Nursery Cryme CD Review

Genesis, 1971.

So many years ago!

I am a second gen Genesis fan, coming to them via a neighbour's pair of headphones (the days of big headphones) later in the 70s (on vinyl!), when I had to sleepover due to a full house at no 54 (Mulgan St).

It was THIS album I listened to, and it gave me one of the happiest listening evenings I can remember...
Why, exactly?

Well, to be honest, the first thing is the bizarre, neo-Gothic cover, with bleeding heads used as croquet balls (I was a teenager!!).
And then the sweep of the music - I had heard Yes, and the Wardrobe song (off a later Genesis album, and possibly their first "hit"), oh and Jethro Tull as well, so I was a bit familiar with Progressive Rock...

BUT Genesis wove music and told stories that didn't drift off into esoteric fancy or whimsy - the storytelling has always been a stong component of the group's work...3 outstanding tracks here are the Attack of the Giant Hogweed (a sort of musical Day of the Triffids), Harold the Barrel (more of which later) and The Fountain of Salmacis (transformation of average Greek hero bloke into hermaphrodite).

Harold...clever, witty, original and surely an influence on many other bands not worthy etc.
Tells the story of a rotund Harold who decides to end his life, first amputating limbs to become known as Harold the Barrel (ever get the feeling the wordplay comes first, and then the story line?)...
The music develops to highlight the turns from comic to tragic, and Peter Gabriel, at this juncture very much the Man in Charge/in Front, acts the different voices represented in the story - Harold, Harold's mum, policeman, bystanders...this gift of story telling came to a climax in the last Peter Gabriel-fronted Genesis album, the epic Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, but PG continues to tell stories tragic, affecting, humorous in his post-Genesis career.

The musicianship throughout is outstanding - I can't help but wonder whether Phil Collins experienced a genuine dilemma when PG left - his drumming is phenomenal and he certainly made an initial sacrifice when he shifted to lead vocals.
Beautiful, epic music which helped to create, define and empower a genre.
10/10.