Customer Reviews

Wind & Wuthering

5 star:		(75)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

In contrast with the somewhat softer and more acoustic A Trick of the Tail album, this late 1976 album is a lot moodier and features more in the way of instrumental pieces. Sadly, this would be Steve Hackett's last studio album with the band, although he would go on to a prolific solo career. It is worth noting however, that some of his finest recorded performances with Genesis are on this album.

As a huge Tony Banks fan, I feel compelled to point out that he contributed most of the material on this album including the excellent One for the Vine. He also pulled out the stops in the keyboard department and plays a total of seven types of keyboards. As a result, the music is very synth-heavy, which lends a deeply atmospheric feel to the whole album. Steve's haunting work on the nylon string classical is also very impressive and contributes a great deal to the music.

The tracks on the album include some classic Genesis compositions including Eleventh Earl of Mar and One for the Vine, several instrumentals that feature the band's unique interpretation of American jazz-rock fusion (and Phil's superior technique on the drums) (Wot Gorilla?, Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers..., and ...In that Quiet Earth), and all around good song writing (Blood on the Rooftops and Afterglow). In my opinion, the only weak track is Your Own Special Way, which is a Mike Rutherford composition. The track is weak in large part because the arrangement is poor - in fact, Mike has admitted as much in interviews.

The 1994 remastered version of Wind and Wuthering does recreate the original cover art and record jacket theme along with the lyrics. I feel that the sound quality is OK. Although Rhino has recently remastered this album (in 2007) it is a bit expensive. Moreover, some folks have commented on the severe compression used on the 2007 remaster of Wind and Wuthering.


All in all, this is the last Genesis album that featured the classic elements of British progressive rock, although the band still had a great deal to say right up until 1980 with the superb Duke album. Wind and Wuthering is highly recommended along with Nursery Cryme (1971), Foxtrot (1972), Selling England by the Pound (1973), The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974), and A Trick of the Tail (1976).

So, why should you buy "Wind And Wuthering" by Genesis? Because, in my opinion, it's the best album the band has ever made (and Tony Banks, the group's Keyboard King himself, concurs). This album gives me such a joyous rush every time I play it, no joke. To my ears, it's the band's finest work.Arguably the last album by Genesis to truly carry the "prog-rock" moniker, "Wind And Wuthering" simply amazes. They may no longer have Peter Gabriel's incredible contributions, but the songwriting & musical chops on display here by Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins & Steve Hackett is still breathtaking stuff, nonetheless. Banks' supreme keyboard work is at it's most shimmering on this album. Rutherford's bass-playing is top-notch. Collins' powerhouse drumming & unique singing is superb. And, in his final album with the band, Steve Hackett conjures up some incredible fretboard work, both of the fiery & the gorgeous kind.The music on "Wind & Wuthering" soars ("Eleventh Earl Of Mar," "One For The Vine"), rocks ("Wot Gorilla?", "...In That Quiet Earth"), and also contains some truly beautiful ballads ("Your Own Special Way," "Blood On The Rooftops," and the classic album-closer, "Afterglow"), to create a very special musical palette. I love the band's other albums like "The Lamb," "Duke," et al, but "Wind And Wuthering" is Genesis at the very top of their game. As I've said, "Wind And Wuthering" also happens to be Tony Banks' personal favorite album with the band. Here's a brief quote from the man himself, taken from "The Book Of Genesis" by Hugh Fielder, 1983:"If anyone ever asked me which was my favorite album, I'd say 'Wind And Wuthering.' It's definitely the most musically complex of all our albums, and it has a mysterious quality to it."Hear, hear, well spoken Tony. :-)

