A TRICK OF THE TAIL

When i first heard of Genesis, I was in the car and Invisible Touch came on and I didn't think much about it and later when i got interested in progressive music i came across Genesis of course. The first album i listened to was A Trick of the Tail and i was blown away. It still is my favorite album of theirs top to bottom full of great progressive tracks and slower songs with great musicianship, Phil's debut as a singer and no craziness of The Lamb :D. But let's get to the songs.

Dance on a Volcano: This song ALONE made me a Genesis fan, no kidding. It has a jammy feel to it with a progressive edge. They seem to be getting more rock n roll with this song(and album) but it still ranks as one of their all-time best. It feels like a strong, complete song.

Entangled: The first of the slower tracks. Not much percussion, but dominated by Steve and Tony intermingling their bits together in a nice, easy going track.

Squonk: To quote Mr. Collins "That was our Zeppelin track", and it feels like it, from time to time. The drums get loud and aggressive, but not quite Bonzo aggressive. It still rocks out with a great guitar/keyboard riff and awesome vocal from Phil. This is the one that made him the lead singer.

Mad Man Moon: At first, I loved this track, but this song has gone downhill for me. It feels like a jumbled mess with no clear direction. It starts and ends alright, but I get so confused listening to it.

Robbery, Assault and Battery: Kind of a comedic track like Harold the Barrel from the older days. It tries to tell a story about a robber and cops and such. It's not bad, in fact, I love the instrumentation of this song, the keyboard solo/drum jam is a classic Genesis but the lyrics annoy me a tad. It seems Phil is trying to do the Peter thing of being multiple people like in Epping Forest but ends up kind of lacking. But still, a great track

Ripples...: An amazing ballad. I love this track so much and has a power ballad feel, but in an organic 70s feel to it. The middle instrumental section is great as well. This song really shows off Phil's vocal capabilities.

A Trick of the Tail: The title track, apparently made during the Selling England sessions, does feel like a simple "pop" track made for the Phil-era, per se. I still like it for being a harmless, catchy tune.

Los Endos: This is how you end an album. It combines elements from Volcano, Squonk, and the B-Side, It's Yourself, as well as original music to make an excellent jazz-prog-rock-jam instrumental. The cymbal rhythm that dominates the track, as a drummer, I still have trouble doing just right. The band are in full form and end with a book-end, glorious end, feeling like they are proud of this work, as they should.

Overall, I after listened to this album, I was hooked on Genesis till I die. This is in my Top 5 albums ever and on my "Desert Island" list. 5 Stars. Highlights: Dance on a Volcano, Squonk, Robbery Assault and Battery, Ripples..., A Trick of the Tail and Los Endos