NURSERY CRYME

**A monster unleashed** The musical box starts off this album a lot like Trespass, gentle acoustic guitars, Peter Gabriel singing nicely. This goes for three minutes, then things start to change. Eventually we hear some very fiery lead guitar solos and the mellotron is as every bit present in the mix, as if competing with the guitar parts. This was the unleashing of two of the most formidable instrument platers on the progressive rock scene, of the 70's and probably for many years to come. That is Anthony Banks (Tony) on keyboards and Steve Hackett on guitars. Those two have laid down some very ambitious instrumental music in this song.

The song itself is a well written masterpiece, with many twisting and turning parts. Other notable features are Peter playing his flute and Phil Collins on backing vocals. It's not really one of my personal favourite Genesis songs, I've always thought the lyrics didn't mean anything. It's like "let's write a story with some blood and guts in it. You know, some beheading, some rape, that sought of thing" only there's no real story. But the music is good and you do get the view-point of a frightened child in a nursery "Play me my song...."

There is also another masterpiece track called "The return of the giant hogweed". This is a much harder rocking track and has some stunning lead guitar duets and other good instrumental music. It's a quirky eccentric song with theatrical vocals, it's about nature regaining the upper hand over mankind. The brief "Harold the barrel" is an uptempo, humourous piece with plenty of theatrics, including impersonations of various town-folk.

I thought these were the only three stand-out songs on "Nursery Crymes", the others are a bit average, including the epic "Fountain of Salmacis", which doesn't really expand on the ideas already presented in "The Musical Box". This song just meanders without much point and Peter Gabriels vocals are buried deep in the mix.

That's another point, this album has quite a weak production, very flat sounding.

I think the album is worth about 3.5. The other songs are average, but not BAD or anything. Phil Collins was definitely making a difference on backing vocals, and his drumming is also very good, while Banks and Hackett certainly made their point on the keys and guitar respectively.