Trespass (1970)

Artist: Genesis
Release Year: 1970

Rating: 7/10

Track Listing: 1) Looking for Someone; 2) White Mountain; 3) Visions of Angels; 4) Stagnation; 5) Dusk; 6) The Knife.

The classic Genesis lineup had yet to coalesce in 1970, but the sound was emerging, albeit less uniformly than one would like.  The production is still strange and uneven, but Peter Gabriel's charisma makes up for that.  Right from the opening shout of "LOOKING FOR SOMEONE?!", the guy's rich, dramatic vocals draw us in, clunky song structures or no.

We get a dose of pure fantasy on "White Mountain", which is a little campy at times, and Gabriel sounds like he's struggling to hit a few of the notes.  Still, the driving power of the main melody can't be denied, and the story is interesting.  "Visions of Angels" is suitably uplifting and majestic, but regardless of how well they nail the soaring feeling in the chorus, I can't help but feel the song is a little too precious and sappy.  

Yes, it's clear throughout the album that the guys were still learning how to play prog, as the instrumental sections frequently lack the kind of dynamism needed to sustain their length.  They're rarely offensive, but boredom does set in when the same theme is repeated measure after measure.  This is less of a problem on "Looking for Someone", given the great momentum it's already picked up in the verses (and redoubles in the coda), but "Stagnation" and "Dusk" really suffer for it.  I can hardly remember anything about the sleepy "Dusk", and the same would be true of "Stagnation" if not for Peter Gabriel's fabulously desperate cries for water at the end.  If nothing else, that moment was the indication of Gabriel's potential as a frontman and showman.

But, without question, the best track on here - and one of the greatest Genesis songs ever - is "The Knife".  It's a brilliant, furious, exhilarating epic, complete with war-march verses, lyrics of passion and zealotry, an ominous, portentous flute solo, and a positively electrifying guitar solo to portray the climactic battle.  Every member is in top form here, and I daresay this song rivals even the best of the classic lineup of 1971-74.  All but the very worst records can be saved from total ruin by a song like this.  

Fortunately, of course, Trespass is far from being a bad album; in fact, I think it's underrated in its dark, wintry, atmospheric creepiness.  My previous complaints about the long stretches of monotony still stand, but there are enough fresh ideas and great moments to compensate, and the uneven character of this album would not be repeated on the following releases.