NURSERY CRYME

This was my least liked of the Gabriel albums , I couldn't see why it was so highly rated on the site. The production is muddy , the long songs aren't that good and on top of that there are some short numbers that seem pointless. Luckily , listen after listen I started to realize that this record is as good as any Genesis prog record , and if I am in the right mood I may consider it the best the band has recorded.

Nursery Cryme is probably the most agressive record Genesis has released ( by Genesis standards) The drumming here is powerful , and the guitar riffs are quite unusually loud for Hackett. Of course the best song of the bunch is the opener , The musical box which may be one of the best 5 songs this guys created. Gabriels characters are very well performed , and there are some strong mood variations alonside the 10 minutes this mini epic lasts. From subtle vocal harmonies , to cruchy riffs this song has it all. "For absent friends" is the first song Phil Collins sings with the band , but unlike "More fool me" the tune does not feel out of place in this album. Then we have the second long number of the record: "Hogweed" continues the fairy tale-like mood "Nursery Cryme" has right from the very beggining with a typical Hammond riff and then it builds up based on very steady drumming and it has an impressive ending , probably the most powerful in any Genesis record.

The fourth track is my favourite of the record and a sadly forgotten number. "Seven stones" features strong Mellotron lines by Tony Banks which fit really well with Gabriel's dramatic vocals , his singing here is one of the highlights of the record. This song alone is worth the price of 5 epics at least even if it's really short by progressive rock standards. Right after that we have the much maligned 3 minute tracks " Harold the Barrel" and "Harlequin". Both tracks , while not masterpieces , ain't bad at all. The first one is hilarious and really cynical , while the second one is really gentle , very PFM like. The record closes with another mini epic called "The Fountain of Salmacis" . Lyrics here are based on greek mythology. Starts with a sudden burst of the old Mellotron , more or less announcing the epic climax this song has. Good old Melle won't go until the song is over , and that can't be a bad thing. When the nymph merges with Hermaproditus the tune becomes more and more dramatic. Phil Collins does his part delivering a really solid performance behind the kit.

Overall , "Nursery Cryme" is a very good record once you get used to the weak production it has. It may even be a masterpiece... who knows?