Aisle of Plenty
Encyclopedia
"Aisle of Plenty" is the final song on the 1973 Genesis
album "Selling England by the Pound
". It is not so much its own song as a reprise of the eight-minute opening number "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight
" with whose lyrics it also shares some thematic connections. The acoustic line that opens the song is repeated several times at the end of the previous track "The Cinema Show", thereby "connecting" the two tracks.
This track, the shortest on the album at a mere 1:32, is peppered with word play
which may possibly escape those not familiar with the store names it references. Peter Gabriel
incorporated them into the lyric, thus:
At the time, Fine Fare
and Safeway
were major grocery store chains in the UK, and both Tesco
and the Co-op (The Co-operative Group
), were, and still are, names of grocery stores. These lyrics are a pun because the word aisle is associated with grocery stores.
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
album "Selling England by the Pound
Selling England by the Pound
- Sound and live performance :The piano introduction to "Firth of Fifth" has not been included in a performance since 1974, in a Drury Lane Theatre concert, when Banks misplayed and Collins covered by starting the song from after the intro...
". It is not so much its own song as a reprise of the eight-minute opening number "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight
Dancing with the Moonlit Knight
"Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" is the first track on the Genesis album Selling England by the Pound, released in 1973.The a cappella voice of Peter Gabriel opens the track. Then, the song progressively gets louder and more upbeat, becoming a powerful rock number...
" with whose lyrics it also shares some thematic connections. The acoustic line that opens the song is repeated several times at the end of the previous track "The Cinema Show", thereby "connecting" the two tracks.
This track, the shortest on the album at a mere 1:32, is peppered with word play
Word play
Word play or wordplay is a literary technique in which the words that are used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement...
which may possibly escape those not familiar with the store names it references. Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
incorporated them into the lyric, thus:
- "Easy, love, there's the safeway home,
- "Thankful for her fine fair discount, Tess co-operates...."
At the time, Fine Fare
Fine Fare
Fine Fare was the name of a chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom. It was famous for its Yellow Pack budget own-label range.-History:The company started as a single supermarket in Brighton in 1956. It was one of a series of convenience store chains established in the 1950s, the others being...
and Safeway
Safeway (UK)
Safeway was a chain of supermarkets and convenience stores in the United Kingdom. It started as a subsidiary of the American Safeway Inc., before being sold off in 1987....
were major grocery store chains in the UK, and both Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
and the Co-op (The Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group Ltd. is a United Kingdom consumer cooperative with a diverse range of business interests. It is co-operatively run and owned by its members. It is the largest organisation of this type in the world, with over 5.5 million members, who all have a say in how the business is...
), were, and still are, names of grocery stores. These lyrics are a pun because the word aisle is associated with grocery stores.
Line-up
- Peter Gabriel: vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
- Steve Hackett: acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
- Mike Rutherford: bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound... - Tony Banks: MellotronMellotronThe Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
, Hammond Organ - Phil Collins: drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s and vocals