Trespass (album)
Encyclopedia
Trespass is the second studio album by Genesis
and was recorded and released in 1970. Their last with guitarist Anthony Phillips
, Trespass had a folk-flavoured progressive rock
sound that was a marked departure from their earlier work.
The compositions were generally much longer and more complex than those on Genesis's first album, and the recordings have a muted, pastoral sound. The band was unhappy with John Mayhew's drumming skills and replaced him with Phil Collins
following Anthony Phillips's departure.
Trespass was the first of several Genesis albums to be recorded at London's Trident Studios
. Although the album was not a commercial success in the UK (it eventually reached No.98 for one week in 1984), it was a critical one despite its lack of sales. However, the album fared much better in Belgium, where it reached No. 1, leading to the band's first overseas concerts in that country in 1971.
's Impulse!
label. It was reissued by the main ABC Records
label in 1974; then, after MCA Records
bought out ABC, it was reissued on the MCA label. In 2003, MCA was absorbed by Geffen Records
.
A SACD
/ DVD double disc set (including new 5.1 and Stereo mixes) was released 11 November 2008.
printed an extremely brief but unambiguously negative review of the 1974 reissue, saying "It's spotty, poorly defined, at times innately boring, and should be avoided by all but the most rabid Genesis fans." Allmusic's later retrospective review was only slightly more forgiving, summarizing that the album "is more interesting for what it points toward than what it actually does." They also commented that the guitars are so low in the mix that they are almost inaudible, leaving Banks's keyboard instruments to prominence. They considered this troublesome because Banks having a noticeable role "isn't the Genesis that everyone came to know."
, Peter Gabriel
, Anthony Phillips
and Mike Rutherford
.
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
and was recorded and released in 1970. Their last with guitarist Anthony Phillips
Anthony Phillips
Anthony Edwin "Ant" Phillips is an English multi instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of the band Genesis. He played guitar and sang backing vocals until leaving in 1970, following the recording of their second album, Trespass...
, Trespass had a folk-flavoured progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
sound that was a marked departure from their earlier work.
The compositions were generally much longer and more complex than those on Genesis's first album, and the recordings have a muted, pastoral sound. The band was unhappy with John Mayhew's drumming skills and replaced him with Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
following Anthony Phillips's departure.
Trespass was the first of several Genesis albums to be recorded at London's Trident Studios
Trident Studios
Trident Studios was a British recording facility, originally located at 17 St. Anne's Court in London's Soho district. It was constructed in 1967 by Norman Sheffield a drummer of former 1960's group The Hunters and his Brother Barry....
. Although the album was not a commercial success in the UK (it eventually reached No.98 for one week in 1984), it was a critical one despite its lack of sales. However, the album fared much better in Belgium, where it reached No. 1, leading to the band's first overseas concerts in that country in 1971.
Background
Though most of Genesis's songs were composed by the group as a whole, in a 1985 interview Mike Rutherford said that Trespass was the only Genesis album where every single song was composed by all the band members equally; every other album by Genesis had at least a few songs which were chiefly written by one or two individuals, with only minor contributions from the rest of the band.Releases
In the United States, Trespass was first issued on ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Impulse!
Impulse! Records
Impulse! Records was an American jazz record label, originally established in 1960 by producer Creed Taylor as a subsidiary of ABC-Paramount Records, based in New York City...
label. It was reissued by the main ABC Records
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
label in 1974; then, after MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
bought out ABC, it was reissued on the MCA label. In 2003, MCA was absorbed by Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
.
A SACD
Super Audio CD
Super Audio CD is a high-resolution, read-only optical disc for audio storage. Sony and Philips Electronics jointly developed the technology, and publicized it in 1999. It is designated as the Scarlet Book standard. Sony and Philips previously collaborated to define the Compact Disc standard...
/ DVD double disc set (including new 5.1 and Stereo mixes) was released 11 November 2008.
