The seventh stage sees Genesis, in the summer of 1971, retiring at Luxford House to compose the album. there their account of the creative process.

As we have seen in previous installments, joined Genesis Phil Collins - Read -  e Steve Hackett in the second half of 1970 - Read -.

And, after i first concerts of the new formation - Read -, the time has come think seriously about the new album.

But there are some problems like the lack of Anthony Phillips' compositional genius, a notable change for the old band members. For the new ones, however, the challenge is to get used to different writing methods of the components. But location in the beautiful English countryside makes everything less difficult - Read -.

Says Phil Collins in his autobiography - Buy it below and, in addition to the author, also help Horizons Genesis - READ HOW:

«We compose The Fountain of Salmacis and The Return of the Giant Hogweed. I'm in my element, wallow in creative freedom, in the influx of subscribersgiving ideas, to the extent of ours ambition, in the length of ours songs. I feel excited and liberated, with the guys who encourage me to give the my contribution.

And there is also a fair amount of freedom of handvra. Some compositional sessions involve the gathering around Tony, seated at the goldgano Hammond, with Mike playing the twelve-string guitar and Peter improvisingvisa a sung. I improvise along with him.

 Similarly, Peter composes Harold the Barrel on the piano and I'm by his side, singing the second voice and intervening with my ideas, even if my insecurity he yells inside me: "For sure it's all things who have already heard! ".

Phil continues: What I learn composing with the boys is the DON'T never accept the first melodic idea that songs. We need to go deeper, and thuartci. To explore.

(...) Get all those tricks from Peter, Mike and Tony, who are much more composers experts of me.

The natural development of those sessions of composition is that the drummer will sing a song. Not long, and only one, but it is already something. The moment comes when Steve shows up with a guitar piece in pastoral style, and I write the text.

For familiarize the kids with the lyrics and the melody, I open my mouth and throw myself ... a little. I'm not still sure: my voice seems to me debole and hesitant. But they like it, and I like it so good.

Eventually For Absent Friends, with its minute and forty-four seconds, strictly speaking it is more of an interlude than a song. But it's my first piece from lead singer with Genesis. From that moment on, on every record of the Genesis, all voices other than that of Peter, in the background or in the choirs, are mine.

To tell the truth, the others are not very good to sing. And I like to sing on background, from the comfort of the stool behind battery."

Remember Steve Hackett in his autobiography A Genesis in my bed... - Buy it below:

«I wrote the main melodic line of For Absent Friends and Phil and I wrote the lyrics. I felt we were writing our Eleanor Rigby, with images such as abandoned swings, which symbolize the harsh greyness of British life.

I felt that The Fountain Of Salmacis was a beautiful epic song. The text of Greek mythology it was wonderfully evocative of the ancient world in all its mystery e passion. 

(...) I felt I was able to significantly add romance to the song and a wide range of extra colors. Once we have recorded that song, the sound waves of the Mellotron they added another exciting one size.

Steve continues: I worked intensively on the guitar parts of The Musical Box with delicate and introspective atmospheres to the huge elegiac ending.

The instrumental parts of the guitar they were innovative. Brian May later claimed that he was influenced by my harmonics. I also used tapping - the technique later explored by Eddie Van Halen, among others -  both on that song and in The Return of the Giant Hogweed.»

Rremember Mike Rutherford in its autobiography, The Living Years, Arcana - Buy it below:

«Nursery Cryme was not an easy album to to write. Maybe it was just the new dynamics that made it look so hard to the comparison. If there had been Ant I'm sure it wouldn't be been so slow, but we needed it to take our steps without him to get to next step.

This was especially true for me: hor wrote a song, Harlequin, where I searched to play both my guitar part and Ant's on a single twelve strings, tuning the pairs of strings in harmony. It was quite strange.

Mike continues: Besides The Musical Box we had another one song ready and working before arriving at Crowborough. The Return of the Giant Hogweed had something for all members of the group: fast drums for Phil, trio with Tony and Steve playing harmonies together, and a quirky text by Pete on one plant that had escaped from Kew Gardens.

Seven Stones was just Tony's song. It was an example of what we called Tony's cabaret chords: his big mushy music-hall chords that Phil and I struggled to accept, but he loved it.

