A TRICK OF THE TAIL

Musicianship is high maybe because band members were probably not dealing with the strong personality of former vocalist Peter Gabriel or maybe they wanted to show their skills that were sometimes hidden. They also seem to share equally their part of the cake.

"Dance on a volcano" keeps Genesis tradition of high-level opening track and the other songs are well disposed and recorded turning the album into an easy flowing piece.

Well, but there is something not running accordingly: Phil Collins' lead vocals. Phil could do a good job as supporting vocal or even as main singer in certain specific songs ('More fool me', from SEBTP) but the task of frontman was too much for him, at least for a Genesis style of music and interpretation. He went fair in ballads like 'Ripples' or 'Mad man moon' but failed on typically-oriented Gabriel's songs like 'Robbery, assault and battery', 'Entangled' or the title-song.

I saw Genesis live, here in Rio, 1977, and Collins vocals only worked for the slow songs, the others were at the edge of a disaster. The negative impact of that live show was so great that I preferred not to buy their next album, W&W, having only the opportunity to hear it completely many years after. I think that the poppish line that Genesis took had also a strong contribution of Collins inability for higher flights with more complex and sophisticated music: the essence of progressive.

Minus 2-stars due to weak leading vocals in some tracks. Total: 3.

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