TRESPASS

When considering classic-era Genesis' albums, Trespass, their second album released in 1970, is often forgotten or overlooked. While it doesn't have the same level of craft, or as many exciting moments as the band's future outputs, Trespass is still an enjoyable album, that should definitely interest fans who have already made their way through Genesis' 70's catalogue.

Discovering Trespass has been a wonderful experience for me over the past week. Genesis has been my favorite band since I discovered progressive rock over two years ago, and as a result, I've memorized every note on those classic albums, to the point where I rarely listen to them anymore. But with Trespass, everything is new and exciting again, and it's like I'm finding my favorite band for the first time all over again. Though recognizable from the first note, there is a distinct sound to this album. This is probably Genesis' most folk-sounding album, with flute on nearly every song, more acoustic guitars, and organ being the most prominent keyboard. Minus Phil Collins and Steve Hackett, all of the ingredients are here: Peter Gabriel's characteristic vocals, melodic organ and piano passages, and well composed songs.

While Trespass has glimpses of brilliance, and signs of what was to come, the music is not as mature, even when compared to the next year. Gabriel's voice, while still emotional, and having its moments, had not yet developed fully, and is even weak at points. The songwriting as well, is not as finely tuned, with some buildups that aren't as satisfying as they could be, and occasionally sloppy transitions. Trespass certainly has great passages, particularly in Looking for Someone and The Knife, each of which is exciting and dynamic. The sound overall is very consistent, with each song fitting in with the album, but the high points are not as numerous, nor as exciting as Genesis would go on to make.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to review albums like this in a vacuum. If Genesis had for some reason stopped here, this would no doubt be a much more regarded piece of music. However, we know when listening to it what the band was capable of, and though they hint at it, they never quite realize their potential. Regardless of how this fits into the overall Genesis scheme, Trespass is a good album, but you should let this one stay on the backburner while you work through their later work.