NURSERY CRYME

While not the first explosion of creativity from the band (this award going to "Trespass") Nursery Cryme was nevertheless a huge accomplishment for Genesis. It gave them their first whiff of true stardom, especially in continental Europe. It rose to number 4 in Italy and was also popular in Belgium, France, and their home country. And boy, did it deserve it.

As with my older reviews on this site, I will assign each song up to 2 points, and put the album's score out of the total possible points.

The Musical Box originated from an acoustic piece by Anthony Phillips, who left after recording Trespass. After being tinkered with by every band member who could use a guitar (Phillips, Mike Rutherford, Mick Barnard, Steve Hackett, and Tony Banks), it eventually grew from a minor 3 minute passage to a 10 minute monstrosity of emotion and suspense. 2 points go to this epic.

For Absent Friends is a short break to ease the tension between the first and third songs on the first side. Written by Hackett and Phil Collins, it was an "initiation" of sorts to prove they could provide input musically. The acoustic pastoralism coupled with a very British feel and Phil's first vocal with Genesis make a nice little ditty. 1 point.

The Return of the Giant Hogweed often contested with The Knife for the encore spot in Genesis concerts. It is a very similar song. It is by no means repetitive, however. Based off a news report on an invasive plant species in Canada and Europe, this number gets you head banging for eight straight minutes. 2 points go to the highlight of the album.

Seven Stones begins the second side on a moderate note. I have absolutely no clue what the lyrics mean, but I could say the same for The Lamb anyway! This minor Banks piece is a nice touch to the album. 1 point.

Harold the Barrel is the one track technologically most similar to Trespass, with no extensive usage of the 16 track recording (which was given to Genesis at a time when 8 tracks was excessive), bass pedal, or mellotron. Even so, it is the farthest from Trespass in practice, simply due to the over the top energy and bounce put into it. It isn't a very "art rock" piece, and I respect it more for it. 2 points.

Harlequin is similar to For Absent Friends, only this time a duet between Gabriel and Collins. They mesh perfectly; the song sounds almost perfectly double tracked. But no, that's two different people! It's a haunting melody, although the lyrics are almost undecipherable. 2 points.

The Fountain of Salmacis is a Rutherford-Banks piece, with the historical lyrics fitting in nicely with Mike's repertoire. Based off the mythical story of Hermaphroditus (let's just say there's a reason that name sounds familiar), it is a wonderful mystical ending to this monumental album, with the keyboard introduction and the haunting ending attesting to the ingenuity of the quintet. 2 well deserved points.

12/14 points gives this album about 86%, or about a 4/5. This achievement of humanity deserves your money and your attention.