THE GEESE AND THE GHOST

Anthony Phillips...What an excellent artist...Phillips was the original guitarist of GENESIS,contributing in their debut album and the legendary ''Trespass''.After his departure from the band almost nothing had been heard for him until in 1977 he came back releasing his first solo album ''The geese and the ghost'' with a great cover and even greater musicianship...

Phillips' acoustic guitar work dominates the whole album but he and his collaborators use also a banch of classical music related instruments giving the whole effort a symphonic feel...The two epics of the album.''Henry...'' and the eponymous ''The geese...'' are entirely instrumental,simply stunning and quite similar...Everything is unfolded around the acoustic and electric guitar play of Phillips and with the help of piano,Mellotron,flutes,cello (and the list of instruments never ends) the tracks get a smooth symphonic yet very dramatic touch...Phil Collins appears in a couple of songs (''Which way...'' and ''God if i saw'') transforming them with his magical voice into great prog ballads...Phillips himself also sings in the most emotional and thrilling track of the album,''Collections'',with has an intense classical music flavor...

After all these years of Phillips' absence from the musical scene the logical question is: Does this album sound any like GENESIS?...Fortunately the answer is more than positive...Phillips continues the work he left unfinished in ''Trespass'' as this effort sounds a lot like the physical step after ''Trespass''...4 solid stars,this album is a must have for any prog collection and especially for old GENESIS fans!