The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is a studio double album and sixth overall by the English progressive rock band Genesis. It was released on 22 November 1974 by Charisma Records, and is their last to feature original lead vocalist Peter Gabriel. It reached No. 10 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 41 on the US Billboard 200. A rock opera, the album tells the story of Rael (portrayed by Gabriel), a troubled and rebellious youth from New York City who is unexpectedly taken on a surreal and introspective journey of self-discovery. He faces a series of bizarre and symbolic experiences that lead to his transformation and spiritual awakening.

Genesis worked on new material at Headley Grange for three months in 1974 after touring their previous album, Selling England by the Pound. The album was marked by increased tensions within the band as Gabriel, who devised the story, insisted on writing all of the lyrics, temporarily left to work with filmmaker William Friedkin, and needed time to be with his wife and newborn child. 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 story is rich with allegorical elements, drawing from religious, literary, and psychological themes, and portrays American imagery which contrasts previous Genesis albums that were based on fantasy and mythological ideas. This change is also represented visually in the cover artwork produced by Hipgnosis.

The album received mixed reviews at first, and was the first Genesis album that failed to outsell its predecessors, but gained acclaim in subsequent years and has a cult following. "Counting Out Time" and "The Carpet Crawlers" were released as singles in the UK and "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" in the US, but neither were successful. Genesis toured the album across North America and Europe in 1974 and 1975, playing the album in its entirety with an elaborate stage show that had Gabriel portray Rael and several characters in the story. The album reached Gold certification in the UK and the US, and 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. A 50th anniversary edition will be released in 2025.