Retro Reviews: Genesis: A Trick Of The Tail

    I decided to launch a new series to imagine myself as a critic at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s, and to rectify certain reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Creem. This not meant to be contrarian, but to offer a more balanced perspective. All the albums reviewed are indeed classic albums. This is part three of three. This is a three-part living tribute to Mr. Collins, in light of his growing health issues, and possible RNRHOF attention. 

Genesis – A Trick Of The Tail (1976)

****1/4

Producers: Genesis, David Hentschel

Musicians: Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Steve Hackett, Mike Rutherford

Songs and Music: Dance On A Volcano, Entangled, Squonk, Mad Men Moon, Robbery Assault and Battery, Ripples…, A Trick Of The Tail, Los Endos

Reviewed By Matthew Anthony Allair

    Genesis has launched a new album with a new mission statement, after the departure of singer Peter Gabriel there was a lot of questions and false assumptions, but the band has just proven they can move forward., in spite of the speculation about who would replace Gabriel, the bend decided to stay within and drummer, Phil Collins stepped up for the role as singer. This was a wise decision. Phil had been singing background on prior albums and he had already taken a lead vocal on a prior track. Genesis was always the sum of it’s part and Gabriel was not just the sole visionary for the band, a point I had made before.

    Phil has managed to pull off not only the softer material vocally, but heavier material as well, and this development is quite welcome. There aren’t many singers who could understand the sensibility of Genesis as well as Mr. Collins. But the real focus is on guitars on the album, Steve, Mike, and Tony play a lot of guitar on here, with Banks keyboards acting as coloring on a few numbers. But the line between the keyboards and guitars blend together on various numbers, it all gets a little blurred with that issue.

    Phil’s drumming remains exceptional, only a month earlier the band Brand X had debuted, for any doubters, Phil’s work remains quite high and he is gifted with the skins. Hackett remains one of the marvels of the band, his range is surprising. Bass player, and 2^nd guitarist Rutherford is a key member as a player and writer, and one has the impression that Banks helps to drive the direction of the band. Hentschel’s production is different from John Burns, there’s a different sheen to it. This album is captivating from beginning to end.

    The opener “Dance On A Volcano” is a mission statement with a clever set of time signatures of 7/8, then jumps to different meters, I just point this out to demonstrate how adept Phil is as a player, the main body of the song is powerful instrumentally, the song has a few surprising shifts. “Entangled” takes things down with a dreamy acoustic number, pensive, there’s added coloring for Tony’s keyboards, while the lyrics are a little dark, this is a lovely and rich number. The up-tempo ‘Squonk” is a fantasy, but with some rich 12-string playing, probably one of the more straight forward numbers on the album, but with a memorable and lifting section, you will see it when you hear it. “Mad Men Moon” has a quieter slow burn in the first half, the classic blend of Tony’s string mellotron and Steve’s ambience helps the progression of the number. The life of the tracks section nearly harkens back to “Firth Of Fifth”. Overall, side one is uniformly string, which leaves one guessing if they can manage with the rest, the happy answer is yet. 

     The lively opener of the second half, “Robbery, Assault & Battery” has a playful, complicated, pop sheen, a narrative number that allows Hackett some room, and a little swing with Phil’s drumming. Some good organ work from Tony as well. Rutherford’s bass work is also liberated. “Ripples…” is the other acoustic ballad and the longest number, the chorus has a ascending quality to it. Phil’s instincts as a vocal storyteller might even be better than Gabriel in certain respects. Tony thankfully shifts gears in the second half to keep this compelling, and Hackett offers up some disjointed moods with his playing. This is some well-crafted work. 

    The title track is the most overt pop number on the album and has the greatest Beatles quality, with another vivid narrative that drives it. The closer is self-explanatory, “Los Endos” summarizes several of the main themes of the album, like a closing statement of a Broadway musical, Mike and Steve’s guitars with Tony’s keyboard makes a compelling statement before quotes from “Volcano’ and ‘Squonk’, there’s some impressive percussion work from Collins on this instrumental. Rumor has it that Gabriel visited the sessions and was supportive of what he heard. 

    This album should settle any doubts if Genesis will continue – they will indeed.