A TRICK OF THE TAIL

The first release from a shaken Genesis was also the last truly consistent studio release of theirs! The band did astonishingly well without Gabriel's father figure and proved that they had what was needed in order to continue on their own.

Dance On A Volcano has everything that I love about great Genesis compositions - sharp melodies, amazing interplay between the members and a touch of music magic! If there is any real criticism that can be uttered about this release then it would be pointed towards the lyrics. If you don't believe me then try closely examining the lyrics to Entangled and tell me that you actually consider them to be worthy of the music that they accompany.

The rest of the material, leading up to Ripples, isn't as masterful as the two opening tracks but they do a good job of expanding the band's sound to new areas where the collective hasn't yet traveled. Both Squonk and Mad Man Moon feature great instrumental arrangements even if the compositions themselves might not be top notch. Still it's the ballads that seem to dominate this album and they get to a hauntingly beautiful conclusion with Ripples. Steve Hackett's guitar, towards the end of the track, can only be resembled to that of a cherry on top of a perfect desert that you want to consume over and over again!

Since I'm still talking about the individual tracks, I might as well come out and admit that Los Endos has never been a favorite of mine. Yes, it's a fun little conclusion to the album but it adds nothing to the already quite impressive album for me. This is something that I really can't explain, but if there are others who agree with me then please let your voice be heard. In conclusion, A Trick Of The Tail is a great Genesis album that returned the band to the formula of Selling England By The Pound and showed the world that the quartet still had what it took in order to conceive great music.

***** star songs: Dance On A Volcano (5:53) Entangled (6:28) Ripples (8:03)

**** star songs: Squonk (6:27) Mad Man Moon (7:35) Robbery, Assault & Battery (6:15) Los Endos (5:46)

*** star songs: A Trick Of The Tail (4:34)