Trespass - Genesis
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=65324
Printed Date: May 15 2025 at 12:36
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Trespass - Genesis
Posted By: WatcherOfTheSkies88
Subject: Trespass - Genesis
Date Posted: February 24 2010 at 21:30
| Why do people usually think badly of the album "Trespass" by Genesis? I think it's got some pretty strong tunes. Of course, there's their first undisputed classic in "The Knife", but "Looking for Someone" and "White Mountain" are pretty sweet as well. "Visions of Angels" is pretty good too. I know the album isn't as good as the next 4 that came after it, but it's still a really good album, IMO. |
Replies:
Posted By: TheGazzardian
Date Posted: February 24 2010 at 21:37
| I get the impression that most people who listen to it view it as an "under-appreciated classic". White Mountain is one of my favorite Geneis songs. |
Posted By: UndercoverBoy
Date Posted: February 24 2010 at 21:40
Yeah, great album, but I think that "The Knife" is the only track that can compare to say, "The Musical Box," "Watcher of the Skies," "Firth of Fifth," or "In The Cage." However, even being close to the goodness of Nursery Cryme to The Lamb is not an easy feat.
|
WatcherOfTheSkies88 wrote:Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: February 24 2010 at 21:56
|
It's my favorite Genesis album.
It's lovely, Anthony's 12-string guitar throughout adds a lot and Peter's vocals couldn't better. Also, Tony Banks' plays some really nice stuff.
|
Posted By: PROGMONSTER2008
Date Posted: February 24 2010 at 23:43
|
I really like it. I think it's definately better than Nursery Cryme ------------- Jazz/Classical Rock(70's style prog/fusion). Lots of prog keys and melodies(all original ideas) http://www.myspace.com/vigilante2008" rel="nofollow - http://www.myspace.com/vigilante2008 |
Posted By: mystic fred
Date Posted: February 25 2010 at 00:26
|
Under appreciated classic?
POPPYCOCK!
 My first "serious" Prog album, bought in 1970, Trespass has always been a personal favourite, though everybody approaches albums from different perspectives and may see things differently - though "The Lamb..." is appreciated as a greater classic i was disappointed with it on first hearing, having "plotted" Genesis' career almost from the beginning i thought they'd "sold out to the Yanks" and still believe "Trespass" stands head and shoulders over their post 1974 works.
 . -------------  Prog Archives Tour Van 
|
Posted By: Angel of Death
Date Posted: February 25 2010 at 14:37
|
It's my second fav. Genesis album to Foxtrot, and Looking for Someone is one of my fav. Genesis songs. I think it's a great album.
|
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: February 25 2010 at 14:39
|
It's an incredible album, made even more remarkable when you consider that they had only just come out of a very pampered English public school, wet behind the ears. The tracks all have a remarkable maturity to them and I still, to this day, get goosebumps when I listen to Visions of Angels. Underrated - no chance, certainly not by me. ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: February 25 2010 at 14:45
|
I'd rather listen to Trespass 500 times than ITCOTK twice....oh wait I have. I may have actually listened to Trespass more than Nursery Cryme. But it's all good. Ant does give it its own little flavor, though one must remember that he had a huge hand in Cryme as well. I don't think it's that underappreciated in any prog community. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: February 25 2010 at 14:54
|
Wouldn't call it underrated by any means, but I personally think it's a masterpiece. It doesn't get as much attention as other Genesis albums, but I wouldn't say it's as good as SEBTP, Foxtrot, or The Lamb anyway. -Jeff ------------- 
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Posted By: The Doctor
Date Posted: February 25 2010 at 14:57
|
