IT - A Celebration of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway Deluxe Edition produced by Dave Kerzner, a majestic, beautiful album, released in 2024.
This is a beautiful 3-CD box set produced by Dave Kerzner for the fiftieth anniversary of the original Genesis album.
I couldn't miss it. Let's see what it's all about and here are my impressions.
It consists of 3 CDs:
Two CDs are a tribute album in which Kerzner reinterprets all the tracks from the Genesis album, adding two new tracks to the 23: a reprise of "The Light Dies Down" and a reprise of "In the Cage."
This deluxe version also includes an additional bonus CD with 15 tracks, including alternate versions, acoustic versions, extended versions, instrumental versions, or versions sung by Billy Sherwood or Nad Sylvan.
The tribute album isn't a pure copy of the original, but rather an orchestral interpretation of each track. It's wonderful that the songs were performed on authentic vintage instruments from the '70s, including many of Tony Banks' keyboards, now owned by Kerzner. Above all, the band involved legendary prog rock musicians, including Dave Kerzner (Sound of Contact, In Continuum) on keyboards, including:
- Francis Dunnery (It Bites) - lead vocals and guitar
- Fernando Perdomo (Dave Kerzner Band) - keyboards
- Lee Pomeroy (ELO, It Bites) - keyboards
- Steve Rothery (Marillion) - guitars
- Dan Hancock (Giraffe) - guitars
- Martin Levac (The Musical Box) - bass
- Billy Sherwood (Yes) - bass
- Nick D'Virgilio (Big Big Train) - drums
as well as a symphony orchestra recorded by Mark Hornsby and Nick D'Virgilio, arranged and conducted by John Hinchey.
The vintage sounds are beautiful, and I must say that Tony Banks' keyboards, masterfully played by Kerzner, still sound great after 50 years; the technology of those years certainly wasn't designed with an End of Life approach in mind. We also have Fernando Perdomo and Lee Pomeroy on keyboards, and I don't know which parts they played, but the keyboard work overall is absolutely extraordinary.
Francis Dunnery's voice is fantastic. He accepted the enormous challenge of singing Gabriel's songs, not mimicking him or parodying him, not even trying to match him; he simply (and masterfully) takes possession of the songs and interprets them as if he'd sung nothing else in his life. Perhaps, like us, he loves them and has always known them by heart, and absurdly, he knows some accents better than Gabriel himself, and he quotes them, inevitably. Never a slouch or a wave of indecision, truly brilliant.
Steve Rothery and Dan Hancock are superb on guitar; for example, on Anyway, they show off their taste with their guitars in unison. Martin Levac and Billy Sherwood on bass are truly metronomes throughout the album, absolutely incredible.
Nick D'Virgilio on drums is immense. He adheres to the original "score" of the songs and enhances them with immense technique and precision, with his arrangements, twists, sounds, counter-tempos, and dynamics. He shows immense respect for the original, but with an absolutely personal touch, and I must say, often brilliant. That of a truly great drummer of our time. I'm not saying he surpasses Phil for fear of being brutally mistreated, but believe me, he's truly a plus on this album.
An album that respects the original and, in fact, celebrates it. Admirably. Faithful to the compositions, without distortions, with an orchestral aspect that adds emphasis and density, and a production that creates a remarkable precision and clarity of sound. Some sounds are updated or performed in harmony with the orchestra, the choirs are sometimes more modern, and some atmospheres make the songs feel fresher. Some are much more faithful to the original, like the magnificent rendition of "The Lamia," thrilling like the original, a whirlwind of keyboards and piano that literally took me by storm. Of course, the monumental piece helps set the mood, but I don't think anyone else could have done it better.
The same goes for Carpet Crawlers and In the Cage, and a different yet effective mood for "The Colony of Slippermen." D'Virgilio's drumming is incredible here, and the keyboard work is as memorable as the original, as is the emphasis that builds beneath it. Thrills! The rendition of "The Light Dies Down On Broadway" is beautiful and moving, as is that of "Riding The Scree," with exceptional contributions from the wind instruments and orchestra.
The two additional tracks are a beautiful, predominantly orchestral reprise of "The Light Dies Down" that becomes a classical work, and a reprise of "In the Cage," orchestral as the end credits. Both are beautiful.
The bonus CD stands out for its different versions, often more orchestral than those on the main albums, Billy Sherwood's absolutely superb vocals, and the beautiful instrumental versions. "Carpet Crawlers" is beautiful even in its alternate version. Nad Sylvan, seen several times at Steve Hackett's concerts, once again confirms his brilliance with his perfect interpretation of "Chamber of 32 Doors." The acoustic versions are superb.
There are moments that have obviously been revisited, but without radical changes, respecting the mood and original intentions.
I don't know about you, but sometimes I get a lump in my throat when I listen to Genesis... and this album had the same effect on me. I think that says it all.
There couldn't have been a better celebration for this masterpiece. I'll listen to it again and again, and I definitely recommend it!!!
These are the 25 songs from the Deluxe edition, on the first two CDs
1. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway 08:03
2. Fly On A Windshield 04:10
3. Broadway Melody of 1974 02:21
4. Cuckoo Cocoon 02:14
5. In The Cage 08:27
6. Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging 02:53
7. Back in New York City 05:39
8. Hairless Heart 02:02
9. Counting Out Time 04:14
10. Carpet Crawlers 06:17
11. Chamber of 32 Doors 07:20
12. Lilywhite Lilith 02.40
13. The Waiting Room 09:14
14. Anyway 03:08
15. Here Comes The Supernatural Anaesthetist 02:32
16. The Lamia 07:05
17. Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats 03:16
18. The Colony of Slippermen 07:15
19. Ravine 02:13
20. The Light Dies Down On Broadway 04:32
21. Riding The Scree 04:21
22. The Light Dies Down (Reprise) 02:14
23. In The Rapids 02:34
24. It 06:50
25. End Credits (In The Cage Reprise) 01:41
The Bonus CD contains the following tracks:
1 Chamber Reprise - Alternative version 2:03
2 The Lamb Demo Lead Vocals – Billy Sherwood 5:05
3 Fly Broadway - Alternative instrumental version 2:56
4 Carpet Crawlers - Alternative version 6:17
5 Chamber Demo Lead Vocals – Nad Sylvan 5:49
6 Back In NYC - Alternative instrumental version 5:46
7 The Lamia - Acoustic version 7:06
8 Counting out Time - instrumental version 4:02
9 Lilywhite Lilith Lead Vocals – Billy Sherwood 2:40
10 Evil Jam (Waiting Room Alternative version) 10:43
11 Supernatural - Alternative instrumental version 2:23
12 Ravine - Extended version 3:01
13 It Lead Vocals – Billy Sherwood 4:04
14 In the Cage - instrumental version 7:44
15 The Light Lies Down - Acoustic version 4:35
