(Symphonic Prog) Genesis - Cryme Of Passion - 1972, FLAC (tracks), lossless

Disc One Remaster:
1. Correct speed and pitch
2. Re-balance tonality/EQ
3. Adjust Dyanamics
4. Reduce hiss, clicks and pops
5. Repair dropouts
6. Attenuate hyperdynamic components
7. Re-track

Disc One Notes:
This is the 3rd known audience recording of Genesis from the start of their career
Cuts between some songs are present, sometimes interrupting stories.
Henry's sister is referred to as "henrietta" during this show, not cynthia

Disc 2 Remaster:
1. Significant speed and pitch error corrected, Tracks 1-7. Minor changes to other tracks.
2. Static and Dynamic EQ filters applied to Tracks 1-7. Static filters for Tracks 8-10,
3. Correct dropouts and unexpected drops in all tracks.
4. Correct channel imbalances
5. Repair clicks.
6. Dynamic adjustments and correction of volume disparities.
7. Re-track.

Disc 2 Notes:
Tracks 1-7 are mono but channel imbalance still existed and needed correction.

Liner Notes: The Road To Success

It has often been said that, for bands, the road to success is a bumpy ride, one which demands dedication, resilience, self-belief and determination. Groups in the early seventies certainly knew this only too well, as they worked to define the new genre of music which would come to be referred to as progressive rock (surely one of the most contentious labels in music, still to this day). Back in those formative days, only a handful of established bands could afford the luxury of taking time out from their touring schedule to concentrate on writing new material for their next album. Playing live was a vital part of any band's life and, as a result, albums were often written on the road, time in the studio being slotted in around touring commitments.

Genesis were no exception to this punishing regime. Following the pivotal personnel changes which saw the arrival of drummer Phil Collins and guitarist Steve Hackett, and led to what has come to be regarded as the 'classic' line-up of the band, Genesis released their third studio album, 'Nursery Cryme' in 1971, immediately setting about promoting their latest work. Between August 7th that year and September 3rd, 1972, they performed no less than 210 concerts. This incredible number of live shows ensured that the group were constantly developing into a more polished and professional live act, attracting a growing number of fans and, more importantly, the interest of the media.

This increased attention earned them a much deserved spot on the very popular BBC 'In Concert' radio show, for which they performed live at the famed Paris Studios on March 2nd, 1972. All three songs from this session were played to perfection and PRRP is proud to bring you a remastered version of this recording, along with another of the band's BBC sessions, recorded six months later on September 25th, 1972, when Genesis played the still unreleased 'Twilight Alehouse' and two classic numbers from their new album, 'Foxtrot'. We offer these as a special bonus for your enjoyment, and you will find them on disc two of this set.

Disc one is another story altogether. Two days after their 'In Concert' radio appearance, Genesis were booked to play at the College of Technology in Watford. Fortunately for us all, someone in the audience that night had the foresight to record the concert. PRRP fans will surely remember that the second instalment in the GS series, 'A Nun With A Gun', was also an audience-recorded Genesis performance in Watford, this one from the Town Hall on June 28th, 1972. This time we bring you a brand new remaster of the band's March 4th performance, which stands as a perfect example of how Genesis used to pace their concerts, beginning with slower and more acoustic numbers, gradually adding more and more electric instruments and building up the intensity with each song to finally reach a climax with 'The Knife', their heaviest number to date at the time.

This recording also highlights a few points of interest for all avid Genesis fans, specifically Peter Gabriel's infamous between-song stories. He would often use the 'Lady On The Tube Train' story, as seen on the back of the 'Genesis Live' record sleeve, to introduce different songs over the years (even reviving it when introducing 'Supper's Ready' at the Milton Keynes reunion concert in 1982), but it comes as a surprise to hear him use this story to introduce 'Twilight Alehouse' on that night in Watford, over a year before the 'Genesis Live' album was released.

The introductory story to 'The Musical Box' also offers an interesting difference. On the inner sleeve of the 'Nursery Cryme' album, a short explanatory text beneath the song's lyrics relates the story of Henry and his playmate Cynthia engaging in a fatal game of croquet. Between 1971 and 1975, Gabriel told the tale of Henry and Cynthia countless times but on this night, the female protagonist of the story bears the name of Henrietta - a rare occurrence indeed. Also, looking at a newspaper advert for this concert (see back of booklet), the keen eye will notice the price of admission of 75p. which, in retrospect, will appear as quite a bargain for a chance to see both Barclay James Harvest and Genesis on the same bill.

As for the performance itself, Genesis were indeed in fine form on March 4th, each song played with passion and intensity. Collins and Hackett had proven themselves invaluable choices as replacements for John Mayhew and Anthony Phillips, and their combined talents were now integral features of the Genesis sound. While touring to promote 'Nursery Cryme', Genesis were already developing new ideas for what would be their most important album to date, the seminal 'Foxtrot', but at this time, they were still working to build a solid fanbase. Only a handful of 'Nursery Cryme' shows were recorded from the audience but they all offer something special. The Watford concert from March 4th, 1972 provides us with the only truly live performance of the song 'Harlequin', which the band rarely performed onstage, making this recording a unique treasure.

Harold
Notes from the Re-Master

The BBC recording came to us as a FLAC encoded version of the pre-FM source. The first seven tracks were from March 2nd, 1972 and were recorded in mono. Tracks eight, nine and ten were from a separate session on September 25th, 1972 and were recorded in stereo. For the first seven tracks there was a clear speed and pitch error. After analysis, both were corrected. Dynamic filters were used to correct excesses at the upper end and adjustments were made to correct the DC offset error. Segmental tonality adjustments were needed as well. The two channels were balanced and small dropouts were repaired. Tracks eight through ten had only a small speed error that was also corrected. A strong stereo separation was present in the mix but adjustments were needed in segments to keep a balance to the sound. Dropouts and other taper errors were repaired along with an overall EQ adjustment. Finally, all songs were re-tracked.

The Watford recording from March 4th, 1972 was a FLAC encoded master source. This recording also had a significant speed and pitch error needing correction. Gentle hiss reduction was then applied and other tape errors were repaired. Overall tonality was re-balanced given the acoustics of the venue. This required both static and dynamic filtering. Hyper-dynamic characteristics were also present and corrected to make the sound more natural. Finally, all songs were re-tracked.