Published on May 13, 2005
Genesis’ first album following the departure of Peter Gabriel
was both anticipated and dreaded for many reasons. Many questions
naturally arose. Mainly, how would the replace the most iconic
figure in the world of progressive rock? Who could possibly fill
those shoes? The band began a long series of auditions which failed
to produce any singer they felt was satisfactory. No surprise
there. Ultimately, they fell back on their own resources and
promoted drummer Phil Collins into the frontman position.
So how does Collins fare in the lead singer role? First off, he
proves he’s got the pipes to do the job. Collins sounds amazingly
like Gabriel, but with different vocal range. They both share that
strange, gravelly high tenor, but Collins’ voice is a bit smoother.
He does however lack the charismatic vocal acrobatics that Gabriel
did so well, and he’s not quite as evocative during the more
dramatic moments. Gabriel’s gift was the ability to create personas
on the fly, becoming a different character in the blink of an eye.
Collins’ strength is that he has a more traditional singer’s style,
and is able to sing cleaner and more clearly, especially with
ballads and softer numbers.
Many hardcore fans eschewed this change, claiming that Gabriel
was Genesis, which is absurd. Some claimed that they went
commercial. This was a more understandable claim, as this album is
more finely polished, and has a stronger melodic core than any
previous Genesis release. I think commercial is not exactly
correct. It would be a few more years before Genesis would
transform into the industry juggernaut that they would ultimately
become.
With Collins thrust to the front of the stage, the remaining
members of Genesis proved they could still produce creative,
engaging music without Gabriel. The songs here are finely crafted,
the production is lush, and the rich lyrical content is strong.
Changes are inevitable when a major creative force leaves. A major
change here is their concentration on a very strong melodic sense,
similar to that displayed on “Selling England By The Pound.” This
stands in stark contrast to the musical freakshow of “Lamb Lies
Down On Broadway.” The result was their most cohesive album to
date. The songs go together very well, which adds a sense of
continuity. You might say they lost some of the quirkiness that was
a huge part of their appeal. You never knew what might come next on
the older albums, which was a big part of their appeal. There’s
much more common structure to the songs on
Trick Of The Tail. So, they lose some of the musical
eccentricities of the past, but their gain a measure of polish by
sticking to the strong melodies and more tightly structured
songs.
Trick features some great theatrical pieces in the Genesis
tradition. “Dance On A Volcano” and “Robbery, Assault &
Battery” are exceptional pieces with their hallmark complex
instrumentation featuring Steve Hackett’s evocative guitar work and
Tony Banks’ always-exceptional keyboard arrangements. One of my
favorite Genesis tracks appears here — the dreamlike “Entangled,”
built around a strummed acoustic guitar, with Tony Banks layering
fluid, echoing keys over all. The fantasy and mythology themes
Genesis is known for are here as well. The title track and the
classic “Squonk” explore the fairy-tale realms that they are so
fond of. The songwriting proves that without Gabriel they could
still tell deeply detailed stories set to music.
Like it or not, this album signaled a change that would become
more apparent over the next few years, with the band moving into a
style more accessible to the non-prog fan.
Trick Of The Tail was coming close to a last gasp of the
avant-garde Genesis tradition, but I personally find it a highly
enjoyable album that keeps a permanent place in my personal
collection. It creates a very clear snapshot of this transitional
phase of a band that would eventually go on to rule the world’s
airwaves for most of a decade. If some of the off-center oddities
of Genesis’ earlier work leaves you scratching your head,
Trick Of The Tail might be more your cup of tea.