they were released that way at some point. Here's a picture of the 8-track version I just found online! http://www.genesismuseum.com/vinyl/ncft8track.jpg
The Knife: Predictably, this is my favorite track on the album. It could almost pass as an early example of heavy metal, a style that Genesis is not normally associated with. On to Nursery Cryme. This album was something of a milestone for the band even though it wasn't very successful upon its initial release. It was the first album where the classic Genesis sound really starts to take shape. This is primarily due the addition of Steve Hackett and Phil.......something or other. Hackett's playing style is more technical than that of his predecessor, Anthony Philips, yet it blends in perfectly with Tony Banks's keyboards. Phil Collins's drumming had the perfect combination of taste, technique and swing that breathed new life into the band.....and his vocals weren't too shabby either. I mentioned Tony Banks' keyboards earlier. Nursery Cryme is also the first Genesis album to feature the Melletron, an instrument that would helpe shape the Genesis sound over the next six years.
Forgive my fleeting overview of The Musical Box. I was having some issues and my head was in a bad place, but i wanted folks to start a discourse on the song. The layered guitars at the beginning always struck me as keyboard-like. The gentle arpeggiated guitars come in nicely and Gabriel starts the vocal with a beautiful gentleness. When we arrive at the first "play me my song" section Hackett puts in a lovely little guitar part, that is reminiscent of a music box type riff and fits in beautifully. The "just a little bit more time" section sounds mildly sinister and then we get a series of beautiful hybrid baroque/classical with a hint of jazz embellishments. Peter is playing some of his flute to great effect. Then we arrive at the reprise of the " play me my song" section, after which the song begins to combust, building and building. During this Hackett gets one of the best pick scrapes I've ever heard on album. It's like it tears the fabric of time open. This explodes into a rip snorter of a lead break that contains, what i would imagine to be, a big inspiration to Eddie Van Halen, with some exquisite tapping, which is musical and an effect and really gives this section an adrenalised feel. This slides smoothly into a fast acoustic strum and an oboe in the background and Gabriel singing the Old King Cole section. This then explodes again into a guitar and keyboard dual that works really well. Through all the upbeat sections Collins is holding this baby together and accenting everything perfectly. The melodic and harmonised runs are superb. We drop out again and Gabriel introduces the sensual element to the song over the gentle guitars. Even in this gentle section you can hear the delicate vocal bursting out occasionally like a picture of the suppressed lust being expressed. Then we glide into the most well known section of the song as we build more slowly this time as the lust explodes. One of Gabriel's best vocal sections for me. Then we tie it all up with some nice classically influenced harmony lines and the very classically influenced ending. Among my favourite ever songs. Justifiably the band thought this song should/could give Zepplin's Stairway some competition.
I'm not Thievius, but for me the constant theme throughout NC is that of change and transformation. You have The Musical Box, where a kid gets beheaded, returns as a spirit who ages rapidly and gets to experience sexual desire in an overwhelming way (touch me NOOOOOOWWW!). The Fountain of Salmacis tells the story of, well, the nymph Salmacis who, according to the Metamorphoses by Ovid, becomes one with Hermaphroditus whom she had tried to rape. For Absent Friends tells you how life in general can change - you're old, all your friends are dead already and all that's left is going to church on Sunday with your significant other, riding the bus homewards thereafter. The Return of the Giant Hogweed is pretty obvious also about change, namely the mutation of unsuspecting plants into giant monsters who eat people - the revenge of nature, if you will. A bit loosely analysed, but that's actually what NC is about for me. @Thievius definitely has a big point, I just started to think about this connection and it makes a lot of sense to me.
From the screeching, raw guitar that's running frrom one channel into another onwards, the track just gets wilder and wilder - meaning better and better -, building up this epic climax that's unmatched even with all the other classic Genesis tracks taken into account. A very heavy cut and you're right, it sounds like they really wanted to show their hard rock skills on this album because The Fountain of Salmacis is similarly hard-rocking.
Just an aside... Doesn't "White Mountain" on Trespass have a Mellotron? I own a Hammond organ, and it doesn't sound like all organ on that track.
According to Wikipedia, a Mellotron was used by Tony on Trespass, so it's likely that it got used on White Mountain.
According to Wikipedia, Banks is credited with Mellotron on Trespass. And I always thought that's what was on White Mountian, too.
Cool. To me there are two Genesis'. (Genesis's,Genesi?) Anyway, the one with Hammond and/or Mellotron, and the one without. Cool keyboard synth sounds after 1980, but by no means the same dramatic power they had with those two instruments.
