TRESPASS

Definitely a step up from the Bee Gees-alikes of their debut, but still pretty much a transitional disc. Much of what's presented here is basically pop songs extended with prog flourishes on organ and Mellotron ("Visions of Angels", "Looking For Someone"). And it's all heavily under the shadow of King Crimson's IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING, which the band members freely admit to being their paramount influence at the time.

Still, there are definite glimpses of Genesis' future greatness here. The theatricality of "White Mountain" and concert favourite "The Knife" are a definite peep in the window. But the real jewel in the crown is "Stagnation", the first of their many multiple-part pieces, shifting through numerous moods over the course of nearly nine minutes.

So, Genesis were just getting their sea-legs here, but it's still a strong album, showing strides of progress after their mediocre, dated debut album. It shouldn't be your first Genesis purchase by any means, but established fans of the band will definitely want it.