An Interesting Genesis Observation...

I think you´re right. Except I think also "Seven Stones" has also that same "true Genesis sound" as "Salmacis". To me Nursery is anyway their absolutely masterpiece among Foxtrot, Selling and Lamb, although it mostly has that "pre-Genesis" feeling.

I think it started with Stagnation, but then I know nuttin’
Salmacis is insanely brilliant though!!

Salmacis has always been my fave Genesis track.  It's got everything I could want out of a Genesis song...tons of tron and organ, dark fantasy lyrics, adventurous drumming, a fantastic bass sound, a dramatic PG vocal and a Hackett masterpiece of an ending solo...not a wild improvisation, but that structured highly melodic approach he was so good at...prog perfection

I respect your opinion, but I think that the theme that generates the birth of the true personality of Genesis is its theme "Musical Box", which then in its later work, Foxtrot, gives rise to its most wonderful creation "Suppers Ready", the highest point in the history of for me, the greatest group of all time ...

Frenetic Zetetic wrote: The thing for me is More Fool Me isn't a bad song at all; just relative to the rest of the grand slam material on SEBTP, it doesn't pull it's weight is all for me. I completely agree with your Trespass - Lamb analogy. Lamb is actually my second favorite after SEBTP. I enjoy the whole record. Too bad about the username! Maybe a mod/admin can hook you up?

An interesting thread, FZ. I've always found Fountain of Salmacis a great, and often underrated, track - although still a notch behind The Musical Box. However, I'm of the view that the progress of the band was 'evolutionary' rather than 'revolutionary' and while Salmacis definitely broadens out some of the Genesis 'sound' - I don't think it provided the 'eureka' moment that charted the scope of the albums that followed Nursery Cryme by itself.

I think the progress is remarkably linear in many ways. Trespass was a natural precursor to Nursery Cryme - broadening out the pastoral tones (The Knife was always rather atypical - albeit a great track - compared to classics like Stagnation). Foxtrot consolidated on Nursery Cryme - with the whole album more consistent and with the mould-breaking Supper's Ready to boot. Selling England by the Pound introduced a more modern edge to the instrumentation while still retaining that core sound - while The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway polished up that glossier edge (best typified by The Battle of Eping Forest's instrumentation) while once again keeping that wistful, warmth at times and echoing the earlier albums.

Trespass introduced the 'sound' and I agree that Nursery Cryme evolved it sufficiently to subsequently get to the next two, almost perfect, albums. Salmacis was a key ingredient - but I personally give the credit to the whole Nursery Cryme album - even with its diversity of pace and style - rather than point to one, albeit classic, track.

Edited by Squonk19 - January 16 2018 at 11:37

The themes of both the fountain of Salmacis and the Musical box had their genesis (no pun intended) in what the band called 'The Movement' which they worked up in the cottage in Surrey during 1969 and that became the basis of the 4 piece suite recorded as a soundtrack to a proposed BBC film on the work of the artist Michael Jackson. This was all before Trespass so really the classic Genesis sound was already there back in 1969.

iluvmarillion wrote: I can't agree with the above comments. If that were true they would be playing songs off their first album in their live concerts. They were basically novice songwriters learning the game when they recorded their first album and only came of age with the Trespass album. Since they often performed "The Knife" in their live performances, I would take issue with the premise that Salmacis locked in their classic sound (whatever that means).

Edited by Frenetic Zetetic - January 18 2018 at 01:58