Anthony Phillips - The Geese & The Ghost - 1977 (24/96 Vinyl Rip) *NEW-RIP+REPOST*

The Geese and the Ghost is the debut solo album from former Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips featuring Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins. It was released in 1977 on Passport Records in the US and Hit & Run Music in the UK.
This is a "nearly mint" vinyl copy with H.Q. artwork of Fran Solo (thank you Fran!). Enjoy this masterpiece (+ beautiful recording!) of progressive rock that has to be heard.

Note > No silence was deleted; please burn this album gapless..

Review:

No one seemed to have heard anything from Genesis' first guitarist after he left the band in 1970, so Phillips caught everyone by surprise when he suddenly appeared in 1977 with his absolutely wonderful solo-debut "The Geese and the Ghost". The album had been recorded over a course of several years, and among the many guest musicians were Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins and Steve Hackett's brother John who also were a regular guest on his brother's own albums. And make no mistake; "The Geese and the Ghost" is next to Hackett's "Voyage of the Acolyte" and "Spectral Mornings" the best album to come from a former Genesis member.

It reveals very well what an important and underrated role Phillips had in shaping the classic Genesis-sound, as his style of playing was more or less cloned by Hackett when he joined Genesis. The style of the album is strongly in the "Trespass"/"Nursery Cryme" vein, but softer and more pastoral. You can also sense a "More Fool Me"-vibe in the two tracks sung by Phil Collins: "Which Way the Wind Blows" and "God If I Saw Her Now" where the latter definitively is my favourite of the two. Phillips also sings himself on the pleasant and orchestral "Collections" that goes right into the beautiful instrumental "Sleepfall: the Geese Fly West". And Phillips definitively shows his most interesting side in instrumental form, so it's no coincidence that the two lengthy main pieces of the
album both were instrumentals.

First you have the 12-minute multi-part suite "Henry; Portraits from Tudor Times" that was co-written by Mike Rutherford. It's a masterfully crafted composition that despite its overall peaceful nature also has its share of powerful dynamics and contrasts, as well as majestic medieval fanfares and choirs. The 15-minute two-part title-track is however the best showcase on the album for Phillips' trademark 12-string work. This is a full-blown symphonic progressive rock piece that sounds probably almost exactly like what Genesis would if they had gone all instrumental in '70/'71. The mood is romantic and beautiful; the same can be said about the melodies and arrangements.

The mighty finale builds slowly up and climaxes with some very typical Phillips/Hackett chords played over one of the main themes of the track. "The Geese and the Ghost" is Phillips' masterpiece, but he has unfortunately never been able to equal or top it ever since.

Review from Vintageprog.com


Track List:

1. Wind-Tales
2. Which Way The Wind Blows
3. Henry: Portraits From Tudor Times
4. God If I Saw Her Now

5. Chinese Mushroom Cloud
6. The Geese And The Ghost
7. Collections
8. Sleepfall: The Geese Fly West