TRESPASS

Trespass is the first prog album, but is really a prelude for the true Genesis, as they were missing two key members. Nonetheless, the two main composers are here in the form of Rutherford and Banks, which means the music does sound like their later stuff. But there is an obvious folk sound going on here which slowly diminishes in future albums.

'Looking For Someone' (7/10) shows more of the blues side of Genesis in the first half, for which Gabriel does a good job adapting vocally. The second half is a mass of keyboard similar to ELP, with some parts that resemble 'The Barbarian.'

'White Mountain' (7/10) alternates between some upbeat acoustic part with vocals and a nice keyboard riff and some slower flute parts. I really like the adventurous feel in this one, both lyrically and instrumentally.

'Visions of Angels' (5/10) is probably the weakest song, and there's nothing really noteworthy going on. It's just a decent Genesis track.

'Stagnation' (9/10) starts with an acoustic section that segues into a nice atmospheric keyboard part. The rest is just beautiful acoustic guitar laced with some keys and soft vocals. This is probably the best song on the record.

'Dusk' (6/10) is another short, soft, acoustic song with a folk feel. Nothing outstanding here, but it does have a very relaxing feel.

'The Knife' (8/10) is the heaviest song on both this album and one of the in many of the albums to come. This is also different territory for the band, where a lot of the melodies and riffs are rather bluesy.

Overall, Trespass is a very different Genesis album from their later releases. It is obviously a huge improvement over their debut. I will say the only true downsides to this album are the production and the lack of Hackett and Collins influence.

7/10