Trick of the Tail - Genesis

Moogtron III wrote: Snow Dog wrote: I'm suprised people like Mad Man Moon so much! I voted Los Endos. It would have been Dance On a Volcano if it wasn't for the naff fast bit ast the end, where they barely manage to play it properly. I'm surprised that you're surprised  . Listen to Banks' wonderful and totally original keyboard solo. And it's a very dreamy song. Not as intense as Dance On A Volcano maybe, but just totally beautiful.

Sorry Moogie, I don't like it, I find it second rate annd dull, but clearly I'm in the minority!

chopper wrote: I go for "Entangled" for the fantastic harmonies on the chorus and for the ending. The worst track? - Robbery...

Robbery is defintely the worst track. There you can already see Phil Collins' preference for commercial songs. Imagin some trumpets and some saxophones and it could be a number from No Jacket Required. There, my friends, the end was near.....

Under wrote: chopper wrote: I go for "Entangled" for the fantastic harmonies on the chorus and for the ending. The worst track? - Robbery... Robbery is defintely the worst track. There you can already see Phil Collins' preference for commercial songs. Imagin some trumpets and some saxophones and it could be a number from No Jacket Required. There, my friends, the end was near.....

Robbery Assault & Battery is one I often skip. The chirpy cockney Collins element is quite annoying, but there are some ill placed great moments in there. The instrumental sections are some of the most prog moments on the whole album IMO.

I would say the weakest song is 'Trick of the Tail' I think the commercial Collins thing is most in evidence there, in the 'Doo-wop doo-wop' section (He broke down the door of the cage..etc)

I think all post Gabriel Genesis (up until Duke) suffered from weak lyrics too. Which is a shame because instrumentally, Tony Banks was having his greatest song writing period IMO.

BTW, I know the lyric line in Los Endos is directed at Peter's departure from the band, but what about Dance on a Volcano.....

especially this part:

You're halfway up and you're halfway down
And the pack on your back is turning you around
Throw it away, you won't need it up there, and remember
You don't look back whatever you do
Better start doing it right

On your left and on your right
Crosses are green and crosses are blue
Your friends didn't make it through
Out of the night and out of the dark
Into the fire and into the fight
Well that's the way the heroes go, ho! Ho! Ho!

I think that the "pack on your back" is refering to the band being a burden on Gabriel, and it refering to "your friends didn't make it through"....."that's the way the heroes go" etc.

Anyone have any insight?

Snow Dog wrote: Moogtron III wrote: Snow Dog wrote: I'm suprised people like Mad Man Moon so much! I voted Los Endos. It would have been Dance On a Volcano if it wasn't for the naff fast bit ast the end, where they barely manage to play it properly. I'm surprised that you're surprised  . Listen to Banks' wonderful and totally original keyboard solo. And it's a very dreamy song. Not as intense as Dance On A Volcano maybe, but just totally beautiful. Sorry Moogie, I don't like it, I find it second rate annd dull, but clearly I'm in the minority!

I'm not so surprised, if I'm not wrong Mad Man Moon and A Trick of the Tail are two Gabriel era songs that didn't made it into Selling England.

Believe that without Peter to write lyrics they had to look back to some forgotten songs, of course they couldn't include Happy the Man or Twilight Alehouse because were already well known by the fans.

Iván