1973 Albums

Hailing from the Dutch city of Hilversum, Kayak was another of the Netherlands's favorite sons, led by keyboardist Ton Scherpenzeel and drummer Pim Koopman. Classical music students, the pair first teamed up in 1967, picking up vocalist Max Werner and guitarist Johan Slager along the way. After signing with EMI Harvest, Kayak released their debut album See See The Sun in 1973. "Reason for It All" kicks off, revealing a classically-inspired progressive with a sprite, driving tempo and rich harmonies; yet it's the instrumental section that reveals the band's power.

Although released in July as a budget-priced album, the performances on Genesis Live were priceless; the record rose to No. 9 on the UK album charts. Live albums had started to appear during the early 70s, ostensibly to fill the album-per-year requirement most labels demanded. Of course, other than earning an easy buck or two, they also gave bands a breather to jump-start the creative process or fill a vacant role, and often served as a bookmark in a band's development. For Genesis, it closed the chapter that began with Trespass.