NURSERY CRYME

I struggled with what rating to give Nursery Cryme. It is really a great album. The epic The Musical Box is a very strong album opener and one of Genesis' best songs. The song is sung from the viewpoint of a ghost that came out of the musical box. Lyrics are great and the musicianship is high and interesting. Great guitar solos from Hackett.

Return of the Giant Hogweed is another highlight with its hard rocking intro, ingenious lyrics, and interesting solos. This song also has a great ending representing the attack of the giant hogweed. The next highlight is Seven Stones which is not as complex as the previous two tracks, but is still immensely enjoyable with the mellotron being the standout instrument. Last highlight, and my personal favorite from the album is Fountain of Salmacis. This song has great mellotron, guitar, drums, and everything else. Also the the story told is one of Hermaphroditus from Greek mythology. The retelling of the myth by Gabriel is brilliant. Also, the battle between Hermaphroditus and the water nymph Salmacis is represented by the music, which is done very well.

The remaining tracks are not bad, but just not as good as the previously mentioned tracks, and I find myself skipping over them. I am going to give this on four stars because the following Genesis' albums were even better than this one. At the same time, I think that if you enjoy symphonic progressive rock, then you should definitely own this album. So, it is essential for fans of this subgenre.