I'm a huge fan of Trespass myself. As a previous poster stated - I like it more than the followup. I also like it more than The Lamb. I think it has some great tunes on it, even without the Knife. It's one of their most emotional albums IMO...nothing can beat the darkness/desperation of Looking For Someone, or the combination of fragility and menace that is Visions of Angels, or the early expanded storytelling of White Mountain or the bleakness of Stagnation. Was planning on listening to this anyway this evening. Love Ant's work on this, as well as Tony's and Peter's. In spite of the bad press that the late John Mayhew has gotten, I really think the rhythm section works very well too. ------------- I can understand your anger at me, but what did the horse I rode in on ever do to you? |
Posted By: Jackonthegreen
Date Posted: February 25 2010 at 15:06
| Trespass is easily one of my favourite Genesis albums. Its my fourth favourite after selling england, trick and nursery cryme, much thanks to Anthony Phillips. The twelvestring work on White Mountain is among the best Genesis did. |
Posted By: sealchan
Date Posted: February 25 2010 at 16:53
|
From my admittedly limited perspective I have noticed that late 60s prog tends to favor variety of musical ideas over unity of musical ideas. Both Yes and Genesis seemed to unify their compositions better going into the 70s. This transition happened with Yes with The Yes Album and with Genesis I think it happened more gradually with Nursery Cryme. One of the principles of this transition going into the 70s it seems is that you can pack in more musical ideas into a song but you are going to have to really build out the length of the song to do it well otherwise it will sound like the second side of Abbey Road rather than the second side of Foxtrot.
One song which helped me to see this was done by a band that didn't do "prog" that well, Chicago. On Chicago's second self-titled album (in both senses) their "Ballad for a Girl in Buchanan" has that rushed feel of a song with 20 minutes of musical ideas packed into about 13 minutes. At least the longer songs on Chicago's first self-titled album like "Introduction" and "Beginnings" (which I understand were composed by Robert Lamm unlike "Ballad") had that progressive quality but were better structured songs that seemed like a self-contained work.
Too many musical ideas packed too densely throughout the length of a song makes that song loose focus and seem scattered. I think that Genesis' Trespass has this scattered quality to it that makes it less enjoyable than later works. That is, its individual songs tended to have this quality. It may be that Anthony Phillips was the reason for this. Perhaps his compositional style moved in the direction of "correcting" this in the coming years...I don't know.
This is all subjective, of course, but there may be a majority who finds densely packed songs as "too busy" for their subjective ears and so this album gets lower marks generally. Just my two cents.
|
Posted By: raindance
Date Posted: February 26 2010 at 06:05
| Not a classic by any stretch of the imagination. It has some nice songs but that's about it! |
Posted By: LinusW
Date Posted: February 26 2010 at 07:19
|
1. Foxtrot 2. Nursery Cryme 3. Trespass I love the album. Subtle, understated, gentle, fragile, lyrical. Not the level of composition of the "great" albums, but a lot of character and terrific songs. And The Knife is just brutal. |
Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: February 26 2010 at 09:24
|
Posted By: O666
Date Posted: February 26 2010 at 09:46
|
I thin TRESPASS is very important album and " The Knife" bring new dark atmospher with brutal performance in 1970. TRESPASS made Genesis to go next level.If you compare " From Genesis ...." and "Trespass" you see how one band improved . Gabriel find himself and start the path to reach top.
"Trespass" is one of the Prog Rock's roots and good refrence for next generation. for better undrestand this album you must note to date of this. In 1970 "Trespass" made modern music with new arrangment and wild-dark lyrics.
I'm sure any huge Prog's fans love "Trespass" and undrestand it. I think " The knife" is very bavely song in 1970 and this song has no expire-date and great for every time.
|
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: February 26 2010 at 10:53
|
Many people believe that Genesis started with Hackett and Collins, but that's wrong, Ant is a great guitar player and Mayhew was not bad, and the music is excellent.
White Mountain's keyboard makes me have goosebumps, and The Knife is a classic, not a a bad song or filler and a haunting dark atmosphere.
