Your Own Special Way

I like this one better than Misunderstanding, but think it's the weakest song on the album. That being said, I typically don't skip it when spinning W&W. Almost seems out of place on the album. Perhaps would have benefited from being on a different album, but I have no idea which one.

It's okay. A not brilliant track on a mainly dull album. I'd choose to listen to it over Earl, Vine and Mouse's. Which isn't saying much.

It's not too bad, but not great. It probably works better within the context of Wind & Wuthering, the song by itself is kind of a snoozer, or maybe I'm experiencing Genesis fatigue recently. Also, I didn't know it was about a mermaid until someone brought it up in the infamous "Songs I'm Afraid[...]" thread. I figured it was about Rutherford's experience with his significant other while working with Genesis (for 7 years at that point in time, so it fits in with the lyrics). Wot Gorilla is worse.

Although I definitely like every other track on Wind and Wuthering more, I still like this track a lot. I can see why it's too sappy and pedestrian for many though!

I like it a lot. There are better songs but it's a love song to Mrs Rutherford & that's sweet.

I can take it or leave it. I used to like it when I got the album, then it got a bit too cheesy for me. I guess I listen to it for old times' sake.

I like it. It's one of those that I could shave seen being a hit had someone like Robbie Williams covered it and edited it down a bit in the late 90s.

As with a few others here, I never understood the hate for this song. Now, don't get me wrong - it's also not among their very best either.

The one bit that always bothered me about it is the initial transition from verse to chorus. The verses in the song are beautiful classically-inspired waltz-y music; the chorus, however, is very country. The shift from the classical sound to the country sound always grated on my ears at first - I'm more tolerant of it now. Now the shift back from the chorus to the verse always seemed fine, as well as the second transition from verse to chorus - it was the first transition that always bothered me at first.

Now, it's just a nice song on my favorite album. (For songs on W&W where I might have preferred something else would be like a Genesis-band version of "Please Don't Touch" (like Steve wanted) instead of "Wot Gorilla", or "Inside and Out" instead of "All In A Mouse's Night" (the music is very good, but the lyrical subject matter...meh).)

I like it.

Yes, it's a sweet song and in my books that doesn't necessarily make it a bad song, even within the context of a progressive rock album.

It's just another of those songs like "More Fool Me" that seem to trigger a curious reaction amongst a certain segment of fans - sudden ire in the midst of what for them might be an otherwise enjoyable album.

Quote from Witchwood

- sudden ire in the midst of what for them might be an otherwise enjoyable album.

Ha ha! There’s a lot of this in Genesis. Their innovation and refusal to stand still is what marks them out from their contemporaries. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. C’est la vie! I remember PC saying how he completely understood how their prog fans felt betrayed by the new direction they took in the 80s as this was exactly how he felt about the bands he used to like when they suddenly became popular.

Quote from OneForTheVine

The one bit that always bothered me about it is the initial transition from verse to chorus. The shift from the classical sound to the country sound always grated on my ears at first - I'm more tolerant of it now. Now the shift back from the chorus to the verse always seemed fine, as well as the second transition from verse to chorus - it was the first transition that always bothered me at first.

That, apart from the cheesiness would be another problem; it sounds a bit stitched together and not very smoothly. The verses and chorus, as you said, sound awkward together and I would add the solo which is quite uncharacteristic of Tony, I wonder if Mike wrote it. It is delicate and reminiscent of some Vangelis stuff but again, it sounds quite divorced from both verses and chorus and at the end of the solo , when the verse resumes, there is no feeling of a smooth transition.

Quote from A Whorish Ant

I like it. It's one of those that I could shave seen being a hit had someone like Robbie Williams covered it and edited it down a bit in the late 90s.

It was a radio hit for Steve Hackett with Paul Carrack when he covered it on Genesis Revisited in 1995. By radio hit, I mean it was on "heavy rotation on BBC Radio 2, the most listened to station in the UK.

Fair enough, Steve's version is vastly superior.

I like it very much, it's likely my favourite on that album.

Quote from foxfeeder

It was a radio hit for Steve Hackett with Paul Carrack when he covered it on Genesis Revisited in 1995. By radio hit, I mean it was on "heavy rotation on BBC Radio 2, the most listened to station in the UK.

Fair enough, Steve's version is vastly superior.

I agree, it is a better version, at the same time though, the schmaltz factor is increased exponentially. Also, Paul Carrack delivers it much better than Phil who at the time was still a bit 'green' as a singer.

Quote from DecomposingMan

Steve's version is interesting because it changes the song so much. The verses are changed from 3/4 to 4/4, so that the transition between time signatures is eliminated, and there is no quiet solo section.

I don't know if I would have thought of this if someone else hadn't pointed it out, but Steve seems to have deliberately made it sound like a Mike + The Mechanics song!

It IS hugely changed, for the better IMO, and the UK single edit (It was the UK single! ) omitted the quiet solo section (If memory serves).

Off-topic: I just noticed your avatar is a 3 wheel car viewed from above. I've been seeing it as a zeppelin-type airship viewed from below!

I thought it was a toad.

I find it rather phallic.