Before Genesis became the progressive rock band of Foxtrot and Selling England by the Pound, Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Anthony Phillips were Charterhouse pupils writing songs under the wing of producer Jonathan King. The debut album that came out of it, originally released in 1969 on Decca, consists of short, melodic pop songs with a baroque touch. King had strings added afterwards, much to the band's displeasure, as they felt the orchestra drowned out their own playing. The album barely sold at the time and only reached number 170 on the Billboard 200 in 1974, once Genesis had broken through. For this reissue Stephen W. Tayler created a new stereo mix that brings the band forward and pulls the orchestra back, with the approval of Banks, Gabriel, Phillips and Rutherford.

This edition is a 2LP, with the new stereo mix on the first LP and four bonus tracks on the second.