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"...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.
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Top reviews from other countries
Bernd Floyd
... und dann wurde der Musikstil anders...!!!
Reviewed in Germany on May 14, 2013
J.J. Tarantino
Da un certo punto di vista, il migliore
Reviewed in Italy on November 14, 2017