Took me time, but I love Trespáss,
My Gabriel Genesis rating is:
Iván ------------- 
|
Posted By: Rottenhat
Date Posted: February 26 2010 at 11:50
So do I, Progmonster. I think Nursery Cryme is a bit uneven. I think there is a bit of tension in the band on Nursery Cryme, maybe because of the two new
members. Trespass was very ahead of its time, I would say. ------------- Language is a virus from outer space. -William S. Burroughs |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: February 26 2010 at 15:35
|
Hi,
By the time I heard this album I had already stated listening to Amon Duul 2 and Can and Ange and a lot of other European things ... and I thought the other European things were more "centered" and were much better defined conceptually ... and I happen to like Anthony Phillips and his incredible amount of work ... and experimentation.
It was very good ... but I see no reason to place it on a top ten or compare it to anything ... great music is great music and should not be compared to anything else ... and certainly not in a popularity poll as Genesis and ELP seem to win them all! ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: February 26 2010 at 15:39
|
I don't think badly of Trepass myself and I am not exactly a big Genesis fan. Trepass strikes me like every one of their albums, with the exception of SEbtP of course, a couple of great tracks, a couple of forgettable tracks. Average albums.. not bad.. just not great.
------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: February 26 2010 at 17:18
------------- 
|
Posted By: riversyd
Date Posted: February 26 2010 at 18:22
| ReGenesis are doing the whole album in London soonish (not sure of the date), but I'll be there...a beautiful piece of work IMHO |
Posted By: Jozef
Date Posted: February 27 2010 at 11:51
|
I've never really heard anyone criticize Trespass too harshly before. I've always enjoyed it and it's my favorite Genesis album featuring Peter Gabriel.
------------- 
|
Posted By: uduwudu
Date Posted: March 02 2010 at 02:49
|
It's a unique album. Anthony Phillips featued his music on there rather than Steve Hackett which may indicate why some think it is is under appreciated (by some!) IMHO it is a mature compositional effort - stand out is The Knife for me. It's very atmospheric and intriguing with lyrical music. I hope it's not left as a footnote in Genesis history. Phillips' playing is very gentle really. Hackett has a more extensive vocabulary in his playing. And they even got Tony Banks playing 12 string guitar. Really this is a spot a bunch of musos progressing progressive rock. Some bands get to make a few debut albums. Kind of like an equivalent of The Yes Album as Nursery Cryme is to Fragile if that makes any sense!  |
Posted By: kjprogger
Date Posted: March 02 2010 at 14:27
| Trespass has some very good moments and it is certainly better than Nursery Cryme. Its not a classic, but then again, there aren't many of those, are there? |
Posted By: Tsevir Leirbag
Date Posted: March 02 2010 at 14:34
|
I personally think Trespass is better than The Lamb ------------- Les mains, les pieds balancés Sur tant de mers, tant de planchers, Un marin mort, Il dormira - Paul Éluard |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: March 02 2010 at 15:25
|
Wonderful album, absolutely classic stuff. Atmospheric sound, strong compositions... one of those albums that take you into another world. A dream world, and then you are suddenly shaken to the bones by "The Knife". Some very good Gabriel - lyrics can already be found on the album. Granted, Gabriel did some more mature lyrics later on, more focused and with more word play, but I love some of his dreamy yet catchy lyrics on f.i. "Looking For Someone" and "White Mountain". The organ playing, the piano playing, Gabriel's magic flute, Rutherford's strong bass lines... All very powerful, very imaginative. The cover art is a good showcase for the album: the dreamy medieval figures and the knife which cuts right through it. The sound of the album is unique, and immediately grabs you. Trespass' music is better than the best albums of many, many other bands.  |
Posted By: wilmon91
Date Posted: March 02 2010 at 15:25
|
When I first bought the album twelve years ago, I had trouble getting into the music. It just appeared like a jumble of chords and melodies, I couldn't get much out of it. Then some time went were I didnt play the album. Later I rediscovered the album, and got into the music in a completely different way than before, it was like stepping into a world that was closed before.