Watching the Steve Hackett Genesis Revisited - Hammersmith dvd (i ended up getting this one, the royal albert hall bluray book and total experience bluray - they are all very good) As satisfying as these shows are, they still leave me wanting a couple of high quality shows from the 71-75 genesis. There is a good variety of concerts available from the eighties line up out there.
I especially like the "Duke" tour video. In real life, only saw the "We Can't Dance" tour. Still good.
Is the Duke concert the one on the sacd/dvd release of Duke, or one of the bootlegs? I only got to see them on the Mama tour, but it was still magnificent. Very engaging in a live set up.
Good points. I'd say though that their music was so unique that really nothing compared to them back then. But if I had to pick a band it would be Camel without thinking much, given their usually not heavy soundscape and atmosphere. Furthermore, in spite of Genesis' pretty "English" approach - especially the strong theatrical aspect to their music - their musical escapism was always strong, in such a degree that even their most introspective dark atmosphere was very different from say Floyd's depressive or even "Van Gough-ish" mood. I agree with those who put "Musical Box" in the special league of their most memorable songs. In my opinion, Gabriel's and Tony's musical footprints finally can clearly be singled out in that great track. Nursery Crime also makes clear the band's new trajectory and more harmonic framework. Something expectable anyhow, given their member's quite better acquaintance and familiarity when it came to each member's own musicianship (and obviously great potential).
I would love them to release the whole show as upgraded as possible. It's nice to have the edited show .... but, you know?
All of the tracks are basically Genesis poemed tall tales, prose, fables, or nursery rhymes. At least that was always my interpretation. Save For Absent Friends, they're all fantastical tales or fantasy. I think For Absent Friends is much lower key but still retains a poetic sense of loss contained with a tale. But I don't believe "Nursery Cryme" was randomly named.
The Mama Tour video is one of my favorite Genesis videos. The “In The Cage Medley” is jaw-dropping in its amazingness, but we aren’t even to the Lamb yet. Once again did not have time to post a review, but I’ll get to it one of these days, I swear! I’ve been meaning to do a complete Genesis marathon soon, just waiting for my singles to come in the mail to fill out my collection, consisting of the rest of the non-album tracks up through the self-titled album, including a DJ Sampler of Happy the Man! It’s taking forever to get here (and cost me a quite a bit more money than I would usually like to spend on a 7”), but I’m waiting specifically until that arrives, along with the other b-sides, to start a Genesis marathon. To give a very brief summing up of my opinions on this album, it’s a very good album, slightly better than Trespass, and my picks for best songs are the obvious ones, king of those being, obviously, The Musical Box. There’s a reason the greatest tribute group of all time is named after this song (if you have never seen The Musical Box tribute band, YOU NEED TO SEE THEM!!! Truly incredible work they’re doing), it’s really flipping amazing. Anyway, I’ll get my review up at some point, maybe during school tomorrow, probably not doing anything in History class, well not anything worth paying attention to anyway
Whenever works for you brother. I will look forward to it whenever it appears Yea, School History has become more of a joke each passing year as far as I can tell. So that's probably a good choice. Just stay on and get good grades so you don't have to be a pack mule like I was for thirty years .... I got straight A's but left school because it was ridiculous .... hmmmm ... possibly a bad choice, but lived and exciting life lol
Personal Favorite Order...and what copy I have. 1. I Can't Dance - US CD, bought in Dec. 1991 2. Foxtrot - US Atlantic, SP, bought in Jan. 1997 3. And Then There Were Three, US Atlantic, MO, bought in 1996 4. Nursery Cryme, US Atlantic, SP, bought in Jan. 1997 5. Live, UK Charisma, bought in Jan. 1997 6. Three Sides Live, US Atlantic, PR, bought in 1996 7. Abacab, US Atlantic, SP, bought in 2010 8. Lamb, US CD, bought in 2011 9. Invisible Touch, US Atlantic, SP, bought in Jan. 1988 10. S/T, US Atlantic, SP, bought in summer 1984 11. Trick, US Atco, PR, bought in 2011 12. W&W, US Atco, PR, bought in 2000 13. Duke, US Atlantic, SP, bought in 2011 14. Selling England, US Atlantic, bought in Jan. 1997 Know nothing about Revelation and Trespass other than a few standout songs. Yes, that's right. My least favorite is Selling; way overrated. Too bad because FOF on Archives is really strong, although I wonder if Hackett and Rutherford had redone their parts like Gabriel did on the Lamb part of Archives. Asking for a friend on that one.
We'll probably get to that in a few months. Go through the thread and listen to the songs. Read people's comments. There are some insightful ones
