WIND & WUTHERING

I'll say I'm a level 3 when it comes to Wind and Wuthering. This is the first appearance of Genesis on the countdown, but it won't be the last! It is also the second and final Genesis album to feature the lineup of Collins, Banks, Rutherford & Hackett, as Hackett would soon leave following this album. I have owned it on CD and am pretty familiar with it, but not quite expert level, and it's been a while since I've played it from start to finish.

Track 1 - Eleventh Earl of Mar

I have always rather enjoyed this track. Banks, Hackett & Rutherford share writing credits on this one. After a short dramatic intro, we get a driving beat that propels the song through the verses. It's mostly 4-4 but with some exceptions on "oh Daddy, Oh Daddy, You promised." I like the piano/mellotron part just before the 3-minute mark. The dynamic level drops at around 4 minutes. The bridge section stays quiet. Things start picking back up at around 5:45, then the driving beat returns. Then around 7:20, it goes back to a part that is similar to the intro. Great track!

Track 2 - One for the Vine

This is the longest track on the album at an even 10 minutes. Banks gets full writing credit on this one. We begin quietly, then begin to build slightly. Phil goes into a falsetto at around 2:20, with harmonies. There is an instrumental break that features Banks on piano, then we return to another verse that is even quieter than the first one. Some quirkiness begins at around 4:45. First piano is featured, then synth in the ensuing instrumental break. There is a vocal bridge which is somewhat Beatle-like in feel, and Phil returns to falsetto by the end of it. For a 10- minute epic with Steve Hackett in the lineup, it takes a while to detect his presence; and then it's less of a solo than a shared melody with Banks near the end of the track. Good track, but not my favorite.

Track 3 - Your Own Special Way

This is a beautiful 6-8 ballad. I'd say that this is the first time on the album that the guitar takes the lead, at least as far as the overall sound is concerned. However, I'm wondering if it's more Rutherford, as he composed the song. The line "Who has seen the wind, neither you nor I," is a reference to a poem by Christina Rosetti. At around 4 minutes, everything drops out except Bank's electric piano. Great ballad.

Track 4 - Wot Gorilla?

A Collins & Banks composition. We begin with wind chimes then Collins' kit fades in with a cool proggy beat. We have a classic Genesis instrumental sound here, featuring Banks on keyboards. The track is very high-energy, but too short, and once again, Hackett seems to be snubbed from being featured with a solo.

Track 5 - All In a Mouse's Night

Excellent rhythms and Collins' vocals kick this one off. I like the melodic and rhythmic change at just before 2 minutes. Excellent dynamic shift at around 4 minutes. Hackett finally gets a proper solo on this one during the ending segment of the song, even though it is credited solely to Banks as composer. Great track

Track 6 - Blood on the Rooftops. A Hackett/Collins co-write, we begin with a classical guitar feature. Collins begins singing at around 1:20, and a mellotron comes in. There is a dramatic shift at 2:12 when the full band joins in with a slow, steady rhythm. Things drop back down, but then it happens again on the next chorus. Great song.

Track 7 - Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers?

The title of this one and the following track reference the final line of Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights," on which this album takes inspiration. This is a nice instrumental that features Banks, despite being written by the 2 guitarists Hackett & Rutherford. This track seems to mainly build anticipation for the following track.

Track 8 - ?In that Quiet Earth

Bring on the prog energy here! All 4 get writing credits here. Collins' drumming is INCREDIBLE on this one! Hackett is given the spotlight with a brilliant solo, followed by reverse-recorded lines. Banks' signature Keyboards are all over this and Rutherford's bass lines are brilliant. The rhythm transitions at around 2:45 to a more moderate tempo, but the playing remains brilliant! This may be one of the finest Prog-instrumentals of all time. And it leads us to?

Track 9 - Afterglow

This is another fantastic ballad. The sound of this song is just awesome in its scope; it's HUGE. The melody is beautiful. Banks gets 100% of the writing credit here. The ending of this song is so brilliant that it gives me chills.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

A very strong Genesis album indeed, but we will visit even stronger ones as we proceed (IMHO). There are really no weak tracks here, but In That Quiet Earth is the standout for me. It is pretty easy to see why Hackett chose to leave following this album, as he is only featured a few times. Additionally, it is said that many of his compositions were outvoted in favor of Banks' songs. I'll give this one a 4.25 out of 5. A great album, but not their greatEST.

Clicking 4, but really 4.25!