Nursery Cryme was non a commercial success upon its release. It did non instruct inwards the Great Britain nautical chart until 1974, when it peaked at release 39. The band toured inwards the Great Britain together with abroad for a twelvemonth to promote the album, together with the tour included a successful Italian leg inwards Apr 1972.
Genesis returned to a five-member formation after the add-on of guitarist Steve Hackett inwards Jan 1971. For a few months prior, the grouping performed alive every bit a 4 slice amongst vocalizer Peter Gabriel, keyboardist Tony Banks, bassist Mike Rutherford, together with drummer Phil Collins who had joined inwards 1970. As a four-man formation, Banks played guitar together with keyboard parts which he credits inwards improving his keyboard technique every bit it required him to play ii keyboards simultaneously. Genesis toured the Great Britain on their Trespass tour before its determination inwards July 1971 so move on the adjacent album could begin. The band wrote together with rehearsed at a reason dwelling inwards Crowborough inwards East Sussex owned yesteryear Tony Stratton-Smith.
Nursery Cryme was recorded inwards August 1971 at Trident Studios inwards London amongst John Anthony every bit producer. The album sleeve, painted yesteryear Paul Whitehead who also did the artwork on the previous together with adjacent Genesis albums, Trespass together with Foxtrot, depicts scenes from "The Musical Box" together with Coxhill, the manor household amongst a croquet lawn, where Gabriel grew up.
"The Musical Box" originated every bit an instrumental written yesteryear one-time Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips called "F#" which was afterward re-recorded every bit "Manipulation" on the Jackson Tapes together with released on the box laid Genesis 1970–1975. The guitar solo was written yesteryear Pb guitarist Mick Barnard, who replaced Phillips inwards 1970 prior to Hackett joining the band. The Genesis tribute band The Musical Box named themselves after the song. "For Absent Friends" is the showtime Genesis vocal amongst Phil Collins every bit Pb vocalist. "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" warns of the spread of the toxic flora Heracleum mantegazzianum after it was "captured" inwards Russian Federation together with brought to England yesteryear a Victorian explorer.
If Genesis really established themselves every bit progressive rockers on Trespass, Nursery Cryme is where their signature persona was unveiled: truthful English linguistic communication eccentrics, i role Lewis Carroll together with i role Syd Barrett, creating a fanciful basis that emphasized the band's instrumental prowess every bit much every bit Peter Gabriel's theatricality. Which isn't to tell that all of Nursery Cryme works. There are times when the whimsy is overwhelming, simply every bit at that topographic point are periods when there's also much instrumental indulgence, yet there's a charm to this indulgence, since the grouping is letting itself run wild. Even if they've yet to detect the furthest reaches of their imagination, role of the charm is hearing them seek out out its limits, something that does outcome inwards genuine masterpieces, every bit on "The Musical Box" together with "The Return of the Giant Hogweed," ii epics that dominate the showtime side of the album together with give it its foundation. If the 2nd side isn't quite every bit compelling or quite every bit structured, it doesn't quite affair because these are the songs that showed what Genesis could do, together with they nonetheless stand upward every bit pinnacles of what the band could achieve.
Released inwards 1971, this is the showtime album amongst the "classic" Genesis lineup together with the showtime to characteristic the distinctive ensemble audio that would characterize their move upward to belatedly 1976.
What is peculiarly noticeable most unopen to of the longer pieces on this album including "The Musical Box" together with "Return of the Giant Hogweed" is an aggressive together with harsh audio that is largely reflected inwards Steve Hackett's guitar work. Although I practice non know this for certain, I suspect that this heaviness may conduct maintain resulted from exposure to the music of immature human being Charisma label band Van der graaf Generator piece on "package" tours inwards Britain.
One other novel chemical constituent that helped shape the classic Genesis audio was the add-on of superb drummer Phil Collins, who brought a superior score of musicianship to the band that the previous drummer (John Mayhew) was non able to. As such, the work of unusual fourth dimension signatures increased together with the ensemble move became a flake to a greater extent than sophisticated over that found on Trespass (1970). Other interesting developments include the work of the mellotron yesteryear keyboardist Tony Banks, an musical instrument which is featured prominently on "Seven Stones" together with the first-class "The Fountain of Salmacis", a slice that Tony wrote piece studying physics at Sussex University. Quieter pieces on the album include "For Absent Friends" (which features Phil Collins on vocals) together with "Harlequin", piece "Harold the Barrel" is somewhere inwards the middle.
