A TRICK OF THE TAIL

Review by Progkidjoel

Genesis' "A Trick of The Tail" is the first post-Gabriel Era Genesis album, and possibly the best. This album, although only 8 tracks in length, never ceases to amaze, entertain or amuse the listener.

1. Dance On A Volcano (5:53) One of my favourite Genesis tracks ever, this great track opens with a flowing melody and an interesting guitar and drum pattern. Quite a challenging listen for the first few tries, this song is sure to amaze and amuse. Phil Collin's vocals were particularly strong on this track, and led alot of the musical brilliance to be found on the first track of this album.

[4 Stars out of 5]

2. Entangled (6:28) A slow, flowing, harmonic piece which carries on a great lyric with yet again great vocals. Quite remmenisent of "The Musical Box" from Gabriel-era Genesis, this track is one of my favourites of the album. The lyrics to this track are the leading star, and boy, do they shine.

[4.5 Stars out of 5]

3. Squonk (6:27) A squonk: (Not a word for word quote) Is a beast, which when threatened, scared or entrapped can dissolve itself into tears. My favourite track from this album, and one of Genesis' best ever. The drum track to this song is absolutely great, powerful and rhythmic, yet at the same time, incredibly metronomic in a way which lets the vocals flow over the top. The keyboards at the chorus to this song are fantastic, and so is the Lyric. One of my favourite Genesis lyrics ever, "If you don't stand up, you don't stand a chance" is a great explanation of a Squonk.

[5 Stars out of 5]

4. Mad Man Moon (7:35) One of the coolest prog tracks I'd heard up to that point, this flowing, piano-led ballad is fantastic. One of the very first songs I ever learnt on piano, I love this song to bits and will never forget it.

[5 Stars out of 5]

5. Robbery, Assault & Battery (6:15) More of a comedy than a song, this track is as amusing as it is fantastic and reminiscent of Gabriel-Era Genesis. The lyrics convey the story of this track fantastically, and never cease to entertain, even after numerous listens. The instrumentals on this track are also very great, and add to the overall depth of this track.

[4 Stars out of 5]

6. Ripples (8:03) Another semi-space rock track, which is quite similiar to entangled, this is quite an interesting track. It's high vocals and flowing piano melody at the chorus are quite deep, and make this song feel very... Thick? In an emotive way. Deep would be a better word to use. A great track, none the less.

[4 Stars out of 5]

7. A Trick Of The Tail (4:34) One of the best EVER Genesis' tracks, the title track of this album tells the tale of a beast, who left his home in search of adventure, only to be captured and riticuled by humans. This is one of the defining tracks of Collins-era Genesis, and should not be overlooked. Not only one of the most memorable title tracks ever, but this song delivers brilliance in a very "Supper's Ready" way, and does nothing other than entertain and engage both the old and new Genesis fan from beggining to end.

[5 Stars out of 5]

8. Los Endos (5:46) My least favourite track from this album, I didn't see what the point in adding this track was. Its a flowing epilogue to a great album, displaying the dynamics, elements and harmonies from the best tracks on the album, but never the less, I found it incredibly dull in comparison to the rest of this great album.

[3.5 Stars out of 5]

Closing thoughts:

The production value on this album was great, albeit a little bit too treble concentrated. Where the bass is visible, it is great, but it's a shame these moments are too scarce. An easily reccomendable, 5/5 album for any proggy, old or young, Gabriel or Genesis, symphonic or Neo.

Final rating: 5/5 Stars (NOT an average) -Joel G

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