This album was the second (and last, unfortunately) album that Genesis released as a quartet. Steve Hackett would leave after the release of this album and the live collection "Seconds Out". When I first bought this CD, I was expecting to hear something fairly similar to the other "quartet" album, "Trick of the Tail". Wow! I couldn't have been more wrong. Whereas "Trick" showcased Steve Hackett's guitar, "Wind and Wuthering" is much more (to me) focused on Tony Banks and his keyboards. "Eleventh Earl of Mar" leads the album off strongly, but is quickly overshadowed by the awesome "One for the Vine", a 10-minute epic of sound with a middle section that is the best instrumental Genesis has EVER done. After these two tracks, the album stops to catch its breath with the pretty little track "Your Own Special Way", a short love song that is a definite perlude to the Genesis sound of the '80s. "Wot Gorilla?" is a short little throwaway instrumental, not much to it, but pleasant to listen to anyway. "All in a Mouse's Night" is an interesting song about a mouse hunting for food and trying to avoid the cat (I get visions of Tom and Jerry in my head whenever I hear this one - it's hard not to). After a return to the style of the first two tracks with "Blood on the Rooftops", the album finishes strong with the trio "Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers/In That Unquiet Earth/Afterglow" - these three songs blend together so well that at first listen, they seem to be one song - it reminds one of the song structure to "Supper's Ready". All good tracks, but for me, nothing comes close to "One for the Vine". The CD is worth owning for that single track alone.

After the unexpected success of the first Phil Collins-era album, 1976's 'A Trick of the Tail,' the British progressive rock band Genesis knew they needed something of at least equal caliber in order to maintain the sudden increase in the size of their fan base. Very rarely is it that a band will record and release two full-scale albums within the space of a year (fellow British progressive rock band Yes did it in 1972 with 'Fragile' and 'Close to the Edge,' and the American progressive rock band Kansas did it in 1975 with 'Song For America' and 'Masque'). There is good reason for this: Often times, the quality of the second release suffers both from the lack of time devoted to its composition and production, and from comparison to its predecessor (incidentally, this was true of Kansas, but not of Yes). Fortunately, this is not the case with 'Wind & Wuthering,' which was released in the last week of 1976 in the United States and in the beginning of 1977 in Britain. In some ways, 'Wind' is a more mature and well-developed musical statement than 'Trick.'

Let's explore that statement. The most apparent difference between 'Trick' and 'Wind' is in the overall mood of the collective whole of each album. 'Trick' is eclectic musically, whereas 'Wind' is somewhat contiguous. Specifically, 'Wind' has an autumnal or brumal cast, facilitated by the collective prowess of the band but most apparent in the treatment of keyboardist Tony Banks's Mellotron passages. On 'Trick' the Mellotron had a more vibrant, unfiltered tone. On 'Wind,' however, the Mellotron is bathed in reverberation and processed to silky smoothness; this lends a distant, more desolate tone to the majority of the album. Also significant is the inclusion of icy, neutral male background vocals. On 'Trick,' the Mellotron 8-Note Chorus was used for this effect. On 'Wind' this chorus tape set is never used. Instead, the background vocals (particularly prominent in the closing track) are used exclusively.

There are other differences, though. Steve Hackett's contributions are much less noticeable on this album than on previous efforts. Much of his playing is buried beneath Banks's synthesizers, and Hackett's normally integral songwriting offerings are more sparse. Furthermore, the band outright rejected some of his submissions, which led in part to his exodus from Genesis after this album (they would be terribly crippled by this--it seems Hackett was even more important to the band than former frontman Peter Gabriel, who left before 'Trick').

Finally, and perhaps more importantly, the lyrics on 'Wind' are, on the whole, much darker and more mature than those of 'Trick.' There is also a much greater degree of social commentary on this album, and some of it is more literal than the clever allegory and allusion found on 'Trick.' Neither approach is necessarily better than the other; indeed, the difference heightens the value of both albums symbiotically. Even so, it is worth mentioning that 'Wind' seems almost like a culmination of an artform and the sunset of an era. And, in many ways, it was. Apart from the quasi-progressive stylings of 'Duke' in 1980, 'Wind' was the last truly progressive album Genesis ever released.

The track listing, along with my comments:


1. "Eleventh Earl Of Mar" - This is one of my favorite tracks on the album. The organization of an album is important--a band will try to place the most initially appealing figures first so that prospective listeners will be captivated right from the onset. Genesis excels at this sort of thing, and they were no less successful with "Earl." An intriguing and worm-like synthesizer/organ theme repeats itself several times, with Hackett's guitar joining in for good measure. The opening sequence moves toward a dramatic swell on the Mellotron strings, followed by a chord shift. A hint of things to come appears first on the Hammond organ, and is confirmed when Collins enters with a brilliant drum fill.

The song consists of three distinct parts: The first includes the introduction and the main A and B sections, each of which is a unique and dynamic listening experience. The second part is a soft, pensive moment that contrasts the first part beautifully. The final part is a reprise of the first section, along with a conclusion (which harkens back to the introduction, expanding this theme and ending on the decay of a massive chord).

