ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the social and economic contexts in which The Lamb was released. The emergence of progressive rock as a genre—and, indeed, as a marketing category—is situated within the globalization and consolidation of the music industry and the emergence of related industries such as concert promotion and merchandising. The book explains the process of composing and recording The Lamb. It presents detailed musical and textual analysis of The Lamb, song by song. The book also examines the public reception to The Lamb, considering reviews of both the recording and the world tour that followed. It presents a survey of different interpretations of The Lamb as allegory, addressing the album's psychological themes, its musical references, and its religious imagery.
