NURSERY CRYME

If you ask me, Genesis managed to create two masterpieces of progressive rock: Selling England by the Pound & The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. The rest of the music from Gabriel's era is either great or above average. Nursery Cryme is above average. Please keep in mind I have the remixes from 2008, and only then I began to fully appreciate this album. I'm one of those who think that music has to sound good, and in this aspect the version I used prior to -08 failed miserably. I would've been ready to rate NC with two stars because the sound quality was so muddy, but luckily now I didn't have to go there...

The group starts the album with one of their greatest achievements: The Musical Box. Though I think the instrumental section in the middle doesn't come out as powerful as it should, the vocal parts more than make up for it. All of these parts are gorgeous and they clearly serve a purpose. Notice the band never go back to a movement once it's presented. The piece literally progresses from start to finish. Some of the themes are so good you hope they would return, but you can always listen to the song again! When Peter cries out for your touch, wouldn't you touch him if you could?

For Absent Friends, Seven Stones and Harlequin are all gentle and beautiful ballads. They lack the personality of the four other songs, but they're all good and should be enjoyed by every fan of early Genesis. The Return of the Giant Hogweed was a grower. It still isn't one of my favorites, but I like parts of it. I suppose it was more spectacular back when it was made, but it's a decent prog track.

Harold the Barrell, at first, I always skipped. When I started to pay closer attention to the story and digested the quirkiness, I realized how much fun the song really was. And the story is crazy: a guy is planning to jump from a window ledge while the whole town is looking. Can't go wrong with a plot like that!

The final track, Fountain of Salmacis, is the second strongest song on the album. The obvious characteristic of the piece are those two chords. A fast crescendo on the first, a fast diminuendo on the second. This little trick is executed nicely, really adds to the experience, and gives Genesis' first album with the classic line-up an emotional and large closing!