ROB GOULD AND FRIENDS PLAY… – Nursery Cryme (2023, LP+CD Fruits de Mer Records)

RELEASE INFO:

Label: Fruits de Mer Records

Format: LP, Album, Limited Edition, Brown/Grey Vinyl + CD (with 2 additional tracks)

Format: LP, Album, Very Special Limited Edition, Brown/Grey Vinyl (includes 2 bonus CDs – ‘Outtakes’ and ‘Alternative Mixes’ – housed in a wooden CD box that also (at least occasionally) played the opening bars to ‘Musical Box’ when opened), 33 copies

Release Date: 24 July 2023

So, everybody knows “Nursery Crime”, right? Everybody knows Charisma’s emblematic Genesis album from 1971… And, as you can rightly guess by the title, this is Genesis’ classic album ‘Reimagined’, you can call it a tribute if you wish so… I believe that Rob Gould needs no further introduction/recommendation, besides being a Fruits de Mer Records’ regular, he’s done such thing before, in the previous past, with Van Der Graaf Generator, releasing (through FdM of course) the album “’Rob Gould plays Pawn Hearts” in the summer of 2021. And we must not forget that Fruits de Mer is kind of ‘addictive’ to such projects/releases, they did it with The Hollies’ “Butterfly”, The Pretty Things’ “S.F. Sorrow”, Egg’s first album, and The Action’s “Rolled Gold”… This time, Genesis is the honorable band and “Nursery Crime” is the honored album. Rob roped in friends from various groups he’s been part of over the years, Jay Tausig joined the gang and Icarus Peel added some guitar flourishes – and ‘Nursery Cryme’ was recreated!

Here’s the full gang of Rob Gould and his friends:

Luiz Garcia: Backing Vocals, Electric Guitar, Lead Guitar

Gabriel Costa: Bass Guitar

Trevor Pollitt: Bass Guitar

Ricardo Martinelli Bosco (Pizza): Drum

Jay Tausig: Drums, Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, Bass Guitar

Fernando Alge: Lead Guitar

Icarus Peel: Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar

Phil Craigie: Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar

Rob Gould: Producer, Keyboards, Guitar, Backing Vocals, Musical Box, Sequencer, Artwork

Kimberly Bass: Vocals

Pete Carlyle: Vocals

And if you are wondering with “Nursery Crime” and no some other by Genesis’ iconic albums from the early 70s, then Rob is answering “Nursery Crime” has been a huge influence in me as a late-teen, and has stayed with me throughout my life as musician, as have many of the earlier Genesis albums. But it was Nursery Crime in particular that I felt I knew best, having probably listened to it more than any other; another factor in choosing it over perhaps Foxtrot or Selling England By The Pound, was it seemed (not so in hindsight) infinitely more playable than the other Genesis classics”…

All 7 songs – “The Musical Box”, “For Abscent Friends”, “The Return Of The Giant Hogweed”, “Seven Stones”, “Harold The Barrel”, “Harlequin”, “The Fountain Of Salmacis” – are wonderfully re-imagined here, perfectly ‘executed’, performed with passion and respect!
As far as for the 2 bonus tracks – “Twilight Alehouse” and “Happy The Man” – both Genesis tracks, Rob explains: “With all my keyboard and instrument parts recorded and other musicians’ parts in, edited and thrown into the mix, there were still chunks of time sat in the waiting room, waiting for an acoustic guitar track here or a bassline there, for example. So, I filled some of this time looking at other Genesis tracks; Pete Carlyle and I chatted about songs from the same period or sessions back in 70/71 and expressed a great fondness for Happy The Man – and I also had a real soft spot for Twilight Alehouse which I had on a taped video from the Belgium Musique TV show recorded in 71/72 – I think it was broadcast here in England late one night in 82 on the BBC. So it made sense to record them as bonus tracks on the CD which comes with the LP. The two songs are just me & Pete, although Luiz played some extra guitar on Twilight in the final hours before mixing”…

Well, if you’re into some good old sweet PROGRESSIVE ROCK, then this album is definitely for you. And if you are a teenager (or whatever) this release will make you go and by the first 5-6 (at least) Genesis albums! Grab it! TimeLord Michalis

Tracklist

Links

Listen / Buy through ROB GOULD Bandcamp

Check ROB GOULD Official Web

Visit ROB GOULD Facebook

Alternatively, get it through SHINY BEAST Mailorder