WIND & WUTHERING

W&W hold a special place with me. I hold the two albums directly following Gabriel's departure in high regard, as they show not only that Colins, Rutherford, Banks, and Hackett are impeccable songwriters, but that, musically, their writing and style matured quite a good deal.

Eleventh Earl of Mar: A nice catchy fast paced beginning that seems to be as equally lyrically driven as it is musically. Not much to say about this song, except that I personally like it, and it think its a more than adequate opener for this album.

One for the Vine: Oh what a gem! A nice slow, aura driven opening with lovely, yet soft and subtle work from Mr Banks. About a third of the way into the songs, there is an entire change of tempo, dynamic, and overall mood. Some quirky off beat piano work is nicely paralleled by some equally as quirky, yet fantastic drumming (especially the hit hat work) by Phil Collins. the song then regresses to the original tempo and feel, only seeming a bit more eerie after such an interlude. The last couple minutes of the song are a series of rises and falls into a wonderful finale. the dynamics are jsut wonderful.

Your Own Special Way: Definitely not like the rest of the album. it isnt progressive at all, but written and performed in the same vein as More Fool Me (Selling England by the Pound). It isnt a bad song otherwise, its just an attempt at a radio hit, if you're into that kind of thing.

Wot Gorilla: A nicle little keyboard driven instrumental. Nothing too spectaculay, and is most likely a filler song.

all in a Mouse's night: A very keyboard driven song. Theres a lot of good things to this one, but I like to mention the little bit of subtle free reign that Hackett gets in the last minute or so of this song, which is absolutely wonderful.

Blood on the Rooftops: Another wonderful song, and perhaps one of Hackett's best contributions to Genesis. the song opens with a wonderful classical guitar piece, and is segued by soft vocals by Collins, which then become more emotional and potent.

Unquiet Slumbers For The Sleepers: Very eerie, but it feels to me like it was written in the same vein as Wot Gorilla

In that Quiet Earth: What a wonderful song. Its hard to describe, but a lovely guitar driven beginning, with a heavy/jazzy overtone to it. the second half is more energetic and shiftf to being more keyboard driven.

Afterglow: Finally, a break from the instrumentals with the album closer. Decent song, less progressive than some of the others.