THE GEESE AND THE GHOST

Have you ever been bowled over by understatement? If not, you haven't heard TGTG! Dont get me wrong, this is not a "boring" album! It is simply one of the finest works of folk/orchestral prog ever produced. There are some quite loud, stirring parts as well (Triumphant Return, to name just one), but on the whole, it is the grand beauty and peacefulness of this recording that makes it stand out as a "must have" in the Prog body of work. Anthony adds layers and layers of exquisite guitar to give his music un-paralleled depth and intricacy. I suppose I must also make mention that MIKE RUTHERFORD and PHIL COLLINS appear on this album. No question - they are a great addition, but really this is ANTHONY PHILLIPS at HIS finest. He also employs the talents of 15+ additioinal musicians (mostly string and woodwind.) I often think of early GENESIS as a two-sided coin. On the one side you have the driving vocals and wonderfully thoughtful, funny, and esoteric lyrics of PETER GABRIEL. The other side of the coin is the deft musical complexity and progressive sensibilites of ANTHONY PHILLIPS. The pairing of the two charted a whole new course for music, and sadly, lasted too briefly. But their influence on GENESIS and so many others is evident even today. TGTG is the best of the AP side of that coin. I can't believe it's soon to mark its 30th anniversary. This will certainly be around in another 30 years.