“Immaculate conception”: 1974 marked a chaotic moment for Genesis but it delivered their masterpiece
1974 was a tumultuous period for Genesis – following on from their erratic prog-rock masterpiece, Selling England by the Pound, the band got to work quickly, with Peter Gabriel steering the ship that would eventually become The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.
At the time, the idea for a double album came from a place of pragmatism: if they had more space for material, they’d have more space to host multiple ideas, and so, they agreed on the extended format before they’d even agreed on a set concept or direction, before Mike Rutherford suggested they adapt their own version of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
It didn’t seem all that bad an idea in principle, but Gabriel wasn’t especially dazzled by it, feeling that it was far too flowery and that going in the direction of exploring some type of “fairyland” wasn’t what they were about, or even what the rest of the music scene was about at that time, for that matter.
Instead, Gabriel suggested the idea of a character who embarks on a journey of self-discovery through the strange and interesting people he meets, an idea he came up with on tour, inspired by a handful of different sources, including West Side Story, The Pilgrim’s Progress, Carl Jung, and the film El Topo.
This was a far cry from the themes they explored in Selling England by the Pound, which centred on the loss of British culture and local disillusionment, instead channelling different facets of American culture, values, and imagery – is title, by comparison, seems a little wayward and off topic on the surface, but to Gabriel, it suited the absurd nature of the central character and those he meets along the way, sort of like a lost soul finding meaning in unexpected places.
All things considered, therefore, the record marked a major moment for Genesis, not just in terms of extensive conceptual ideas and their execution, but also as Gabriel’s final stint with the band. But along the way, Gabriel’s approach also caused tensions that often made it difficult for the others to collaborate in the way that they wanted to.
The main problem was in Gabriel’s overarching desire to dominate the entire process. As Steve Hackett put it, he was “treating Genesis almost like it was an extension of a solo career”, meaning that the others often felt ostracised, particularly when it came to idea sharing, despite the fact that they’d initially agreed on a double album to avoid any sort of straight-cut, hierarchical approach.
And yet, this somehow worked out well, as Hackett also said that the result was something incredible that marked Gabriel’s swan song as well as Genesis’ ability to constantly push the boundaries of what was expected of them. Reflecting on the legacy of The Lamb to Guitar Player, Hackett recalled how chaotic and oftentimes siloed the sessions for the record were, but how extraordinary the material became as a result.
“I think it’s very well written,” he said, adding that it was designed to be “controversial”, and was “the most difficult album I’ve ever done”. He also described it as “the immaculate conception”, saying that it was like a “breach birth” that “came out screaming”; the band “dogged by circumstance”. However, within those explosive, hard-to-overcome challenges was real art that still holds up today.