Lyrically, this song seems to tell the story of a child who loves his father despite the man's neglect of his son. The father is called to fight in a bloody and impossible war, and while he is away, he thinks about his son and some very tender moments they had spent together. At several intervals the son begs his father to promise that he will return alive from the battle. Perhaps these instances are also memories. Unfortunately, it is apparent that the father perishes in the battle, and the son's last cry to his father is unanswered, raw, and anguished.

2. "One For The Vine" - This is a return to the Genesis epic format. At exactly 10:00, this is one of the longest Genesis songs ever recorded in the Collins-era. Musically, this one is very interesting--it begins softly with Hackett's guitar and Banks's piano. The lyrics are performed in a very straightforward sort of manner, though the rhythm is often unusual. On the choruses, the first ever instance of the heavily chorused, treble-heavy effect used with wild abandon on Collins's voice in the 1980s appears. Perhaps this is to facilitate clarity, considering that Collins had at this point still not effectively mastered proper announciation. Aside from all this, a standout feature of this selection is the highly energetic solo section in the middle, which seems to induce involuntary movement in all those who listen to it. It seems almost impossible to control the impulse to just get up and move around when this section is playing; it's very uplifting and musically appealing.

Lyrically, this song is the first of the social commentaries, and it deals with the messiahdom expressed by organized religion. The story is brilliant: A fellow who is part of a group who enter battle in the name of a divinity suddenly loses faith and leaves the charge. He wanders into a mountain settlement, where he is instantly seen as "he the chosen one" by the natives. The fellow at first accepts this treatment, until he realizes this is exactly that from which he fled. At this moment, he leaves the settlement and comes upon a stream, where he can explore himself through introspective. As he returns to the plateau, he notices another large group of soldiers. He then glimpses one who leaves the group--he recognizes it as himself. And so messiahdom is cyclical.

3. "Your Own Special Way" - I'm sorry--this song is an embarrassment. It is close to the worst thing to carry the Genesis name, I believe (though of course nothing is worse than "Whodunnit" from 1981's 'Abacab'). "Way" is a disgusting, sappy pop ballad. What's more, it isn't a particularly good one, either. And it certainly doesn't belong on a progressive rock masterpiece such as 'Wind & Wuthering.' Finally (I really am giving this one a beating), though I would have to check the chronology to see which is the original source, this song sounds too much like "Endless Love" for there to have been a conincidence. It's quite obvious that one or the other was derived from whichever of the two came first.

4. "Wot Gorilla?" - This is an instrumental that has never been counted among Genesis's finest. Aurally it seems to have a jungle cast, but this seems forced. It certainly isn't a bad piece of music, but Genesis has done much better instrumentals ("Los Endos" and "Duke's Travels/Duke's End" come to mind, as well as the seventh and eighth tracks on 'Wind').

5. "All In A Mouse's Night" - This track reflects the tongue-in-cheek humor of 'Trick,' particularly "Robbery, Assault And Battery." Incidentally, "Mouse" and the latter song share the same track position on their respective albums. However, "Mouse" presents its story in a much darker, serious fashion. This, in part, contributes to the humor through irony. Musically, this song flows nicely, following a song form similar to that of the first track on the album. The song ends with a beautiful instrumental section that fades into oblivion in a stately, measured, understated manner. Hackett's guitar finds some rare glory in this section.

Lyrically, this song tells the story of a mouse that finds itself in a house where it is suddenly discovered by the owners. It escapes persecution, only to almost literally run into the cat. Assured of itself, the cat taunts the mouse long enough for an object to fall upon the cat's head, thereby allowing the mouse to escape yet again. The cat then comes up with a tall tale to excuse his failure to catch the mouse. The words may or may not have hidden meaning; perhaps the humor is solely derived from the juxtaposition of such a silly, prosaic tale with the mood of the music to which it is set.

6. "Blood On The Rooftops" - This song is a dark, brooding masterpiece. The Mellotron is used expertly to achieve just the proper effect, the synthesizers compliment the mood perfectly, and Hackett shines more brightly than at any other point in the album with an inspired, naked acousitc guitar solo at the beginning of the song. Such delicacy, coupled with such unbridled power and drive, are heard in quantities approaching those on 'Wind' virtually nowhere else in the music world, and this is exemplified by this song. The choruses are some of the most chilling, riveting moments on the album, and they, along with the remainder of the song, epitomize the aural character of the entire 'Wind & Wuthering' release.

