It’s amazing to look at the release date of 1972 and think where did all the time go? I can vividly remember listening to this way back when through the mists of time and thinking “wow what an amazing album”, and it still is. When you consider all the great albums that have come since, it still holds up well. I guess good songs will always be good songs.
Kicking things off with what is one of my favourite Genesis songs, Watcher of the Skies and followed by Time Table, Get Em Out By Friday, and closing the side with Cam-Utility and the Coastliners – you think no way can Side 2 be any better?! Then you turn over and the complete side is the classic Suppers Ready.
Any other band would call this the peak of creativity but Genesis went on to record The Lamb. Man they were great around this period – a completely different beast that came along much later. Gabriel’s lyrics and imagery are on a different level to all around him at the time. It’s hard to believe but Phil Collins never sang a note as a vocalist at this point sticking to being the drummer. This is a wonderful record, and is still held in high regard in Prog circles to this day. Many bands have tried to emulate and copy their style (Marillion- Script for a Jesters Tear) but none have surpassed what early Genesis created. In fact, it can be argued that a whole movement sprung up because of this period of Genesis. This and Nursery Crime are still go to records for me.
8/10 from The Grooveman.
