TRESPASS

Where all started...as a die-hard GENESIS' fan i can't refuse to see the light that my cd- player releases when i play this seminal and magic debut of progressive music. I'm saying debut because apparently their before album is not prog and follows a more pop fashion so it is fair to say that this is the debut of prog-GENESIS, right? Yeah right. Ah, this album never disapoints me too, and i think it is underrated in a chaotic way. The closing track is often the only remembered one, even by GENESIS' fans, but come on, how can unique gems like "White Mountain" and "Stagnation" be forgotten? These songs are all carried with emotion, something that some prog bands like YES and that trio that released the disastrous Brain Salad Surgery usually forget to add to their music.

The mythic voyage on Trespass starts with an acapella (a formula that will inspire the SEBTP album some years later) screaming the song's title. "Looking for Someone" is a beautiful and catchy tune that offers an apparent transition from pop-GENESIS to the begining of their prog quest. Here Gabriel shows a nice flute moment a-la Ian Anderson as well as his great vocal skills. The song contains nifty instrumental sections and since it carries a deep emotional luggage it also never ceases to amaze me. Good intro to prog land. After this, we are led to "White Mountain", a mesmerizing song with a latin rhythm around some of its lenght and also a lot of flute present. In this album Gabriel noticeable explores his skills as a flute player, adding more to the angelical factor present here. At the middle there is some beats and he uses a nice vocals technique sounding like an echo from heaven, and the song's main theme returns with that neat keyboard riff and great backing vocals by the members. Near the ending we have a moving section of choir and acoustic guitar that will bring tears to your eyes, so moving and deep! Whoa! What a song!!! *takes a calm down pill* Ok, a piano announces "Visions of Angels" which follows a similar touching fashion, so emotional and crying lyrics by Gabe. The chorus is beautiful! Again, the track has an interesting middle section slowly leading to the track's climax, with a choir work that takes you to the clouds. The song returns to its main theme and then we have a second climax similar to the first but this time with a crying mellotron! How can music be so deep? Don't ask me how, ask angel Gabriel and his mates what the heaven were they thinking while composing such magestic stuff! "Stagnation", another epic song, kicks in and it is another favorite of mine. Starting very quiet with a shy Gabriel singing some lines we are led to a long atmospheric instrumental section making it perhaps the album's best moment. There's some key notes floating like rain falling on water, taking your brain to a fairy tale land. The voyage reaches its true climax here. Then, there's is a different pace on the music, in another climax, with a different keyboard sound this time faster and very emotional. Gabriel's voice and flute quietly returns and then there's another atmospheric part with some sligh "ah ah ah"s and then some desperate ones, sounding like a cry. "I wanna drink, i wanna drink", shows how versatile his voice is. The song closes with a nice flute solo and soon followed by some keys with a group vocal work similar to the one present on the past track. The forgotten song "Dusk" then appears and may be the strongest one in terms of how it takes you to "another places", and has more neat flute work as well as some moving acoustic guitar ocasional soloing, plus an hypnotizing vocal performance by the band. Its ending shows some strong piano notes to flow well on the chaotic and NOT OUT OF PLACE awesome "The Knife", with its dancing intro and fast lyrics. "Now in this ugly world it is time to destroy this evil" - "Stand up and fight for what you know you're right; we'll strike at the lies that spreaded like diseases though our minds". Despite the other violent lyrics there's these amazing two messages in the lines showing a kind of "celestial" but also quite darke feel that was present during all the album. A long instrumental voyage with neat keys and guitar solos follows showing some really interesting bass lines. The battle happens and we listen to a scream saying "We won!" showing that it finally got a winner...the album then closes majestically while you are blown way from what you have just experienced.

This is an amazing addition to any prog music, it is at the same level as Dark Side of the Moon, Red, Lark's Tongues and several other albums that get far more recognition than this forgotten gem of the begining of the 70's. For the people who say this is not as good as Nursery Cryme or Foxtrot: Give it some more listens, as i said on another review, Trespass, Nursery Cryme and Foxtrot work as an unique album IMO, on around 140 minutes of perfect music and glory - and if you think for a second, this is the same lenght as FK's pretentious Unfold the Future, with the cute difference that is pure emotional classic symphonic original Genesian prog all along.

Amazing begining of an amazing band!