A TRICK OF THE TAIL

The first Genesis work after the departure of Peter Gabriel shows a well rooted faith in their own means by the remaining quartet, far from being stranded at sea by their former charismatic frontman's absence. It also testifies how objectively lucky they have been in finding a home-made outstanding vocal replacement in Phil Collins: he has a completely different approach but, thanks to many timbrical identities, he has been able to carry on the work of his predecessor.

In "A Trick of the Tail" Genesis abandon the characteristic sound ambience of their previous work ("The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway") reverting to the more familiar sonorities of "Nursery Cryme" and "Foxtrot".

The result is an absolute masterpiece that is able to recapture the sound of good old days gone by, approaching it from a different point of view, in the form of songs (albeit atypical ones, thinking about the 8'03" of "Ripples") rather than extended epics.

Outstanding tracks: Dance on a Volcano, Entangled, Mad Man Moon, Robbery Assault and Battery, Ripples

Disappointing tracks: None

"Dance on a Volcano" (Banks/Collins/Hackett/Rutherford) - This odd meter whirlwind takes off right where "Dancing with the moonlit Knight" and "Cinema Show" landed. The 12 strings guitar and synth set the mood right and when the vocals enter the emotional climax is readily achieved. Interesting albeit slightly dissonant middle part. The closing part evocates a mayhem of dancing demons in a sabbath scenery, before ending on a quiet but eerie note...

"Entangled" (Banks/Hackett) - A sweet 12 strings arpeggio introduces one of the most touching Genesis songs. The mood and the lyrics are intimately tied as they describe the sensations of a person who's recovering from anaesthesia. Phil Collins singing at his best, with his doubled vocals conjuring the right airy choir...Then the wonderful finale where guitars, Mellotron and synth intertwine carrying the listener adrift.

"Squonk" (Banks/Rutherford) - A completely different approach for this broadly acclaimed concert opener. Riffs and lyrics courtesy of Mr. Michael Rutherford, he depicted a witty portrait of the immaginary beast created by William T Cox, and of its hunters. Legends are that sometime around the year 1900, a man was able to successfully catch a squonk, following a trail of tears, and when he heard a nearby squonk weeping under a hemlock tree, he lured it by imitating it. He caught the squonk in a bag, and carried it home, while it sobbed pitifully in his sack. As he carried his prize home, he suddenly noticed that the bag was lighter, and on opening it, found that there was nothing inside but tears and bubbles. So goes the story, and that's how the band narrated it! From a musical point of view it features the hardest-rocking drum track so far, seemingly borrowing its style from John Bonham's heavy pounding: the nervous verse is then countered by the definitely more relaxed chorus and the springy instrumental bridge that connects it back to the main theme. As with the first two tracks, the finale has some surprise set aside, following a completely different theme and fading out.

"Mad Man Moon" (Banks) - A gentle piano and flute theme introduces this very emotional song, dealing with stories of sun, sand and mythical creatures. Majestically composed by Banks and perfectly sung by Collins, it is a straightforward 4/4 ballad that relies on complex chords (not many writers are able to start a verse on the chords Em/D, D/C or shift from Bm to F without sounding awkward), and features a bright and sunny 7/8 middle section dyed in spanish hues. It ends as it began with the introductory theme.

"Robbery, Assault & Battery" (Banks/Collins) - Mr. Collins conveys a massive dose of humour with his cockney interpretation of this Victorian tale about a burglar and his misadventures concerning the long arms of the law. A cheeky polka-like rhythm and verse structure garnished with Phil's vocal extravaganzas gives way to a lush middle part in which the ARP synth and the Mellotron hold the lion's share thanks to fast soloing, intricated arpeggios and complex chords. The focus comes back to the verse and the chorus for the grand finale. Honorable mention to the video clip for this track, which features Phil Collins as the thief, Mike Rutherford as the murdered owner of the safe, and Tony Banks and Steve Hackett as the policemen...

"Ripples" (Banks/Rutherford) - Yet another 12 strings and piano driven dream, with very delicate lyrics. It features a definitely catchy chorus, but its focal point is without doubt the instrumental section which starts some 4 minutes into the song. The rippling piano arpeggio and the ominous synth notes provide a perfect background to Hackett's soaring distant guitar until the final burst that links back to the chorus.

"A trick of the tail" (Banks) - Tony Banks sketched this song way back in 1969, and then he picked it up again some six years later fitting it into the mainly acoustic mood of the album, and providing it with the fantasy lyrics that permeate the whole release. Musically, it is composed by two differently structured sections (the verse and the chorus), both somehow reminiscent of a beatlesque style. The lyrics tell the first person perspective of a humanoid being provided with a tail, who is then trapped by some people and showed around as a circus freak, until the moment when he breaks free and convinces them to follow him in order to catch a glimpse of the place where he comes from. But alas, these people are so narrow minded that they cannot even perceive what he is about to show them, and in the end he disappears from their sight.

"Los Endos" (Banks/Collins/Hackett/Rutherford) - A final instrumental showcase for the talents of the group, especially Banks and Collins stand out with their performance. Often performed live and acclaimed with the extension usually known as "Drum Duet", where Phil Collins plays simultaneously with the supporting drummer for the concert (usually Chester Thompson, who performs drumming duties while Collins is busy facing the crowds). Its ending features an instrumental reprise of the "Dance on a Volcano" beginning that merges into "Squonk"'s instrumental verse and fades away.