WIND & WUTHERING

It's real hard to review an album I don't feel too close to, but as I set myself to review all Genesis albums, I'll find something to say about "Wind and Wuthering". I believe my main problem here is with the album's mood, which many intelligently pointed out as matching with the cover. I look at that cover and see autumn moroseness, which is not what I normally like listening to. Perhaps it has to do with that?

In any case, there are good songs here, and it is a good album. The two epic openers of the album are good but I seldom find myself re-listening to them. Perhaps it's the kind of synths Banks picked here and that would take such an important place in the next album's sound, to my depression. "Your Own Special Way" is a a ballad that I don't hate as much as many do, it's kind of ok for me. "Wot Gorilla?" seems to be a Brand X track stuffed in here by Phil, I feel it out of place. "All in a Mouse's Night" uses an irregular time signature to breath life into somewhat silly lyrics about a cat chasing a mouse... hmmm...

"Blood on the Rooftops" begins with such a gentle lovely guitar piece by Steve than you almost want to kill Tony when he floods the place with a Phil Spectorish mellotron soon afterwards. But the end result is really good. Then comes the instrumental "Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers / In that Quiet Earth". Strange atmosphere here, almost like a trip to the Nile, but with interesting passages, specially in the more energetic second half. And it's surprising to hear all that segue into one of the poppiest but more emotional songs of this Genesis' era; "Afterglow". Great, great way to close the album.

In short, a good one, but not great.