Reception
Trespass was largely ignored by the music press at the time of its release. Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
printed an extremely brief but unambiguously negative review of the 1974 reissue, saying "It's spotty, poorly defined, at times innately boring, and should be avoided by all but the most rabid Genesis fans." Allmusic's later retrospective review was only slightly more forgiving, summarizing that the album "is more interesting for what it points toward than what it actually does." They also commented that the guitars are so low in the mix that they are almost inaudible, leaving Banks's keyboard instruments to prominence. They considered this troublesome because Banks having a noticeable role "isn't the Genesis that everyone came to know."
Track listing
All songs by Tony BanksTony Banks (musician)
This article is about the musician. For other people named Tony Banks, see Tony BanksAnthony George "Tony" Banks is a British composer, and multi-instrumentalist, who performs as a keyboardist and a guitarist...
, Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
, Anthony Phillips
Anthony Phillips
Anthony Edwin "Ant" Phillips is an English multi instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of the band Genesis. He played guitar and sang backing vocals until leaving in 1970, following the recording of their second album, Trespass...
and Mike Rutherford
Mike Rutherford
Michael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford is an English musician. He is a founding member of Genesis, initially as a bassist and backup vocalist. In later incarnations of Genesis, he assumed the role of lead guitarist. He is one of only two constant members in Genesis . He also fronts Mike + The...
.
Side one
- "Looking for Someone" – 7:06
- "White MountainWhite Mountain (song)"White Mountain" is a song by the progressive rock group Genesis. It was released on their second studio album, Trespass.Lyrically, the song tells a fable of a wolf named Fang, who seeks to usurp the authority of the pack leader by learning of the crown and sceptre known only to the king. The...
" – 6:45 - "Visions of Angels" – 6:51
Personnel
- Peter GabrielPeter GabrielPeter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
– lead vocals, fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, percussion - Anthony PhillipsAnthony PhillipsAnthony Edwin "Ant" Phillips is an English multi instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of the band Genesis. He played guitar and sang backing vocals until leaving in 1970, following the recording of their second album, Trespass...
– electric and acoustic guitars, dulcimerAppalachian dulcimerThe Appalachian dulcimer is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings. It is native to the Appalachian region of the United States...
, backing vocals - Mike RutherfordMike RutherfordMichael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford is an English musician. He is a founding member of Genesis, initially as a bassist and backup vocalist. In later incarnations of Genesis, he assumed the role of lead guitarist. He is one of only two constant members in Genesis . He also fronts Mike + The...
– electric bass, acoustic and nylon guitars, celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, backing vocals - Tony BanksTony Banks (musician)This article is about the musician. For other people named Tony Banks, see Tony BanksAnthony George "Tony" Banks is a British composer, and multi-instrumentalist, who performs as a keyboardist and a guitarist...
– organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, piano, MellotronMellotronThe Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
, guitar, backing vocals - John Mayhew – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Production
- John AnthonyJohn Anthony (producer)John Anthony is a British music producer. He has worked with Van der Graaf Generator, Genesis, Queen and Peter Hammill.-Career:John Anthony started in 1966 as a club DJ in London at The Roundhouse, the UFO Club, and Middle Earth, and then in 1968 at the Speakeasy...
– Producer - Robin Geoffrey Cable – Engineer
- Nick Davis – Mixing (2008 release)
- Tony Cousins – Mastering (2008 release)
U.S. LP Releases
- ABC/Impulse AS-9205 (1970): 1st issue, gatefoldGatefoldA gatefold is a type of fold used for advertising around a magazine or section, and for packaging of media such as vinyl records.- LP covers :...
cover with art, lyrics and credits. - ABCABC RecordsABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
ABCX-816 (1974): Reissue, black label, gatefold cover. - ABCABC RecordsABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
ABCX-816 (1976): Reissue, rainbow label, gatefold cover. - MCAMCA RecordsMCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
MCA-37151 (1981): Budget reissue. No gatefold cover.