"The 70s were the golden age of big albums. In a time where music is
marketed multimedially one can hardly image what a compact work an album
was and how important the cover design was. 'Wind & Wuthering' is such an album.
"Many listeners, remarkably, have said that 'Wind & Wuthering'
is their atmospheric companion for the autumn season, though they do
not explain whether that is so because of the music or because of the
title and the cover art that goes with it. However that may be, the
album was in fact recorded in autumn, and the cover and the music go
very well with each other.
"Tax evasion leads to peculiar things, one of which was 'Wind & Wuthering'.
It is the first album the band recorded abroad. In September 1976 they
booked into the renowned Hilvaria (Relight) Studios in The Netherlands
where they would also record the album after that, 'And Then There Were Three'. Genesis took David Hentschel with them. He had already co-produced 'A Trick Of The Tail' and worked as a sound engineer on 'Nursery Cryme'.
This cooperation continued until 1980, which proves how well they
worked as a team. The band started recording with a lot of
self-confidence, for they had coped well with the departure of Peter
Gabriel and put out a really strong album with 'A Trick Of The Tail'.
The self-confidence also caused problems that prompted Steve Hackett to
leave the band after the tour. Everybody’s large output clashed with
each other, particularly Tony’s and Steve's; in the end they had to
agree on which songs would be put on the album. Thirty years later Tony
said that he felt good about Steve's input at the time, but 'I think he
said as much in various articles afterwards, that I was controlling it
too much – and he's probably right' ('Chapter & Verse', p.192).
"The opening song 'Eleventh Earl Of Mar'
is a good illustration. After a brief instrumental overture a strong,
driving beat becomes the foundation for the verse. The song has an
almost conventional structure with recurring parts were it not for the
lack of a proper chorus. 'Eleventh Earl Of Mar'
tells the story of the Jacobite uprising in the Highlands in 1715. It
is narrated from the point of view of a child that hears the story from
its father. The vocal rendition is particularly effective when you
listen to the part where the (presumable) son urges the father to read
on. You can almost feel the excited begging. The dream has also found a
proper musical equivalent that interrupts the composition with a very
calm passage. Steve's nylon guitar takes the lead role in this part. It
also reveals the full strength of the band: They have found a great way
to put the story to music and create, as it were, a fantastic film for
the ears.
"'One For The Vine' keeps up the
momentum. It is an epic longtrack that flows along calmly despite its
complex rendition. It is a typical Banks song full of changes in
harmonies, peculiar time signatures and unusual chords. Tony had chosen a
peculiar sequence. The individual parts are finished completely before
the next part is introduced by a brief theme on the piano or the guitar.
The band dispensed with transitions, as it were, in these places. They
found it rather difficult to find a proper arrangement for the song, and
that is not surprising if you examine the sheet music. The mood of the
song resembles 'Mad Man Moon' from their previous album. The story, however, fits 'Eleventh Earl Of Mar',
for here again is someone else who sends a host of people to
destruction. The deeper focus of the song is on the fatal seduction of
the masses. In 2008 Phil Collins said in an interview that they had the
impression that not everybody did understand everything, every word in
our songs, so the image was added to make the emotional character of our
songs come out clearer ('Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung', 04/06/2008). The German print of the album actually had lyrics sheets with a translation.
"The song seems like a classical piano ballad that takes a rough turn in
its third part and suddenly switches to a fusion-like theme in 5/4. It
is a funny idea and shows their talent for sophisticated composition and
clever inventions. The most brilliant thing is the fact that they kept
this song together as a harmonious unit despite this contrast and the
fragmentation mentioned above.
"'Your Own Special Way' was probably intended as a contrast for the melancholic, demanding 'One For The Vine'.
It is a comparatively light-footed catchy song, and therefore became
the only single from the album. Though it did not exceedingly well it
did show that this band was capable of moving into the mainstream and
writing big commercial hits. 'Wind & Wuthering' showcases the compositional style of the individual band members, and 'Your Own Special Way' is
obviously Mike’s baby. Many fans dislike the song because it songs
quite bombastic. It is a song about being together, but the word love is
carefully avoided. Mike wrapped it all up in a lyrical text rich with
metaphors. Despite the musical preferences one has to admit the song has
qualities. It is consistent, accessible and has lyrics like a poem.
