Genesis
Nursery Cryme

In 1971, what was the basic idea of the Genesis sound, until then naive and poorly expressed, developed and took shape in what is one of the standout pieces of progressive rock, "Nursery Cryme". With a finally stable lineup consisting of singer, showman, lyricist, and flautist Peter Gabriel, bassist Michael Rutherford, pianist/organist Tony Banks, guitarist Steve Hackett, and drummer Phil Collins. The Band, following their first progressive experience with "Trespass", finally finds the right path and manages to express its true potential with this album.

The first song, "The Musical Box", from which the cover is taken, is a grotesque children's tale, starting with dreamlike, fairy-tale atmospheres that at times almost become a horror story, with dark and distressing sounds, transporting the listener into the heart of the narrative. The second track, "For Absent Friends", marks a pause after the ascending emotional climax of the first song, offering a calm and relaxed interpretation by Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett on classical guitar.

Quite the opposite discussion for "The Return Of The Giant Hogweed", a work that showcases the band's excellent instrumental ability, aggressive and hallucinatory. "Seven Stones" focuses more on solemn and calm narration, speaking of seafaring adventures. The fifth song, "Harold The Barrel", is an engaging mini theatrical opera that highlights Gabriel's interpretative ability and Banks' pianistic virtuosity. "Harlequin" is a slow and dreamy ballad that resumes the fairy-tale tones of the first piece.

The concluding piece is "The Fountain Of Salmacis", which tells of the Greek myth of the nymph Salmacis and her sad love for Hermaphroditus, probably the peak of the album, triumphant and majestic, yet not pompous, showing the true face of Genesis, a fitting conclusion to a great album.