Eventually we had to make a rule: Tony could put some three or four per album and no more. (There we always wondered what happened to those that we had refused. Then in 2011 Tony released a wonderful classic album and we found out). "

Remember Peter Gabriel, reported in the book Without Frontiers: The Life and Music of Peter Gabriel by Daryl Easlea, about the text of The Musical Box:

«I imagined my grandparents' house and some of the underlying feelings I had in that place. (...) They didn't have a croquet lawn, but it was a Victorian house, with dark wood paneling, and had an atmosphere that fed the lyrics of that song.

I think sex permeated all. The feeling of constriction, that somehow fertility, vitality and sexuality they were all connected and that the old world of control and order was on the other side of the spectrum. And it was something he had to be broken. "

Remember Tony Banks in the same volume:

«we had lyrics that were ironic, Peter was the best exponent of this. Harold The Barrel is so quirky and out of the box, it tells you "we are not the ELPs". Has been very important to us. We didn't want to that we saw that we took ourselves too seriously».

It tells Richard Macphail in My book of Genesis - Buy it below (also in English version):

«After leaving Luxford at the end of the summer, the band went back to the studio with John Anthony. They were al Trident, which cost 60 pounds an hour, but having tried all the songs so well they were able to record pretty fast.

The Genesis they have always been very professional in this sense, they didn't want to waste expensive time in the studio, if it could be avoided.»

And here the story of the Genesis on the occasion of the 2007 reissue:

The sixth stage takes place in the summer of 1971, when the Genesis, with the new lineup, shut themselves up in the Luxford House, rented by Tony Stratton-Smith, for the composition of the album.

As we have seen in previous installments, joined Genesis Phil Collins in August - Read - e Hackett in December 1970 - Read -.

The two new elements have done theirs debut in concert with Genesis - Read -. 

And there were also the first live shows outside the UK, in Belgium, with the new lineup - Read -.

Now it's time to think seriously about the new album.

It tells Armando Gallo in Genesis: I Know What I Like - Buy it below and, in addition to the author, also help Horizons Genesis - READ HOW:

...that Luxford House by Tony Stratton-Smith is a beautiful 500th century Tudor-style building in Crowborough, East Sussex and appears on the cover of Van der Graaf Generator's "Pawn Hearts" album.

Indeed from there VDGG, Leonard Cohen and many others passed through, given the positive atmosphere for the musicians (and it is also very fashionable to isolate yourself in the countryside to compose).

Parts of the cottage, which has six bedrooms, date back to 1510. The property was extended and renovated in 1930 when it was bought by Sir Hugh Beaver, the general manager of the Ministry of Works during the Second World War, who later founded the "Guinness Book of Records".

The house also made an appearance on the cover of Neil Diamond's "Stones", with an image of the singer sitting next to the memorial of Beaver's wife in the garden.

A legend said it was haunted by ghosts and Phil Collins is among those who firmly believe in it.

"I'm sure there were ghosts - Phil remembers in the book - there were strange vibrations. There was a painting with eyes that followed you everywhere and other oddities. "

It seems to everyone the ideal place to immerse yourself in the creative process without the distractions of London and concerts. The large thatched house, known as "The Cottage"is their accommodation, while the rehearsals take place in its external building, renamed "Toad Hall"," Hall of the Toad ". 

«We had to learn to play together - says Tony Banks in the book of Gallo - we had to rehearse the old and new repertoire. "Nursery Cryme" was difficult to compose and we lacked a lot of material. I was adding the organ and the mellotron to the piano, with many difficulties from all points of view. "

Among the problems there is also the lack of Anthony Phillips' compositional genius, a notable change for the old band members. For newcomers, however, the challenge is getting used to different writing methods of the components. But Steve and Phil perceive the great passion that everyone puts into this venture, as well as the favorable location in the beautiful English countryside.

Says Phil Collins in his autobiography - Buy it below and, in addition to the author, also help Horizons Genesis - READ HOW:

“We eat excellent meals, drink liters of red wine, play croquet on the lawns. That antiquated, aristocratic and very English game influences the cover image of the album in gestation (...).

