NURSERY CRYME

One of my first Genesis albums, Nursery Cryme was released in late 1971, and it was the first album by Genesis to consist of the lineup with Banks, Collins, Gabriel, Hackett, and Rutherford. This album is not too stylistically different from Trespass, but it rather, like others suggest, refines the style. Trespass was more of a diamond in the rough; the production was pretty weak, and the music was not very tame. Nursery Cryme has much better production, albeit not perfect, and it features some of the band's finest songs.

The album starts with The Musical Box, a fan favorite. This song features everything for which Genesis is known: excellent keyboard melodies, dramatic vocals, bizarre lyrics, ethereal instrumentals, and a memorable, sublime culmination. This song is definitely one the highlights of not only the album, but Genesis's career. Following the song is the filler For Absent Friends, but since it's just less than two minutes I can overlook it. Then comes The Return of the Giant Hogweed, which is a fun song, featuring even more bizarre lyrics than The Musical Box. This song is not exactly a classic, but it nonetheless is superb. Seven Stones is not exactly genius, but it's not the low point of the album either. This song is fairly good in its own right; it just isn't as fantastic as some others on the album. Harold the Barrel is another fun song, and it's really entertaining. Vocal melodies abound, this song is pretty simple compared to others on the album. Harlequin follows and features some excellent vocal melodies. This song perfectly segues into the following song... The Fountain of Salmacis. This is another classic on the album. Featuring amazing melodies, an interesting story based on a Greek myth, and an overall fantastic performance from every band member, this song is practically faultless. The ending of this song I'd say is one of the best outros Genesis has done, ranking up there with As Sure As Eggs Is Eggs.

I'd have to say that this album is a necessary addition, yet not quite perfect.