Customer Reviews

A Trick of the Tail

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1976's "A Trick Of The Tail" was the first Genesis album without lead singer Peter Gabriel, with drummer Phil Collins taking Gabriel's place at the mike on a full-time basis for the first time (Phil had already sung lead vocals on a pair of the band's earlier songs, "For Absent Friends" & "More Fool Me"). "A Trick Of The Tail" was a landmark album for the band, and it still stands today as one of their best. It not only showed the music world that Genesis *could* survive without Gabriel, it also proved to those who thought of Genesis as "The Peter Gabriel Band" that Gabriel was not, in fact, the only talented musician in the group. While Peter is most certainly a musical genius, and he was a fantastic frontman & songwriter for Genesis, ALL of the band members, including Collins, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Steve Hackett, and former members including Anthony Phillips, etc., all contributed to the group's musical magic right along with Peter. "A Trick Of The Tail" was the proof of that. Now a quartet, "A Trick Of The Tail" finds Genesis still at the top of their game, with eight marvelous compositions that remain among the best in all of progressive rock, with such band staples as "Dance On A Volcano," "Squonk" (both superb Genesis rockers), the lovely, majestic songs "Entangled," "Mad Man Moon" & "Ripples," the great fun of "Robbery, Assault & Battery" & the title song, and the mindblowing coda, "Los Endos" (a sort of instrumental re-cap of the album's previous songs, with the band bidding a fond farewell to Peter Gabriel at the very end, as Collins sings "There's an angel standing in the sun/Free to get back home"---it's a line from "Supper's Ready," the band's magnum opus from 1972). The band's songwriting & musicianship here is truly sensational, with Banks, Collins, Hackett & Rutherford delivering some of their greatest work ever recorded. And Collins' voice perfectly fits the bill---if *any* singer could take over for Peter Gabriel, it was Phil. Thank God that the band didn't have to look very far for the man for the job! "A Trick Of The Tail" is classic Genesis all the way, and one of the band's greatest accomplishments. Let the dance---and the Phil Collins era---begin!

Remember how George Harrison released five years' worth of stifled songwriting creativity after the Beatles' breakup, with the masterful "All Things Must Pass"?

I have to qualify this by saying that I'm a huge Gabriel-era Genesis fan. For the most part, I can do without the Phil Collins era (okay, "Duke" is pretty good). I even prefer Ray Wilson's work on "...Calling All Stations..." to most of Phil's. But despite that, I have to say that "A Trick of the Tail" is my single favorite Genesis album, PERIOD.

As wonderful as Peter was, he really had demanded too much control over the songwriting. As a result, this first album sans Peter - where they were clearly under enormous pressure to prove that they could survive without him - ended up being like a songwriters' and instrumentalists' clinic.

Tony Banks's songwriting, Mike Rutherford's and Steve Hackett's guitar playing, and Phil Collins's singing and drumming all get a great workout here, and there isn't a single clunker in the bunch - "Squonk," "Dance on a Volcano," and "Entangled" are the clear winners here, though Banks's keyboards really shine on "Ripples" and "Mad Man Moon." Only "Robbery, Assault & Battery" ever strikes me as a bit dated or campy - but it's strong enough instrumentally to overcome the somewhat forced lyrics.

I never get tired of listening to this one on roadtrips, and it often rocks harder than much of their other work. So - despite preferring 1969-75 Genesis overall - it's usually the album I use to introduce newbies to the band. My recommendation is without reservation.

