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Rating:
Inspired by a very pleasant conversation I had here on DeBaser with a dear friend, I decided to listen again for the billionth (maybe) time to this wonderful Genesis album, "A Trick Of The Tail," the first album without the great Peter Gabriel.
Like all legendary bands, when a leader leaves the ship, you never know what might happen, especially how the audience will take it. Pink Floyd had to struggle with this "phenomenon" created by the media and especially the public after Roger Waters' "departure," as did many other bands... in 1976 it was Genesis' turn. Gabriel was too tied to all the "theatrical" aspects, his being a "chameleonic" artist, his passion for transforming into the characters written in the band's songs. The rest of the band, however, pushed to highlight the band's technical aspects, which were significant, by the way... The band has always boasted excellent musicians, so I think it was normal for them to want to "showcase" not only Gabriel's art but also their own.
The enthusiasm, the desire to positively impress the audience, and the effort to minimize Gabriel's absence led the band to release "A Trick Of The Tail," a concept album that, in my opinion, does not differ at all from previous great works. The mood, the atmosphere created is always the same... we find ourselves living in yet another and wonderful fairy tale, a tale that only Genesis can tell in such a delicate, sweet, and magical way. The album contains extraordinary tracks, to be precise all the tracks are extraordinary, sure "Entangled" makes you dream, delicate, a flight among the clouds... then comes "Squonk" which at times seems like a sung version of the last unforgettable track of the album "Los Endos," and that's hardly surprising given we're talking about a concept. Most likely, "Los Endos" is the most beautiful track on the album, an exceptional closing that can't help but leave fans literally speechless, and even the most die-hard Gabriel supporters, I think, cannot deny that the band pulled off a great record even without their leader.
Sure, now if we think of "Foxtrot," "Nursery Cryme," "Selling England By The Pound," or even "Broadway," we enter a tunnel of considerations that we won't see the light of for months, because then subjective taste comes into play and there's no point in arguing there, which is why I don't want to compare this album with previous works. As many rightly pointed out, this album lacks what we can call the "epic" track, the "Supper's Ready" of the moment, so to speak... or "Firth Of Fifth"... just to mention two "monstrous" tracks... this is undeniable... but it is also undeniable that "A Trick Of The Tail" even without containing "the track that makes the difference" within it, still has all wonderful tracks and at least in my opinion, none can be set aside. The vocals are wonderful, the musical part is, as usual, sublime, and the album flows beautifully, listening to it with eyes closed is pure ecstasy!
What can I say, Genesis, at least with this and the subsequent album, managed to assert themselves, they showed grit and the right inspiration to create at least two extraordinary works in the absence of Peter Gabriel, the Floyds didn't manage, yes, I have to say... as a Floyd fan I have to say... after "Final Cut" and after Waters' departure, Pink Floyd failed to make an album worthy of their name... "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason" is in my opinion not a successful album, or better said... not an album deserving of the name of the band that created it... it went significantly better with "The Division Bell," but the absence of Waters was always felt. In "A Trick Of The Tail," is Gabriel's absence felt? In my opinion, no, the band perfectly managed to maintain the high technical-musical level they had accustomed us to for years. They even succeeded with the subsequent album "Wind & Wuthering," which maybe isn't as beautiful as this one but is still a very successful and worthy record of the name of who created it. After that... though... the decline was felt even in Genesis.
Now, what rating can we give to this album? On the spot, just like that... I'd give it the maximum, 5 stars, it would be a shame not to give it 5 stars, listening to it today it would be even more appropriate to give it five stars... "how great it would be to have albums like this today"... as they say...!!! But then I also have to take into consideration all of Genesis' production and examine many other aspects. Therefore, I think it’s appropriate to give five stars to "A Trick Of The Tail" while clarifying that I consider it just a "step" below the previous works. Naturally, this last consideration of mine is entirely subjective and debatable. Given the very subtle difference that may exist between this and the previous albums, it's clear that many might disagree and consider this album as much an absolute masterpiece as the former ones. I think at this point it is too subjective. In any case, I think we all agree among Genesis fans that "A Trick Of The Tail" is a sublime album, a masterpiece? Very probably yes!
VinnySparrow
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
02 Entangled (06:26)
When you're asleep they may show you
Aerial views of the ground,
Freudian slumber empty of sound.
Over the rooftops and houses,
Lost as it tries to be seen,
Fields of incentive covered with green.
Mesmerised children are playing,
Meant to be seen but not heard,
"Stop me from dreaming!"
"Don't be absurd!"
"Well if we can help you we will,
You're looking tired and ill.
As I count backwards
Your eyes become heavier still.
Sleep, won't you allow yourself fall?
Nothing can hurt you at all.
With your consent
I can experiment further still."
Madrigal music is playing,
Voices can faintly be heard,
"Please leave this patient undisturbed."
Sentenced to drift far away now,
Nothing is quite what it seems,
Sometimes entangled in your own dreams.
"Well, if we can help you we will,
Soon as you're tired and ill.
With your consent
We can experiment further still.
Well, thanks to our kindness and skill
You'll have no trouble until
You catch your breath
And the nurse will present you the bill!"
03 Squonk (06:29)
Like father like son
Not flesh nor fish nor bone
A red rag hangs from an open mouth.