I think it has qualities completely of its own and can't be compared to anything else. There's a lot of classical influences - especially dynamically, arrangement-wise and the way it uses tempo changes , it's like crescendos, diminuendo's, ritardando's and stuff like that, and it's beautifully orchestrated. I would say it's the Genesis album that has the most in common with classical music. But it is really something unique. Very humble and soft in it's expressions. Dusk and Stagnation are probably my favourites. The Knife is a bit overrated, doesnt have the same quality as the other pieces, but its the rockiest , most straightforward of them.
Very hard to compare it to other Genesis albums, so I wont.....but it must be among the top four best. ------------- http://www.lastfm.se/user/wilmon91" rel="nofollow - last.fm |
Posted By: wilmon91
Date Posted: March 02 2010 at 15:34
| Also, it's the Genesis album I have played the most. There was a time were I only played Trespass. The quality it has is that you can never play it too much. Which is fascinating. I only play my favourite albums sparingly, to keep them fresh. But Trespass can be played over and over... |
Posted By: MarxNutz
Date Posted: March 02 2010 at 18:55
|
I really like the Trespass album myself. It has a feel of the times in which the boys were living and a still almost innocent quality to the compositions. I noticed hardly any mention of the song "Stagnation", which I find myself singing to myself on occasion. Just something about that song gets me... I also love "Visions of Angels", which always evokes in my mind a bittersweet feeling of the one who is left behind... I won't say it's my favorite Genesis album, but it has its own place in my heart. I feel pretty much the same way towards From Genesis to Revelation, that also has its special place....
------------- "Live long and fester!" |
Posted By: topofsm
Date Posted: March 02 2010 at 19:04
|
I listened to Trespass a couple times and to be honest wasn't impressed. Of course, at the time I wasn't terribly familiar with the band. Over time I've grown familiar with the band, and I listened to Trespass the other night and it sounds better now that I'm used to the Genesis sound. I enjoy the album more now, and I appreciate it for being an important step in their discography. However, I still don't particularly care for it much.
------------- 
|
Posted By: O666
Date Posted: March 03 2010 at 05:49
2- Who say " The Knife" is a bad song. Who can say that?!
3- " The Knife " is a classic today but what is in 1970?
4- I dont have power to fight with you!! Just I want say HI to you Ivan.
 |
Posted By: DavetheSlave
Date Posted: March 03 2010 at 06:03
|
I agree with Sealchan in that I do find a scattered feel to the album - perhaps the band were still maturing. Having said that though I enjoy the album very much and it's easy to see that it is the build up to the coming classic albums.
I go with Ivan's order in the preference stakes except that I rate SEBTP ahead of The Lamb.
Trespass has a very fragile feel to it, a brittle feel - but in a good way. That fragility is what brings me back to the album time and again. ------------- I'm a normal psychopath |
Posted By: progkidjoel
Date Posted: March 03 2010 at 06:12
|
I think DavetheSlave put this one well; I think its fantastic, but at the same time it still carries a very immature sound in comparison to the follow-up. I got it as a birthday gift last year (the SA-CD/DVD-A remaster) and it sounds amazing; the acoustics are wonderfully played and, to echo what a lot of other posters have said in here so far, Peter Gabriel's vocal performance on this disc is incredibly strong. I feel this album lacks a bit of the fun and somewhat eerie humor Genesis picks up over the next few albums with tracks like Harold The Barrel. My favourite tracks are The Knife and Visions Of Angels; to again echo what others have said, the lyrics in this track are absolutely amazing for kids who were only 19 and 20 at the time.
