NURSERY CRYME

To me this is the second best album by this band along with the "Trespass". I simply love the aesthetics and moods they have managed to create to the best peaks of this album. The highlight for me is "The Fountain of Salmacis", maybe the best song they have done. There's great mellotrons and bass lines on it, and the composition is wonderful, describing the Greek tale of Naiad Salmacis attempt to rape Hermaphroditus, evoking divine intervention to merge both characters to entity of both genders. There are some pretty unique arrangements in it, like two similar verses with different lyrics (this effect was pioneered on their first album). "The Musical Box" and "The Return of The Giant Hogweed" are also marvelous tunes, holding some calm sequences and mostly roaring with aggression. The themes for lyrics are also quite personal, album cover design reflecting this quasi-Victorian feeling. Especially the inner part of the gatefold sleeve with lyrics and decorative illustrations is in my opinion really beautiful. As an album wholeness, there are some shorter song slightly unbalancing the overall quality ? an observation I believe many enthusiast Genesis listener might not agree.