A TRICK OF THE TAIL

This was the first album GENESIS released without PETER GABRIEL who had left the band after the THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY tour in 1975. I can only comment the behaviour of those people who do not want to listen to anything GENESIS released after GABRIEL got out of the group with the allegation of not being open-minded. You should really give this one a try because it is a masterpiece!

After the retirement of PETER GABRIEL drummer PHIL COLLINS started singing for GENESIS and I have to say that his voice fits as well as GABRIEL's voice to the music. With A TRICK OF THE TAIL GENESIS went new ways, it did not sound like the GENESIS from 1970/1971 until 1975 anymore, but it was no radical change and by no means a renunciation of Progressive Rock for the benefit of pop. The chant of PHIL COLLINS did not form such a big contrast as it was the case as PETER GABRIEL sang for GENESIS anymore, it incorporated a bit more into the music I think, but still the chant was unmistakable. The keyboard does not lord it over the guitar as is the case on the group's next output WIND & WUTHERING, all seems to be well balanced. The lyrics are still awesome on this album as we are used to the lyrics of this great band.

The opener "Dance On A Volcano" is one of my favourite GENESIS songs and the last song "Los Endos" who relates on many passages of the album is outrageous and forms a retrospect on the album. All songs are great, I especially like besides the two tracks I have already mentioned before the titles "Ripples", a song about death and fugacity, the sad "Mad Man Moon" and "Robbery, Assault And Battery" which reminds me a bit on "Harold The Barrel" (NURSERY CRIME).

A TRICK OF THE TAIL is an amazing diversified and sweeping album. Do yourself a favour and buy this album, it is a masterpiece!