Album of the Day

Nursery Cryme, by Genesis (1971): When I got the last of the Genesis box sets last year, which collected the Gabriel-era albums in remixed form, I found myself actually listening to them more closely than I had in years. Nursery Cryme is one of those albums where the three big tracks - "The Musical Box," "The Return of the Giant Hogweed", and "The Fountain of Salmacis" - became fan and concert favorites but the rest of the album kind of slipped off the radar. That's a shame, 'cause there are a couple of gems in there. "Seven Stones" and "Harold the Barrel," in particular. They're not masterpieces, by any means, but they round out the album nicely.

In the end, Nursery Cryme was an album where the band was still really feeling their way around, particular with two new members in tow. Nevertheless, it works on its own, not just as a springboard to the masterpieces to come.