This album was, as all good Genesis fans know, the first album produced after Peter Gabriel left the band during their tour to support "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway". Many in the press and in the general public had pretty much written Genesis off after Peter's departure. As strange as this may seem now, it was not so hard to believe at the time. During the band's previous career, Peter had affected a powerful stage presence due to his use of makeup, props, and costumes. It was widely believed at the time that Peter pretty much wrote everything and that Tony Banks, Steve Hackett, Mike Rutherford, and Phil Collins were just his backup band. However, Genesis themselves knew different, and they set out to prove it in spectacular fashion. After Peter, the remaining members conducted a long, exhaustive, but ultimately fruitless search to find a lead vocalist before Phil Collins reluctantly stepped out from behind his drumset to assume singing duties. Ironically, he had provided "secondary" vocals for the band for quite a while, most notably on "Colony of Slippermen" on the Lamb album, as well as lead vocals on a couple of tracks from "Foxtrot" and "Selling England By The Pound". However, it was not until this album that Genesis and the world would realize that Phil Collins was a first-class singer, in addition to being a drumming powerhouse. The album starts off very strongly with "Dance on a Volcano", which is still one of my all-time favorite Genesis tracks, largely on the strength of Steve Hackett's excellent guitar. Next up is the haunting "Entangled", a otherworldly, yet hilarious piece concerning the medical profession and the high cost thereof. "Squonk" follows, a poppy song about a mythological woodland creature that, to me, foreshadows the Genesis of the 80's. In fact, I feel that this track, as well as the fast-paced and funny "Robbery, Assault and Battery", would fit right in on the "Genesis" and "Invisible Touch" albums of the mid-80s. "Mad Man Moon" - Tony Banks' compositional skills at his finest! "Ripples" - A bittersweet saga about aging and the loss of youth. "Trick of the Tail" - Another Genesis classic about culture shock and alienation, as well as the longing everyone feels sometime to return home, where everyone understands you and no one sees you as different or inferior. No one makes music like this anymore, folks. The album wraps up with the instumental "Los Endos", a fine instrumental that includes parts of the melodies from some of the other tracks on the album. When this album was released, it sold more copies than all other Genesis releases combined to that point. Legend even has it that this album was the favorite of Princess Diana. As some other reviewers have said, this may be the one Genesis album that everyone likes, both the Peter Gabriel fans and the Phil Collins fans. As for me, I think it's among Genesis' best efforts overall, although I am one of those rare people who actually like and can appreciate both "Supper's Ready" and "Invisible Touch".

An interesting note here - this album and "Wind and Wuthering" are, I believe, the only Genesis albums where individual songwriting credit is given. It's interesting to see who wrote which songs and compare their musical styles. On this album, the lion's share of the compositional duties were shared by Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford. Phil Collins had not yet really come into his own as a writer, and Steve Hackett, by this point, was getting shoved more and more to the side. This had a big influence on his decision to leave Genesis in 1977, and it's too bad. His talents are showcased very well on this album. It makes one wonder what the Genesis hit machine would have produced in the 80's if he had stayed around.

In 1976 Genesis was known as one of the most progressive rock bands worldwide, highly successful throughout Europe and much of the world, even if they had only achieved modest success up to that point here in the US. By 1986 Genesis had amassed even greater successes worldwide including the US, as a Top 40 staple on radio as a pop hit making machine. Surely if you were comatose, or stranded on a desert island during those ten years, having last heard 'The Lamb Lies Down...', only to return and hear 'Invisible Touch', you'd have no way of understanding how Genesis circa mid-seventies could have evolved into Genesis circa mid-eighties. Well it is this album, 'A Trick of the Tail' that provides the bridge.

Genesis in totality, 1969 to present is loved by almost no one. There are two different camps of Genesis fans. Many prefer the early progressive quintet of the Peter Gabriel era, whilst many others prefer the poppy hit friendly trio of the Phil Collins era. But it is a rare beast that actually loves the whole gamut. The only unified crossover appeal between the two camps generally comes with this album and it's follow up 'Wind and Wuthering', appropriately the only two albums Genesis made as a quartet.

After the departure of flamboyant vocalist and primary lyricist Peter Gabriel, many in the press and fan base had Genesis written off for dead. After an exhausting search for a new lead singer proved fruitless, the lead vocal duties were handed to the groups drummer Phil Collins. This was at least a safe choice as Collins was already a familiar voice to fans, and had already been heard on lead vocals a couple times since he had joined the band in 1971, as well as being the primary harmony vocalist to Gabriel during the period.

