A TRICK OF THE TAIL

With the exception of Pink Floyd, this may very well be the most accessible album into the world of Prog. It was not the first Genesis album I had listened to and while I was off-put to know that Peter Gabriel had left before this, several listens convinced me that this was not something to be ignored by the Prog world. Each song is beautiful and well-crafted; they all fit together perfectly. Here is where Genesis (mainly Banks and Rutherford) shows the world that song-writing did not solely belong to their former front-man. I'd list noteworthy songs but to be honest they're all exceptional and outstanding that to select a few isolated tracks would seem to diminish the value of the others. I will say that "Los Endos" may be Genesis' finest climactic ending to an album/song; yes, I'd even go as far to say that it rivals even "Supper's Ready" or "The Musical Box". The reprising melody from both "Squonk" and "Dance on a Volcano" always brings goosebumps to my skin.

While not altogether a masterpiece, this album has the unique distinction of not limiting itself to Prog audiences. There are elements within this record that can appeal to a wide range of music lovers, which makes it the accessible and wonderful group of melodies that I will cherish til the end of my days.