When it comes to choosing rooms at Luxford House, social hierarchy comes into play again. Pete, Mike and Tony are the first to choose where to sleep, the newcomers, Steve and I, make do with the leftovers. In the end I don't care that much, there are many other things to think about: this will be the debut album of the new Genesis line-up. "

Richard Macphail tells in My book of Genesis - Buy it below:

"I was again catering in a kitchen which was much better equipped of that of Christmas Cottage. The equipment was set up in a stable and there were plenty of bedrooms for everyone. (...) 

I was shopping for all or I drove to London to collect my salaries. It was fun stay in a nice place in the countryside, with Jill and the others girls from the band who sometimes joined us on weekends.»

Remember Steve Hackett in his autobiography A Genesis in my bed... - Buy it below:

“I would wake up at 3am at night, expecting to hear the comforting bell ringing loud outside Victoria Station, but instead in that cottage, there was endless silence outside the room. No traffic, no rattle of trains to rock me, to make me fall asleep and no street lights or flashing car headlights to guide the way to the bathroom.

Then suddenly there was an incessant din of birds chirping in the early morning. How could a boy sleep like that? I gave up sleep and went to get my pack of cigarettes. (...)

But at the cottage, it wasn't just the strangeness of the place and the company that made me feel alone. When we weren't rehearsing, I was aware that I was a single guy. (...)

I didn't realize how lonely I felt until one night when I was talking to Peter and Tony's girls Jill and Margaret, and Jill said, "Don't you have a girlfriend, Steve?" I burst into tears and left the room. I was too much
embarrassed to go back down and slept with my guitar.

It was different when we rehearsed. I was absorbed in the music. (...) I was thrilled to work with them. It was a very creative time and the group flourished in this environment.

It was a hot summer. Sometimes we would sit on the grass outside with twelve-string guitars.»

"We took the summer off to our agent's great disapproval -  said Peter Gabriel at Sounds in 1972 and quoted in Without Frontiers: The Life and Music of Peter Gabriel by Daryl Easlea - but I think it was very necessary why it was the first album we had worked on with Steve and Phil and they were playing a very important role.»

In this context begins the creative process of "Nursery Cryme", which we will deepen, with the testimonies of Genesis, in the next stage.

The fifth stage takes place on March 7, 1971, when Genesis, with the new line-up, go on stage for the first time abroad, at La Ferme V, in Woluwe St Lambert in Belgium.

As we have seen in previous installments, joined Genesis Phil Collins in August - Read -  e Hackett in December 1970 - Read -.

On January 14, 1971, at University College London, Steve Hackett made his (disastrous) concert debut with Genesis - Read -. 

Now Belgium awaits them, a country where "Trespass" has incredibly placed first in the standings.

It tells Richard Macphail in My book of Genesis  - Buy it below (also in English version) and, in addition to the author, also help Horizons Genesis - READ HOW:

«We crossed the Channel, taking a ferry from Dover to Ostend from Dover to Ostend. It was the middle of winter and there was hardly anyone on board. (...)
It was still just the seven of us on the road together, which when you look at the armies of crew that bands employ nowadays seems ludicrously small.

It was a four hour crossing and we were bored to death because there was nothing to do there. I found this box with life vests in it,, and so we all put on our vests and posed for what has now become a famous Genesis photo, all of us with our hair down on our shoulders, Mike drinking from a bottle of Mateus Rosé because that's what we drank in those days, that or Liebfraumilch.

(...) Today when you go abroad you have satellite navigation that tells you exactly where to go and cell phones or maps, but I really had no idea where we were headed in Belgium. I didn't even have a folding map.

(...) The place, a club called Ferme V, was packed to the roof, but fans knew every note. It was amazing. While in England it was a very slow process, in Belgium it happened suddenly.

Another thing I remember is that we stayed in a very comfortable three-star hotel and that Peter shared a room with me because he could not bear to share her with Tony ever again, not after his experiences at the cottage. "

THU Genesis already perform the most representative song of the future "Nursery Cryme": The Musical Box. The masterpiece had already been almost completely composed by the band together with Anthony Phillips (with the compositional intervention of Farm guitarist Mick Barnard who, as we have seen, did some gigs with Genesis after the departure of Ant).

