This is the first truly great Genesis album, starting off with the first truly great Genesis song "The Musical Box".
Even though this album was recorded and mixed on 8-track tape (instead of 16, 24, etc like later albums), the material is extremely well suited for surround, and Nick Davis does a great job of bringing out the best in the material.
In "The Musical Box", the guitars and vocals swirl around all channels, and the impact when the full band kicks in is truly felt. Phil Collins and Steve Hackett joining Genesis was probably the best thing that ever happened to the group as they truly came together, and both men brought such a strong musicianship to the group.
Love Phil's vocals on "For Absent Friends", and the acoustic guitars fit nicely in the surrounds on that one.
"Return of the Giant Hogweed" involves a little front to back panning, but it's extremely effective, with Tony's keys on one side, and Steve's guitars on the other.
The ending of "Hogweed" (Like "The Musical Box") shows off Phil's amazing drumming abilities as well.
The beautiful "Seven Stones" follows, filled with wonderful bits of Mellotron, then comes "Harold the Barrel". On this remix you can definitely hear a clearer distinction between Peter's vocal and Phil's vocal, though Phil's vocal seems to be the dominant. The vocal echoes in the surround channels are particularly amusing.
Like "For Absent Friends", the brief acoustic "Harlequin" is another wonderful surround showcase before the album builds to the epic finale "The Fountain of Salmacis".
The swells sound really good in surround as do the counter melodies from the vocals. The keyboard solo also dances around the surround channels with great ease.
I originally gave this disc a '10' and I would not go back on that vote for anything!