The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Studio album by
Released22 November 1974[1]
RecordedAugust–October 1974
StudioIsland Studios Mobile at Glaspant Manor, Capel Iwan, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Genre
Length94:17
LabelCharisma, Atco
Producer
Genesis chronology
Selling England by the Pound
(1973)
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
(1974)
A Trick of the Tail
(1976)
Singles from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
  1. "Counting Out Time"
    Released: 15 November 1974[1]
  2. "The Carpet Crawlers"
    Released: 18 April 1975

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is the sixth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis. It was released as a double album on 22 November 1974[1] by Charisma Records and is their last to feature original lead vocalist Peter Gabriel. It peaked at No. 10 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 41 on the Billboard 200 in the US.

After deciding to produce a concept album with a story devised by Gabriel about Rael, a Puerto Rican youth from New York City who is taken on a journey of self-discovery, Genesis worked on new material at Headley Grange for three months. The album was marked by increased tensions within the band as Gabriel, who insisted on writing all of the lyrics, temporarily left to work with filmmaker William Friedkin and needed time to be with his family. Most of the songs were developed by the rest of the band through jam sessions and were put down at Glaspant Manor in Wales using a mobile studio.

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway echoed the format of Genesis's debut album From Genesis to Revelation: a concept album with Christian themes which interweaves concise pop tunes centered around Gabriel's vocals and brief instrumental interludes, with most of the intrumental pieces not being acknowledged in the track list. The music and lyrics also make references to Genesis's early works and early influences. The album received a mixed critical reaction at first, and was the first Genesis album which failed to outsell its predecessors, but gained acclaim in subsequent years and has a cult following. The songs "Counting Out Time" and "The Carpet Crawlers" were released as singles in the UK in 1974 and 1975, respectively; both failed to chart. A single of "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" was released in the US. Genesis promoted the album with their 1974–75 tour across North America and Europe, playing the album in its entirety. The album reached Gold certification in the UK and the US. The album was remastered in 1994 and 2007, the latter as part of the Genesis 1970–1975 box set which contains a 5.1 surround sound mix and bonus material.

  1. ^ a b c Mic Smith (May 2017). "Get 'Em Out By Friday. Genesis: The Official Release Dates 1968-78" (PDF). pp. 57–61. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  2. ^ Allen, Jim (4 January 2017). "Genesis Albums Ranked Worst to Best". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2 March 2019.