WIND & WUTHERING

It's been entirely too long since I did a review. I think I only reviewed one album last year and nothing this year as of yet so it's time to jump back onto the bandwagon so to speak. Why not start with an old classic, Wind and Wuthering.

Let's face it, I'm not going to say a lot about Wind and Wuthering that hasn't been said before, it's one of my top twenty albums, frequently peeking into the top ten. It's a classic, one from the golden age of Genesis, in my opinion. My goal here is to, well, to start reviewing again, but also to share the magic of this album to the two people on this site that haven't heard it yet.

The definition of a five star album is an album that is 'essential' and 'a masterpiece of prog'. This folks is not only essential for the musical quality, but also for the historical relevance. On their last album, Tony Banks and the boys went for a two minute atmospheric noodling at the end of "Entangled". It was the beginning of a genre. Wind and Wuthering picked up on the atmospheric vibe of those two minutes and expanded it into a full length album.

You can hear the transition from symphonic prog to neo throughout the album. This is a softer, more keyboard dominated album than the previous Genesis albums. Also, as a departure from the Gabriel era, this is a much more emotional, personal album.

The opener, "The Eleventh Earl of Mar" is all about atmosphere. The lyrics are your typical prog, eccentric story, but the chorus is the simple, and emotional plea, "Daddy, you promised . . . you promised." Suddenly, the lyrics get a little personal, which is one of the mainstays of Neo Prog. "One for the Vine" continues to show the lyrical transition from distant and analytical to up close and personal. We have a typical prog, rambling lyrical story, but like the lead off track, we're hearing the emotions of the hero ooze out in the lyrics. The personal, emotional aspect is still new. This theme continues on the second side of the album and really sets the stage for Marillion, IQ and the Neo Prog movement.

I'm not going to give a song by song review, it's been done so many times before, but if you've been living under a rock and haven't heard this album, give it a spin. It's a classic, Steve Hackett has some of his most soulful guitar work and Tony Banks adds a new level of atmospheric layering to his synths. If that doesn't move you, this album started an era. Whether you like Neo or not, this album is historically important to Prog and not to be missed.

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