In the remaster DVD interviews, Peter Gabriel said they had been playing the material live for nearly a year before they recorded the studio version, which is pretty impressive for a few lads just out of school. My favourite things about the album are the acoustic guitar interplay and the really strong vocals; the remaster sounds absolutely amazing, although I can't compare it to the original and/or previous remasters.. ------------- 
|
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: March 03 2010 at 14:24
The band worked incredibly hard for over a year playing gigs, sometimes to very small numbers of people, but eventually word got out that they were very good, and The Knife, especially, was very much a cult classic even before Trespass was released. It did not do a great deal on release in terms of album sales, but was very favourably reviewed by journalists such as the legendary Chris Wetton, and laid the foundation for all that we love about the band. I think the vocal performance on the album is stunning for a 17 year old young man, and, as much as I admire Steve Hackett, as Armando Gallo said, just imaginer what they would have done with Ant Phillips remaining? ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: Zombywoof
Date Posted: March 20 2010 at 13:22
|
It was my introduction to Genesis and still one of my favorites. I don't really see what there is to complain about on that record, as it has such a unique mood that they, nor any one else, ever quite captured again. ------------- Continue the prog discussion here: http://zombyprog.proboards.com/index.cgi ... |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: March 21 2010 at 09:36
-------------
|
Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: March 21 2010 at 22:56
-------------
|
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: March 22 2010 at 00:30
|
wonderful album especially in the context of 1970 when nothing quite like it had been put together, flawed to be sure but a big breakthrough for them as a band and, in a quieter way, prog rock |
Posted By: tszirmay
Date Posted: March 22 2010 at 00:35
|
I still get my thrill when the Phillips electric lead throttles Rutherford's immense bass , near the end of the track, a few seconds of utter genius. Trespass is my #2 after SEBTP ! ------------- I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth. |
Posted By: genbanks
Date Posted: April 20 2010 at 19:24
| Tresspass is a great album, maybe at the same level than Nursery Crime, but below than Foxtrot or Selling England by the pound. The Knife, White Mountain, Stagnation and Vision of Angels are the best for me. Looking for someone runs behind and Dusk is the weak one (but good too). The album has a dramatic and enigmatic feeling. A problem with Tresspass is that it has not an oustanding song like Foxtrot or SEBP. Of course, the guys were just starting, and into this context is a great album. |
Posted By: tarkus1980
Date Posted: April 20 2010 at 19:29
| The problem with Trespass is that a lot of the instrumental breaks (certainly not all, but many) in the first half of the album are kinda dull and overly stretched out without enough happening in them to compensate. The songs themselves are fine, but there's a lot of dross to pick through with them. The second half, on the other hand, is fantastic. |
Posted By: tamijo
Date Posted: April 21 2010 at 03:30
|
Its Gabriel, Its Great, as allways ------------- Prog is whatevey you want it to be. So dont diss other peoples prog, and they wont diss yours |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: April 21 2010 at 18:44
|
I think it's the only Genesis album where parts some of the songs gave me goosebumps.
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
|
Posted By: TheGazzardian
Date Posted: April 21 2010 at 20:39
|
It's hard for me to compare Trespass to the other Genesis albums. Nursery Cryme to Selling England all have a recognisably similar sound, but like The Lamb, there's something about Trespass that is just special. Top moment for me is definitely White Mountain, with the Knife a close second ... but I wouldn't underrate any of the songs on this album.
|
Posted By: nzproglover75
Date Posted: June 12 2010 at 02:37
|
Trespass was my first introduction to early Genesis and I will always hold this album with high regard, all the tracks enjoyable and have their 'goose bump' moments, Visions Of Angels is one my favorite's and The Knife is just superb, a good way to end the album considering all previous songs are rather dreamy and subdued in their own way. ------------- And the changes of no consequence will pick up the reins from nowhere... |
Posted By: Progist
Date Posted: June 12 2010 at 03:50
|
I'm also a big fan of Trespass, Visions of Angels is superb, as is The Knife. Actuallly the whole album is very good, and Ant's guitar makes it a different beast from the later Gabriel era Genesis. The leap that the band made between Genesis to Revelation and Trespass was massive, and Trespass is the gateway album for all the progess made later. Forget GTR, it all started here!