Content-wise, this one is pretty straightforward. This song deals with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the constant coverage offered by the media. The song also hints at the impersonal aspect of this coverage and how it is proliferated in similar fashion all across the world. Classic symbols like rain and blood are used to support a somber tone in this song, which is one of Genesis's finest achievements.

7. "Unquiet Slumbers For The Sleepers..." - This is the first of two conjoined instrumentals on the album, both of which derive their names from the final sentence in the Emily Bronte novel 'Wuthering Heights' (incidentally, this is also the source for the name of the album). This instrumental is very soft and pensive; it is also the shorter of the two. The synthesizer program used for the melody is hauntingly gorgeous, almost like a cross between whistling and a beautiful soprano voice. This track segues into the second instrumental in the sequence.

8. "...In That Quiet Earth" - This is often cited as one of Genesis's finest instrumentals. It is more animated than the previous track, is composed of several different sections, and is a keyboard workout for Tony Banks. The synthesizers used here are varied and intricately-entwined. There is a sense of movement about this work, a sense that it is not the end but a means to an end. And, in that respect, such a sense proves correct. This work segues into the final track on the album.

9. "Afterglow" - There are many wonderful songs on 'Wind,' but there are some days when I consider "Afterglow" my favorite. There is so much to be said in this song, and it accomplishes it with so small a footprint (4:12) as to intensify the already electric quality of the music. The song moves along at a slow, stately, inevitable pace. Phil Collins's vocal is delivered with a bastion of emotional output rarely matched by other vocalists. The melody, a simple one, is soul-fulfilling. It's a song to sing at the end of all things, when one's world has come crashing down around him. And the ending sequence, with its myriad intricate layered vocals, is ethereal and breathtaking. The impact of these icy sustained phrases, comprised entirely of the word "Ahh!", is simply unparalled. It's the perfect ending to the album, the setting of the sun, the end of an era.


So, above all, this album is one of Genesis's finest. There are occasional weak moments, but on the whole it is a masterpiece. It is especially impactful when taken alongside 'A Trick of the Tail,' as these two albums compliment one another perfectly. Each is what the other is not, and together they run the gamut of symphonic progressive rock. I would recommend this album to fans of Genesis from all periods (both Gabriel-era and later Collins-era); it will require some acclimation, particularly for later Collins-era fans, but it is very much worth the time.

... odd that some 28 years later this, the best of all the Genesis records, should suddenly seem so of the moment and to the point. American journalists and construction workers get their heads lopped off by Islamic hate-mongers with an insatiable thirst for blood and vengeance. "For his name they could slaughter, for his name they could die..." I know what I like about this CD, always have: the melodies are not prog-rock at all, but extraordinarily well crafted vignettes whose stories deal with fundamentalist murder, the legacy of war handed down from father to son, whimsical allegory (a fat cat is killed by an avenging super-mouse), ruminations on the Middle East, love lost in an afterglow, the redemption in the heart of one who turns the world so it's facing the way that you're going. In short, all of our moments of desperation.
The musicianship positively crackles throughout. None of them would ever be this good again. "Wot gorilla?" and "Unquiet slumbers" are filled with hairpin turns and polyrhythmic shifts that only an artist at the very peak of his powers could negotiate. Banks' keyboards have a chamber like quality that set him immediately apart from all other British tinklers. Collins was still a drummer with something to prove both behind and in front of the drum kit. Rutherford was underpinning the songs and adding depth to the guitars in sublime ways, and Hacket, well, at this point, this was Hackett's band and he took them musically to where they had been striving from their inception at Charterhouse School. Plus, he penned the ultimate song that is so absolutely haunting, given the abominations run rampant as Western Civilization and Islam confront each other in this deadly Crusade to obliterate each other.
The remaster has taken what was always a sterling album and given it new life. It is a joy to listen to this again. Still what hangs with you after you have thought about all that is said is Hackett's observation:
"Seems Helen of Troy has found a new face again...."

