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Today's 12 O'Clock Track is "The Carpet Crawlers" from Genesis' 1974 concept record The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, which the Musical Box will be covering front-to-back on Sunday. Up until this point, the band had been writing and releasing elaborate prog-rock epics, with songs at times longer than 20 minutes. On this tune they visit the more accessible side of progressive rock; despite the complex keyboarding, whimsical lyrics, and complicated rhythms, this is a pop song at heart. It features a beautiful vocal harmony between Peter Gabriel (who left the band after this record) and drummer Phil Collins (yes, the future soft-rock champion). Notice the glossy airiness of the recording; this is the result of a postproduction process called "Enossification," which was provided by, you guessed it, Brian Eno. After The Lamb and Gabriel's departure, Genesis lost their flair for prog, and over the course of a couple decades they somehow devolved into the fucking "I Can't Dance" guys.
Speaking of questionable postprog decisions involving the members of Genesis, did you know that Mike from Mike & the Mechanics is Michael Rutherford, the bass player for Genesis?
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