Nursery Cryme (1971) – Genesis

In November 1971, Genesis released Nursery Cryme, their third studio album and a turning point in their musical evolution. It marked the arrival of guitarist Steve Hackett and drummer Phil Collins, whose contributions would shape the band’s signature progressive rock sound.

The Album: Genesis Breaks New Ground

Recorded primarily at Trident Studios, London, and produced by John Anthony, Nursery Cryme faced challenges in capturing its ambitious sonic palette. The band even rented George Martin’s AIR Studios for certain parts to address technical hurdles with the Mellotron. The resulting album blends Victorian storytelling, dark humor, and mythological themes, packaged within an iconic album cover by Paul Whitehead. Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, the artwork sets the perfect tone for the surreal tales contained within.

Peter Gabriel later reflected on the album’s production:
“A step into the shade if you like. There’s more sun shining in Trespass, more sort of folky fields and outside stuff, and we’ gone indoors on Nursery Cryme.”¹

Tracklist:

1. The Musical Box (10:25)
2. For Absent Friends (1:48)
3. The Return Of The Giant Hogweed (8:09)
4. Seven Stones (5:08)
5. Harold The Barrel (3:01)
6. Harlequin (2:56)
7. The Fountain Of Salmacis (8:02)

Chart Performance and Legacy

While Nursery Cryme only reached #39 on the UK charts, it gained significant traction in Italy, climbing to #4. The album’s imaginative themes and intricate arrangements made it a cult favorite among progressive rock fans. Though it didn’t receive the same attention as contemporaneous releases like Led Zeppelin’s IV, tracks such as “The Musical Box” showcased Genesis’s growing ability to create multi-layered compositions that rivaled their peers.

Track Highlights

The Musical Box

The album is perhaps best known for its centerpiece, The Musical Box. As the opening track, it encapsulates Genesis’s penchant for complex storytelling, dramatic dynamics, and a fusion of classical and rock influences. The song’s origins stretch back to 1969, when Anthony Phillips and Mike Rutherford first sketched out its foundation. Though Steve Hackett didn’t contribute to the songwriting, his guitar work enhanced the track, showcasing his innovative techniques—like his pioneering use of two-handed tapping—and adding emotional depth.

The Dark Tale of The Musical Box

This dramatic epic begins with an acoustic lullaby before plunging into a Victorian tale of love, death, and repressed desires.

The lyrics, penned by Peter Gabriel, weave a haunting and surreal narrative. It tells the story of Henry and Cynthia, two children playing croquet, when Cynthia accidentally decapitates Henry with her mallet. Later, Henry’s spirit returns through a Victorian musical box, aging rapidly and unleashing decades of pent-up desires. Gabriel’s theatrical flair later brought the story to life in live performances, donning an old-man mask to embody Henry’s desperate cries for youth and intimacy.

Musically, The Musical Box exemplifies progressive rock through its dynamic shifts, intricate arrangements, and classical influences. Opening with a delicate interplay of acoustic and electric guitars, it transitions into intense crescendos and heavy instrumental clashes, mirroring the protagonist’s emotional turmoil. Hackett’s pioneering tapping technique foreshadowed innovations later popularized by guitarists like Eddie Van Halen. The interplay of the band members is striking: Hackett’s soaring guitar solos, Tony Banks’s majestic organ, and Collins’s dynamic drumming create an atmosphere of both beauty and menace. The final section, driven by Gabriel’s impassioned vocals, builds to an exhilarating climax that mirrors Henry’s turmoil.

The collaboration between Hackett and Tony Banks shines here, with alternating solos and harmonies creating a lush sonic tapestry. Gabriel’s theatrical performance—later enhanced by his use of costumes—turned The Musical Box into a centerpiece of the band’s live shows. Banks remarked on the song’s importance:
“It sends shivers down your spine when you hear it. It builds and builds and builds to this kind of pseudo-classical ending, which was fun to do. The beginning and the end are the key of the song, some of the middle stuff could have been different, but they are crucial.”²

This track is not just a standout moment on Nursery Cryme but also a cornerstone of Genesis’s live shows during the early 1970s. The Belgium TV performance in 1972, where the band performed The Musical Box alongside other tracks like The Return of the Giant Hogweed and The Fountain of Salmacis, is a testament to their artistry and theatricality.

For Absent Friends

Phil Collins’s First Lead Vocal

While The Musical Box dominates the album, Nursery Cryme also highlights quieter, more experimental moments. A quiet, heartfelt ballad, For Absent Friends is a gentle acoustic piece penned by Hackett, showcasing his love for 12-string guitars. It is notable as the first Genesis track to feature Phil Collins on lead vocals, hinting at his future role as a frontman. Written by Collins and Hackett, this Beatles-inspired piece captures the poignancy of everyday moments, hinting at the emotional depth the band would explore in later works.

The Return Of The Giant Hogweed

Equal parts satire and drama, this track chronicles the invasion of a toxic plant brought from Russia by Victorian explorers. The interplay between Hackett’s soaring guitar and Banks’s Mellotron creates an apocalyptic soundscape that perfectly matches the song’s dark humor.

