A TRICK OF THE TAIL

The album that proved everyone wrong. There WAS life in Genesis after Peter Gabriel left. Who'd have thought that the same Phil Collins whose More fool me on Selling England by the pound was such a disgrace on a perfect album, would turn out to be the ideal replacement for Gabriel on vocals?

1. Dance On A Volcano (5:53) "We are back with a vengeance". Very good album opener, full of life and dyamics, excellently sung by Phil. 8,5/10

2. Entangled (6:28) Awesome. One of the all-time great songs, a tender ballad writen by Banks and Hacket. Beautiful, the way the songs ends in instrumental majesty. 10/10

3. Squonk (6:27) One of the weirdest songs in the Genesis prog catalogue, this story of a legendary animal that once caught dissolves in tears. Some people list this as thweir favourite Genesis track, and I can see why (although I do not fully agree). 9/10

4. Mad Man Moon (7:35) Pure class. Progressive rock, yes any pop/rock, does not come better than this to my taste. The instrumental parts of this Banks gem are gorgeous, right from the intimate flute play at the start. And Phil Collins shows what a fine voice he has for symphonic rock, delivering catching lines like "forever caught in desert lands one has to learn to disbelieve the sea" with great panache. 10/10

5. Robbery, Assault & Battery (6:15) The track that for me is the least interesting. it is not bad, but I can find nothing outstanding about it. 7/10

6. Ripples (8:03) Once more, Genesis manage to get a third absolute classic song on one album, an amaing performance. More than any other track on this album, this song pushes their sound in a more direct, less fanciful direction. Ripples is an epic ballad about the perceived threat of growing old. The lyrics alternate verses that mourn the passing of beauty which comes with getting older ("The face that launched a thousand ships is sinking fast - that happens, you know") with a chorus that uses the image of ripples disappearing across a pond for the aging process ("Sail away, away - ripples never come back"). The music maintains the low-key mood of the lyrics: its gentle melody with verses that drift high and low with a yearning chorus that floats off into the ether. 10/10

7. A Trick Of The Tail (4:34) Often quoted as the weakest track, buit I disagree. It is a bit more simple than most, but with its catchy melodies and interesting lyrics, this is always a joy to listen to. For me, at least. 9/10

8. Los Endos (5:46) A fine instrumental ending to an absolute masterpiece. 8/10

After Selling England by the pound, the best Genesis album for me, and clearly in my top 10 of all time, even in pop/rock in general.

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