A trick of the tail

A trick of the tail
Genesis studio album
Publication (s)	February 20, 1976
admission	October – November 1975
Label (s)	Charisma Records (UK) ATCO (US)
Format (s)	CD, DVD, Hybrid-SACD, LP
Genre (s)	Progressive rock , jazz rock
Title (number)	8th
running time	51:01
occupation	Phil Collins : vocals , drums Tony Banks : organ , piano , mellotron , synthesizer , 12-string guitar Steve Hackett : guitar Mike Rutherford : guitar, electric bass
production	Genesis, David Hentschel
Studio (s)	Trident Studios, London (England)
chronology The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974) A trick of the tail Wind & Wuthering (1977)

A Trick of the Tail (. English for: "A match of the tail") is the seventh studio album of British progressive rock - band Genesis . It was released in February 1976 and was the band's first release after front man Peter Gabriel left . The drummer Phil Collins , who had already beenresponsiblefor the backing vocals in the studio and on stage, also took over the main voice of the groupfrom then on.

At number 31 in the North American album charts , A Trick of the Tail was the band's most successful album to date.

Track list

1. Dance on a Volcano (Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford, Steve Hackett) - 5:53
2. Entangled (Tony Banks, Steve Hackett) - 6:28
3. Squonk (Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks) - 6:27
4. Mad Man Moon (Tony Banks) - 7:35
5. Robbery, Assault and Battery (Tony Banks, Phil Collins) - 6:15
6. Ripples ... (Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford) - 8:03
7. A Trick of the Tail (Tony Banks) - 4:34
8. Los Endos (Phil Collins, Steve Hackett, Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks) - 5:46

DVD Extras (2007 Release)

1. Band interview 2006
2. Promotional Videos: Robbery, Assault and Battery , Ripples ... & A Trick of the Tail
3. Genesis: In Concert (concert film from 1977, filmed during the 1976 tour)
4. White Rock Show 1977 (gallery with 8 pictures)

Emergence

At the beginning of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - tour in 1974 Peter Gabriel announced to leave Genesis after the last concert. This step was justified with the singer's private problems and progressive differences within the band structure, since the conceptual orientation of the group, largely determined by Gabriel, was now felt to be too dominant. The remaining musicians now saw an opportunity to break away from the image of the “Peter Gabriel backing band” and began working on a new album as early as 1975, although the post of lead singer initially remained vacant. The fleeting idea of ​​continuing with purely instrumental music was quickly rejected.

On the album, Phil Collins, who had taken the lead vocal on For Absent Friends ( Nursery Cryme ) in 1971 and on More Fool Me ( Selling England by the Pound ) in 1973 , appeared fully as a singer. After a long search for a successor to Gabriel, the decision was finally made for the group's drummer, as his interpretation of the title Squonk was particularly convincing compared to that of the invited candidates. Another reason was that Collins' voice was very similar to Peter Gabriel's and in the opinion of many even "sounded more like Gabriel than Gabriel himself". Collins, however, felt exposed with the appointment as frontman and did not want the job at first, as it meant leaving the "protective wall of his drums".

From then on, Collins only took over the drums at live concerts for instrumental musical sections, so that in 1976 Bill Bruford was initially hired as the second drummer for performances. From 1977 this post was filled exclusively by Chester Thompson , apart from Nick D'Virgilio , who was on drums during the 1998 Calling All Stations Tour .

The recordings for A Trick of the Tail took place from October to November 1975 at Trident Studios in London before the album was released on February 20, 1976 on the record label Charisma Records .

Steve Hackett also left Genesis after touring the follow-up album Wind & Wuthering (1977). While working on Trick of the Tail , he released his first solo album Voyage of the Acolyte in 1975 .

music

Spirited titles and ballads alternate on the album. The album opens with Dance On A Volcano with a syncopated 7/8 time in the verse based on a typical characteristic of progressive rock . Motifs from Dance On A Volcano reappear later in Los Endos . An odd meter is also used in Robbery, Assault & Battery during the synthesizer solo with a 13/8 time signature , which contrasts with the song-like structure of the piece.