The first fruit of the 'new' Genesis, 'A Trick of the Tail' was a sheer slap in the face to critics and nay-sayers who thought that Genesis died with Peter Gabriel's departure. The difference is immediately noticeable, as the witty and ironic lyric crafting that was a trademark of the Gabriel era is severely watered down in this first post Peter release, but ironically the music is actually more melodic and immediately accessible than any release that had come prior.

'A Trick of the Tail' is not quite the Peter Gabriel era Genesis, but it is still also a far cry from the pop machine of 'Invisible Touch'. The songs here are still very progressive, running in odd time signatures, with extended instrumental sections, and only one track running less than 5 and a half minutes.

The album is also very balanced with the songs all being of nearly equal caliber. The sonic trilogy of 'Dance on a Volcano', 'Squonk' and 'Los Endos', the exquisite 'Entangled' and the moody 'Ripples' all are superb. If the weakest link would have to be pointed out, it would probably be 'Robbery, Assault and Battery', but that is not to so say it isn't without it's own merits, it just doesn't quite stand up as well as the remainder of the album.

All in all, 'A Trick of the Tail' is far and away the best album of the Phil Collins vocalist era of Genesis, and really the only album that to these ears, is comparable in overall quality and enjoyment to the Peter Gabriel era albums of 1970-1975. It was the last truly great Genesis album, and unfortunately, every album in succession after this one, took one more step away from the progressive band that Genesis was, and one step towards the straight forward pop band that they eventually became by the end of the eighties.

After losing Gabriel, and after a massive search for a new front man, Genesis ended hundreds of auditions back where they started - with drummer Phil Collins. How else do you maintain the british rooted sounds that are in every Genesis lp to date. Few bands could withstand such a transition, and Genesis surely lost many a long time fan with Gabriel's departure. But once you get past that fact, "Trick of the Tail is a treasure to the ears. It is Genesis probably at their last creative heighth - powerful musical solos, distinct Collins drumming, crunching bass, tour de force Tony Banks keyboards and that detail given to every epic musical journey on most pre-"Abacab" CDs. It's also one of the last CDs that icludes the distinct, "mosquitoish" sounding Steve Hackett guitar flavoring that long time Genesis fans have grown accustomed to. The following "Wind and Weathering" CD will be equal to the task, still maintaining long, non-radio airplay length type Genesis tunes without the Gabriel crutch to lean on. But "Trick of the Tail" was more monumental in it's proof that the show can go on after losing a intricate piece of the puzzle. Don't let the Gabriel loyalists discourage you from giving this one a test drive. This is probably the best produce, best sounding Genesis CD to date. For best results, slap on the headphones!

While most of the music world, press, and fans of the band reacted (and prematurely so, I might add) with a negative sting to what they believed Genesis to be if they had continued, the band themselves somehow believed different. So much so that they put out an album not too long after the end of the previous tour.

As Genesis came back and released Trick, the fans, and critics alike were silenced, and started to sing out their praises. They have proved to the world that Genesis could in fact carry on without their charasmatic leader.

The album is full of life from beginning to end. The final mix is amoung one of the best in the whole catalogue of Genesis albums, and the songs...well, the songs do speak for themselves. Tony Banks is largely responsible for the pleasant soundscape that this album provides...writing or co-writing all of the songs on the album, he shows a certain talent that he can write with different people, in different styles.

Some of the highlights from this album include: "Dance on a Volcano", "Los Endos" and "Robbery, Assault & Battery". "Mad Man Moon", which in my opinion is probably the most underated Genesis track on the whole album. There's also Squonk (there's that funky side to Genesis again), and Ripples, which is said to be a fan favourite. The title song harks back to the days of vaudville, while they are telling a story, they put it to a very light and upbeat..er hmm, .... beat.

