Nursery Cryme
Encyclopedia
Nursery Cryme is the third studio album by Genesis
and was recorded and released in 1971. It is also the first album to feature the classic five-piece line-up of Peter Gabriel
, Tony Banks
, Mike Rutherford
, Phil Collins
and Steve Hackett
; the latter two replacing John Mayhew and Anthony Phillips
, on drums and guitar respectively, in 1970 and 1971. This line-up remained consistent until A Trick of the Tail
, when Phil Collins became lead singer instead of Peter Gabriel after his departure from the band in 1975.
The album also marked the beginning of a steady, cohesive line-up for Genesis.
, the preceding Genesis album, Nursery Cryme was recorded at London's famous Trident Studios
. Trident was one of only a handful of British studios to have 16-track equipment, which was state of the art for the time.
For some time before Hackett's recruitment, Genesis had performed live as a four-piece, with Banks substituting for guitar by playing lead solos on his Hohner
"Pianet
" electric piano, played through a fuzz box. This technique can be heard on "The Musical Box" and the intro to "The Return of the Giant Hogweed". In addition, the band purchased their own Mellotron
Mark II (from King Crimson
). Banks employed the Mk II "three violins" sound in "The Fountain Of Salmacis" and "Seven Stones", while the climax of "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" uses fuzzed Mk. II "combined brass". Rutherford also began using the standalone electronic bass pedal unit Dewtron "Mister Bassman".
called "F#" (later released as "Manipulation" on the Box Set remaster). The lyrics are based on a Victorian fairy story written by Gabriel, about two children in a country house. The girl, Cynthia, kills the boy, Henry, by removing his head with a croquet
mallet. She later discovers Henry's musical box
. When she opens it, Henry returns as a spirit, and starts aging very quickly. This causes him to experience a lifetime's sexual desires in a few moments, and he tries to persuade Cynthia to have sexual intercourse
with him. However, his nurse arrives and throws the musical box at him, destroying them both. The album cover shows Cynthia holding a croquet mallet, with a few heads lying on the ground.
In live performances, Peter Gabriel would wear an "old man" mask for the final verse and unzip the chest part of his black jumpsuit. Dramatic lighting
would be used each time he shouted "NOW!" "The Musical Box" was featured in their live repertoire right up to Phil Collins
' departure after the We Can't Dance
tour in 1992, albeit with only the closing section being included as part of a medley.
A Genesis tribute band, The Musical Box
, is named after the song.
"For Absent Friends" is a song about two widows going to church and praying for their deceased husbands. It is the first song by the band to feature drummer Phil Collins
as the lead vocalist and was the first song written by the new members Collins and Steve Hackett
within the band context. Progressive death metal band Opeth
wrote a short instrumental with the same name, as a tribute to Genesis on their 2002 release, Deliverance. Guitarist Steve Hackett
recorded a waltz
version of the song for Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited
, with vocals by Colin Blunstone
.
The lyrics to "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" tell an apocalyptic story about a "regal hogweed" being brought from Russia by a Victorian
explorer to the Royal Gardens at Kew
. The inspiration for this story is a large, phototoxic
weed, Heracleum mantegazzianum
, which poses a hazard in the United Kingdom and other countries. The song was a staple of Genesis' live performances.
"The Fountain of Salmacis" tells the story of the nymph
Salmacis
, who in Greek mythology
attempted to rape Hermaphroditus
. In the story Salmacis and Hermaphroditus become joined as one, which is mirrored in the lyrics where Peter Gabriel
sings "We shall be joined as one." Pete Lazonby
used a sample of the song for the 1994 trance
track Sacred Cycles.
"Harold the Barrel" tells the story of a restaurant owner who commits suicide. The song suddenly dies to a droning whisper at the end, symbolising Harold's sudden death. The meaning of the title is unclear, since the song has nothing to do with barrels, and Harold himself is not a barrel.
. Whitehead was also responsible for the artwork on Genesis Trespass
and Foxtrot
albums.
in the U.S. were distributed by Buddah Records
.
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
and was recorded and released in 1971. It is also the first album to feature the classic five-piece line-up of Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
, Tony Banks
Tony Banks (musician)
This article is about the musician. For other people named Tony Banks, see Tony BanksAnthony George "Tony" Banks is a British composer, and multi-instrumentalist, who performs as a keyboardist and a guitarist...
