REVIEW: A TRICK OF THE TAIL BY GENESIS

Trick of the Tail

Post-Gabriel — more or less?

For many, A Trick of the Tail is viewed as Genesis’s finest moment on vinyl. And if not their finest, its position as one of their greatest, is assured. And yet, for all its aesthetic brilliance therein lies a paradox that cuts deep into Genesis lore. It is the lore beloved of many a Genesis bore. A lore that decrees a stark dividing line between Gabriel and post-Gabriel Genesis. That is, everything after the departure of Peter Gabriel is axiomatically bad. Their beloved frontman packed his mic stands, and theatrical regalia, after the completion and subsequent tour of the epic, A Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.

Many believed this would herald the end of Genesis. As main singer and lyricist, Peter Gabriel was seen by many, critics and fans alike, as irreplaceable. Indeed, his absence caused a flutter of existential crisis within the band members themselves. Those tonsils, plus his perceived artistic vision, were hard to fill.

Although some fans may dogmatically maintain Genesis was never as good following his departure, there is a problem with this. They need to account for the next two albums, the aforementioned, Trick of the Tail, and its follow up, the equally excellent, Wind and Wuthering. If this lore was correct, these albums would need to point to the start of a musical decline. And yet anyone with functioning ears, and a love of seventies Genesis music, knows this to be false. Both albums stand out as peaks in their career.

For any prog lover, Genesis music did change substantially over the duration of their long music career. Certainly by the early eighties, they had moved towards releasing albums that were increasingly commercial and poppy. For my money, they became less interesting. Yet no one can deny the fame and fortune it brought them. So good luck to them. By definition they became less of a niche band and more popular, more mainstream.

But the change was gradual. And it didn’t occur overnight with the departure of Peter Gabriel. A stronger argument exists for the change coming around the time of their guitarist’s departure, Steve Hackett. Buoyed by the success of his debut solo album, the excellent Voyage of the Acolyte, he felt his creative frustrations ever more keenly. In the highly competitive band environment, his songs were routinely rejected. Something that others had felt before him. Not just Peter Gabriel but one of the band’s founding members, Anthony Philips (I insist you check out The Geese and the Ghost).

Hackett left after the release of Wind and Wuthering in 1976. The difference in quality between this and their next album, And Then There Were Three is apparent. Although by normal music standards the latter is by no means a dud. It’s not a bad album. It’s just that Wind and Wuthering, and virtually all its predecessors are just so fucking good. And so by this analysis, it was the absence of Hackett that was more keenly felt, regarding what came out on vinyl.

But even then, the loss was gradual. Duke, released in 1980, has some great moments. The opening tracks and the final two are sublime. But by this time, their general trajectory was clear, from prog to pop.

Despite all their early successes and achievements, Trick of the Tail, was definitely a make or break album. With the departure of Gabriel they had to pull out all the stops to prove they weren’t just a Peter Gabriel backing band. That may be overstating it slightly, but as frontman, Gabriel got more than his fair share of acclaim and nod to musical genius. Yet equally that’s not to give any discredit to Gabriel’s notable achievements, both with Genesis and also afterwards, as a wonderful solo performer and song writer.

So many times, when artists have their back to the walls, when it’s shit or bust time, they produce their greatest stuff. Another band that springs to mind is prog metal band, Dream Theater, fighting for their professional lives immediately prior to the release of their definitive album, Scenes from a Memory. And for Genesis, after so many years of work, years of building their sound, and so many classic releases, there was a real chance they might lose it all after Gabriel quit.

Looking back, it seems astounding it took them so long to decide on drummer, Phil Collins as their new singer. Never was a singer more keenly awaited than on the first track of Trick of the Tail, Dance on a Volcano. Yet from that opening moment, he was clearly the obvious choice. He had a similarly range and style to Gabriel. His timbre wasn’t as so beautifully nuanced, but he could still do the job perfectly well. Yet it took umpteen auditions, of wannabe Genesis frontman coming and going, before they pulled their drummer out from behind his kit and kicked him into the spot light. Rumour has it that Allan Clarke of The Hollies was an early contender.

The reason it took so long was probably some reluctance from Collins himself. He didn’t see himself as a lead singer and was averse to ditching his drum kit. In the studio he could do both. Playing live was another matter. But the problem was easily solved by taking another drummer on tour. First, for a brief period, Bill Bruford, then Chester Thompson for the reminder of the band’s touring career.

Listening to the album again, it seems the natural follow up to Selling England By The Pound. But, of course, it wasn’t. The sprawling The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway was released in between. Genesis was a very English band. They had an English aesthetic and expressed English concerns. Gabriel, Rutherford and Banks were rooted in the conservative, Home Counties traditions of private schools. They grew up in a time of cultural and economic national austerity; post-war doldrums and a post-empire loss of identity. The Lamb… was something of an aberration. There was nothing English going on here. The album’s narrative was written and conceived by Gabriel, setting the scene in New York, following the surreal, and frankly bizarre, trials and disjointed misadventures of a young Puerto Rican. It is a flawed masterpiece.

And yet with Gabriel gone this wasn’t the time to continue on a track so unGenesis like. So it was back to the narrative vibe of Nursery Cryme, and creepy Edwardian nurseries; Foxtrot, and ‘Winston Churchill dressed in drag;’ and Selling England by the Pound, and ‘can you tell me where my country lies.’ Contained in this oeuvre is a feel of melancholic yearning. A whimsical nostalgia. Only this time they condensed it into something, more disciplined, less baggy e.g. The Battle of Epping Forest becomes a more successful Robbery, Assault and Battery, bringing out all the best of their previous releases. This was the accumulative result.

The album cover tells it all. It sets the scene of what is to come. A past of the imagination. Dickensian and mythical figures parade across it, evocative illustrations of the myriad characters within.

Yes, the album is a classic. Not just a Genesis classic but a classic. Play it today and it still sounds magnificent. The sound is bold and bright. It still moves me. This is Genesis at their creative peak, with or without Peter Gabriel. And, in this case, less is probably more.

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