a trick of the tail (1976) - genesis: atco, SD 38-101

In 1975, right after completing the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway tour, Genesis found themselves in a bit of a pickle. Peter Gabriel had decided that he wanted to go it alone, and the other guys thought it might be a good idea as well.

Gabriel's departure raised some questions. The remaining four members (Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, Steve Hackett, and Phil Collins) wanted to continue, but were unsure how to proceed.  Should they find a new lead singer?  Should they just go on as an instrumental band?  Should one of them take over the vocals?  Should they use a mime?

The initial plan was to go out and find a new vocalist.  Legend has it the guys nearly had one, but some problems with the key in which the backing vocals were recorded ended up killing the deal.  The quartet ultimately settled on having Phil take over the crooning, and so with A Trick of the Tail Genesis II, in all its pop-fab glory, was born.

Side 1: Dance on a Volcano Entangled Squonk Mad Man Moon
Side 2: Robbery, Assault, and Battery Ripples A Trick of the Tail Los Endos

Trick is one of those albums where the gatefold is part of the process.  Not only are the lyrics printed on the inside, but the entire jacket is illustrated with olde tyme drawings featuring the characters in the songs acting as sort of a cheat sheet: there’s the sinister dude that dances on the volcano, that coquettish nurse, the mythical squonk, the criminal, etc.  

Songs like Dance on a Volcano, Squonk, and Los Endos are vintage Genesis, with time changes, complex passages, and an unmistakable air of pretention.  But even as Genesis as most of the songs are, they also aren’t, and it goes beyond Phil’s vocals.  The songs are like a hologram – the closer you get to them the less Genesis they become. 

And if there was any doubt about the eventual direction of the band, Robbery, Assault, and Battery gives it away.  This has all the foreshadowing of the coming Collins era: a catchy song more pop than prog but definitely a signal that the band they are a-changin'.

Trick marked the transition of Genesis from a band with a selective fanbase to one that was accessible to the masses.  And that was the problem, because Genesis was never supposed to be accessible - they were supposed to be for the fans that "got it".

Up next: Some easy listening white-boy jazz