NURSERY CRYME

Simply stunning from end to end, this is the first example of why Genesis occupy the top spot of the prog tree. Nursery cryme is as advanced lyrically and compositionally as anything you will hear. The musical box, a song about libido and age, shows all the emotional power that would later be so influential to neo prog bands, and is among Genesis' best. The other two long compositions, The return of the giant hogweed, and The fountain of Salmacis, are similarly advanced. The fountain in particular, with the recurring theme of sexual desire, a tale from Ovid's Metamorphoses, is stunning in style for its time. The whole album is harder than Foxtrot, and the opening of The return almost sounds like prog metal. The shorter songs are all extremely well crafted, and not just filler. Harold the barrel deserves a special mention for superb satirical lyrics. Overall, this is the start of something special for Genesis.