NURSERY CRYME

Upon learning that Genesis was a prog rock band, my initial thought was "what, like Styx or Deep Purple, right? Not 'really' prog?" I already knew their debut was not a good example, but "Trespass" didn't convince me either. Nevertheless, I stuck it through to "Nursery Cryme". And from the first notes of "The Musical Box" I was instantly hooked.

Here Gabriel really finds his voice and the songs really start to get that dramatic quality. The addition of Hackett and Collins makes the music seem more dynamic. Mike and Tony are as good as usual. Despite any lingering feelings from the loss of Ant Phillips, they both play really well off Hackett, who seems to be doing his best to balance his own thing with Phillips' style.

"The Musical Box" is an almost metal, Victorian inspired song, and is wonderfully dark. Not as wild as "The Knife", but just as intense. Surprisingly the next song, "For Absent Friends" , is sung by Collins and written by Hackett. Oh no, Collins has already ruined Genesis and turned them into a pop band!!! Not really, this song is nice with a sort of nostalgic atmosphere. Unfortunately, in retrospect it can come off as a prelude to trite songs like "More Fool Me" or "Your Own Special Way". "Return of the Giant Hogweed" has an amazing beginning and ending, but the middle feels a bit lacking. Still a good song. "Seven Stones" is probably the most forgettable song on the album, but by no means a bad one. The chorus does get stuck in my head every so often. "Harold the Barrel" is the first humorous Genesis song. It's fun (if not dark) and doesn't overstay its welcome. "Harlequin" is another short one, but it has that pastoral beauty we all love. And it acts as a nice prelude to "The Fountain of Salmacis". The grande finale has everything one looks for in early Genesis, drama, humor, beauty, and all around great playing.

A near perfect album, my only criticism is that it doesn't flow that well. It feels more like a randomly placed collection of songs than an intentional statement. But when the songs are this good, who cares? Essential listening for any prog fan.