WIND & WUTHERING

Some people look as if they've seen a ghost when they hear that Peter Gabriel was the first singer of Genesis. To them, Genesis is that peculiar trio that scored hits like Mama, Land Of Confusion, and I Can't Dance with Phil Collins in the '80s and '90s. There's virtually no chance they know that Genesis continued as a quartet for a while after Gabriel's departure in 1975. Steve who? Steve Hackett? But for the average symphonic rock fan, it's all common knowledge. Steve Hackett is, of course, the creative guitarist with whom Genesis thrived until 1977.

The album "Wind & Wuthering," released in 1976, the band's eighth, is the last full studio effort to which the virtuoso guitarist contributed. This had everything to do with the usual bickering over whose compositions made it past the internal selection process. Keyboardist Tony Banks, in particular, wasn't too fond of the material Hackett brought in, which frustrated the guitarist immensely. The result was that "Wind & Wuthering" was adorned with relatively few guitar parts and a whole lot of keyboard flourishes.

"Wind & Wuthering" was recorded with excellent sound at Relight Studio in Hilvarenbeek and, like its predecessor "A Trick Of The Tail," was mixed at the famed Trident Studio in London. Twelve tracks were recorded, nine of which made it onto the album, and three left-overs ended up on the EP "Spot The Pigeon."

The album features great variety, largely because all the band members contributed to the compositions. The common threads are the melancholic keyboard parts (you practically trip over the Mellotron chords) and the intensely delivered vocal lines. But it's not just these elements that carry the album. The listener's ears are constantly treated to cool drum rhythms, melodic and bombastic basslines, and a wide variety of guitars (electric, 12-string, and classical). To complete the picture, there are also contributions on kalimba and auto-harp, though it's never specified exactly where. Not that it matters, absorbing all the beauty of the album could take a lifetime.

The intro of the opener Eleventh Earl Of Mar grabs the listener's attention immediately with its guitar tones. When the Mellotron swells, the actual track bursts into life with delightful organ play, sharp drums, and driven vocals. There are also beautiful moments with electric guitar, and before you know it, you're in the midst of a dreamy interlude. Bombastic chords bring you back to the main song, and when One For The Vine follows, it's once again evident how demanding the gentlemen of Genesis really are. They constantly demand your attention. The nearly 10-minute piece could only have been written in gold leaf. This mini-epic, composed by Banks, is very piano-oriented at the start. Then these beautiful minutes are followed by a brilliant piece of drum work full of syncopation. Eventually, an exhilarating passage ensues in which Banks masterfully plays his synthesizers. The final section underscores how fantastic this track is.

The song Your Own Special Way, written by Mike Rutherford, is a different kind of piece. This flowing ballad has a rather song-like structure, which is why it was released as a single back then. Thanks to a beautiful arrangement, this track earns its place on the album. "Wind & Wuthering" was constructed according to the LP structure, so the instrumental Wot Gorilla? ended up at the end of side A. This song has a Brand X-like vibe with a surplus of keyboard parts.

The band continues joyfully with All In A Mouse's Night, the opener of side B. It's a fairly narrative song with a fairly grand finale featuring a musical outburst. And what an outburst it is, mouthwateringly good. Which is just as well, because much of the track sounds like a precursor to what was to come in the following years. Blood On The Rooftops opens with classical guitar play, unsurprisingly, since Steve Hackett is the composer. The stately "let's skip the news, boy" sections, featuring lovely Mellotron and heaps of romance, are very beautiful. The three following tracks are all linked together, forming a triptych. The first two tracks are instrumental. Unquiet Slumbers For The Sleepers sounds expansive, New Age-like, and in In That Quiet Earth, where the band comes into full force, Hackett is at his very best. The closing track Afterglow might be regarded by many as the most beautiful love song Phil Collins has ever sung. The stately piece is supported by broken guitar chords, and to complement the Mellotron, the gentlemen themselves sing some wordless tones. It's a powerful ending to a monumental album.

It's incredibly unfortunate that, in terms of style, this album is the last of its kind in the Genesis camp. Perhaps "Wind & Wuthering" is all the more beautiful because of that.

Orginally posted on www.progenrock.com