Genesis

Trick of the Tail

Classically Creative

Review Score:

(8/10)
WARNING: If you are a fan of the pop oriented Genesis, this record may very well not be for you. However, if you appreciate the creative side of this Progressive Rock Band than you will be very satisfied with the music on A Trick Of The Tail.

This release is a transition record for Genesis as Phil Collins took over the lead vocal duties from the recently departed, Peter Gabriel. His vocals are good, but his drumming is even better. The varied drum rolls throughout Squonk are amazing. The slightly off beat accents on Dance With The Volcano are creative in a way that I have never heard before.

The main attracction on this record is the keyboard sounds of Tony Banks. There are times that his style is somewhat overbearing to the point where you can not even hear Steve Hackett's guitar. However, there are more moments when his style is simply beatiful. Just listen to the classical touches in Mad Man Moon and Ripples. The man indeed shows a lot of depth in his repetoire.

Steve Hackett and Mike Rutherford contribute some nice guitar toucehs here and there but most notably on Entangled and Ripples. The soloing on the latter has quite a unique spacey touch that has rarely if ever been duplicated. Its too bad Steve Hackett did not lobby harder to have his contributions be more centralized in the band's overall sound. This hurts Genesis' sound somewhat when compared to other progressive music like Yes, Pink Floyd, or Asia.

None the less, this is a strong recording by this band. Genesis would later go on to become a top 40 hit band which compromised their overall creativity. But this release sticks to the talents of the band and is a good example of quality Progressive Rock.

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