Prog Rock Saturday: A Trick of the Tail

Genesis - "A Trick of the Tail" (1976) - Charisma

Hello Friends,

The cicadas are out in full force tonight.  The sun has set.  The drinks are flowing.  Its another prog-rock Saturday on Vinyl in the Valley.

Tonight we've got the seventh album by the English band, Genesis, on the turntable and the first one since the departure of lead vocalist/songwriter, Peter Gabriel.

Trick of the Tail has the band's drummer, Phil Collins, reluctantly taking over on vocal duties by stepping out from behind the kit in order to become a full-fledged and successful frontman.  (In this way, Phil is the Dave Grohl of 1970's prog-rock.)  Although the band remained pretty weird by mainstream standards, A Trick of the Tail is warmer and more whimsical than their previous record, the post-modern rock opera, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.  They seemed to get back to basics with the focus on being a band again. By the end of the decade (and well into the next), Gabriel would be all but forgotten and Genesis would become Phil Collins's band.    

And what a way to kick things off with the awesome, "Dance on a Volcano", a slow-building prog rock epic!  Aside from the effective slow-fast-slow arrangement, one of the first things that the listener actually notices about the song is how similar Phil Collins actually sounds to Peter Gabriel.  Better start doing it right!      

"Entangled" is next and features some nice Steve Hackett 12-string guitar work (he also wrote the song) and lyrics about the British mental healthcare system and/or being molested in your dreams (or both!)

The live-staple & fan-favorite, "Squonk" is next.  It seems to be about hunting down the Squonk-- a mythical forest creature who hides from humans out of shame of being so ugly.  When catpured the creature dissolves into a puddle of tears.  Sounds pretty disgusting, but then again, a Squonk might be the perfect prog rock mascot! 

The first side concludes with the Tony Banks's keyboard-heavy ballad, "Mad Man Moon." 

Side Two opens up with "Robbery, Assault & Battery" which would not sound out of place on 1973's Selling England by the Pound (which we reviewed here.)  A song about a whimsical criminal eluding the police; Collins even does a cockney accent during some of the verses!

This is followed by the album's highlight, "Ripples".   A slow-building, beautifully-sung prog-rock ballad about getting older.  

▶ Genesis - Ripples - Vidéo Dailymotion 

Featuring some great Bee Gees worthy harmonies, the title track is next.  Another song that seems to be about a mythic creature ("The Beast") that has been captured and put on display in a freak show.  The song also beara a more-than-slight resemblance to The Beatles' song "Getting Better".

▶ Genesis _ A Trick of the Tail - Video Dailymotion

The record ends with a great very Genesis-y-sounding instrumental, "Los Endos", that sounds like something off of Yes's Tales from Topographic Oceans if that album was a bit more user friendly. Its okay to be good at your instrument, kids, just don't be a dick about it!  

Although technically an instrumental, before the final fade out, Collins can be heard singing the lines, "There's an angel standing in the sun / There's an angel standing in the sun / Free to get back home."
   
FUN FACT: When Genesis toured in 1976 in support of this record, Phil Collins still couldn't manage playing drums and singing lead vocals at the same time.  Fellow prog rocked, Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson) filled in on drums for the tour!

RATING: 4.5 bluegirls come in every size out of 5