Lamb Lies Down Box

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Published 2024-12-12 06:00

In Genesis’ incredible body of work, "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" is a landmark record. Originally released on November 22nd, 1974, 50 years ago this week, at the pinnacle of their early success, it came at a pivotal point in Genesis’ history. It is rated as one of the greatest albums of its era and one of the most influential progressive rock albums of all time.

"The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition" is the album's definitive compendium, following the arc of the album’s creation and tour. With input from all of the band members involved in the record, Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett and Mike Rutherford, it comes in 5 LP + 1 BluRay and 4 CD + 1 BluRay formats, both providing a deep dive into the music and visual elements around this album and includes :

* The original album mix, remastered at Abbey Road Studios by Miles Showell from the 1974 analogue tapes

* A BluRay audio disc includes the remastered 96kHz/24-bit high resolution audio and Dolby Atmos mixes of the studio album done by Bob Mackenzie at Real World Studios under the supervision of Peter Gabriel and Tony Banks

* "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway Live At The Shrine Auditorium" from January 24th, 1975. It is remastered and includes 2 encore tracks, "Watcher Of The Skies" and "The Musical Box". This is the 1st time the full live show, including the encore tracks, has been released in its entirety

* 3 never before released demos from the legendary Headley Grange Session, included as part of a digital download card with the full audio from the set

* A 60 page coffee table style book with Alexis Petridis liner notes, who interviewed all 5 band members to tell the story of "The Lamb", from the writing sessions to live performances, which is believed to be the only time this has happened since its original release

* The book also features images from Armando Gallo, Richard Haines and other noted photographers

* A 1975 tour programme reproduction, replica ticket and poster.

This 50th anniversary super deluxe edition is a true celebration of a remarkable album that embraces the groundbreaking music, gives the whole band’s insight alongside evocative imagery and unseen photos. Ultimately it celebrates the huge magnitude of what this record is, which Alexis Petridis sums up perfectly in the opening paragraph of the liner notes.

Perhaps it makes sense that an album as complex as "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" has an equally complex history. The saga of its making is a strange and lengthy one, involving rat infested country houses, uncanny presentiments of the future, or at least the future of rock music, Hollywood directors, personality clashes and inflatable penises. It’s also occasionally controversial. Talking to the former members of Genesis about "The Lamb", nearly half a century on, it’s hard not to be struck by the fact that they seldom agree about it. Some members of the band have said they think it’s the best album of their career. Others think of it as a brave, but flawed experiment. Some people view it as the absolute apotheosis of early 70's progressive rock, a double concept album filled with dense, intricate, ever shifting music, featuring a plot so knotty and strange even some members of the band didn’t understand it. “Ask Peter, I’m just the drummer”, shrugged Phil Collins when a journalist quizzed him about it shortly after release, and subject to one of the most famously theatrical live presentations in rock history. Some people think it presages the arrival of punk rock. In fact, there’s every chance that "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" is all those things, flawed experiment, career highlight, prog masterpiece, weirdly prescient precursor of punk, at once, which might account for its longevity.

To be released March 28th, 2025.