NURSERY CRYME

Well, though i've been a devoted Genesis fan for most of my 25 years, only recently have i obtained "Nursery Cryme" on CD. Previous playings of the vinyl LP left me unimpressed, but with the remastered quality of the digital format, i'm finally hearing what so many fans have raved about! This LP is epic and every song showcases the instrumental and lyrical prowess of the band in this first edition of the "classic" lineup: BANKS, COLLINS, GABRIEL, HACKETT, and RUTHERFORD.

Clocking in at a short 39:30, the bulk of the record is composed of three classic live tracks: "The Musical Box", "Return of the Giant Hogweed", and "The Fountain of Salmacis". Each of these tracks builds and evolves over their 8-10 minutes, allowing the individual musicians' to shine in their own ways. They display a harder sound than the previous TRESPASS LP, and the beginnings of the muscular guitar and mellotron combo that would be used so successfully in later years.

The lesser-known tracks are still gems in their own light. "For Absent Friends", features affectionate vocals by young PHIL COLLINS, some two years before his next solo vocal on "More Fool Me". He displays the lilting delicacy that would figure prominently on 1976- 77 LPs as a quartet. "Harold the Barrel" is a comedic romp, with a tempo and overall sound that Genesis seldom employed.

A few words should be made of STEVE HACKETT'S guitarwork. He's said that he felt unsure of this, his first effort to fill the role of founding member/writer ANT PHILLIPS. But he succeeds on every level in making his unique mark. The tapped intro to "Hogweed" and the crazed solos of "Fountain of Salmacis" hold up very well to this day. In fact, though Tony Banks has said this is not one of his favorite LPs, i think it does show significant growth over its predescessor and along with "FOXTROT", it represents the classic Genesis sound and subject matter.