Nursery Cryme
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| Nursery Cryme | |||||
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| Studio album by Genesis | |||||
| Released | 12 November 1971 | ||||
| Recorded | August 1971 at Trident Studios | ||||
| Genre | Progressive rock | ||||
| Length | 39:29 | ||||
| Label | Charisma/Virgin (UK) Atlantic (U.S.) |
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| Producer | John Anthony | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
| Genesis chronology | |||||
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Nursery Cryme is the third studio album by Genesis and was recorded and released in 1971. It is also the first album to feature the lineup of Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins, and Steve Hackett, the latter two replacing John Mayhew and Anthony Phillips on drums and guitar, respectively in 1970 following the release of Trespass. This lineup would remain consistent until Gabriel's departure in 1975.
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[edit] Album History
Parts of this album were written by temporary band member Mick Barnard. In an interview, Tony Banks stated, "Steve was in the band a very short time when we recorded 'Nursery Cryme.' All the guitar parts on "Musical Box" were actually written by Mick; Steve tended to play pretty much what Mick had played 'cause there wasn't much time to learn new parts. Most of the guitar on it is Mike anyhow—all the rhythm guitar, it always was. There wasn't that much lead guitar on it." - The Genesis Autodiscography - By Jon Young Trouser Press magazine, March 1982
"The Musical Box" and "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" became staples of their live performances.
Although not a success upon release in their homeland, Nursery Cryme became an unexpected hit in Italy, reaching number 4 in the LP charts[1] — spurring on Genesis' European success — with the album eventually reaching #39 in the UK in 1974.
[edit] Sound
Though not as polished in production terms as the albums that followed (most of the songs were only recorded on 8-track), Nursery Cryme was still a large progression from the group's second album Trespass. Although the folky feel was still retained on songs such as "Harlequin" and "For Absent Friends", other tracks displayed a more aggressive and strident sound. Hackett's lead guitar playing contributed a lot to this, with strong solos contained within "The Musical Box", "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" and "The Fountain Of Salmacis".
Banks also contributed towards the more aggressive sound in various ways: for some time before Hackett's recruitment, Genesis had performed live as a four-piece, with Banks substituting for guitar by playing lead solos on his Hohner "Pianet" electric piano, played through a fuzz box. This technique can be heard on "The Musical Box" and the intro to "The Return of the Giant Hogweed". In addition, the band purchased their own Mellotron Mark II (from King Crimson).[2] Banks employed the Mk II "three violins" sound to great effect in "The Fountain Of Salmacis" and "Seven Stones", whilst the climax of "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" used fuzzed Mk. II "combined brass".
A further element in the band's growing sound was Rutherford's use of the stand-alone electronic bass pedal unit Dewtron "Mister Bassman". Even a song such as "Harold the Barrel", which used none of this new instrumentation, was possessed of a sprightly energy quite unlike anything on Trespass.
[edit] Track information
[edit] "The Musical Box"
"The Musical Box" (sample ) is a story with Victorian overtones and was indeed presented as a Victorian fairy story. The song is a ten minute epic touching on themes of death, reincarnation and lust; set in Victorian England, the story told of two small children in a country house. The young girl, Cynthia, killed the young boy, Henry, by removing his head with a croquet mallet. The lyrics of the song itself start at the moment when Cynthia discovers Henry's musical box, which played the nursery rhyme "Old King Cole" when she opens it. As this happens, Henry's soul returns in a restored body. However, Henry starts aging very quickly but retaining a child's mind and vision. The life that he will never have, and its desires, start to pass before his eyes. As Henry was attempting to have Cynthia pursue his romantic desire, his nurse heard the noise and went to the nursery to see what was going on. Acting on instinct, she threw the musical box at the now elderly looking child, destroying them both. (This story can be found in the inside booklet of the Nursery Cryme album.) The album cover is also a depiction of this song and story: Cynthia, holds a croquet mallet- there is a hoop visible close by- but instead of croquet balls, there are a few heads lying on the ground.
The climax to the song concerns itself with Henry's feelings towards Cynthia, representing his lustful view of her, shown by the words 'She's a lady, she is mine!' and in the finale when Gabriel sings, 'Why don't you touch me? Touch me, NOW, NOW, NOW, NOW, NOW!'. In live performances, Peter Gabriel would wear an "old man" mask for the final verse and unzip the chest part of his black jumpsuit. Creepy lighting would be used each time he shouted "NOW!" At the end of the song, Henry, the old man, would die.
