not on this album if I understand correctly), so filling in the guitar parts was no big deal. And either way, you've still got the dense layers of keyboards from Banks and the tremendous drumming from Collins.

The album starts off with the dynamite "Down And Out". An icy intro gives way to a frenetic rocker with manical Collins drumming on the verses which are in a 10-4 time signature, giving the song an incredibly powerful, hyperactive feel. This is heavy duty progressive rock, folks. The rumor is that the lyrics pertain to Hackett's depature from the band, but it seems to deal more with the band feeling at odds with the 'pop music scene' of the late '70s.

"Undertow" is one of those wistful, lyrically vivid Banks ballads, with his beloved Yamaha CP-70 electric grand piano sound, and a soaring chorus--an absolutely beautiful song. Also beautiful is Rutherford's spiritually-oriented ballad "Snowbound", with Collins singing the verses in that incredibly tender, feathery 'little guy' voice that's characteristic of him for this era (although it would forever vanish by the time of 1981's "Abacab"). The melancholy "Many Too Many" is marred a tad by overly prominent synth-strings, but it's still undeniably moving, with stirringly emotional choruses; it's surprising that it's a Banks solo composition--it sounds very Rutherford-esque. And even if you're burnt out on the feel-good radio hit "Follow You Follow Me", there's no denying it's superbly melodic, and it's neatly enhanced by Rutherford's heavily chorused/ flangered electric guitar.

There's a surprising turn toward Wild West thematics on "Ballad Of Big" and Rutherford's "Deep In The Motherlode", great songs, each in the 4 or 5 minute range, with the usual huge hooks and dynamics that we expect from these guys. The fade on "...Motherlode" makes effective use of backwards reverb on the drums. Banks' longer, 7+ minute "Burning Rope" perhaps drags a tad, but that's splitting hairs--it's darn great, with a terrific intro featuring masterful Collins drum fills. The sprightly "Scenes From A Night's Dream" is a wonderfully catchy pop-rock flavored tune, with terrific ringing guitars and ethereal background vocals.

Banks offers another 6+ minute epic with "The Lady Lies". It's a story-song somewhat along the lines of the previous album's "All In A Mouse's Night". The lyrics, about a femme fatale, are fairly lame and highly obvious, but the music is a different story... The verses are naturally sly and insinuating, and this is contrasted with an absolutely gorgeous chorus, plus there's a spine-tingling mid-section with a great Banks solo spot.

All in all, despite some minor gripes here and there, I can hardly say enough positive things about "...And Then There Were Three". This is the start of an unparalled streak of musical brilliance from the Banks-Collins-Rutherford lineup of Genesis.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This album surprised me..., April 16, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: And Then There Were Three (Audio CD)

I've been a Genesis fan for years but never did get around to picking up this cd until recently. I've got pretty much everything else from the Collins era (Duke, Trick, Wind, Abacab, etc) and love them all. Of course I had already heard "Follow You, Follow Me" so I was curious to see if the rest of the album was any good. Quite frankly, this is a solid album. The arrangements and melodies are great. "Snowbound" is an awesome song that I never tire of, as is "Deep In The Motherlode" and "Undertow." I enjoy listening to this cd from beginning to end and am happy that I finally got it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars And then there was pop, May 26, 2000

By 

joe_n_bloe (Ester AK USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: And Then There Were Three (Audio CD)

So long, Steve Hackett. Hello, pop music. And Then There Were Three marks the emergence of Genesis as a pop rock band. But the album suffers with the absence of Steve Hackett--an absence Genesis recovered from fully over the next two albums (Duke and Abacab). As a result the arrangements sound a bit hollow. I also don't particularly care for the engineering on this album--it sounds overly compressed (Duke was the same way). Good for radio, not necessarily good for headphones or speakers. Perhaps the remastered version addresses this--I still have just the older CD.

And Then There Were Three remains a transitional album. Its hit, Follow You Follow Me, is an indication of how the group would soon master the art of writing catchy yet individualistic pop songs.

Speaking of Follow You Follow Me, the one thing that I find intriguing about the arrangement is Tony Banks overtly doubling the lead vocal in the chorus with his synthesizer. Now THAT is unusual. One wonders if Banks composed the melody for the chorus and laid the synthesizer part down as a guide for Collins, intending to delete it later but leaving it in after realizing it sounded cool.