By no means believe those that dislike this album! This is "classic rock" as in CLASSICAL music; here you can hear the results of the formal musical training of Phil, Steve, Mike,and Tony... plus all without the commercial poppy stuff that Phil starting doing with "Duke" in 1980...and if you like Phil Collins, you'll love his voice on these vocals, not to mention Phil's outstanding drumming... Those that know " A Trick of the Tail" and never heard this one are in for a treat. Turn this one up and bug your landlord with it! My favorite "Phil" Genesis.

Wind and Wuthering is one of Genesis's very best albums and it came out at the peak of the band's musical perfection. It is a much more mellow sound than we heard on previous albums but it still manages to be very exciting. It will leave you in a state of shock and awe.

Eleventh Earl of Maar starts the album off in an ominous, rumbelling way. I would go as far to say that this is the best opening in any Genesis album. This is the most energetic song on the album and it depicts the story of a Scottish Earl as told by his son. The main parts of the song were written by Mike and Tony, and the quiet middle section was Steve's. A great song all around.

One For the Vine is one of Tony Bank's greatest masterpieces. Soft yet ominous, this opus details the story of "the chosen one" though his adventures. The music is brilliantly written and preformed; Phil's vocal is perfect. For over ten minutes this song winds you on an incredible musical and lyrical journey.

Your Own Special Way is a sweet balad written by Mike Rutherford. It is superficially a simple love song, but in reality it is about a captian singing to his ship, seafaring being a common theme in Mike's work. It is a delacate and beautiful song with a very gentle and relaxing keyboard solo in the middle.

Wot Gorrilla is an instrumental bridge that follows YOSW. The song is essentially a jam in 7/8. It is nice to listen to but nothing special.

All in a Mouse's Night is another of Tony Bank's works, a somewhat comical song about a mouse excaping from humans and a cat. It's a very fun song.

Blood on the Rooftops is Steve's main album contribution, with Phil helping to write the chorus. It begins with a beautiful acoustic guitar intro and proceeds into a gental melody lamenting the sad shape of the world as seen through the TV news. A great song.

Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers In That Silent Earth is essentially one song broken into two tracks. It is probably the only Genesis song that can be classified as psychadelic. The band plays creatively and creates imaginitive imagery as the song weaves along.

And finally we come to Afterglow. Simply the most stunning and beautiful song ever written. It was created by Tony in a single stream of conciousness. It is amazingly simple yet absoultely perfect in any way. The lyrics of the song create the most beautiful poem I have ever read. It brings tears to my eyes whenever I hear it. An absolute masterpiece.


Wind & Wuthering will always hold a special place in my heart. I reccommend it to anyone who wants to hear really good and beautiful music.

The last album with Steve Hackett. Genesis would become a trio after this.

Curiously, even though everyone always talks about the departure of Peter Gabriel, the band held it together very well until Hackett departed. It wasn't until Gabriel and Hackett were gone that the band's style and direction began to change.

There's lots of vintage Genesis here again. It's a notch below Trick Of The Tail, but it's still a worthy member of the "early" Genesis catalogue.

I consider this the swan song of Genesis as we know it. This was the last album made before Steve Hackett's departure from the band, and as far as I'm concerned it's been all downhill after that as they enter their commercial "we want hit singles" stage. Not as good as Trick of the Tail, but Hackett keeps this album afloat. Blood on the Rooftops is definitely the best song of this album.

The last Genesis CD to be true to its story telling roots, with rich, detailed music laced with all the ingredients that made most people Genesis fans in the first place. From the opening attack of "11th Earl of Mar", to the closing "Unquiet Slumbers For the Sleepers/In That Quiet Earth/Afterglow", "Wind and Weathering" touches on many moods and inspirations that regretably will no longer be demonstrated on their future CDs. "Your Own Special Way" garnered pop radio play attention, but whetted Genesis record sales appetites (Collins upcoming divorce, and subsequent solo efforts would solidify the Genesis pop sound to come). This album was still a rock aberrition in the bubble gum, hard rock saturated sounds of the mid 70s. But that's what made it worth a listen. With the exception of a few ditties from the following "And Then There Were Three" CD (titled after the departure of guitarist Steve Hackett and resulting remaining number of band members) and "Duke", no future Genesis album will ever have the same character. This CD made me a Genesis fan at a time when I appreciated where they came from, and could still see remnants of their past in future CDs.