Exists a 1969 recording in which Ant and Mike play parts of it, albeit with the title "F Sharp".

Listen:

And there is one recording of the concert at Ferme and therefore also the first essay of the immature performances of Genesis of "The Musical Box". Although at this stage the central section is still arranged differently and the text is provisional.

Listen:

A similar "pre-Nursery" version is recorded in the BBC studios for the Bob Harris program "Sound of the Seventies" on May 10, 1971 and aired on the 31st.

Listen:

Remember those Steve Hackett concerts in his autobiography A Genesis in my bed... - Buy it below and, in addition to the author, also help Horizons Genesis - READ HOW:

“The first foreign shore we ventured into was Belgium. It was my first time abroad with the band and the first place I fell under the spell of Genesis. It is a small country with a big heart.

In the beginning there was a ferry trip. Blurred-eyed and sleepless, I was unprepared and fidgeted on the boat spilling my beer.

In Brussels we walked into a deserted, foggy street at 6am and ended up in a hotel with a narrow staircase and a single bathroom at the end of a dark and damp corridor.

Worse still, the place wasn't ready for us so we were back on the street. No sleep, no food, but alcohol was on tap. What healthy times those were!

The start of the world trip was really handled with a prolonged hangover, fueled by beer and cigarettes. For those who like sleep and regular meals, forget about travel.

The Belgians were welcoming and the nerves were finally calmed after the concerts which had been well received. The meals were also sumptuous and we were cheered.

We were still in a deplorable state, like walking wounded deprived of sleep and common sense, but we represented something exotic to Belgians who responded to the complexity and fantasy of music.

A special bond with Belgium has continued to this day. "

E says Phil Collins in his autobiography - Buy it below and, in addition to the author, also help Horizons Genesis - READ HOW:

«For some reason the Genesis have a fair number of followers in Belgium. After being in the Netherlands with Flaming Youth, I only need a few demonstrations of love from Luxembourg to be able to say with confidence that I am famous in the Benelux.

And so in March 1971 the Genesis played their first concert abroad, in a small place in Charleroi called Ferme Cinq.

We cross the channel by ferry and, upon arrival, our excitement for being an international group does not diminish even when we see that the stage is made of crates of beer. We have to arrange them very carefully so that they do not wobble and do not tip over, perhaps in the middle of one of the weird neo-fantasy monologues.

Somehow we manage to keep upright and have a blockbuster. All six concerts are like this: all packed, all fantastic. Finally the Genesis have taken off. At least in Belgium. "

Take off, yes. Even if the venues where they perform are still small and unsafe. Like recalls Mike Rutherford in its autobiography, The Living Years, Arcana - Buy it below and, in addition to the author, also help Horizons Genesis - READ HOW:

«At the Black Cat Club in Brussels the problem was not the lack of toilets but the lack of fire exits.

It was downstairs, there was no back entrance and the crowd sat cross-legged on the floor. Smoke.

Since we now had a mellotron, which we had bought from the King Crimson and which was the size of a table with two huge double keyboards, a quick escape wasn't going to be easy. "

There is a bootleg of the Ferme concert - CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO FIND OUT MORE:

The fourth stage takes place on January 14, 1971, when Steve Hackett makes his concert debut with Genesis at University College London. Here is the story of those eventful days. 

As we have seen in previous installments - Read -, la band was very close to melting, because Anthony Phillips left his fellow adventurers and they also decided to replace John Mayhew, the drummer. 

I Genesis have already hired Phil Collins on drums -  Read -, now they have to find a good replacement on the guitar.

Both Ronnie Caryl have rehearsed in concertPhil's great friend (auditioned with him - Read) and guitarist of Flaming Youth, and Mick barnard, member of Farm, but both did not convince the demanding members of the band.

After the farewell of Anthony Phillips - READ and then with the arrival of Phil, the Genesis have then continued as a quartet, with Tony Banks playing all guitar parts on an electric piano Hohner filtered with a fuzz box. The research continues.

On December 14th, scrolling the Melody Maker, Peter is intrigued by the unusual announcement of a certain Steve, who is auditioned. Hackett joins Genesis - Read -.

And so we come to that January 14, 1971, when at University College London, Steve Hackett makes his debut in concert with Genesis. But it won't be an easy time. 

