FEATURED ALBUM: Genesis - Nursery Cryme

[peterpyser]

This album sounds so dated that it could have been released in 1871.
I never liked Musical Box and Salmacis, the rest is fair/good, best track is Seven Stones.


The BBC Session with the condensed album is much better in my opinion:

[Paulrus]

I have to admit I've never heard FGtR.

Upon first listen it's a bit of a shock since it's pretty far removed from the band they became 2 years later. But they were only 18 years old and it showed.

But the really interesting part is that the more you listen to FGtR the more you realize some of those early songs were actually forerunners to what came later. In fact, some of the actual musical ideas laid down on FGtR sneak their way into songs like "Twilight Ale House", which is a Nursery Cryme outtake.

And there's actually some neat little tunes on FGtR like "The Conqueror", which to me is really early -- but very recognizable -- proto-Gabriel.

[flowerking]

I can't agree that this is the first great Genesis album, I'd say Trespass is a great one. This one is better, but not by a wide margin. Absolutely love Musical Box, but I also love Harold the Barrel. What might sound perhaps like a oddly humored Beatles song actually has buried depth of musical genius in it.

My ONLY gripe against Nursery Cryme is the recording of the album, made most of the songs sound amateurish.

Same here. I wouldn't say amateurish as much as just not well mastered. Recording levels are all over the place. Same thing happens in Foxtrot although perhaps a little they improved a little. They really didn't get good at soft to heavy dynamics in their record until Selling England or Lamb.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Now where is this broken-heart emoji when you need it?

Oh, as long as we can still agree on the obvious greatness of Michael Bolton...

[happytheman]

Side note question.. Musical Box came from the Trespass period via Anthony.. any other stuff bleed over into Nursery Cryme? Lot's of stories of how The Knife when originally performed was over a half hour piece... surely some of the "excess" parts that were trimmed made their way into other songs eh?

[Troopers For Sound]

I've been revisiting my vinyl copy of this recently...and was surprised how much I loved it as it was always a few notches below the others in the past. In fact it is rapidly becoming my favourite Genesis album. Just magic stuff all over the place, but Harlequin zaps my brain every time - despite the seriously shaky harmony vox. Seven Stones is incredible and Fountain of Salmacis has jumped way up on my list of fav Genesis epics.

I love the 1871 date on the cover...and agree it does sound somewhat ancient. But for me that adds to the atmosphere.

Matt.

[Troopers For Sound]

In a weird way the weaker production almost enhances the Victorian atmosphere, much like how filmmakers have purposely used dated/older/more primitive camera/production technology when doing a period piece, to better embrace the period.

Yep, absolutely

Another thing that I always really admired about Steve Hackett on this record was the way he managed to apply himself to the Musical Box - a piece of music already written before his arrival that had seen input from many guitarists already (Ant, Mike, Tony and possibly Mick Barnard contributed to the song too), so for me what Steve does on this track is one of the most creative applications of electric guitar decoration i've ever heard. The mournful slide guitar in the verse, the "musical box" melody in the chorus, the quite Moonchild sounding jazzy phrases, the tapping and then that massive harmonized ending that sounds a bit like Queen (and influenced Brian May) to list a few. Genius I would say

[Vic333]

Gorgeous album. At times, my favorite album (subject to change on a whim).

[mozo-pg]

I saw Steve last night and he played The Fountain of Salmacis. It was an excellent version and he said it was his favourite song off Nursery Cryme. Mine too!

[JJ88]

^The 3SL version (from 1978, I think) is a nice throwback.

It's incredible that Steve is now in his 5th year of touring this stuff.

[Paulrus]

Another thing that I always really admired about Steve Hackett on this record was the way he managed to apply himself to the Musical Box - a piece of music already written before his arrival that had seen input from many guitarists already (Ant, Mike, Tony and possibly Mick Barnard contributed to the song too), so for me what Steve does on this track is one of the most creative applications of electric guitar decoration i've ever heard. The mournful slide guitar in the verse, the "musical box" melody in the chorus, the quite Moonchild sounding jazzy phrases, the tapping and then that massive harmonized ending that sounds a bit like Queen (and influenced Brian May) to list a few. Genius I would say

Steve is pretty amazing on the album, despite the fact that he's forced to take sort of a backseat role in many ways because of the songs being already advanced in the arranging stages by the time he joined.

And I know Phil was probably carrying a grudge against Steve (did he ever drop it?) because his buddy Ronnie from Flaming Youth didn't get the gig, but how many other guitarists at the time could have come in and delivered such a wide range of quirky and memorable parts (who else was double hand tapping in 1971)? No wonder Peter Gabriel liked him so much. His vote must have carried a lot of weight at the time.

