Check out the backing vocals on the studio version of “Musical Box” (...”and she is mine... she’s a lady”) - certainly that’s always sounded like Tony to me. (That sibilant “s”’is a dead giveaway!)
This, from Wikipedia, about the cover : Artwork[edit] The album cover was painted by Paul Whitehead, who also did the covers for the band's next two albums.[39] The cover showed two people looking out of a window at mountains, which represented the pastoral themes of some of the songs.[40] Whitehead had finished the cover and then the band added "The Knife" to the running order. Feeling that the cover no longer fit the mood of the album, they asked Whitehead to redo it. When Whitehead was reluctant to do so, the band members inspired him to slash the canvas with an actual knife.[39] I've also emailed Mr. Whitehead through his rep to see if we can get the info from the originator. That would be cool if he responded.
It's an effective cover. As a youngster, picking the tape up for the first time, sans knife, and with practically no further information included in the packaging aside from the song titles, it fueled my imagination. What sort of weird, biblical strangeness was contained within this cassette casing? What's with the head in the wall? It seemed both peaceful and menacing at the same time.
I think on the first two records it's mostly about Peter's voice, It's why King got them in the studio. No one sounds quite like Peter. Not an exceptional singer technically at the time but a young man possessed of an older, wiser man's voice, kind of like Dave Cousins (who was apparently a bit of an influence). Funny how singers of that time wanted to convey a sense of wisdom and worldliness, quite a different scene today. His voice was full of idiosyncrasies and and had great timber. I like White Mountain. Hard to imagine there was a time when Bill and Genesis were playing this in stadiums. This really points out where the band were headed. The dual guitar picking, galloping rhythm and ethereal instrumental interludes. The ending makes me think of the fabulous Isle of Plenty. Again there's Peter's great vocal, all his attributes in full bloom. The "Fang son of great Fang" vocal is just the start of many shivers down the spine moments to come. This is where you can really hear the deficiencies of John's drumming. The struggle in the song may not take place in the forrest but in the drummer's ability to keep pace with the tempo. Discussed earlier, the drumming is not really that bad. Someone perfectly described it as "unimaginative", but then there's the dreadful drum sound, I would attribute it to a crap kit, a drummer who doesn't know how to get a good sound from his kit and John Anthony's green ears. Also some great textures on this one.
Yea, i did post that in the initial run down, I think, and I personally just think it is just a photo of the result ... the cassette cover makes me think that even more so, but it sure would be cool if Mr Whitehead replied
I actually find this second track to be my favorite along with the first. Sadly though this one is heavily squashed and muffled and really kills the drive I feel it could have. Its somewhat all over the place, and sort of feels like an intro song to an anime opening almost, weird comparison but there it is. And I guess if youre gonna say Trespass is one of their best albums you might as well be extra controversial and say that White Mountain is one of the best songs on the album.
I certainly like the song, I just don't think the transitions are as smooth/natural as they would become later, particularly the next album.
As this is where Genesis found their sound, that makes it the first Genesis album in my collection; ergo, this is where I board the train ("Mind the gap!")
Not a couplet as such as it doesn't rhyme so a fine whatever the term is for two lines of fantastic verse... And I will wait for ever, beside the silent mirror And fish for bitter minnows amongst the weeds and slimy water
So She Is Beautiful was the first thing they recorded? I listened to that on YouTube but it does not seem to be on the debut?
White Mountain probably my favorite cut. The intro and outros alone make it my favorite. I see cold, snowy mountains with wind blowing in my face. I feel the presence of some ancient spirit.
I think White Mountain is my favourite from this album. I first heard it on an Internet progressive rock station, and I immediately thought "That's Genesis, but I don't know the song!" One of their mini-fairytale songs, like Hogweed or Squonk or One For the Vine. It's a little rougher at the edges than these, but i put it in the same league. As with those other songs, there seems to be a moral message in there. It can be just listened to as a piece of escapist fantasy, or heard as a message about the pitfalls of power and the abuse of it.
White Mountain really does evoke images of...well...white mountains, so for that I give it props. I do like it a lot, but don't think its melodically very strong. But that's ok, not every song needs to have a hook. It works well within the context of the album where "two men playing 12 string guitars" is the signature sound. Which of course is short lived and soon to fall away to much more keyboard heavy material.
I have just noticed something from doing this thread ... I have never really paid much that much attention to Genesis' lyrics. Sure I know a few bits and pieces here and there, but I have never really dived into the lyrics like I have done on a lot of other bands. That's Kind of strange to, and for, me. Nothing mind blowing, It just crossed my mind after @bob_32_116 's comment about the lyrics in White Mountain
Sorry! I looked at all the posts on this page but not before, I mean, I've a lamb Madras to be getting on with! Some of that reminded me, while it was playing of a track on ATTWT - The Lady Lies - there are some similarities I feel with that and White Mountain.