Steve tells reported by Richard Macphail in My book of Genesis. Buy it below (also in English version) and, in addition to the author, also help Horizons Genesis - READ HOW:

«The first concert was a disaster for me. Until then I had used a borrowed fuzzbox or Tony's Marshall Superfuzz. So everything worked fine, but that night they gave me a Shaftesbury Duo Fuzz which is a great fuzzbox. I couldn't get a Marshall Superfuzz and thought, 'Oh, that sounds good.'

And when we did the sound check it seemed all right, but obviously when everyone was playing, it was much louder and the return was a disaster. I got discouraged and forgot all my parts. I remember a heated argument after the show and thought it was all my fault.

In hindsight, it wasn't. That was my most embarrassing moment on stage, being on stage with deeply arranged music and with the total inability to remember a note, because I couldn't control my sound. It's not a good start, I thought. "

Steve does not refer to the episode in his autobiography A Genesis in my bed... - Buy it below and, in addition to the author, also help Horizons Genesis - READ HOW:

It just describes how not very prestigious the first concerts with Genesis were, often set in schools (only for men or only for women), with a small number of audiences.

Listen to a live from that period:

Or Hackett removed the episode, even though Steve isn't actually the only one playing bad that night. Remember Mike Rutherford in its autobiography, The Living Years, Arcana - Buy it below and, in addition to the author, also help Horizons Genesis - READ HOW:

“As we would discover over the years, Phil had the great ability to drink a lot without showing it. At Steve's first concert - University College London, January 1971 - there was an exception. We had had a few pints but no one noticed that Phil had downed a few more than the others and was drunk. Phil was such a good drummer he could do just about anything, but that night he got ready for one of his big rolls and nothing happened. Silence. He had done it perfectly, too bad it was off twenty centimeters from each drum piece.

Poor Steve: it was his first gig, he was nervous and we had a drunk drummer. At the end of the night, Tony and I gave Phil a hard time, which didn't bother Phil, but unfortunately Steve thought we were fighting over him - we hated him and wanted to throw him out. As always, it never occurred to anyone to let the newcomer know how things were. "

E says Phil Collins in his autobiography - Buy it below and, in addition to the author, also help Horizons Genesis - READ HOW:

«For the most part the concerts are conducted in a rather professional way: we arrive, play and go home. We smoke a few joints, but no exaggerated revelry. The only time that happens is at a concert at City University in London, Steve's first with Genesis. We play later than expected, so I spend my time downing some Newcastle Brown beers. When we go on stage, I am completely disoriented. I do all the right fills, but eight centimeters to the right of where I should. Other than air-guitar, this is air-drums. And then I repented: «What will the new guitarist think? His first concert and the drummer is dead drunk ». It's the first time I've played drunk, and it'll be the last too. "

Ma Stevedespite his concerns, pass the exam. And the confirmation comes from Peter Gabriel, who declares, reported in the aforementioned Giammetti book:

"We have had two guitarists in the last few months but I hope this is the definitive one, we found it through the Melody Maker and it seems to have adapted very well." (Peter Gabriei, Zig Zag n. 19, 5 / 71, "Genesis", anonymous). "

Here's what Anthony Phillips thinks today:

Steve will become a column of the Genesis, in the formation that many consider "the real one" and beyond. Until the sensational farewell.

But that's another story - READ IT HERE-.

Our third stage takes place on December 14, 1970: the new lead guitarist arrives in Genesis: Steve Hackett. 

That day, in fact, scrolling the Melody Maker, Peter Gabriel is intrigued by the unusual announcement of a certain Steve. There he is:

As we have seen in the previous stages - Read -, la band was very close to melting, because Anthony Phillips left his fellow adventurers and they also decided to replace John Mayhew, the current drummer. 

Remember Tony Banks in Genesis. The river of constant change, by Mario Giammetti, Editori gathered - Buy it below (also in English version) and, in addition to the author, also help Horizons Genesis - READ HOW:

“Mike had auditioned for a long time, but Peter and I convinced ourselves that he was trying to find someone who sounded just like Ant, which was obviously impossible. So the two of us went to see Steve. He was really smart, looking at him he seemed one of many, instead he knew how to compose, experiment, he wasn't the classic mad guitarist ».

