A Trick Of The Tail by Genesis

A Trick of the Tail, released on February 13, 1976, is a key album for Genesis, the first without frontman Peter Gabriel.

After Gabriel left in 1975, many thought the band wouldn’t make it. 

At first, Genesis considered becoming an instrumental group, but fearing they’d lose the success they’d built, they decided to look for a new singer. They auditioned more than 400 vocalists, but none seemed right. Phil Collins taught the songs to the candidates during the tryouts and in the end his bandmates persuaded him to sing, even though he wasn’t thrilled at first.  

A Trick of the Tail is a true progressive-rock gem, proof of how a band can rise again after the seemingly unbearable loss of a charismatic leader.  To me it’s a magical, brave album, able to carry on Genesis’ legacy while evolving toward more immediate sounds.

The album is a perfect mix of epic, pompous tracks like “Dance on a Volcano” and more relaxed, dreamy moments like “Ripples” and “Mad Man Moon”. The music is refined and complex, but without the theatrical aspects of the past, something that split critics at the time and still does today.  You can already hear the first signs of change, with a tendency to soften the edges and craft songs that feel closer to pop tunes.

Unlike the previous The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, this isn’t a concept album, but rather a record with a fairy-tale and mythological theme, where each song explores a character or an idea tied to illusion and fantasy, a disc populated by imaginary beings that seem to have stepped out of a book of Victorian tales.  

A track I especially love is “Entangled”, about how reality can be deceptive and how the line between dream, madness, and truth is very thin—one of the album’s most dreamy and evocative pieces—born from the collaboration between Steve Hackett, who wrote the verses and lyrics, and Tony Banks, who created the chorus and the famous final solo.  The lyrics describe a state of mind between dreaming, hypnosis, and the feeling of losing control. Steve Hackett said the idea came to him thinking about the psychiatrist’s couch. Even if the melody is gentle and the 12-string guitars create a sense of calm, the lyrics hide a critique of medical treatments. A track dominated by acoustic guitars that lay down a hypnotic sound bed. The final coda is a long Tony Banks solo played on the ARP 2600 synthesizer and the Mellotron. Banks himself said it’s one of his favorite parts, able to create a solemn, immense atmosphere, almost “cathedral-like”.

My copy is the 2018 Half-Speed Master reissue on the Charisma/Universal label.

“Dance on a Volcano” is an energetic prog-fusion track with a 7/8 groove, the calling card of this new phase. Phil Collins makes himself heard right away with a powerful voice and thunderous drumming. Mike Rutherford backs him with a gritty, punchy bass, while Steve Hackett creates almost spacey atmospheres.

“Entangled” is a dreamy, acoustic journey, a real pastoral-psychedelic gem.  Hackett and Rutherford’s 12-string guitars are the undisputed stars, creating a magical atmosphere.  And then, at the end, Tony Banks delivers an explosion of Mellotron and ARP synths, a celestial choir that wraps around you and carries you into another dimension.

“Squonk” is a chilling “hard-prog” track. Collins shows us he can sing in high, powerful registers too. Banks, with his big, atmospheric synth chords, turns it into an epic piece.

“Mad Man Moon” is a romantic, complex piano suite that brings out the band’s intellectual streak.  Tony Banks writes the whole piece, offering one of his most inspired piano performances.  Collins accompanies him with infinite delicacy, using cymbals to add a dreamlike touch to the most evocative passages.

“Robbery, Assault and Battery” is a full-on Victorian-style theatrical show, with a mood not far from the Gabriel-era works, but this time it’s Collins playing different characters. Beautiful Banks keyboard solo—very fast and technical.

“Ripples” is a progressive power ballad about melancholy and aging. Rutherford, who wrote the lyrics, leads the track with his acoustic guitar.  In the middle there’s a magical moment: the dialogue between Banks’ piano and Hackett’s electric guitar, very moving.

“A Trick of the Tail” is a lively, fun pop-prog track. Collins’ voice is crystal-clear and spot-on, and the song is carried by Banks’ cheerful piano and the whole band’s tight, well-crafted harmonized backing vocals.

“Los Endos” is an epic instrumental jazz-rock piece that captures the essence of the album. The rhythm section of Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford (on bass pedals) is simply overwhelming.  Hackett stands out with his guitar solos, and in the finale Banks unleashes an orchestral triumph that closes the record in grand style. At the end of the track, as the music fades, you can hear Phil Collins whisper almost under his breath: “There’s an angel standing in the sun” (There’s an angel standing in the sun), a quote from “Supper’s Ready”, the most famous song of the Gabriel era—an emotional way to say goodbye to the old friend and leader and perhaps to reassure fans that the soul of Genesis was still the same.

The cover was created by Colin Elgie of the Hypgnosis studio, and features illustrations of characters taken from the songs (like the thief, the judge, and the Squonk) that echo the style of Victorian fairy-tale books.

“A Trick of the Tail” is the album that tells how a band managed to turn a tough situation into worldwide success: the album was incredibly successful.  It sold twice as much as “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway”. 

The album blends Pop and Prog in a balance that matches technical complexity with bright melodies. Tony Banks drives the album with Mellotron, Hammond organ, and ARP Pro Soloist synthesizer, creating an orchestral, epic sound.  The album brings back the pastoral style of early Genesis, with 12-string acoustic guitars enriching tracks like “Entangled” and “Ripples”. Phil Collins makes the percussion more dynamic, experimenting with odd meters and tight rhythms with a more modern, powerful drum sound. 

The songs, long and articulated, feature cohesive writing and catchy vocal melodies. Steve Hackett’s electric guitar, used for touches and lyrical solos, adds to the ethereal atmosphere.  

The style is Symphonic Progressive with pop influences, marking the shift from the theatrical rock of the ’70s to a more modern sound, and whose later evolution toward pop produced the hits of the ’80s. It would have been enough to stop at this album’s balanced mix of genres and the band’s story would probably have been different—and probably not as successful either. In my view it’s Genesis’ last masterpiece. An essential record.

My Version

Label: Charisma – 00602567489726, Charisma – 6748972, UMC – 00602567489726
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Repress, Stereo, Half Speed Remaster
Country: Europe
Released: 3 Aug 2018

Tracklist

A1        Dance On A Volcano
A2        Entangled
A3        Squonk
A4        Mad Man Moon
B1        Robbery, Assault And Battery
B2        Ripples
B3        A Trick Of The Tail
B4        Los Endos

LineUp

Drums, Percussion, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals – Phil Collins
Electric guitar, twelve-string guitar – Steve Hackett
Piano, synthesizer, organ, mellotron, twelve-string guitar, backing vocals – Tony Banks
Twelve-string guitar, bass, pedalboard [bass pedals] – Mike Rutherford

Listening links on the main streaming platforms at the following links:

Spotify: Listen to the full album or the 2007 Remaster version.

YouTube: Official playlist with the HQ Audio of all tracks.

Apple Music:  2007 Remaster version.

YouTube Music: Genesis official channel for tracks and music videos.

Note: All links to the musicians’ works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the page "Artists"