Search - Genesis :: Nursery Cryme

A Cryme Reconciled

Solo Goodspeed | Granada Hills, CA United States | 03/07/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For those of us who were so appalled at the execrable job done on the initial CD release of this landmark 1971 album, the time has come to rejoice. This is truly a masterful remaster, with loving attention given to the sounds of the individual instruments, an awesome dynamic that makes the album sound like it was just recently recorded rather than just run through an industrial meat grinder like the last effort. The screaming guitar intro in "The Musical Box" is restored (rather than muffled under everything), brightness and overall clarity has enhanced and improved problems in the original mix (in which overmodulation had kind of mushed things together, particularly in "Giant Hogweed" and "Fountain of Salmacis"), and overall the tracks are finally afforded the respect they deserve. In places it almost sounds like new instrumentals and vocals were inserted; during the descending "aahhhs" in "Fountain" I'm hearing someone singing or playing an octave higher, absent or obscured in the original release. It's that clear. One problem, if any, with cleaning up a master recording so much is it gives the illusion of having a bit less energy since the distortion is gone. That can be solved of course by turning it up much louder.



This was the first Genesis album to feature the lineup of Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins (in his debut), Steve Hackett (also in debut), Michael Rutherford and Tony Banks. They were just bouncing back from losing 2 key members, and were apprehensive; they needn't have been. Genesis at the beginning of the 70s truly lived up to their name as the beginning of a chapter in rock, with material that was at once symphonic, dynamic and full of whimsical fantasy courtesy of the visionary Mr. Gabriel and the creative contributions of accomplished musicians. Not bad for a band that started out as guys writing songs for OTHER artists to play. This collection and its follow up, the conceptual Foxtrot (also sporting an outstanding 2008 remaster), are among the most vital additions to any serious collection of vintage progressive rock. It is so gratifying to finally hear it produced with a quality that matches the level of the music itself."