, Mike Rutherford
Mike Rutherford
Michael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford is an English musician. He is a founding member of Genesis, initially as a bassist and backup vocalist. In later incarnations of Genesis, he assumed the role of lead guitarist. He is one of only two constant members in Genesis . He also fronts Mike + The...
, Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
and Steve Hackett
Steve Hackett
Stephen Richard Hackett is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. He gained prominence as a member of the British progressive rock group Genesis, which he joined in 1970 and left in 1977 to pursue a solo career...
; the latter two replacing John Mayhew and Anthony Phillips
Anthony Phillips
Anthony Edwin "Ant" Phillips is an English multi instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of the band Genesis. He played guitar and sang backing vocals until leaving in 1970, following the recording of their second album, Trespass...
, on drums and guitar respectively, in 1970 and 1971. This line-up remained consistent until A Trick of the Tail
A Trick of the Tail
-B Side:*This is the first song in the Genesis catalogue to feature an ellipsis in its name, used to convey the mysteriousness of the track. All future issues of this track omit the elipsis, however....
, when Phil Collins became lead singer instead of Peter Gabriel after his departure from the band in 1975.
Album history
Although not a success upon release in their homeland, Nursery Cryme became an unexpected hit in Italy, reaching number 4 in the LP charts – spurring on Genesis' European success—with the album eventually reaching No.39 in the UK charts for one week in May 1974, and the re-issue reached No.68 for one week in March 1984.The album also marked the beginning of a steady, cohesive line-up for Genesis.
Sound
Like TrespassTrespass (album)
Trespass is the second studio album by Genesis and was recorded and released in 1970. Their last with guitarist Anthony Phillips, Trespass had a folk-flavoured progressive rock sound that was a marked departure from their earlier work....
, the preceding Genesis album, Nursery Cryme was recorded at London's famous Trident Studios
Trident Studios
Trident Studios was a British recording facility, originally located at 17 St. Anne's Court in London's Soho district. It was constructed in 1967 by Norman Sheffield a drummer of former 1960's group The Hunters and his Brother Barry....
. Trident was one of only a handful of British studios to have 16-track equipment, which was state of the art for the time.
For some time before Hackett's recruitment, Genesis had performed live as a four-piece, with Banks substituting for guitar by playing lead solos on his Hohner
Hohner
Hohner Musikinstrumente GmbH & Co. KG is a company specialising in the manufacture of musical instruments. Founded in 1857 by Matthias Hohner , Hohner is identified especially with harmonicas and accordions. The Hohner company has invented and produced many different styles, and most of the...
"Pianet
Pianet
thumb|Hohner Pianet TThe Pianet was a series of electric pianos built by the Hohner company of Trossingen, West Germany from the 1960s to the 1970s. The designer of the early Pianet models was Ernst Zacharias, basing the mechanism closely on a 1920s design by Lloyd Loar...
" electric piano, played through a fuzz box. This technique can be heard on "The Musical Box" and the intro to "The Return of the Giant Hogweed". In addition, the band purchased their own Mellotron
Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
Mark II (from King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
). Banks employed the Mk II "three violins" sound in "The Fountain Of Salmacis" and "Seven Stones", while the climax of "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" uses fuzzed Mk. II "combined brass". Rutherford also began using the standalone electronic bass pedal unit Dewtron "Mister Bassman".
Songs
Though credited solely to Banks/Collins/Gabriel/Hackett/Rutherford, "The Musical Box" began as an instrumental piece written by Anthony PhillipsAnthony Phillips
Anthony Edwin "Ant" Phillips is an English multi instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of the band Genesis. He played guitar and sang backing vocals until leaving in 1970, following the recording of their second album, Trespass...
called "F#" (later released as "Manipulation" on the Box Set remaster). The lyrics are based on a Victorian fairy story written by Gabriel, about two children in a country house. The girl, Cynthia, kills the boy, Henry, by removing his head with a croquet
Croquet
Croquet is a lawn game, played both as a recreational pastime and as a competitive sport. It involves hitting plastic or wooden balls with a mallet through hoops embedded into the grass playing court.-History:...
mallet. She later discovers Henry's musical box
Musical box
A music box is a 19th century automatic musical instrument that produces sounds by the use of a set of pins placed on a revolving cylinder or disc so as to pluck the tuned teeth of a steel comb. They were developed from musical snuff boxes of the 18th century and called carillons à musique...