"If 'Your Own Special Way' is Mike's thing then 'Wot Gorilla?'
demonstrates Phil’s penchant for jazz rock. This one is a very lively
piece of music that is ever so slightly over the top. Tony Banks, who
co-wrote the song, adds some classical music to it by inserting chord
changes that resembles baroque organ compositions. Despite some
subliminal grumbling the band, ironically, stick to a simple 4/4 full of
joy of playing. It sometimes occurs to the reviewer that the band tried
to put all the vivacity of a Cinema Show live version into a studio recording.
"Festive organ sounds mark the beginning of 'All In A Mouse’s Night', the first song on the second side of the album. The title indicates that we are told a fable. Just like 'Eleventh Earl Of Mar'
this song has, despite repeating parts, no classical song structure,
but it is a well-rounded, coherent song that ends in a majestic moral.
Tongue-in-cheek humour luckily saves the lyrics from embarrassing
pathos. The music lives off the contrast between verse-like thin parts
and rich symphonic parts. This change in dynamics provides the tension
the lyrics demand with their cat-and-mouse game. Steve adds a nervous
ambient sound of scratching, wafting sounds in the quiet parts. The
unorthodox use of the guitar and the complete lack of rock clichés show
just how important Steve was for early Genesis, and a song like 'Blood On The Rooftops' illustrates the options the band lost when he left the band.
"Classical guitar creates a lovely melancholy and leads the listener
imperceptibly into the vocals. These stay close to the guitar line,
melting into a perfect unity. 'Day and grey, and English film, the
Wednesday play.' We immerse in the scene and are taken to England. The
contrast between drab reality and shiny world of American movies becomes
a listening experience. Phil and Steve work together perfectly. Steve
provided melancholic verses, and Phil added a big chorus to it. Many
fans consider 'Blood On The Rooftops' a highlight on 'Wind & Wuthering'.
"'Unquiet Slumbers For The Sleepers' continues in this vein. The brief instrumental recall the musical interludes on 'The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway'.
Steve’s floating nylon guitar and Tony’s almost whistling synth create a
magic, otherworldly atmosphere. Slowly we float into the next song that
is going full steam ahead. 'In That Quiet Earth' is a lively, sometimes hectic instrumental, a bit like 'Duke's Travels'. 'In That Quiet Earth' is the only song on 'Wind & Wuthering'
that was written by whole band, and it proves how competent the band
have become. Each musician has his opportunity to shine without
overshadowing the others. They confidently create musical tensions and
make good use from the large store of compositional options. Genesis
have become a mature group who know what they want. They utilize the
dramatic, wild element of the song to arrive on the spot in the relaxed,
almost soulful mood of 'Afterglow'.
"The effect of that was so great that they would use it live for the next ten years. Though 'In That Quiet Earth' may be replaced be other songs (e.g. in the 'Old Medley') the releasing effect of 'Afterglow' remained – it became a live classic. Tony explained that he had written it spontaneously: 'I wrote [Afterglow]
pretty much in the time it takes to play it, and consequently [it] has a
spirit about it that comes from being less contrived.' ('Chapter & Verse', p. 177). One will hardly find a better description for 'Afterglow'.
It hovers along weightlessly, gains substance and finally towers like a
thundercloud grown from a gentle shroud of clouds. Phil proves how much
he has grown as a singer, how much strength there is in his initially
fragile voice. From here on, Genesis songs do not aim at the brain, but
at the heart. This ever increasing and intensifying finale leaves the
listener with the impression of a dignified, almost august album. If you
compare 'Wind & Wuthering' with its predecessor, 'A Trick Of The Tail',
you will realize that this album was arranged very neatly without any
frills. It is less romantic, less gentle than its predecessor, but it
makes up for it with power and a sense of adventure. Genesis still tell
their stories, but they have already turned their eyes towards a
brighter, more streamlined future. With the last notes of 'Afterglow' ends a book that began with the words 'Looking For Someone' and spanned seven years full of glorious tales." (Robert Krauskopf, tr. Martin Klinkhardt. From the Genesis News website. See here.)
A1. Eleventh Earl Of Mar
A2. One For The Vine
A3. Your Own Special Way
A4. Wot Gorilla?
B1. All In A Mouse's Night
B2. Blood On The Rooftops
B3. 'Unquiet Slumber For The Sleepers...
B4. ...In That Quiet Earth'
B5. Afterglow
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