This is an album that Genesis fans must have...and it's a great album to listen to, sing along with, drive to, or even read to. It's an all-purpose album. Go out and get this one...it will be worth your while.

A.C.

Genesis was considered dead in 1976. Peter Gabriel had left for a solo career and he was widely considered as the mastermind of the group. So now we have a group without its main writer and lead singer. Obviously the band had to put together something spectacular to show the public that they were still Genesis and they weren't going anywhere. So Phil Collins steps out from behind the drums (Bill Bruford was an early tour replacement and was later replaced my Chester Thompson) to do lead vocals. The album starts off with Dance on a Volcano and ends with Los Endos. From end to end it sounds very much like the Gabriel-Era Genesis. My personal favorite track is Los Endos. What an energetic song! The live cuts of it are even better. If you buy this album and like it, I highly suggest buying "Seconds Out" as well. That's some great tracks from their 1977 tour. Would I recommend this album? YES!

This is one of the great recordings in the history of recorded music. If you don't enjoy this album you probably don't know what music is. The interplay between Tony Banks, Steve Hackett, Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford is awesome. The songwriting is a cut above the Gabriel material in both mood and flow. Surely, this was a band with much to prove. They achieved their goal of stepping out of the shadow of a living legend. Curiously, the first Peter Gabriel album was also outstanding and can also be listened to twenty years after the fact. This album has not dated like much of the earlier recordings have. I would rate it a cut above Selling England by the Pound and enjoy it as much as the Steve Hackett Voyage album. If you want to buy the best of this bunch I suggest: This cd, the Steve Hackett Voyage disk, Selling England, and the second Gabriel disk. Buy the remastered version, you will hear things that are not on the original release. Amazing Stuff!!!!

After Peter Gabriel said goodbye to Genesis they went through a brief hiatus without a lead singer only to have Phil Collins take over and fill in Peters shoes. Trick Of The Tail is Genesis' first album under the Phil Collins lead vocal line-up. This 1976 release is absolute one of the most creative albums under the Genesis catalog. Phils songwriting while a bit silly is really good and Steve Hacketts guitar playing on here is awesome. Not much radio friendly music is present on here. The only track in my opinion that sounds radio friendly is the title track(Track 7) but that's just because it clocks in at 4:36 long. The album cover sets the general mood of this album. The remastering quality is great. I once had this on record and to have this remastered on CD is almost like a sweater or towel being lifted off the speakers. In fact I must say that this CD was well ahead of it's time. I just love the morphing melodic structure of Squonk. I almost couldn't even tell if that was Peter Gabriel or Phil Collins at first when hearing this album because their voices were quite similar at the time. A lot easier to get into than the greyness of Wind & Wuthering Trick Of The Tail is definately an essential recording. Invisible Touch, take a back seat for now. The music is well crafted and has firmer production that some of Wind & Wuthering lacks sometimes.

My favorite songs are the rich and colorful Squonk, the title track and the instrumental Los Endos.

I'm probably among the minority who almost loves just about the entire Genesis all the way from the abstract prog-rock albums Nursery Cryme & Foxtrot, to the Trick Of Tail through We Can't Dance and the incredibly powerful Calling All Stations.

Go and buy this CD. It's truly an essential album.

It was all stacked up against them: Their frontman, Peter Gabriel, had left the band. They had no singer, and no one to draw the focus of attention. They could have made a timid, safe album. Instead, they made their best album up to that time. "A Trick Of The Tale" is a brave, bold collection of beautiful music. To say that Phil Collins "copied" Gabriel is a harsh criticism... Gabriel never sounded as good as Phil does on the elegant "Entangled", and "Dance On A Volcano" is as sonic as anything they've ever done before or since. "Trick" is a dynamic album with powerful songs like "Squonk" and "Los Endos", as well as tender songs like "Ripples" and "Mad Man Moon". In 1975, after Gabriel left, Genesis had every excuse to put out a dud of an album. Instead, they created a masterpiece.