. When she opens it, Henry returns as a spirit, and starts aging very quickly. This causes him to experience a lifetime's sexual desires in a few moments, and he tries to persuade Cynthia to have sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
with him. However, his nurse arrives and throws the musical box at him, destroying them both. The album cover shows Cynthia holding a croquet mallet, with a few heads lying on the ground.
In live performances, Peter Gabriel would wear an "old man" mask for the final verse and unzip the chest part of his black jumpsuit. Dramatic lighting
Lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...
would be used each time he shouted "NOW!" "The Musical Box" was featured in their live repertoire right up to Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
' departure after the We Can't Dance
We Can't Dance
Rolling Stone chiefly commented on the album's lyrics. They criticized "Tell Me Why" and "Way of the World" for being soulless and impersonal social commentaries, but regarded most of songs as outstanding, and summarized "Although We Can't Dance doesn't quite achieve the vulnerable grace of Duke or...
tour in 1992, albeit with only the closing section being included as part of a medley.
A Genesis tribute band, The Musical Box
The Musical Box (band)
The Musical Box is a prominent Genesis tribute band.-Covering the Peter Gabriel era of Genesis:Taking their name from the 1971 track of the same name, The Musical Box formed in Montreal, Quebec in 1993 to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the 1973 album Selling England by the Pound...
, is named after the song.
"For Absent Friends" is a song about two widows going to church and praying for their deceased husbands. It is the first song by the band to feature drummer Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
as the lead vocalist and was the first song written by the new members Collins and Steve Hackett
Steve Hackett
Stephen Richard Hackett is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. He gained prominence as a member of the British progressive rock group Genesis, which he joined in 1970 and left in 1977 to pursue a solo career...
within the band context. Progressive death metal band Opeth
Opeth
Opeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years...
wrote a short instrumental with the same name, as a tribute to Genesis on their 2002 release, Deliverance. Guitarist Steve Hackett
Steve Hackett
Stephen Richard Hackett is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. He gained prominence as a member of the British progressive rock group Genesis, which he joined in 1970 and left in 1977 to pursue a solo career...
recorded a waltz
Waltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
version of the song for Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited
Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited
Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited was a project put together by Steve Hackett to pay tribute to his former band Genesis. It features songs originally released by Genesis during Hackett's tenure with the group...
, with vocals by Colin Blunstone
Colin Blunstone
Colin Blunstone is an English pop singer-songwriter, best known as a member of the pop group The Zombies, and for his participation on various albums with The Alan Parsons Project.-Biography:...
.
The lyrics to "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" tell an apocalyptic story about a "regal hogweed" being brought from Russia by a Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
explorer to the Royal Gardens at Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
. The inspiration for this story is a large, phototoxic
Phototoxic
Phototoxicity is a chemically induced skin irritation requiring light . The skin response resembles an exaggerated sunburn. The involved chemical may enter into the skin by topical administration or it may reach the skin via systemic circulation following ingestion or parenteral administration...
weed, Heracleum mantegazzianum
Giant Hogweed
Heracleum mantegazzianum, commonly known as giant hogweed, cartwheel-flower, wild parsnip, wild rhubarb, giant cow parsnip, or giant cow parsley, is a plant in the family Apiaceae. It typically grows to heights of , sometimes reaching...
, which poses a hazard in the United Kingdom and other countries. The song was a staple of Genesis' live performances.
"The Fountain of Salmacis" tells the story of the nymph
Nymph
A nymph in Greek mythology is a female minor nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. Different from gods, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing;...
Salmacis
Salmacis
In Greek mythology, Salmacis was an atypical naiad who rejected the ways of the virginal Greek goddess Artemis in favour of vanity and idleness. Her attempted rape of Hermaphroditus places her as the only nymph rapist in the Greek mythological canon ."There dwelt a Nymph, not up for hunting or...
, who in Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
attempted to rape Hermaphroditus
Hermaphroditus
In Greek mythology, Hermaphroditus or Hermaphroditos was the child of Aphrodite and Hermes. He was a minor deity of bisexuality and effeminacy. According to Ovid, born a remarkably handsome boy, he was transformed into an androgynous being by union with the water nymph Salmacis...
