A TRICK OF THE TAIL

The Genesis album A Trick of the Tail is their first after the departure of lead singer Peter Gabriel, and I find it a more cohesive effort from their last endeavor, the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Although Peter is a hard act to follow, Genesis did the right thing and stayed in house with Phil Collins becoming their new lead singer, even though he still occupied the drum set. On the touring front they had to hire an outside drummer while Phil sang. Initially this was Bill Bruford, but he went on to different things and his place was taken by Chester Thompson, who has stayed on as the live drummer pretty much since then (outside of the tour with Ray Wilson, who had replaced the departed Collins).

This album shows how good Genesis could be when they put their minds to it. Dance on a Volcano is an increible album opener, one of the strongest, in my opinion, in the history of Genesis. The twin guitar attack of Steve and Mike is an awesome accomplishment. Entangled is a 12-string lovefest. Squonk is a great driving Genesis song that pounds away. Mad Man Moon is another soft pastoral song.

Side two opens with Robbery, Assault and Battery, an aural assault with tongue in cheek lyrics, a song that would have been perfect for Peter to sing if he had stayed with the band, with its cast of characters. Ripples follows, a song that I personal rank as one of the best songs they have ever done. A Trick of the Tail follows, loosely based on an American Indian folktale and featuring Tony's excellent keyboard work. Los Endos ends the album with an instrumental that incorporates the themes of many of the songs to pull the album together as a whole. The track is so popular with the band itself that they still play it onstage.

An excellent album, one that I consider to be their third best, only bettered by Foxtrot and Selling England By the Pound. If you can, get the extended 2007 remaster that features amazing live video from this album's tour, it's well worth the price of admission, as well as the 5.1 stereo remastering is amazing, too.