WIND AND WUTHERING

After Peter Gabriel's departure and a certain disappointment with the vocal section of previous Genesis album, "A Trick Of The Tail", I must confess that I lost totally the interest in purchasing this output when it comes to our shops, once upon a time in 1977. Later I had the opportunity, through borrowed vinyl discs to hear "Wind & Wuthering" entirely or partially and I confess again that it didn't impress me. Another chance for "W&W" appeared when, in the 90s, I exchanged my old vinyl collection (keeping only some sentimental biscuits) for brand new CDs but for Genesis I started with "Trespass" and finished with "The Lamb" having gotten "ATotT" only recently. I never minded about "Wind & Wuthering".

Well, considering the amount of garbage (all genres and styles, all countries) that has been produced in the last 25 years I solved to revisit some works that I left behind because I thought they did not fill my quality control and I felt surprised how many of them could please me - in fact, I also discovered that my "quality control" was a terrible and presumptuous mistake that avoided me to be less demanding and musically happier for so many years.

Getting and hearing "Wind & Wuthering" with the sandals of humility was really an enjoyable experience. I realized that this particular work is kind and agreeable, perfectly audible, especially in those days when you want to listen to something more common, usual, and plainer. The work as a whole is well balanced but the musical level is a step behind their previous album - there's a true sensation that the car is almost losing its breaking power just in the top of the slope. Instrumentation is fine but some lack of emotion may be clearly perceived however here and there band members are able to show their tremendous skill and they do it greatly. Again and again, the vocal solos are my problem; Phil Collins isn't definitely a singer and front man shaped in the same furnace from where his predecessor came. Collins goes reasonably in the soft and slow parts but when the tune requires bold and exquisite vocals he fails.

About the tracks, 'Eleventh Earl of Mars" is a fair song, keeping Genesis tradition of neat openers while in the other point 'Afterglow' does well its finishing job. Album core is appreciable, all songs are pleasant but the most noticeable, probably the strongest is 'Blood on the rooftops', a gem that deserves to be aligned together with some Gabriel's era peaks - a great moment indeed. Other songs are correct and hearable, no skipping action recommended.

The resulting feeling is that "Wind And Wuthering" is a typical album to be purchased within a second batch after those truly essential hence good but non-essential. Final rating: 3.