A TRICK OF THE TAIL

So after Peter left, Genesis was unsure about their future with a vocalist. They even thought about being an all-instrumental band. They auditioned many singers and I believe they auditioned drummers too. They didn't like any of the singers they auditioned so Phil decided to take a stab at it, the band had liked what they have heard from him in the past(For Absent Friends, More Fool Me). They eventually gave him the job as frontman and so the Phil Collins Era of Genesis began. He has somewhat of a similar vocal range from Peter but he is able to sing higher notes. I personally loved the guy's vocals in the 1970's(he was flawless with so much soul and emotion). A Trick Of The Tail was the beginning of all this. The album was released in 1976 and it actually sold more copies and it was more critically acclaimed than any album with Peter put together( I still prefer PG Genesis regardless of what others say! but that doesn't mean I don't like PC Genesis because I still do). Anyways, the line-up now consisted of Phil Collins on lead vocals and drums, Tony Banks on keyboards, piano and mellotron. Steve Hackett on lead guitar and Mike Rutherford on bass guitar. The album cover was made hipgnosis(known for doing Pink Floyd album covers) and it features the themes that the album's lyrics talk about(Squonk, Robbery, Assault & Battery, Ripples I think you get the point!). You'd think that they lost their lead singer, main lyricist and frontman that they would suffer but that's not the case here(hehe). I will talk about what I like and don't like about this album. To me this still a solid album!

Here's the track listing for the album that was released in 1976

1. Dance On A Volcano- This song is just good, I love how they go crazy and change time-signatures and head into a jam towards the end. It shows you that Genesis isn't resting on their laurels or past glories. They have a new identity. This is classic Genesis in my opinion. 'Let the dance begin!!!" 10/10

2. Entangled- Oh my is this one great, I get tremendous chill whenever I listen to it, Phil's vocals are fantastic along with the rest of the band. When this head towards the end, it gives me even more chills. When the Mellotrons you are like "wow!!". I don't know if I've ever had more chills listening to a Genesis song. When I hear this I think of the shadow of Peter Gabriel and how the band was able to tell everyone "We'll be fine!" . There's no need to worry we're still Genesis and with that in mind, it makes it even more chilling!. 10/10

3. Squonk- Though a little repetitive for my liking it still shines on many levels. Primarily on the groove of the bass and drums. Due to the repetitive nature of this song I'll deduct some points(If you know me by now and my reviews I don't really like repetitive songs in my Prog world) Phil's vocals aren't too bad either! The song is still a good listen. 8/10

4. Mad Man Moon- This one is more of Tony's piece than any other on the album(I believe Tony had a say in every song on this album, I could be wrong though). It's a Piano piece that is just wonderful though the bridge hardly does anything for me. The verses and choruses are fantastic though. 8/10

5. Robbery, Assault & Battery- Now this is one I love, it tells a story about a thief and how he escapes and gets out of jail by paying his bail he continually robs money and precious material from banks. That little jam and that keyboard synth solo and interplay with the guitar is just too awesome!!. I think the lyrics are funny but it doesn't really bother the music(Genesis with Peter did always have that humor though so I guess it really shouldn't bother me). The song is really solid with a great bass and drum attack on the rhythm section. Steve guitar work on this song is often overlooked.10/10

6. Ripples - Ah this one, this one is so great!! I love the piano, the vocals, Steve Hackett's crying guitar(his guitar cries on this song, just listen!!) The music in the background while Steve is playing his solo is just so mysterious and beautiful at the same time!. "Sail away, away though the Ripples never come back". It talks about how everyone beauty goes away from them(it specifically talks about women though). I hope it didn't or doesn't intend to be sexist. Anyways, this song is just beautiful, it's enough to make a man cry(In my opinion). Just a great song. 10/10

7. A Trick Of The Tail- I bet some people were upset by this one because it sounds more commercial than just about anything that they have done until this point. I happen to think the opposite. I was glad that Genesis decided to make something like this(it was a breath of fresh air to me!). I think it's a very enjoyable song, I don't think it's perfect but still really fun! 9/10

8. Los Endos- This one is one of Genesis best instrumentals, I find it to be very solid. It's got some jazzy influences in there. I really like how they referred back to Squonk(I thought that was neat not original but neat nonetheless). This refers to Dance On A Volcano too and it's one of Genesis's best instrumentals. 10/10

Overall the album gets a 75 out of 80 from me. Out of 10 it gets a little more than a 9. I will give the album a 5 star rating because of 5 great songs!Genesis proved to us all that they don't need to rely on Peter Gabriel to make great music, and they did just that!!!.Peace Out!