E remembers Steve in the same precious book by Giammetti:

«I played a little Jimmy Page, with fast solos that did not go well with delicacy of thetheir songs. The first times were really difficult ». 

In his autobiography A Genesis in my bed... - Buy it below and, in addition to the author, also help Horizons Genesis - READ HOW:

... Steve states that that announcement suggested high expectations of him, but he must have had the right tone, because he attracted the attention of another idealist who thought like him:

“It was one of those gray days in late autumn, I was back in my bedroom practicing the guitar, after helping Mom carry the garbage in the yard, and dreaming of a bright distant future, when the phone rang. "Hi, my name is Peter Gabriel. I just read your ad ...". "

Steve remembers the audition with Peter and Tony. He plays some tunes by himself and with his brother John, even some blues on the harmonica while John accompanies him. One of them, The Hermit, would appear later in "Voyage of the Acolyte. "Steve again:

"I played both electric and acoustic guitar, and the fact that I also played the twelve strings helped me. Minelove for all three types of guitar put me in good light with guys. I think they liked mine eclectic approach and my interest in all styles
music. If I realized I was competing with about forty other guitarists I would have been a lot more more nervous. It was probably good that I was in blissful ignorance. Pete did the whole talk and Tony just sat there in silence, with a blank expression. Not before you are months later Tony said to me, "I really liked what you played that day. ”I never would have understood! But I appreciated the comment.»

Having overcome the stumbling block represented by Peter and Tony, Steve has need to make sure the support of Mike Rutherford, "our other guitarist", who is not with them because he is convalescing.

Remember Mike in his autobiography The Living Years - Buy it below (also in English version) and, in addition to the author, also help Horizons Genesis - READ HOW:

“When Pete and Tony took Steve to my house I think they already decided to let him join the group, they just didn't want to give the impression that they were bypassing me. (...)

Steve didn't look like one of us. He looked like an art student. (...) And the least predictable thing was that he liked the acoustic guitar. (...) It immediately seemed to me that there was an understanding between us. "

Immediately the two begin to exchange chords and play together. They go all right, they go in immediately in tune and Mike invites Steve to spend the night with him. This gave them the chance to play a lot and get to know each other better.

Phil Collins likes him right away, he's the kind of person who can defuse atmospheres with a quick joke during tense rehearsal sessions. They share a love of movies and often go to the movies together.

But one of the hardest obstacles to his arrival in Genesis is represented by feeling Anthony Phillips' successor. Remember Steve:

«I greatly admired his way of playing and composing.
His twelve-string work was exquisite. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to match him in the eyes of others. Ant has always been a lovely guy with a great sense of humor as well as a fabulous musician and composer.  Even though we were never in the band together, he and I became friends and still are today. (...)
But in those early days of Genesis I was constantly feeling nervous, and it took a while to get over that sense of social differences. "

The first rehearsal together is in West Hampstead:

“I realized that I needed to learn not only the songs but also the jargon of Genesis. They had weird words for several things like "type" for a form of agreement. "This is a nice guy," said Mike. They had their own language and shared experiences that seemed foreign to me. They had an aura of mystery and I surprised myself wondering what they were thinking. They were patient with me and Richard MacPhail, who was always on hand to support us as a close friend, roadie and internal therapist was very reassuring. "

Then it's time to get serious and start rehearsals for the new album, "Nursery Cryme", precisely. The Genesis move to "Cottage" in Sussex, a property of Tony Stratton-Smith. From the popular and familiar Pimlico to the noble and silent English countryside, the step is great for Steve.

Furthermore, Steve is the only one in the group who is single. Various girlfriends roam the cottage. He has no one, not even a friend, to take there.

Luckily there is music to focus on and a masterpiece to be born. Another stop that will take us to the release of "Nursery Cryme".

Further details, Steve told them in his blog:

Our second stage takes place at the end of August 1970: Genesis begin rehearsals with their new drummer: Phil Collins. 

Listen to the Podcast (in Italian) - CLICK HERE.

