Return of the Giant Hogweed

[osideterry]

Before Genesis really hit there stride with the album "Foxtrot", they put out a decent album called "Nursery Crymes". From it, the song "Return of the Giant Hogweed" is the only rock song I know of that:

1) references a botanical garden. (Royal Gardens at Kew)

2) refers to a plant by it's latin name. (Heracleum mantegazzianum)

Here is a description from Wikipedia:

Peter Gabriel's lyrics to "The Return of the Giant Hogweed" tell an apocalyptic story about a "regal hogweed" being brought from Russia by a Victorian explorer to the Royal Gardens at Kew. Later, after being planted by country gentlemen in their gardens, the hogweeds take on a life of their own and spread their seed throughout England, preparing for an onslaught. The citizens attempt to assault the hogweeds with herbicide, but the plants are immune. After a brief instrumental (subtitled "The Dance of the Giant Hogweed"), the song ends in a crashing climax where the hogweed reigns victorious over the human race.

If that's not enough, here's the youtube video. It's not great, and Peter Gabriel is not behaving in any way masculine, but it is fun to see the band in their early 20s... Phil Collins, Steve Hackett, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks. This is also the first song ever recorded using the guitar technique called "tapping", by Steve Hackett in the intro.

[Walter John]

Early Genesis were very interesting. their "Selling England" album was grand.

[DoomsDave]

Every picture tells a story, sort of . . . .

Like the sojourns of Kudzu, Indian Pythons, Brazilian Pepper tree, Tumbleweed and many more . . . .

[osideterry]

Wal - "Selling England By The Pound" was the first Genesis album I bought, and Dance With the Moonlit Night was my favorite cut. "Foxtrot" still strikes me as their most brilliant album of that era. After Gabriel and Hackett left they were more pop, just enough prog to tease you.