A Trick of the Tail
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A Trick of the Tail is the first studio album by progressive rock band Genesis following the mid-1975 departure of original vocalist Peter Gabriel, and was released in 1976.
Overview
The album surprised both critics and the public, who were convinced the band was doomed without Gabriel. Trick performed strongly, reaching #3 in the UK and becoming the band's first US hit album, reaching #31. Most surprising was drummer Phil Collins' graduation to the position of lead vocalist. Genesis in fact had held lengthy auditions for a new singer, but reportedly had to deal with a lot of dubious Peter Gabriel-wannabes turning up in outlandish costumes. Finally the band settled on Collins, who had sung backup for Gabriel on most of their earlier albums.While many were highly skeptical of Collins' ability to fill Gabriel's legendary shoes, particularly as his background vocals had always been an important, yet less than powerful addition to Gabriel's leads, Collins' efforts surprised even his own expectations. Certain songs show Collins demonstrating his ability to provide the "Gabriel-esque" vocals of the past ("Squonk," "Robbery, Assault and Battery"), such that even Gabriel later admitted that Collins "did" him quite well, even if the tone of Collins's voice was somewhat different. Other songs show Collins exploring new vocal terrain ("Mad Man Moon"), and there is even one song with lush, layered harmonies ("Entangled"). While most fans and critics agreed that Collins far exceeded expectations and seemed to manage the task of sounding at once original yet familiar, nostaligia for a lost past—long a Genesis lyrical trope—remained strong in many assessments of the band for years to come, even as the band continued to produce music that few seemed to argue was anything but up to the standards of the past.
Despite the fact that Trick was the first Genesis album in which individual band members received songwriting credits (highlighting the increasing compositional dominance of Banks), the band very much sounds like a unit as it performs, with Banks's and Hackett's lines becoming at points nearly indistinguishable. While instrumental segments are as central to the album as those which preceded it, songwriting dominates this album, and the band manages to slide in odd time signatures and incredibly complex counterpunctal lines without disrupting the sonic integrity of the songs, even when these devices are used for shock potential.
A Detailed Description
"Dance on a Volcano" opens the album in dramatic form, overpowering its deceptively quiet opening strains, only to rapidly shift between time signatures in a manner that seems designed to show that the band could be as musically adventurous as in previous outings, all while never losing its connection to the lyrical and melodic themes at work. The haunting acoustic labyrinth of "Entangled" follows, distilling an element of Gabriel-esque humor with the passage, "Well, thanks to our kindness and skill/You'll have no trouble until/You catch your breath/And the nurse will present you the bill!" The dark, haunting solo which follows these words demonstrates Banks's superior musical craftsmanship with that Holy Grail of keyboards, the Mellotron. The album continues with concert favorite "Squonk," a song which manages to bring together the mythical, lyrical motifs associated with Gabriel, but in shorter form. Follwing this is the forlorn and supremely lyrical "Mad Man Moon," demonstrative of the compositional brilliance of Genesis. Banks's prowess on keyboards is plainly displayed here. Next is a peculiar selection entitled "Robbery, Assault and Battery." This piece, a jaunty, catchy shuffle, contains a brilliant instrumental section in the middle, as well as another touch of Gabriel-esque dark humor. Following this work is what some consider one of Collins-era Genesis's most enduring dark masterpieces, "Ripples." This song comments upon the coming of old age and the loss of vanity. Fading in at some point near the middle of the song is a malancholic and sidereal instrumental section, replete with synthesized oboe and virtuosic piano. Second to last is a rather lighthearted song, which gives the album its title and comments upon the injustice of prejudice and the shortsightedness of humanity. Trick ends on the medley-like instrumental "Los Endos," which, in a manner similar to many other of the band's albums, reprises many of the album's opening strains, including elements from one cut that was not included on the album, "It's Yourself."Analysis, Impact, and Conclusion
The pattern that dominates the album is the continuation of the band's lyrical past within a tightened musical frame. This shift in format would yield the template for what many consider some of the band's finest experimental moments ("Eleventh Earl of Mar," "Down and Out," "Dodo/Lurker"), even if it eventually led to the pop-stylings of the late 1980s.Overall, Trick sounds like the product of a band which, having lost whom many had seen as its frontman and leading visionary, has something to prove. With crystal clear sound quality, mostly due to the addition of David Hentschel as producer, and an ability to unify musical and lyrical themes around carefully orchestrated song structures, the album comes off as a much more unified musical statement than the often brilliant yet sprawling The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974) which preceded it. A Trick of the Tail, along with the 1977 release Wind & Wuthering, is generally considered one of Genesis's finest albums.
Track listing
- "Dance On A Volcano" (Tony Banks/Phil Collins/Steve Hackett/Mike Rutherford) – 5:54
- "Entangled" (Steve Hackett/Tony Banks) – 6:27
- "Squonk" (Mike Rutherford/Tony Banks) – 6:27
- "Mad Man Moon" (Tony Banks) – 7:34
- "Robbery, Assault And Battery" (Tony Banks/Phil Collins) – 6:16
- "Ripples" (Mike Rutherford/Tony Banks) – 8:04
- "A Trick Of The Tail" (Tony Banks) – 4:35
- "Los Endos" (Phil Collins/Tony Banks/Steve Hackett/Mike Rutherford) – 5:47
- * Intro is taken from "It's Yourself", an A Trick of the Tail-era recording released as a B-Side to "Your Own Special Way" in 1977.
- * During the fade-out, Collins sings "There's an angel standing in the sun/Free to get back home". These are references to the final segment of "Supper's Ready" from Foxtrot; some fans have interpreted this as a final salute to departed frontman Peter Gabriel.
Personnel
- Phil Collins – vocals, background vocals, percussion, drums,
- Steve Hackett – electric guitar, 12-string guitars
- Tony Banks – organ, synthesizers, pianos, vocals, background vocals, 12-string guitar, mellotron
- Mike Rutherford – bass guitar, 12-string guitar, bass pedals, vocals, background vocals
| Genesis |
| Tony Banks | Phil Collins | Peter Gabriel | Steve Hackett | Mike Rutherford |
| Anthony Phillips | John Mayhew | John Silver | Chris Stewart | Daryl Stuermer | Ray Wilson |
| Discography |
|---|
| Studio albums and extended plays: From Genesis to Revelation | Trespass | Nursery Cryme | Foxtrot | Selling England by the Pound | The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway | A Trick of the Tail | Wind & Wuthering | ...And Then There Were Three... | Duke | Abacab | Genesis | Invisible Touch | We Can't Dance | Calling All Stations | Spot the Pigeon | 3 X 3 |
| Live Albums: Genesis Live | Seconds Out | Three Sides Live | [[Live/The Way We Walk, Volume One: The Shorts]] | [[Live/The Way We Walk, Volume Two: The Longs]] |
| Compilations: [[Turn It On Again: The Hits]] | The Platinum Collection |
| Box sets: Genesis Archive 1967-75 | [[Genesis Archive 2: 1976-1992]] |
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