A TRICK OF THE TAIL

A Trick Of The Tail proved that Genesis didn't need Peter Gabriel to make good music. Indeed, the members of the band sound like liberated after the departure of the man who dominated them for so long (and made them do the silly The Lamb Lies Down.). Although lyrically they may have suffered a bit, but I never cared for Gabriels lyrics anyway, this is a very strong album, from the excellent opener Dance On A Volcano to the closing track Los Endos. Songs in between include a few nice ballads, with Mad Man Moon as the absolute highlight. Robbery, Assault & Battery and the title track took me some time to get used to, though. The first because it reminds me of some of the PG-era "epics" (well, of course it's not as bad as Get Em Out by Friday), the second because it hints at the commercial direction the band would slide to a couple of albums later. Perhaps not essential, but strongly recommended anyway.