Alive at both ends but a little dead in the middle,
A-tumbling and a-bumbling he will go.
All the King's horses and all the King's men
Could never put a smile on that face.
He's a sly one, he's a shy one
Wouldn't you be too.
Scared to be left all on his own.
Hasn't a, hasn't a friend to play with, the Ugly Duckling
The pressure on, the bubble will burst before our eyes.
All the while in perfect time
His tears are falling on the ground
BUT IF YOU DON'T STAND UP YOU DON'T STAND A CHANCE.
Go a little faster now, you might get there in time.
Mirror mirror on the wall,
His heart was broken long before he ever came to you.
Stop your tears from falling,
The trail they leave is very clear for all to see at night
all to see at night.
In season, out of season
What's the difference when you don't know the reason.
In one hand bread, the other a stone.
The Hunter enters the forest.
All are not huntsmen who can blow the huntsman's horn
By the look of this one you've not got much to fear.
Here I am, I'm very fierce and frightening
Come to match my skill to yours.
Now listen here, listen to me, don't you run away now
I am a friend, I'd really like to play with you.
Making noises my little furry friend would make
I'll trick him, then I'll kick him into my sack.
You better watch out... You better watch out.
I've got you, I've got you, you'll never get away.
Walking home that night
The sack across my back, the sound of sobbing on my shoulder.
When suddenly it stopped,
I opened up the sack, all that I had
A pool of bubbles and tears - JUST A POOL OF TEARS.
All in all you are a very dying race
Placing trust upon a cruel world.
You never had the things you thought you should have had
And you'll not get them now,
And all the while in perfect time
Your tears are falling on the ground.
The Squonk is of a very retiring disposition and due to its ugliness, weeps constantly. It is easy prey for hunters who simply follow a tear-stained trail. When cornered it will dissolve itself into tears.
True or False?
05 Robbery, Assault and Battery (06:16)
The streets were deserted though the police were alerted,
They considered the phone call a hoax.
Furtively glancing then jauntily prancing
The youth caught the guards unaware.
Slipping between them he ought to have seen then
The eyes and their owner so near.
With torch shining bright he strode on in the night
Till he came to the room with the safe.
"Hello son, I hope you're having fun."
"You've got it wrong Sir, I'm only the cleaner."
With that he fired, the other saying as he died,
"You've done me wrong," it's the same old song forever.
Robbery, assault and battery,
The felon and his felony.
Robbery, assault and battery,
The felon and his felony.
Picked up the diamonds and bundles of fivers
He pushed them well down in his sack.
But the alarm had been sounded, he was completely surrounded
But he had some more tricks up his sleeve.
"Come outside with your hands held high."
"You'll not get me alive Sir, I promise you that Sir."
With that he fired, the other saying as he died
"You've done me wrong," it's the same old song forever.
Robbery, assault and battery,
The felon and his felony.
Robbery, assault and battery,
The felon and his felony.
"He's leaving via the roof, the bastard's got away.
God always fights on the side of the bad man."
"I've got clean away but I'll be back some day,
Just the combination will have changed.
Some day they'll catch me, to a chain they'll attach me,
Until that day I'll ride the old crime wave.
If they try to hold me for trial
I'll stay out of gaol by paying my bail
And after I'll go to the court of appeal saying
"You've done me wrong," it's the same old song forever."
Done me wrong - same old song - done me wrong.
07 A Trick of the Tail (04:35)
Bored of the life in the city of gold
He'd left and let nobody know.
Gone were the towers he had known from a child,
Alone with the dream of a life
He travelled the wide open road,
The blinkered arcade,
In search of another to share in his life.
Nowhere.
Everyone looked so strange to him.
They've got no horns and they've got no tail
They don't even know of our existence.
Am I wrong to believe in a city of gold
That lies in the deep distance, he cried
And wept as they led him away to a cage
Beast that can talk, read the sign.
The creatures they pushed and they prodded his frame
And questioned his story again.
But soon they grew bored of their prey
The beast that can talk?
More like a freak or publicity stunt.
Oh
No.
They've got no horns and they've got no tail
They don't even know of our existence.
Am I wrong to believe in a city of gold
That lies in the deep distance, he cried
And broke down the door of the cage and marched on out.
He grabbed a creature by the scruff of his neck, pointing out:
There, beyond the bounds of your weak imagination
Lie the noble towers of my city, bright and gold.
Let me take you there, show you a living story
Let me show you others such as me
Why did I ever leave?
They've got no horns and they've got no tail
They don't even know of our existence
Am I wrong to believe in a city of gold
That lies in the deep distance, he cried
And wept.
And so we set out with the beast and his horns
And his crazy description of home.
After many days journey we came to a peak
Where the beast gazed abroad and cried out.
We followed his gaze and we thought that maybe we saw
A spire of gold - no, a trick of the eye that's all,
But the beast was gone and a voice was heard:
They've got no horns and they've got no tail
They don't even know of our existence
Am I wrong to believe in a city of gold
That lies in the deep distance
Hello friend, welcome home.
08 Los Endos (05:46)
There's an angel standing in the sun.
There's an angel standing in the sun,
Free to get back home.
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