Genesis 1978

And Then There Were Three, more than either of its immediate predecessors, feels like the beginning of the second phase of Genesis – in large part because the lineup had indeed dwindled down to Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, and Phil Collins, a situation alluded to in the title…

Genesis started life as a progressive rock band, in the manner of Yes and King Crimson, before a series of membership changes brought about a transformation in their sound, into one of the most successful pop/rock bands of the 1980s and 1990s. In addition, the group has provided a launching pad for the superstardom of members Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, and star solo careers for members Tony Banks, Michael Rutherford, and Steve Hackett…

Genesis started life as a progressive rock band, in the manner of Yes and King Crimson, before a series of membership changes brought about a transformation in their sound, into one of the most successful pop/rock bands of the 1980s and 1990s. In addition, the group has provided a launching pad for the superstardom of members Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, and star solo careers for members Tony Banks, Michael Rutherford, and Steve Hackett…

…And Then There Were Three… is the ninth studio album by the British band Genesis and was released in 1978. A pivotal release in the band's history, the title …And Then There Were Three… is a wry reference to the recent departure of guitarist Steve Hackett, reducing Genesis to a trio (which would result in their longest unchanged line-up, which lasted until 1996). As a result, the roles of the remaining members of Genesis became more sharply defined. Additionally, …And Then There Were Three… heralded a move towards shorter radio-friendly songs and marked the band's strategic move away from progressive rock at the height of punk rock, and included a song based on the fantastic adventures of comic strip character Little Nemo.

Wikipedia

And Then There Were Three, more than either of its immediate predecessors, feels like the beginning of the second phase of Genesis - in large part because the lineup had indeed dwindled down to Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, and Phil Collins, a situation alluded to in the title. But it wasn't just a whittling of the lineup; the group's aesthetic was also shifting, moving away from the fantastical, literary landscapes that marked both the early Genesis LPs and the two transitional post-Gabriel outings, as the bandmembers turned their lyrical references to contemporary concerns and slowly worked pop into the mix, as heard on the closing "Follow You Follow Me," the band's first genuine pop hit. Its calm, insistent melody, layered with harmonies, is a perfect soft rock hook, although there's a glassy, almost eerie quality to the production that is also heard throughout the rest of the record…