Thank you for the the info just starting to get into early Genesis and picked up a copy of Nursery Cryme with a bunch of records for $7.00 and it looks like it, the cover for Nursery Cryme is in poor shape but vinyl is in VG to my surprise and have been enjoying it very much it is an early copy the jacket feels like it has a slight texture, I think it was a good find and will be picking up the album you had discussed with me.
You're welcome. Happy to help, have to find some small way to offset my record collecting guilt. Some of the early North American covers do have a slight texture. Genesis is a great band to collect. Imagine my thrill finding a NM first UK Lamb for ten bucks a few years ago in a unloved bin under the main stock shelves. Vinyl and CDs (not the early versions that most prefer) are plentiful and usually quite cheap compared to many other bands of their stature. Too many record store clerks/owners think poorly of the band and usually price the records accordingly. Most don't like the Buddha pressings, myself included. The vinyl is often quite noisy and the fidelity is lacking. Try to find UK copies if you can. Again, the Rhino represses are worth considering too.
Giant Hogweed - another rocker in the same vein as The Knife. Or maybe I should call it Genesis' version of a rocker. (This is hardly Highway To Hell.) I've always loved this track. I also mistook it for a fairy story, it was certainly presented as one. My favorite part is the blistering climax where they seemingly throw every instrument into the mix, all playing the same riff at their loudest possible volume. Back in my vinyl days, my stereo had a hard time handling that section because the distortion was high. Thankfully its not a problem with subsequent digital releases. And as far as I know, subsequent mixes. Its definitely a song I wish I had seen them perform live. Its a fun track.
Recently bought a really nice Buddah press for $5 - the cover anyway, the LP is in questionable shape but the outer sleeve was really, really nice. 2007 version of Genesis Live sounds really great, quite honestly - the LP is also really good for purists.
I don't even think there is supposed to be any kind of fantasy element to it -- the idea is that he's describing an invasive species spreading across the country in a melodramatic way, as if they were like Triffids attacking.
Apparently I fell behind again. I’m not even going to try to catch up with the Trespass tracks. The Musical Box I think this song deserves its reputation as one of the all time best Genesis tracks. I love the way it builds up from the whispery vocals and ornate arrangements to the charging prog-rock middle section to the climactic “Why don’t you touch me” section. Every member of the band is at their best on this track, and the songwriting is some of their finest. Peter Gabriel in particular gives one of his best vocal performances, and Steve Hackett and Tony Banks also give some of their more memorable performances. For Absent Friends This is more of a short interlude than a fully-developed song, but it’s enjoyable nonetheless. It provides a nice respite between the the bombastic prog songs. Return of the Giant Hogweed This song shows this era of Genesis both at their quirkiest and at their most unrestrained. Instead of weaving ornate arrangements and nuanced vocal performances, all five members slash their way through the track to great effect. Peter Gabriel goes full Peter Hammill with the way he bombastically shouts his way through the song, and the other members more than match that bombast. Everyone is playing at their most in-your-face, giving this song a pretty unique sound. It’s also worth mentioning that the composition and lyrics are weird even by Genesis standards.
There's a good chance that the hard rocking/bombastic side of things on this album is what appealed to me, having come from that kind of musical youth (no, not pass the dutchie) The Softer songs give it a beautiful balance though.
I have a german Philips vinyl pressing of NC and during this very section you mentioned the disc truly gets to show its qualities - it all gets so intense, amazing! Would be fantastic to hear a UK 1st for comparison
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Return of the Giant Hogweed The intro is a cool keyboard based sounding riff that uses suspensions similar to classical music. You can hear the suspension in the first chord from :01-:04 and then the riff goes to G. Hackett taps on the guitar. The riff descends and then is repeated with Phil coming adding tension. The verse is in G Harmonic minor.....nothing mysterious technically that is. The opening chord is G minor but the next chord is D major. The D Major is not part of G minor but is used to give a stronger sense of tension for resolve back to the G minor chord. Used a lot in classical music. Fits the verse perfectly. The chorus at 1:01 goes to F and has a military feel to it....and our ears get ready for the invasion. The bridge at 1:16 starts the story off and is in G minor and sounds somber. A cool transition section follows the bridge. The bridge follows again and then at 2:23 the verse returns. The chorus returns at 2:51 and the bridge follows with some great rhythmic changes. The transition section follows and the bridge again follows but the intensity ramps up. At 4:13 a solo break based on the verse chords enters with awesome flute, guitar and keys. At 4:54 an interlude enters based on the intro riff rhythmically but the chords shift from C to A flat and sound ominous. Influenced a lot of Italian Prog. Awesome melody in major seconds in the chords. The section shifts to F but stays with the A flat following. Mike plays some fantastic basslines. Steve comes in at 5:36 with what almost sounds like a dance type figure......joy before the storm. He follows with some sustained lines and the section ends at 6:31 abruptly like a surprise attack. At 6:57 the outro enters and there are a lot of chord changes and it changes key.....very chaotic sounding and fits the vision of the Hogweed invasion perfectly. Finally at 7:55 the song starts to resolve and then the song ends in the key of F Major which is pretty close to G minor that is used thru most of the song....piece that is. Work is probably better. Epic? Another work of brilliance from the album IMO. Lots of military type rhythms fit the songs story. A fine mix of pop and classical structure. 10/10 for me.
Man, I've got to tell you how much I marvel at your intellect. Thanks for all these breakdowns. Keep 'em coming!! edit : Mark and I had the same thought at the same time, I see