This song includes uncredited writing contributions from former member Anthony Phillips, having been based on a 1969 demo by him and Rutherford called "F Sharp". It is also said to include some guitar parts written by transitional member Mick Barnard.
This became is one Genesis's more famous songs, having acquired the status of one of the band's signature tunes from their progressive rock-era and featured in their live repertoire right up to Phil Collins' departure after the We Can't Dance tour in 1992, albeit the closing section only as a part of a medley. It was also released on 1973's Genesis Live.
A Genesis tribute band, The Musical Box, is named after this song.
[edit] "For Absent Friends"
"For Absent Friends" is a short and understated folk-based song about two widows going to church and praying for their deceased loved ones. It is also the first song by the band to feature drummer Phil Collins as the lead vocalist.
Guitarist Steve Hackett recorded a waltz version of this song for his Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited album, with vocals by Colin Blunstone.
[edit] "The Return of the Giant Hogweed"
Peter Gabriel's lyrics to "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" tell an apocalyptic story about a "regal hogweed" being brought from Russia by a Victorian explorer to the Royal Gardens at Kew. Later, after being planted by country gentlemen in their gardens, the hogweeds take on a life of their own and spread their seed throughout England, preparing for an onslaught. The citizens attempt to assault the hogweeds with herbicide, but the plants are immune. After a brief instrumental (subtitled "The Dance of the Giant Hogweed"), the song ends in a crashing climax where the hogweed reigns victorious over the human race.
The inspiration for the subject of the song is a large, phototoxic weed, Heracleum mantegazzianum which poses a hazard in the United Kingdom and other countries.
The song was a staple of Genesis' live performances and appears on the Genesis Live album.
[edit] "The Fountain of Salmacis"
"The Fountain of Salmacis" tells the story of the nymph Salmacis who in Greek mythology attempted to rape Hermaphroditus. In the story Salmacis and Hermaphroditus become joined as one, which is mirrored in the lyrics where Peter Gabriel sings:
"We shall be one,
We shall be joined as one."
The album version features much lead guitar work from Steve Hackett, and is remarkable for the epic sound of mellotron, in the beginning and the end. A live version is included on Three Sides Live.
[edit] Track listing
All songs credited to Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett and Mike Rutherford.
[edit] Side one
- "The Musical Box" (Banks, Collins, Gabriel, Hackett, Rutherford, Anthony Phillips, Mick Barnard) – 10:24 (lyrics: Gabriel)
- "For Absent Friends" (Collins, Hackett) – 1:44 (lyrics: Hackett)
- "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" – 8:09 (lyrics: Gabriel)
[edit] Side two
- "Seven Stones" – 5:08 (lyrics: Banks)
- "Harold the Barrel" – 2:59 (lyrics: Gabriel)
- "Harlequin" – 2:53
- "The Fountain of Salmacis" – 7:54 (lyrics: Rutherford)
[edit] Personnel
- Peter Gabriel – lead voices, flute, bass drum, tambourine
- Steve Hackett – electric guitar, 12 string guitar
- Tony Banks – organ, mellotron, piano, electric piano, 12 string guitar, voices
- Mike Rutherford – bass, bass pedals, 12 string guitar, voices
- Phil Collins – drums, voices, percussion, lead voices (uncredited) on "For Absent Friends"
[edit] Artwork
The striking artwork which depicts scenes from each song, was painted by Paul Whitehead, who was also responsible for Trespass and Foxtrot.
[edit] Release History
All releases of Nursery Cryme on Charisma Records in the U.S. were distributed by Buddah Records.
[edit] U.S. LP releases
- Charisma Records CAS-1052 (1971): 1st issue with large "Mad Hatter" label. Gatefold cover.
- Charisma Records CAS-1052 (1973): 2nd issue with pink scroll label. No gatefold cover.
- Charisma Records CAS-1052 (1974): 3rd issue with small "Mad Hatter" label. No gatefold cover.
- Atlantic 80030-1 (1982): Reissue with no gatefold cover.
A SACD / DVD double disc set (including new 5.1 and Stereo mixes) is planned for release in September 2008.
[edit] References
- ^ Gallo, A: 'Genesis From One Fan to Another, page 20. Omnibus Press, 1984
- ^ PlanetMellotron.com
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