Interestingly enough, Tony Banks has been quoted every bit proverb he did non experience that Nursery Cryme was much of an improvement over Trespass (1970). Although this may alone concur partially truthful musically, conceptually together with lyrically this is a completely unlike story. With consider to the lyrics, the cosmic together with surreal imagery that would dominate the Peter Gabriel years was showtime expressed on Nursery Cryme. For example, "Return of the Giant Hogweed" describes (in anthropomorphic terms) how the invasive wetland flora species Heracleum mantegazziani (giant hogweed) threatens to accept over the countryside. As a biologist, the idea of an invasive flora (that grows to 15-20 feet inwards height) shouting, "Human bodies presently volition know our anger. Kill them amongst your Hogweed hairs!" tickled me pink.
Other bizarre imagery includes a immature man child that ages suddenly, dies, together with his spirit together with then takes upward residence inwards a musical box belonging to his playmate. Consumed yesteryear a "lifetimes worth of desires", the spirit of "young Henry" lunges at the girl, alone to conduct maintain the nanny rush into the room together with destroy the musical box, hence killing pitiful Henry.
All inwards all, this is a non bad album that initiates a four-year flow where Genesis was at a creative together with artistic peak. Although the production character is somewhat muddy, together with it does non possess the smooth together with sophistication of "Selling England yesteryear the Pound" (1973), this is nonetheless an first-class album together with is recommended.
Nursery Cryme came at mayhap the most interesting fourth dimension inwards the band's career. They had simply picked upward much needed musculus amongst Hackett together with Collins, but were nonetheless trying to detect their vox every bit a band. The outcome is unopen to of the oddest, most original music they conduct maintain always composed, played at a novel score of competency. For me the most fascinating progressive stone tin survive the strangest, and--make no mistake--Nursery Cryme is Genesis at their strangest. Here they motility away from the folky tendencies of the albums that preceeded it, but are non yet producing music every bit streamlined together with professional person every bit that which would presently come. This is i of the most unique albums inwards prog stone history.
One of the best things most this album is that the ego jostling has yet to laid in. Steve Hackett plays a large role together with Tony Banks together with Mike Rutherford sing background prominently inwards unopen to places. Banks fifty-fifty delivers the "Mighty Hogweed" occupation inwards "Return of the Giant Hogweed," which is, yesteryear the way, a proficient event of a vocal amongst the bizarreness I alluded to earlier.
There are others. "Harold the Barrel" is a off-center but moving mini-opera that takes house inwards most 3 minutes, together with "Seven Stones" reveals the influence that the showtime King Crimson album must conduct maintain had on the band, especially Hackett's guitar solo inwards the middle together with the Mellotronic thunder at the end. Kind of a creepy vocal inwards its ain way. And speaking of creepy, piece "The Musical Box" is an acknowledged epic masterpiece, its subject of a reincarnated (...)fixated villain is so disturbingly obscure that they had to explicate the storey on the liner notes of the remastered CD (whose audio IS much ameliorate than the original vinyl pressing).
The oddness of the music of this tape is for sure reflected inwards the band's colorful phase persona at the time, all infused amongst a wonderful feel of artistic discovery. We know the 3 albums to come upward are the 5 star classics, but at that topographic point is something singularly exciting most this tape that you lot won't detect anywhere else.
Tracks Listing
1. The Musical Box (10:24)
2. For Absent Friends (1:44)
3. The Return of the Giant Hogweed (8:10)
4. Seven Stones (5:10)
5. Harold the Barrel (2:55)
6. Harlequin (2:52)
7. The Fountain of Salmacis (7:54)
Total Time: 42:35
Line-up / Musicians
- Tony Banks / organ, mellotron, piano, electrical piano, 12 string guitar, voices
- Phil Collins / drums, voices, percussion, Pb vocals(2)
- Peter Gabriel / Pb voice, flute, tambourine, bass drum
- Steve Hackett / electrical together with 12 string guitar
- Mike Rutherford / bass guitar, bass pedals, 12 string guitar, backing vocals
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