WIND & WUTHERING

Considered by many as "the last essential GENESIS' work", which is an opinion i absolutely don't share, Wind and Wuthering is the last album with guitar man STEVE HACKETT, and also the last one to contain true epic songs. That doesn't mean it is the last decent music the guys made, as the next album will prove that even if they don't go "epic" or "absolutely progressive for the entire freakin span of the album" they still manage to do excellent songs, and that's what matters, right?

The album starts with the upbeat "Eleventh Earl Of Mar". This song has a very well done and misterious intro, and at the middle of its lenght there's a quieter section with acoustic guitars and some mesmerizing melodies. Even though this song is quite upbeat as i mentioned before, that's not really the mood of this album, which is actually a more reflective one, with some melancholic moments like HACKETT's piece "Blood On The Rooftops", a strong song very focused on emotion, and the second track "One For The Vine", composed by TONY BANKS. This is the longest one from the album, and it's the most epic one too. The lyrics are excellent as usual with GENESIS, and after its long beautiful and calm first section, there's a keyboard solo showing BANKS on the spotlight (well, he always is, isn't he?). The song then returns to its first theme, until its climatic ending. Then, the maligned "Your Own Special Way" appears. But what is the problem with it? It is a very good and lovely track, which makes me wonder where all the harsh criticism comes from. Is it because it is a "love" song with some crying-like vocals by PHIL? Maybe its simplicity is what causes so much controversy, but it's also what, for me, makes it a charming piece of music. There's also a moving instrumental section. In fact, Wind and Wuthering gives a lot of space to GENESIS deliver great instrumental passages, as we have three entire instrumental songs here: "Wot Gorilla", which is the best one of them, with its classic-music like rhythm, and the combination of "Unquiet Slumbers For The Sleepers" and "In That Quiet Earth" which presents another instrumental climax for the album. "All In A Mouse's Night" is a funny song that tells the adventures of a poor mouse trying to avoid being captured while he leaves his hole to go around for a walk. Sad thing is that, at the end of the song, there's a cat which the little cheese-seeker wouldn't expect, but the good thing is that the song has a really nice keyboard solo and it is simply one of the album's highest points. And finally, we have "Afterglow", a moving song that grows until its climax and ends the album in a top note.

Overall this album is as great as the preeceding ones. HACKETT will leave soon, but the band will still make appropriate prog music on the next album, though mixed with some shorter song formats and a couple of pop numbers.