As we have seen, on August 8, 1970 a phone call extended the life of the Genesis, who, after the farewell of Anthony Phillips, already seemed close to the end. READ THE FIRST STAGE OF OUR SPECIAL APPROACHING THE ANNIVERSARY OF "NURSERY CRYME".

"Hello Phil? I'm Peter Gabriel. That of Genesis. The place is yours, if you want it ».

In the previous days Phil Collins has supported an "audition" with Genesis, after replying to their announcement.  

The band was very close to breaking up, as Anthony Phillips left his fellow adventurers and they also decided to replace John Mayhew, the current drummer. 

A few days after the call, Genesis and Phil Collins meet in Tony Stratton-Smith's office at Charisma in Soho. Phil recounts in his autobiography:

"The meeting is fine. I especially like the part where I find out that Genesis have a weekly wage of ten pounds, because it doubles the level of income I'm used to."

 But there is also bad news: Tony, Mike and Peter plan to take a two week vacation. Collins hoped to get started right away and not just out of enthusiasm. He needs money.

And so, as he always reveals in his autobiography, Phil starts painting as a painter for two weeks.

On August 24, Peter, Mike and Tony return from vacation. Rehearsals can begin and therefore Phil's new employment, although the band has yet to honor some dates in the old lineup, such as the legendary Marquee Club.

Since they all live in the parts of Surrey and Collins in the west suburbs of London, Mike invites him to stay at his home in Farnham. Phil tells:

"It's another great house, albeit with a very warm and easy-going atmosphere. I happily take my leave of London and move to Mike (...) I like to live at Mike's parents' house. At breakfast there are hard-boiled eggs and there is always something that cooks on cheap cooking ".

The evidence for the new Genesis lineup takes place in Maltings, for an agricultural complex in Farnham, in fact. Again the autobiography of Phil:

"The rest of my life begins with the first rehearsals of the new Genesis formation in September 1970, in the environment covered with pigeon guano of Maltings, an old agricultural complex in Farnham. We assemble the equipment and start playing with what I would describe a confused enthusiasm: various friends of Peter, Tony and Mike come to visit us from the private school, I discover new exotic foods such as Marmite and tahina, and often everything is wrapped in the sweet smell of the grass ".

In addition to the various friends of the Charterhouse, who come to see them, hit Phil is lwith constant presence of Richard MacPhail. Remember Phil:

"He had been the lead singer of Anon, one of the pre-Genesis bands at the Charterhouse. He's the road manager and sound engineer, as well as a heavy joint smoker. Perhaps he has no other choice, as he sleeps in Maltings, sharing his bunk with the pigeons and their guano, and supervising the instruments. He is the one who introduces me to the pleasure of listening to smoking headphones. "Déjà Vu" by Crosby, Stills & Nash has just come out and Richard brings the record, prepares a gigantic joint and urges me and Mike to immerse ourselves in the majestic sonic harmonies of Carry On. It's not quite like kicking open the doors of perception, but at least I knock on it gently. "

Maltings is a very comfortable old barn here the new Genesis are comfortable playing, improvising. And here they prepare future concerts with the new lineup. The atmosphere is apparently relaxed, though in its own autobiography, The Living Years, Mike Rutherford underlines the differences between them:

"We and Phil didn't live on the same planet. He always had the carefree kid-next-door attitude: let's go to the bar for a drink, tell a joke, smoke a cigarette or a joint. Life is good. And I think that. one of the reasons why Pete liked him was that Phil didn't have our background, he didn't come from a narrow and limited world like us. Pete was less rigid than me and Tony, much more prone to emotions and feelings; much more curious towards the world in general. "

E Phil reveals that:

"In any case, the customs learned at school are hard to die, and the social hierarchy is soon evident. No wonder: I am the last."

Even if it is not only to "contrast" with the three, because with them there is another guitarist, Mick Barnard. We have seen that after the farewell of Anthony Phillips and then with the arrival of Phil, the Genesis have continued as a quartet, without guitarist, with Tony playing all the guitar parts on an electric piano Hohner filtered with a fuzz box. Then they found Mick, but he is not the right person and the search for a guitarist continues.

One time, scrolling the Melody Maker, find the announcement of Steve Hackett.  

But this is another stage in the history of the masterpiece "Nursery Cryme".