A TRICK OF THE TAIL

'A Trick of The Tail' as is widely documented is the first post Gabriel era Genesis effort. I will always think of this album as the one where I pretty much listen to the even numbered tracks only. The set starts off decently with the intriguing 'Dance on a Volcano', however there are some annoying whistles in the opening moments that nearly ruin the track altogether. In this piece we see the capability of the band, sans PG, is not too bad. That being said I can't help but notice that there is something missing to the music, be it angst or just simply a musical depth. I liken this 'new' sound to Paul McCartney embarking on his solo career; without Lennon co-writing the songs McCartney simply became more schmaltzy showing that Lennon's influence kept the edge on all those infamous Beatles songs. This lack of depth would show up on the subsequent 'odd numbered' tracks 'Squonk', 'Robbery, Assault, and Battery', and 'A Trick of The Tail'. In each of these tracks there is enough quality to hold the listener and some excellent parts but as a whole they have clearly lost their aggression and I feel they never got it back then after. Pehaps the striking difference lies in that each of these pieces attempts at the theatrical side of Genesis' previous albums but Phil Collins, though a capable vocalist, cannot match the variety that Gabriel could and so the band would have to adjust to their new frontman (and they would on their next effort).

Now to the better parts. For those of you raised on the Gabriel era stuff wishing to march on further into the bands discography you will notice that the tracks 'Entangled', 'Ripples', and 'Los Endos' still prove that there is alot to offer yet from the newly formed foursome. 'Entangled' and 'Ripples' are both similar in that they are primarily ballads and more acoutically oriented. Both are excellent, though sappy (not that there's anything wrong with that). Excellent keyboard work from Banks and guitars from Hackett dominate these tracks making me wish that Hackett had more prominence in the previous albums. 'Los Endos' is an instumental medly of the musical themes produced in the previous tracks and is an excellent stand-alone piece sealing the deal that this is definitely a decent album, but not great!