Customer Reviews
Classic Genesis
I feel they were at the peak of their progressive rock careers with these three works. Along with Selling England by the Pound and The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, A Trick of the Tail is their best early work.
Arguably Genesis' best album as a four piece 30 plus years on
The album marked the debut of drummer Phil Collins' tenure as lead singer (which he would be until 1996). English art rockers Genesis released their eighth album entitled A Trick of the Tail in early February of 1976. Phil reluctantly became Peter Gabriel's replacement as lead singer after fellow Genesis members (keyboard player Tony Banks, bass player Mike Rutherford and guitarist Steve Hackett) concluded that he was better than the four hundred some-odd people they were auditioning to replace Peter.
The album was recorded at Trident Studios in London in October and November of 1975. I first purchased the remastered CD in October of 1997 without hearing a single note, and my gamble paid off.
All of the songs on A Trick of the Tail are fantastic.
My favorites on the album are the opening epic "Dance on a Volcano", "Squonk" (which was Phil's first vocal track recorded for this album), the humorous "Robbery Assault and Battery" (which told of Harry the Robber), "Ripples", the title cut (which had a silly promo video with a two inch tall Phil walking on a piano) and the closing instrumental "Los Endos".
The other two tracks, the atmospheric "Entangled" and "Mad Mad Moon", are also great tracks as well.
This album was the first studio disc from the four piece Genesis line-up and arguably the best of the two.
Strangely enough, A Trick of the Tail was also the band's first US Top 40 album peaking at #31 and eventually went Gold in the US.
The remastered version from 1994 buries the weak sounding Atco CD issue from the 1980s.
Highly recommended! .
the greatest proof of their talent, as they demonstrated they could still survive
A Trick Of The Tail is one of their greatest between all of Genesis eras because it doesn't assemble any type of frantic ambition or commercial approach, as they were only trying to demonstrate how great they are as musicians, and how each of them has a unique talent that can be equal to any of their previous efforts, even though the paradox was that this album was one of their earliest commercial success, but even though their increasing commercial aproach really started in their later Wind And Wuthering, wich is still a piece of art, but not as strong and symbolic as their Collins' era true masterpiece; A Trick Of The Tail. Luis Mejia (son) - A Trick Of The Tail stands as the first post Gabriel album with now frontman Phil Collins, also earlier drummer, and as their talent without their main frontman was yet to be proven, Hackett, Collins, Banks and Rutherford showed their greatest proof of their real talent, as some of their main ideas may have been unseen with frontman leader Peter Gabriel, this is were true Genesis, the remaining Genesis, exploded their greatest effort and ability for showing everyone their true musical genious.
The album isn't defined as a concept album, but its still pictured in Great Britain later XVIII century, just as the album's mytic style and hugh atmosphere reveal the album's theme, but this is one of the things it bother me, as its better for them not to settle on an specific atmosphere to really demonstrate their intelectual talent. Anyway, the album assumes a fantastic, cerebral and good natured progressive rock, its compositions are still complex, intricate and acclaimed but its still a very comprehensible album, as they proof their greatest talent and real intentions, is the perfect album for casual listeners. The album's atmospheric beauty, stunning musical performance, key moments and complex but yet comprehensible style make it one of their greatest, most incredible and fantastic albums, its among one of my true favourites, as it was my favourite for a long time. The album's moods are atmospheric, cerebral, thematic, complex, good natured, theatrical, emotional and thoughtful.
Within its songs, each of them keep a majestic beauty hardly seen in their other albums but they keep an intricate mood for the very pleasure of hearing them. As Collins true compositional talent was yet to be proven (or it was proven wrong) most of the songs' compositions stay in the hands of Banks and Rutherford, Hackett contributions were shown in certain songs, as well as the entire band, but the most beautiful thoughtful and delicate compositions are the ones that Banks composed. Almost each song of this album is one of my personal favourite, but still they are ones in which their best intentions are shown, as it starts in the second track, Entangled, which is one of their most thoughtful, delicate, and profound songs written by both Tony Banks and Steve Hackett, its mesmerazing drama is really worthy of acclaim, as its overwhelming poetic structure is shown, as it declines in the chorus for giving space to a more melodic style, or as the fantastic, beautiful Mad Man Moon, which is certainly the best song in the whole album, its profound and emotional moods but yet comprehensible and enjoyable mellodies make it an incredible song, as well as the catchy, enjoyable, light, uncompromising but undertaking title track, A Trick Of The Tail, which is one of their most original songs with a moody structure, its one of their greatest, but finally it comes Los Endos, a fast paced instrumental wich recalls the previous song Dance On A Volcano, Squonk and A Trick Of The Tail, it even contains Collins singing a line from Supper's Ready, and its one of their best instrumentals, at least in the Collins era. The rest of the songs are also excellent and most delicate compositions, like the opening Dance On A Volcano, wich is a lighter song but still a fantastic one, wich starts with a soft inclinnation, later getting louder and more progressive, until the final part where Banks' explodes his keyboards performance, and later the third song, Squonk, is the most hard rocking song in the album, as it possesses a mythic atmosphere refering to a mythic animal named Squonk, who is a very shy, scared animal who cries almost every time. Robbery, Assault And Battery is a catchy, recognizeable and famous song refering to a robbery, and next to it comes Ripples, which is a very beautiful and melodic song. Track pick: Entangled, Mad Man Moon, A Trick Of The Tail, Los Endos.
This is one of their greatest and most acclaimed albums of all time, a beautiful and thoughtful release without commercial intentions, so yet is one of the best albums for casual listeners and a delight for we fans.
. You can see a complete list of all Genesis discography, or go back to the Genesis tabs
|
