Genesis's first real success (Nursery Cryme - Genesis)

Member Name: JonnyM79

Product:	Nursery Cryme - Genesis
Date:	08/03/02 (109 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Epic stories, Superb instrumental solos, Gabriel's fine voice

Disadvantages: A couple of tracks of filler, Somewhat dated

This album, released in 1971, was Genesis' 3rd studio release. The band had gone through big changes since their previous album (Trespass). Their drummer John Mayhew had been more or less sacked (well he was pretty rubbish) and replaced just about immediately by the former child actor Phil Collins. Their lead guitarist and one of their main creative influences Ant Phillips had become crippled by chronic stage-fright and had been forced to leave the band. Despite auditioning several guitarists and giving Mick Barnard a brief trial run, they had been unsuccessfull in replacing him, with Tony Banks being forced to play guitar solos on a fuzz-toned electric piano as they continued to perform as a 4-piece. Finally they noticed an advert in Melody Maker from a guitarist keen to explore "new musical forms." They invitied the poster Steve Hackett for an audition and the classic Genesis line-up was complete.

Genesis were in an enormously better position than on the release of their previous album. King Crimson's debut album "In The Court of the Crimson King" had been a great success and ushered in the era of prog-rock of which Genesis were now part. Months of constant touring had built them up a considerable following, not least due to the crazy antics and costumes with which Peter Gabriel, their lead singer, was beginning to experiment (a couple of months previously he had broken his ankle diving into the audience). This also brought them press recognition with reviews and interviews in publications such as Melody Maker. This would be their first album released to an established following and garaunteed to sell some copies. It was recorded at Trident studious in London in August '71 for release in November.

The album opens with The Musical Box. Full of truly surreal imagery it is the story of a little boy killed by a girl called Cynthia in a croquet accident who then comes back to haunt her in an
increasingly perverted and sexual way (I told you it was surreal!). It starts off as a gentle folk-like melody over strummed acoustic guitar, taking ten minutes to inexorably build up to Peter Gabriel shouting "Now, now, now, now, now!" repeatedly while Hackett solos higher and higher over the top. This was a favourite live trick of Genesis at the time, passers by being drawn in thinking they were hearing a folk band and being shocked as songs moved steadily to a loud and violent climax. The song also inspired the cover art to the album, being the first of several paintings by Paul Whitehead to adorn Genesis covers, an evil looking Cynthia brandishing her croquet mallet dangerously. It is something of a shame that the impact of the cover is diminished by the smaller size of modern CDs.

The second song is a complete change. For Absent Friends is a gentle ballad about a pair of old people visiting their deceased relatives in a churchyard, sung with touching simplicity and lasting less than two minutes. This is followed by The Return of the Giant Hogweed another extended and surreal piece. With echoes of John Wyndham's "The Triffids" a famous naturalist discovers the Hogweed in the Russian hills and donates it to Kew Gardens, from where it starts to spread and take over the country! The guitar work is suitably frightening with Hackett and Mike Rutherford in a tight duet while Gabriel picks his way through some tricky lines such as "They need the sun to photosensitize their venom!"

Seven Stones comes next and is a song about an old man using his experience to con people into believing he can predict the future. The music is not especially outstanding and it's probably one of the weaker songs on the album. Just in case you were getting bored though it's followed by Harold the Barrel, a truly eccentric song. Harold is a well known restaraunt owner in Bognor who causes great furore by cutting
off his toes and serving them for tea, before departing to the roof to threaten to jump. The song moves at a hundred miles an hour and is one of very few comic songs I find genuinely funny.

After this comes Harlequin, with Gabriel singing in a falsetto over a picked guitar melody. Like Seven Stones it sounds suspiciously like filler, and only serves as a break to prepare yourself for the final track, Fountain of Salmacis. This starts with chords that repeatedly swell to crask like waves before launching into the story of Hermaphroditus from Greek mythology. Surprisingly, this does translate well into song, and the violent events that meet the hero are backed up by exceptional playing, especially from Tony Banks' keyboards in the instrumental section.

Nursery Cryme represents a quantum leap forward in quality from Trespass (which was admittedly hamstrung by abysmal drumming), and the touring experience shows clearly in a far tighter sounding band. Although there are a couple of weak songs, the overall quality is very high, and showed the choice of new members to be inspired. The album sold well enough to chart and was another step in Genesis's gradual 20 year rise to fame. Their relentless touring in support of it and the building of a reputation for a visually stunning stage show did much to garauntee success. Although bits of the album now sound a little dated the quality of the musicianship still shines through and for anyone who has only explored Genesis history as far back as Invisible Touch this is an excellent example of just how different to that their earlier output was.

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