------------- 
|
Posted By: Niv
Date Posted: June 12 2010 at 04:57
Trespass is a wonderful album, Stagnation is an epic piece of music, and The Knife is overflowing with energy and the kind of agression they would fine tune in later albums. Visions of Angels is simply divine, and it's just an all around great album! 
|
Posted By: AtomicCrimsonRush
Date Posted: June 12 2010 at 06:31
|
A good album but no masterpiece whereas the other Gbariel era albums are, or at least close to it.
Trespass is very raw around the edge and painfull y pastoral, th i fyou like thayt type of music theres your album. The KNife is brilliant but the rest is clutching at straws (another good album btw)
------------- 
|
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: June 12 2010 at 14:11
|
Trespass is a wonderful album for my tastes. I'd rank The Knife near the bottom of all the tracks. Stagnation and Visions Of Angels at the top.
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
|
Posted By: halabalushindigus
Date Posted: June 12 2010 at 14:34
|
I'm on my way to Trespass, you early,early Genesis freaks ------------- assume the power 1586/14.3 |
Posted By: CinemaZebra
Date Posted: June 12 2010 at 14:35
|
I like the second half, but the first (especially the opener, ironically) half makes me fall asleep almost every time. If you ask me, the only time Genesis have really done anything acceptable without Gabriel is with Trick of the Tail. (and that's partly because they copied his style on that album)
------------- 
|
Posted By: halabalushindigus
Date Posted: June 12 2010 at 14:41
|
I always thought the singer on Trick was Phil Gabriel ------------- assume the power 1586/14.3 |
Posted By: progman2010
Date Posted: June 12 2010 at 19:09
How can you not like this album 
Visions of Angels, Stagnation, Dusk, Looking for someone, The knife are all pretty good songs. Nursery only has about 2 songs as good as these. Foxtrot and Trespass are the 2 Genesis albums i play to friends the most. The lamb and Selling England are played in moderation but I'm a bit embarrased by Gabriel at times
|
Posted By: CinemaZebra
Date Posted: June 12 2010 at 23:05
-------------
|
Posted By: DisgruntledPorcupine
Date Posted: June 12 2010 at 23:09
| It's not that people don't really like it. It's just an overlooked album due to the absolute classics that follow it. |
Posted By: halabalushindigus
Date Posted: June 12 2010 at 23:38
------------- assume the power 1586/14.3 |
Posted By: logoman
Date Posted: June 13 2010 at 15:38
| If you can stick a vinyl like " Trespass" on the old turntable and still feel a shiver of excitement 40 years after first playing it then it is your "own personal classic" regardless of what others feel about it. After "Foxtrot" the innocent magic somehow disappeared. How often does that happen when the gut artistry gets supplanted with commercial targets? |
Posted By: CyberDiablo
Date Posted: June 13 2010 at 15:46
|
Tresspass is a very good album, indeed. But why don't you admit Selling England by Pound suck? (Yay! 100th post!) ------------- Music is some kind of art. -- Anonymous |
Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: June 13 2010 at 15:56
-------------
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: June 13 2010 at 15:59
People don't usually think badly of the album Trespass. It's in the symphonic top 20 here (along with all the rest of Gabriel's Genesis save the non-prog debut). ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: KingCrimson250
Date Posted: June 13 2010 at 16:37
|
Yeah, he's right. I'm not sure why everyone always thinks it's under-rated, it's actually quite well-known and appreciated in both prog and Genesis circles. I think that objectively speaking it's one of their weaker albums but that's part of it's charm. I mean weaker in the sense that the playing can be a bit sloppy and that the more sprawling songs (Looking for Someone and Stagnation) have got some very rough transitions. That being said, there's a lot of raw energy and ambition on the album - you get the impression that they don't totally know what they're doing, but they're putting their hearts into it and having a blast, and the end result is some pretty amazing music. I could live without Dusk and Visions of Angels but the rest of the LP is gold for me - it manages to be a sign of greater things to come, while still having it's own unique charm that the band would never really replicate. |