[arturs]

NC is the only PG-era Genesis album (not counting the very first one) that is not fully etched into my brain from start to finish. Gave it a listen this morning and I can see why. It is musically a step up from Trespass though in terms of atmosphere and vision a step back. A harbinger of great things to come but not all that satisfying on its own--all IMHO of course.

[Rarebird]

Just listened to it, but I think I prefer Selling England by the Pound.

[mogrooves]

I know Phil was probably carrying a grudge against Steve (did he ever drop it?)

It's my understanding that, as the two "outsiders," they bonded immediately (and wrote together).

[Progatron]

And I know Phil was probably carrying a grudge against Steve (did he ever drop it?) because his buddy Ronnie from Flaming Youth didn't get the gig

Nah. Ronnie didn't get the gig, but neither did anyone for quite a while. They played as a four-piece for some time, and briefly brought Mick Barnard in on guitar which obviously didn't last long. Steve didn't come aboard until almost five months after Phil joined.

[Mythos]

This is a masterful album and set the stage for Foxtrot, the older fans understand the significance of this album as they (along with Yes) were CREATING progressive music..

Now bow down...

[Scrotum Scissor]

the older fans understand the significance of this album as they (along with Yes) were CREATING progressive music.

Funny then, how so many fanatics tend to not want to hear about other artists who went beyond this and continued CREATING progressive music, or sometimes even about different artists before this who were somehow already creating such.

[Frankh]

Although I am an avowed Foxtrot, Selling England man, I can muster much and great love for Nursery Cryme.

What is confounding is the seeming lack of love for The Musical Box. Back in the day, you were as likely to hear this as anything else by the band, and that is up through even The Lamb. It was truly one of their early staples, and a concert workhorse. When I saw The Lamb, The Musical Box was the encore and was stunning - looking back it might have been the best song of the night (that, or Back In New York City).

I love the entire album. Those twin short pieces, For Absent Friends and Harlequin, gorgeous. And seem to benefit from the odd recording qualities.
Harold The Barrel and Hogweed - the only thing better than Hogweed is it's live version.

But, The Musical Box is amongst the band's best work.

Nursery Cryme. In naval parlance, 8 bells. Genesis, arriving.

[Facelift]

Funny then, how so many fanatics tend to not want to hear about other artists who went beyond this and continued CREATING progressive music, or sometimes even about different artists before this who were somehow already creating such.

Because it's not really about "progressive music" (which Genesis had nothing to do with, anyway) but prog-rock/art rock (which Genesis was of course one of the early staples). Liking post-psychedelic rock music made and played by people who had been given a basic music education and who knew how to play their instruments isn't necessarily a prerequisite for liking the most sophisticated or complicated music that exists, in general. Nor should it be - certainly, it's quite a ways off.

[Scrotum Scissor]

^ Precisely.

However, the fact that the band indeed did emanate from a quite close and identifiable tradition, isn't necessarily too popular a stance with those who'd rather insist on having them circle as the very epicenter of what 'progressive music' by definition ought to entail.

Try switching Gary Brooker's voice for Gabriel's in "In Held 'Twas In I" or "Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone)" from spring '68; the whole deal is pretty much already in place, give or take a 12-string.

[JJ88]

What is confounding is the seeming lack of love for The Musical Box. Back in the day, you were as likely to hear this as anything else by the band, and that is up through even The Lamb. It was truly one of their early staples, and a concert workhorse. When I saw The Lamb, The Musical Box was the encore and was stunning - looking back it might have been the best song of the night (that, or Back In New York City).

That and 'Watcher Of The Skies' were, more or less, the only earlier tracks they played on that entire tour (after The Lamb..., albeit not always playing 'Watcher...', and 'The Knife' made periodic appearances). Guaranteed crowdpleasers.

RE; 'For Absent Friends'. I really liked the version Hackett did with Colin Blunstone for the original Genesis Revisited album from the 90s. That album is a pretty mixed bag with all kinds of arbitrary changes to the arrangements but this was a successful revamp.

[ombasan]

I love NC since 1982, when I had the impression it was a veery old record from a distant past...

What I wasn't aware for a long time is what a huge influence Anthony Phillips had on the early sound of the band. Also on the Musical Box. Listen to this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiaVJfawWAI

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

who else was double hand tapping in 1971?

Terry Kath.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Terry Kath.

John Cipollina was doing it in 1968. AFAIK, Leigh Stephens also did it with Blue Cheer.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Fair 'nuff. The question was about 1971