. In the story Salmacis and Hermaphroditus become joined as one, which is mirrored in the lyrics where Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
sings "We shall be joined as one." Pete Lazonby
Pete Lazonby
Pete Lazonby is a record producer best known for his singles "Sacred Cycles" released on Hooj Choons and "Wavespeech" released on Brainiak Records. They were featured on many compilation albums including those in the Global Underground series....
used a sample of the song for the 1994 trance
Trance
Trance denotes a variety of processes, ecstasy, techniques, modalities and states of mind, awareness and consciousness. Trance states may occur involuntarily and unbidden.The term trance may be associated with meditation, magic, flow, and prayer...
track Sacred Cycles.
"Harold the Barrel" tells the story of a restaurant owner who commits suicide. The song suddenly dies to a droning whisper at the end, symbolising Harold's sudden death. The meaning of the title is unclear, since the song has nothing to do with barrels, and Harold himself is not a barrel.
Reception
Track listing
Personnel
- Peter GabrielPeter GabrielPeter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
– lead vocals, fluteWestern concert fluteThe Western concert flute is a transverse woodwind instrument made of metal or wood. It is the most common variant of the flute. A musician who plays the flute is called a flautist, flutist, or flute player.... - Steve HackettSteve HackettStephen Richard Hackett is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist. He gained prominence as a member of the British progressive rock group Genesis, which he joined in 1970 and left in 1977 to pursue a solo career...
– electric guitar, 12 string guitar - Tony BanksTony Banks (musician)This article is about the musician. For other people named Tony Banks, see Tony BanksAnthony George "Tony" Banks is a British composer, and multi-instrumentalist, who performs as a keyboardist and a guitarist...
– organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, MellotronMellotronThe Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
, piano, electric pianoElectric pianoAn electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented...
, 12 string guitar, vocals - Mike RutherfordMike RutherfordMichael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford is an English musician. He is a founding member of Genesis, initially as a bassist and backup vocalist. In later incarnations of Genesis, he assumed the role of lead guitarist. He is one of only two constant members in Genesis . He also fronts Mike + The...
– bass, bass pedalsBass pedalsBass pedals are an electronic musical instrument with foot-operated pedal keyboard with a range of one or more octaves. The earliest bass pedals from the 1970s consisted of a pedalboard and analog synthesizer tone generation circuitry packaged together as a unit...
, 12 string guitar, vocals - Phil CollinsPhil CollinsPhilip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
– drums, vocals, percussion, lead vocal (uncredited) on "For Absent Friends"
Artwork
The albums' artwork, which depicts scenes from each song, was painted by Paul WhiteheadPaul Whitehead
Paul Whitehead is a painter and graphic artist known for his surrealistic album covers for artists on the Charisma Records label in the 1970s, such as Genesis and Van der Graaf Generator.-England: Liberty Records and Charisma Records:...
. Whitehead was also responsible for the artwork on Genesis Trespass
Trespass (album)
Trespass is the second studio album by Genesis and was recorded and released in 1970. Their last with guitarist Anthony Phillips, Trespass had a folk-flavoured progressive rock sound that was a marked departure from their earlier work....
and Foxtrot
Foxtrot (album)
Foxtrot is the fourth studio album by English progressive rock band Genesis and the second from the band line-up which included Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins, and Steve Hackett.-History:...
albums.
Release history
All releases of Nursery Cryme on Charisma RecordsCharisma Records
Charisma was a record label founded by former journalist Tony Stratton-Smith in 1969. Manager for The Nice, the Bonzo Dog Band and Van der Graaf Generator at the time, Stratton-Smith was unable to find a record company willing to release an album by one of his favourite groups so he founded his own...
in the U.S. were distributed by Buddah Records
Buddah Records
Buddah Records was founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's founding...
.
U.S. LP releases
- Charisma Records CAS-1052 (1971): 1st issue with large "Mad HatterMad HatterHatta, the Hatter is a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the story's sequel, Through the Looking-Glass. He is often referred to as the Mad Hatter, though this term was never used by Carroll...
" label design. Gatefold cover. - Charisma Records CAS-1052 (1973): 2nd issue with "pink scroll" label. No gatefold cover.
- Charisma Records CAS-1052 (1974): 3rd issue with small "Mad Hatter" label. No gatefold cover.
- AtlanticAtlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
80030-1 (1982): Reissue with no gatefold cover