Genesis - Nursery Cryme (1971)

After finding their footing on their first two albums, and some key personnel changes—the departure of drummer John Mayhew and guitarist Anthony Phillips and the arrival of their replacements drummer Phil Collins and guitarist Steve Hackett—Genesis released the first of several albums which would mark their creative zenith, Nursery Cryme.

While not as strong as Genesis later releases, Nursery Cryme, marked a significant step forward from the band as the material was markedly superior to that which appeared on their first two albums. Collins who would later come into his own as the band’s vocalist, truly shines on the drums and while Phillips had been an exceptional guitarist in his own right, Hackett’s style better fit the more lush melodic style the band had started to take with this album.

Opening with The Musical Box, which was a staple of the live shows in the Peter Gabriel era of the band. Nursery Cryme makes a strong statement that Genesis was a band that people should take notice of and really showcased Genesis shift from more folk-oriented and influenced material to the more classically influenced material this incarnation of the band would become known for. The musicianship of Messrs. Gabriel, Rutherford, Banks, Collins, and Hackett is undeniable and clocking at nearly ten and a half minutes The Music Box allows the band to really stretch out and show what they’re capable of.

For Absent Friends marks Phil Collins first lead vocal performance with Genesis. It’s a rather light-segue between The Music Box and The Return of the Giant Hogweed. Collins falsetto on this song, while unremarkable when compared to his better-known vocal performances, does give a glimpse of things to come in the wake of Gabriel’s departure a few years later.

Where For Absent Friends served as an excellent introduction to the band for Phil Collins, The Return of the Giant Hogweed served as Steve Hackett’s introduction to the band. Where many early Genesis songs were largely keyboard driven, this track was instead driven by Hackett’s raw and fiery electric guitar work.

The album closes as strongly as it began. The Fountain of Salmacis and The Music Box are the two strongest songs on this album and make great bookends for an album that truly laid the foundation for the subsequent albums. Lyrically speaking, it’s one of the most interesting rock songs ever written, telling the story of Hermaphroditus who was seduced by Salmacis, becoming one with her and thus becoming just as much female as he had been male and giving birth to the term “hermaphrodite.” The Fountain of Salmacis features the trademark vocal role-playing that Peter Gabriel would become known for on subsequent albums and features some excellent Mellotron playing by Banks and guitar playing by Hackett.

If you were tracking the band’s evolution, Nursery Cryme, marks the beginning of the great things yet to come and the promising start of the careers for two exceptional musicians, Phil Collins and Steve Hackett, giving a mere glimpse into their talent and potential.

Genesis - A Trick of the Tail (1976)

Many people see Peter Gabriel as the creative mind behind Genesis, but a few listens to A Trick of the Tale or Wind & Wuthering may quickly dispel that myth for many. This is an oft-overlooked period in Genesis musical history. The band was seemingly searching or grasping for a new identity in the wake of Peter Gabriel’s departure.

Dance of the Volcano is the first evidence that despite the departure of a very creative and pivotal member of their band, Genesis was still on solid footing. One might expect Genesis to be struggling, or that this album might be weaker than its predecessors in light of Gabriel’s absence. In which case, one would be quite wrong in each case. From the opening notes and through the entire CD, Genesis displays a self-assurance that is quite conspicuous in its presence.

Indeed, Phil Collins steps up from behind his drum kit to handle lead vocals with a level of confidence that betrays his relative vocal inexperience. This isn’t a slam on Peter Gabriel, so much as a testament to the band’s adaptability and growth.

Much of their material from this era is lush and full that it might more accurately be described as “soundscapes” than as mere “music.” These aren’t just musicians, they’re artists, your eardrums are their canvas and throughout songs like Entangled, Ripples, and Los Endos they paint vivid and lush musical paintings.

Their continued musical growth is largely attributable to their extremely talented and oft-overlooked guitarist, Steve Hackett. Hackett is a musical chameleon, both as a guitarist and a songwriter. And many, myself included, would argue that Hackett, moreso than Peter Gabriel was the driving creative force behind Genesis. They didn’t truly come into their own until he joined the group in 1973, just in time for their Nursery Cryme album and they maintained a certain level of musical creativity and excellence until his departure following the Wind & Wuthering album.

Another facet of Hackett’s talent was his ability to draw the best out of messrs. Collins, Banks, and Rutherford.

Some may scoff, some may chortle, but songs like Ripples and Los Endos remain some of the best in Genesis long and accomplished canon—both easily stand up to classics from the Peter Gabriel era such as Watcher of the Skies, Supper’s Ready, Firth of Fifth, and Cinema Show.

In lesser bands, the mere level of talent of the individual members of the band led to personality clashes and a certain level of one-upmanship. What made Genesis work so well in the “Hackett-era” was a certain level of musical respect, allowing each member their chance to “shine” and allowing their talents compliment, rather than overshadow that of their bandmates.

While their Foxtrot and Selling England By the Pound albums are considered classics. One would be remiss to leave A Trick of the Tail off that list as it truly is a continuation of meeting the bar set very high by those albums. While not superior to the Peter Gabriel era material, it is certainly equal to it.