English 
Italiano 
GENESIS, NURSERY CRYME
The Famous Charisma Label 1971
With the release of Trespass, Genesis in 1970 received the first compliments from the British music press and cemented the association with Tony Stratton-Smith’a Charisma. Only sold six thousand copies of the album had been sold, but for a debut – if you do not take into account the bitter From Genesis To Revelation published by Decca – you could be content.
Immediately, however, a big problem appeared. Anthony Phillips, one of the pillars of the group, made a decision to abandon the world of rock along with the stress from live shows. Also drummer John Mayhew, who never mixed with the other members of the group, left (or was asked to leave; we could argue on this matter). Genesis then, with an album of important assets and with the need to write and record material for a new LP, found themselves in the difficult position of having to introduce two new components.
They were very lucky because they recruited two members that would prove to be more than deserving of the honour of which they were given: Steve Hackett on guitar (ex Quiet World) and Phil Collins on drums (ex Flaming Youth).
The “new” Genesis set about with determination and new hope for the composition of material for the new album. An album that would be created during a monastic retreat in the rural Crowborough and then recorded in August at the Trident studios in London.Nursery Cryme will be released 12th November, 1971 with a great Victorian-Gothic cover painted by Paul Whitehead, which illustrates a number of themes present on the album.The disc is one of the most beautiful in the history of progressive rock and contains not only the pearl of Genesis, The Musical Box that is still idolised and is a touchstone that for many subsequent years others in romantic rock could not even relate to.
But what happened when the record was released that gray November? Nothing, the British press greeted it very coldly and labeled it a stagnant job, folded on the previous Trespass.The only one who spoke good was Keith Emerson in the columns of Melody Maker, but was accused of being biased: his Nice had newly joined Charisma. Tony Stratton-Smith did not like it either. Even Tony Banks proved to be disappointed with the artistic result and Phil Collins, in the documentary Genesis Story, he says that pretty much only the Italians liked that record.
And do you know how many copies could be sold after its release? Six thousand, just like Trespass with the difference that Nursery Cryme was no longer a debut. A flop. A disaster.
Luckily, the band began the European tour that saved them. And we Italians did splash the album with the ominous Cynthia on the cover and created by a group of English strangers in their twenties, directly to the fourth place in the standings.
The rest is history.
