WIND & WUTHERING

If there's something that i have noticed over the times i have heard Genesis albums, is that the artwork cover really represents what's in the album, in this case, the Mellotron and all the themes that this album follows, just the sound it's like what the artwork shows, a grey cloudy sky with a tree, maybe some wind as the name implies, it's really relaxing, i love days like that.

One thing to point out is that this is the last main album where Steve Hackett participated, he had lots of content ideas and made his solo career, but then the members of the band felt weird, like "Why are you putting that nice music there that we could've used?", the answer is quite obvius, Genesis has really good music in all it's instruments, but the main focus has always felt on the piano, and that happens easily in lots of bands, the piano is very noticeable if it's used in every song at almost every second, there are bands like Iron Maiden that i would say clearly Guitar driven (i know that the bass player creates almost every song, but the guitars are more noticeable), bass and drums are great there also, but the piano is almost non-existant, there is one that appears from time to time and it's very noticeable in those particular songs, almost interrupting the guitars.

As always, i review by song.

1.- Eleventh Earl of Mar 10/10 This track sets the mood perfectly for the entire album, the first notes are a great introduction, and are used in one of the final tracks from the album. This song really sounds like a soundtrack at first and then it goes more typical Genesis.

2.- One for the Vine 10/10 I really love the lyrics on this song, i can feel the story through every note and letter. The piano in this song it's really pretty and i love that touch at the end. It has a really weird solo tho, like it lacks more from Steve Hackett...

3.- Your Own Special Way 10/10 Clearly a love song, and a really special one too, it really sounds like nostalgia, it sounds older than the other songs from some reason and i really dig that. The (almost) ending were Tony Banks plays is absolutely pretty, as if the song wasn't pretty and nostalgic enough, it almost makes me cry.

4.- Wot Gorilla? 10/10 The name for this song really got me thinking... "why?", and i never cared for that because the song it's a really nice instrumental one. I did some research and found that Chester Thompson had the nickname of "Gorilla" in his past groups, hmmm...

5.- All in a Mouse's Night 8/10 Not a bad song, i like how it sounds, but the lyrics are boring, a little uncreative and a little gross, even tho lyrics don't play that much of a huge role in what i think about a song, there's another thing also, and that's the part where they sing "and it's all in a mouses night!!", that part feels a little out of place in the song, a little too "cheesy".

6.- Blood on the Rooftops 10/10 An aweosome start with an intro from Steve Hackett here, then the song gets really sad, and i can really see old brick buildings on a black and grey tone, almost like a drawing, with rain pouring gently from the sky. When the song gets intense, so does the light and the rain, the blood is the only thing in this world that has color. Really nice song, lyrics, everything.

7.- Unquiet Slumber for the Sleepers... 10/10 This song shouldn't be divided in the album, it clearly connects with the next 2. This song feels like Genesis in all it's power, with a really reserved drum, many of Genesis songs feel like an orchestra (hence why they are symphonic prog) and this song easily fits an orchestra.

8.- ...In That Quiet Earth 10/10 Now from ochestra to full symphonic prog, weird naming tho, this feels more like an unquiet slumber and the last song was much more quiet, but ok, the other problem is that this are 2 songs, one is like the heroic side and the other is the evil one, i really like how they play these songs in concert and change the lights. In the "Heroic" side, we see Steve Hackett and Tony Banks like fighting, then we see in the "Evil" side a wining Tony Banks, what i'm trying to say here is that in the first part they play the same melody and in the last one Tony Banks does a lot more.

9.- Afterglow 10/10 And the end, this songs follows the last 2 perfectly, a beautiful way to end the journey and a really gloomy too, it reminds me that i'm just lonely guy listening to this vinyl in 1977 while missing lots of people in an empty poor room where all the light i have comes from what enters through the windows.

The complete score for this album would be 98/100 wich obviously means 5 stars. Highlights would be One for the Vine and the last 4 songs... or just go for the full album, it's really great.

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