TRESPASS

Genesis that play "Trespass" looks like a different band than that of the debut album, yet they changed only the drummer (John Mayhew). As happened at "Le Orme", after a first melodic sixties style album, comes a second opera already fully progressive, with 6 long and elaborate songs.

The beginning is enthralling: we hear Peter Gabriel sings: "Looking For Someone" and then starts a seven minutes song that condenses the canons of progressive rock: changes of rhythm, melodic progressions (great work by Mayhew), instrumental pieces. The music perfectly accompanies the sung part, and reaches the climax in rhythmic progressions, which are alternated with the more meditative parts (with keyboards and flute). The arrangements are obtained with instruments that all work in synergy to obtain an overall sound effect (in the future instead the instruments will often interfere with each other) epic and theatrical. The song is definitely inspired. Rating 8,5.

The second track, "White Mountain", almost seven minutes, includes the word "Trespass" on the lyrics. It's more melodic than the previous one, with an acoustic beginning (Phillips on the 12-string guitar) that anticipates what Hackett will do in the next albums. Evocative flute in the middle. The best melody on the Lp. Another inspired song. Rating 8+.

Genesis will never again produce such a definitely beautiful, immediate, inspired beginning, with rhythm and instrumentation at the service of the melody.

Side A finishes with "Visions Of Angels" almost seven minutes (again). The track is melodic, and epic but in the chorus it goes beyond rhetoric and pompous. However, the melody is again clear and inspired. Towards the end it becomes repetitive: essentially it is a melodic verse-chorus song that is dilated up to 7 minutes, and lacking an autonomous instrumental part, the musical material of the verse and chorus returns pumped several times. Rating 7,5.

Side B opens with the only composition on the album (Stagnation) that more resembles a mini suite (almost 9 minutes) rather than a dilated song. The atmosphere is reflective, introverted, bucolic, and Banks embroiders a delicate melody on the keyboards, aided by Gabriel's flute, which fills most of the first part of the piece. Here for the first time music is the supporting skeleton of the song, while the sung part is at the service of some musical moments. In the second part there is a rhythmic progression that makes the song more engaging, ending up in an epic and theatrical way, even if still a little rhetorical. Rating 8.

Coming back to the acoustic and bucolic climate of the previous one, "Dusk" is the only medium-length song on the record. It'is a minor piece, with a large, pretty guitar arpeggio, which brings a moment of relaxation amidst so many great songs with rhythmic progressions. Rating 7.

"The Knife" is a decidedly more rock song than the previous ones, in fact it's the ride rhythm that prevails over the melody, amplified by the guitar and the keyboards. It will become a live classic. However, it contains a melodic instrumental interlude with the flute. Closes a guitar solo and a rhythmic progression too long, which leads to create a mesmeric vortex, a bit forced for the truth, in order to reach the grand finale with sound saturation. Rating 8+.

Genesis that play Trespass are inspired, they produce clear and immediate melodies, they find a perfect balance between sung parts and instrumental parts. In the coming years, Genesis will never be so immediate in compositions and performances, apart from some songs. Trespass is a small masterpiece, despite the production that flattens the sound of the instruments, especially the drums.

Medium quality of the songs: 7,92. Rating: 9. Five stars.