Genesis – Nursery Cryme(1971)

Biography
Genesis started life as a progressive rock band, in the manner of Yes and King Crimson, before a series of membership changes brought about a transformation in their sound, into one of the most successful pop/rock bands of the 1980s and 1990s. In addition, the group has provided a launching pad for the superstardom of members Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, and star solo careers for members Tony Banks, Michael Rutherford, and Steve Hackett. Their roots go back to 1965 and a pair of rival groups, the Garden Wall and the Anon, formed by students at the Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey. They merged, with the result that 15-year-olds Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, and Michael Rutherford joined with 14-year-old Anthony Phillips, calling themselves the New Anon and recording a six-song demo featuring songs primarily written by Rutherford and Phillips. Charterhouse alumnus, recording artist, and producer Jonathan King heard the tape and arranged for the group to continue working in the studio, and it was also King who renamed the band Genesis.  Genesis then lost two members. Mayhew left over the unhappiness with aspects of his playing, and was replaced by Phil Collins, a former child actor turned drummer who had previously played with Flaming Youth — he also added an occasional additional lead vocal to their sound. Much more unsettling was the departure of guitarist Anthony Phillips, who had developed crippling stage fright. For some time afterward, Genesis worked as a four-piece with the guitar parts covered by Banks’ keyboards. Finally, just prior to Genesis beginning work on their next album, their lineup was completed with the addition of guitarist Steve Hackett, a former member of Quiet World. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genesis_(band)

Album & Cover
Nursery Cryme was recorded so close to his arrival that Hackett played on it, but some of the guitar parts were written and played by Michael Rutherford, while the centerpiece of the new album, “The Musical Box,” used material that Phillips had composed. There was hardly a weak moment on the record, and the music was far more exciting — and witty — than most of the progressive rock of the period. The heart of the record was “The Musical Box,” a song telling a Victorian-era story of children, murder, and ghostly apparitions that was worthy of the classic horror film Dead of Night. And while it might not have become a pop culture phenomenon, the album and the song did find an audience among collegiate listeners. The theatrical attributes of Gabriel’s singing fit in well with the group’s live performances during this period as he began to make ever more extensive use of masks, makeup, and props in concert, telling the framing stories in order to set up their increasingly complicated songs. Part of the reason for the stories was practical — it gave the others, especially Hackett, a chance to retune their instruments. When presented amid the group’s very strong playing, this aspect of Gabriel’s work turned Genesis’ performances into multimedia events. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nursery_Cryme

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Source: Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art, The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue: Aubrey Powell

Tracklist

Credits
Acoustic Guitar [12 String], Bass, Cello, Backing Vocals – Mike Rutherford
Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals – Phil Collins
Engineer – David Hentschel
Guitar [Lead Electric], Acoustic Guitar [12 String] – Steve Hackett
Lead Vocals, Flute, Accordion, Percussion [Tambourine, Bass Drum] – Peter Gabriel
Organ, Piano, Mellotron, Guitar, Backing Vocals – Tony Banks
Producer – John Anthony
Written-By – Genesis