Seven Stones

A contemplative piece by Tony Banks, “Seven Stones” reflects on chance and fate. Its melancholic mood and orchestral feel exemplify Banks’s influence on the band’s sound, even as his “music-hall” chords posed challenges for his bandmates.

Harold The Barrel

Gabriel’s humor takes center stage in this surreal and satirical mini-drama about a man driven to desperate acts. With playful wordplay and theatrical vocals, the track showcases Genesis’s lighter side.

Harlequin

A delicate and understated piece, Harlequin offers a gentle interlude amidst the album’s dramatic highs. Featuring pastoral acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies by Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, the song evokes a serene, dreamlike quality. Its impressionistic lyrics and soft, folky tone contrast with the album’s more intense moments, showcasing Genesis’s ability to weave beauty into their progressive tapestry. Though less prominent in live performances, Harlequin adds a reflective dimension to Nursery Cryme, balancing its theatrical and mythological themes.

The Fountain of Salmacis

Closing the album with grandeur, this track retells the myth of Hermaphroditus and Salmacis. Hackett’s “shimmering, liquid” guitar work and Banks’s Mellotron create an otherworldly atmosphere. Despite technical challenges during recording, the result is one of the band’s most evocative early pieces.

Collins remembers the process of recording ‘The Fountain of Salmacis’ as a prime example of how Genesis recorded at that time: “The idea would be to do a take where we all played well and by the time you get to 32 takes, no one’s playing well and everybody’s watching what they do, because they don’t want to make a mistake. So, we get that far and I’m of course well past my best.” A drummer’s best take is usually the second or third take, sometimes even the first. However, after having played 31 or 32 takes together, the rest of the band started to replay their parts individually. “And I was stuck with my 31^st take. I always resented that. Nowadays with computers you can do whatever you want, but back then it was the drummer who was stuck with whatever he did. But anyway, forgive and forget. Or at least pretend to.“³

Impact and Performances

Nursery Cryme introduced fans to the theatrical flair Genesis would become famous for. During live performances of The Musical Box, Peter Gabriel shocked audiences by donning costumes, a move that initially unsettled his bandmates but ultimately catapulted Genesis to the front pages of music magazines like Melody Maker.

The album also solidified their reputation in Italy, leading to a surge in European popularity. The band performed songs from Nursery Cryme on Belgian television and embarked on tours that hinted at the larger venues they would soon command.

Cultural Context

The album’s Victorian aesthetic and themes of transgression resonated with countercultural critiques of authority in the early 1970s. Yet, rather than offering overt social commentary, Genesis crafted “tangled tales and mythologies” that challenged conventional morality without prescribing alternatives, positioning Nursery Cryme as a timeless piece of musical storytelling.

Theatrical and Humorous Epics

With Nursery Cryme, Genesis began their ascent into the pantheon of progressive rock legends. The album’s blend of intricate compositions, evocative storytelling, and theatrical presentation set the stage for their future masterpieces. Tracks like The Musical Box didn’t just reflect the band’s artistry—they shaped the very definition of progressive rock. Hackett’s contributions introduced his signature guitar techniques, while Collins debuted as a lead vocalist on “For Absent Friends”.

Genesis’s penchant for storytelling is further evident in The Return of the Giant Hogweed, a darkly humorous tale of an invasive plant threatening humanity. This track encapsulates the band’s love for eccentric narratives and complex arrangements. Alongside the whimsical menace of Hogweed, the album’s closing track, The Fountain of Salmacis, draws on classical mythology, spinning the tale of Hermaphroditus and the nymph Salmacis into a symphonic rock masterpiece.

Legacy

Nursery Cryme stands as a vital chapter in Genesis’s evolution. While it wasn’t an immediate commercial breakthrough, its bold storytelling, complex arrangements, and experimental spirit paved the way for the band’s future success. Tracks like The Musical Box and The Fountain Of Salmacis remain iconic, capturing the essence of early progressive rock.

Tony Banks summed it up best:
“The certain quality of what people came to think of that early Genesis sound very much started with with this album probably more than with the previous one.”⁴

What are your favorite memories of Nursery Cryme? Let us know in the comments below!

Sources

Nursery Cryme Reissues Interview 2007.

PHIL COLLINS MY DRUMMING ON GENESIS ‘LAMB’ ALBUM WAS INSPIRED BY JOHN BONHAM OF LED ZEPPELIN.

TONY BANKS UNFILTERED: GENESIS KEYBOARD PLAYER & COMPOSER IN CONVERSATION . FULL.. 1 Hour 53 Mins.

Footnotes

1. Nursery Cryme Reissues Interview 2007. ↩︎
2. TONY BANKS UNFILTERED: GENESIS KEYBOARD PLAYER & COMPOSER IN CONVERSATION . FULL.. 1 Hour 53 Mins. ↩︎
3. PHIL COLLINS MY DRUMMING ON GENESIS ‘LAMB’ ALBUM WAS INSPIRED BY JOHN BONHAM OF LED ZEPPELIN. ↩︎
4. Nursery Cryme Reissues Interview 2007. ↩︎