Wind & Wuthering - GENESIS*****

Eleventh Earl Of Mar/One For The Vine/Your Own Special Way/Wot Gorilla/All In A Mouse's Night/Blood On The Rooftops/Unquiet Slumbers For The Sleepers/Afterglow

Many fans of the progressive band Genesis considered Wind & Wuthering to be the last album from their classic period. Unfortunately, they would gradually morph into a mainstream pop-rock group. (US:26 UK:7)

“For the most part, the songs work out well, whether it's the grandiose sadness of One For The Vine to the simple beauty of Afterglow. Collins' high and beautiful vocals come through on all the songs he sings. Banks and Hackett take advantage of using all kinds of riffs that complement each other and make the songs memorable, while Rutherford and Collins set a backdrop to all the mystical sounds.”

“Wind & Wuthering often splits Genesis fans into two different groups. Some people call this album the last great Genesis record and the end of their classic period, while others think that this is the first album where the band start to lose their touch. This one has the classic Genesis sound and style but the songwriting isn't as strong as in their more famous and appreciated LPs. I still consider it to be a classic Genesis album, and it's definitely not a bad record.”

“With the departure of Steve Hackett, and the impending toxic influence and demands of the music industry, the demise of Genesis as an innovative progressive force was about to assume the manifestation of a long, slow, decent into their last re-incarnation as a competent, yet hardly innovative, pop-group. Where they would earn a loyal, and perhaps broader, fan base as a pop band they would never again equal their creative output of the early to mid-seventies. This disc is really an excellent effort, although initially dismissed by Genesis fans as being too commercial, it stands up well over time.”

“This is the last album to feature guitarist Steve Hackett and after his departure the band would take the unfortunate plunge into radio friendly pop.”

“The era ending was, of course, the critically maligned progressive rock. This was the last Genesis album in their classic, epic fantasy orchestral mode. By the late 1970s it was impossible to ignore the general decay of the prog rock scene, although decent recordings would still pop up from time to time. As such, this album holds special memories for me. Like few other bands, Genesis were able to create a mini alternate universe in their songs.”