Wind and Wuthering [CD]

Rating: 8.5/10

Best tracks: "Blood on the Rooftops", "One for the Vine", "Eleventh Earl of Mar", "All in a Mouse's Night", "Afterglow"

The pastoral and gorgeous Wind and Wuthering is the most underrated of all the post-Gabriel Genesis albums and one that makes for a very fine accompaniment to its brilliant predecessor, A Trick of the Tail. These two albums mark the true end of the classic progressive Genesis era, as well as the last to feature the brilliant guitarist Steve Hackett. Keyboardist Tony Banks gets to really shine on this album, and Hackett is admittedly left slightly in the shadows on some tracks as a result. Some have said that it was Hackett's departure after this album, and not Peter Gabriel's, that really marked the end of prog-Genesis and the start of new wave/pop Genesis. True, there'd be prog-tendencies to come, especially on the long-song structures of songs like "Domino" on Invisible Touch, the "Home by the Sea" double-bill on Genesis and a good half of the Duke album, but Wind and Wuthering is the last Genesis album to really, successfully exude that classic prog-rock feel.

The opening "Eleventh Earl of Mar" is a bit of a grower; I wasn't too keen on it the first time I heard it, but it turns out to be another prog-classic, one of the band's last greats in this vein. It's almost as fine a starter as "Dance on a Volcano" was to A Trick of the Tail! There's great riffs in the chorus, and a delicately lovely section just pas the four-minute mark. There's also a bit where the melody just goes in what sounds like a totally wrong turn near the start, it always keeps catching me off guard! "One for the Vine" is, for the Collins-era of Genesis, the equivalent of "Supper's Ready" from the Gabriel-era, even though it's only half as long, but the way it moves so damn well through all kinds of moods, melodies and rhythms... Collins is really great on this track, it's easy to forget he was a very good singer when he has the music to match him. His falsetto on the `follow me' bit is a corker, as is the music during this section, which is wonderfully stirring and really quite delightful. Gorgeous moments follow which evoke the dreamier moments of songs like "Ripples" and "Entangled", as well as a fantastically fine sequence which can only (and has by others) be described as prog-disco! This bit is one of Genesis' greatest ever moments, really epic, huge-sounding, lots of fun! "Your Own Special Way" was the most blatantly commercial thing Genesis had created up to this point; it's still a long song, but it's got a straightforward structure and a memorable chorus; this chorus is a bit sappy, to be honest, but everything else about the song is really quite nice and gentle, making for a nice respite after the full-on grandeur of the first two songs. The bizarrely titled "Wot Gorilla?" is a short but huge instrumental, with quality drumming, massive synthesisers and great guitars; it ends the album's original first side very well and is something to be carried away with, so thrilling is its musical rush of sound.

The second side boasts two excellent songs to begin with; the crazy "All in a Mouse's Night" is indeed about a mouse. It's not a metaphor. It's about a mouse. Massive synthesised strings open proceedings, before a half-silly, half-amazing keyboard hook accompanies the tale of a mouse's adventure as it tries to escape the clutches of a ravenous cat. It's closer to the whimsical fairy-tale ambience of the Gabriel era than anything else here, and it's spectacular stuff indeed. Collins gives it everything and makes the wild lyric work, while the melodic hooks throughout are quite sensational. The amazing "Blood on the Rooftops" begins with a very pretty acoustic guitar solo before one of Collins' best ever vocal performance carries the rising, increasingly magnificent melodies (one of Banks' loveliest keyboard refrains ever is right here on this track, it`s utterly beautiful) to a huge, glorious chorus that's a real show stopper; it really sends shivers down the spine. The kind of epic splendour on show on this chorus in particular would form the basis of the bombast on Genesis' next album, but on here it's just on the right side of over-dramatic. The last three tracks form some kind of suite - the first two are instrumentals, the first being the shivery "Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers..." is all build-up, with its trembling guitars while "....In That Quiet Earth" is a more urgent, strident piece, one that perfectly moves into the stately, lovely "Afterglow", which makes for a very sweet closer; like "Your Own Special Way", it clearly points the way towards the smoother, simpler Genesis sound that would make them superstars in the next decade.

After this, Hackett would leave the band and the album to follow would the aptly titled "And Then There Were Three...", which would pump up the synthesisers and see the band closer than ever to the radio-friendly, more accessible pop of their later years, thanks to songs like "Many Too Many" and "Follow You, Follow Me". However, it would admittedly lack the magic of this triumphant, very strong hidden gem that's arguably Genesis' last masterwork.

Whenever I hear this album, thoughts go back to the gig in 1977 at Birmingham Odeon, when I saw the boys on the "Wind" tour. The most brilliant concert I have ever been to, showcasing their most brilliant album (more so than Trick of the Tail). This album represents the high-water mark of Genesis's career, before the sad decline through "And Then There Were Three", and "Duke", to the appalling "ABACAB".

Prog-rock is often criticised as just self-indulgent twiddling, but listen to the epic story-telling of "One for the Vine", the lush romanticism of "Your Own Special Way", and the semi-orchestral "Blood on the Rooftops", with its witty lyrics (the Queen, Errol Flynn and Mother Goose mentioned in the same song?) - I'm getting a bit carried away, but you get the picture. If you want the finest example of 1970's British prog-rock, this album is close to perfection. If your acquaintance with Genesis began in 1979, buy this album and hear what you missed.

Incidentally, I know I'm not supposed to comment on other reviews, but I can't let previous comments on "All in a Mouse's Night" go without offering a different view. A weak track? Let's run it through the checklist for Genesis classics: 1. Whimsical/nursery-rhyme lyrics - check. 2.Sublime guitar from Hackett - check. 3. Movements with different time-signatures - check. 4.Climactic, multi-layered ending with Banks playing everything including the kitchen sink - check. Yep, sounds like a classic to me. Definitely one of the best tracks on the album. But hey - don't believe me, buy it and judge for yourself!

This CD is definitely one of Genesis' best. The first track Eleventh Earl of Mar is a great ten minute track which in my opinion is one of Genesis' most underrated tracks. 9/10. One for the Vine is another of the great tracks on the album. Quite slow with nice changes of pace. However can get a bit tiresome at times. 8/10. Your Own Special Way is Genesis' first Ballad. This was written by Mike Rutherford and has some great acoustic guitar. 8/10. Wot Gorilla is a great fusion like track which is much like Phil Colins work with Brand X. 8/10. All in a Mouses Night is the track that lets down this album a bit. Great lyrics though. Blood on the Rooftops is definitely one of the highlights of this album. Great classical guitar by Steve Hackett. Very powerful when the drums get started. 10/10. Unquiet Slumber for the Sleepers... again demonstrates Steve Hackett's classical guitar ability. Underrated track again. 8/10. ...In That Quiet Earth is one of Genesis' best ever. A live favourite for years after. Great keyboards by Tony Banks. 10/10. Afterglow is arguably the hightlight of the album. Very powerful track written by Tony Banks. Again 10/10. If you like any of the earlier Genesis stuff I guarantee you'll like this.