Thursday 22 December 2016

Stagnation (Genesis, 1970)

"Trespass" surely is one of the most underrated albums in the history of prog. Rough and not especially well produced as it is, this pastoral beauty includes all the main features of the so called Genesis sound. "Stagnation", in particular, has the delicate and folky taste of Ant Phillips-inspired works and the diversified and eclectic structure of a true progressive masterpiece, set up by all the members of the band. The dark tones of this song match with the lyrics about a rich man (called Thomas S. Eidelberg) who decided to bury himself in an underground refuge and turned up as the only human survivor after an atomic catastrophe.

Inside the gatefold album cover... a musical Wonderland.

The song has a slightly crescendo structure, with  an acoustic and mellow first part and a more symphonic and lively second section. As a matter of fact, the successful mix of instruments is one of the highlights of "Stagnation", including flute, 12-string guitar, acoustic and electric guitar, a good choice of keyboards and some beautiful vocal harmonies. And - last but not least - this track also spreads a wondrous scent of old...

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