The title Squonk was inspired by Kashmir (1975) by Led Zeppelins , which is based on a slow rhythm and is dominated by the electronic sounds of the bass pedals played by Rutherford . The static rhythm posed a problem in the live situation for the drummer Bill Bruford, who came from King Crimson , as the musician influenced by jazz preferred improvised and variable patterns . A motif by Squonk is also referred to later in Los Endos .

Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Steve Hackett open the Entangled with twelve-string guitars , which is based on 6/8 time, and is continued with Mellotron and synthesizer accompaniment. Twelve-string guitars can also be heard in ripples ...

The final instrumental title Los Endos processes themes from Dance On A Volcano and combines them with new motifs. The verse from Squonk is taken up again as a recapitulation in Los Endos , the melody is played here with a synthesizer . Collins was inspired to the jazz-oriented drum rhythm by Promise Of A Fisherman from the Santana album Borboletta (1974). In the finale, the sung quote with the wording “There's an angel standing in the sun” from the Genesis piece Supper's Ready can be seen in the background . (1972) recognize.

The cover

The legendary creature Squonk , illustrated by Coert Du Bois from Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods .

The cover , designed by Hipgnosis and Colin Elgie , graphically depicts every title on the album with a figure or group of figures, apart from the instrumental Los Endos . One recognizes the mythical creature Squonk as well as a robbery scene from Robbery, Assault and Battery , which refers to the literary style of Charles Dickens . Also illustrated are the nurse sung about in Entangled and a diabolical creature that is the theme of the title track. The right figure is also shown in the booklet next to each song text. Hipgnosis and Colin Edge were also responsible for the cover of the 1977 successor Wind & Wuthering .

live

Especially on the tours for A Trick Of The Tail 1976 and Wind & Wuthering 1977, numerous tracks on the album were able to establish themselves in the set lists with Dance On A Volcano, Robbery Assault And Battery, Entangled, Squonk and Los Endos . In the long term, Los Endos in particular has established itself as a classic . The instrumental on the tours for Genesis 1984 and Invisible Touch 1987 was, besides a medley of older titles, often the only piece that was considered from the creative period of the 1970s . On the farewell tour Turn It On Again 2007, Ripples ... next to Los Endos was included in the setlist for a long time.

The following versions of A Trick Of The Tail tracks are included on official Genesis live albums :

• Seconds Out (1977): Squonk, Robbery, Assault and Battery, Dance on a Volcano and Los Endos
• The Way We Walk , Vol. 2 (The Longs) (1993): Dance On A Volcano (in medley with The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, The Musical Box, Firth of Fifth and I Know What I Like )
• Archive II - 1976–1992 (2000): Ripples ... (recording from 1980) and Entangled (recording from 1976)
• Live at Wembley Stadium (2003): Los Endos (recorded 1987)
• Live over Europe 2007 (2007): Ripples ... and Los Endos

Trivia

With the German LP, an offer from Phonogram was printed on the inner record sleeve: You could have the German translation of the lyrics sent to you free of charge.

Web links

• Reviews of A Trick of the Tail on the baby blue pages

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Wolfram Porr: Genesis. 40 years of A Trick Of The Tail. In: ROCK MAGAZINE eclipsed . No. 178, Aschaffenburg 2016, p. 33.
2. ^ W. Porr: Genesis. 40 years of A Trick Of The Tail. 2016, pp. 33–34.
3. ↑ ^{a b} Sebastian Wilken: Genesis - A Trick Of The Tail (1976). accessed on July 6, 2016.
4. ^ W. Porr: Genesis. 40 years of A Trick Of The Tail. 2016, p. 35.
5. ↑ Golden Slumbers: A Father's Love
6. ↑ [1] Interview with Phil Collins, Classic Rock, January 30, 2019
7. ↑ Nick DeRiso: 40 Years Ago: Genesis Transitions to Phil Collins Era With 'A Trick of the Tail'. http://ultimateclassicrock.com/genesis-trick-of-the-tail/ viewed on July 9, 2016.
8. ^ Bart Elliott: Education Resources. Phil Collins: 'Dance On A Volcano' Drum Groove. http://www.drummercafe.com/education/lessons/phil-collins-dance-on-a-volcano.html accessed on July 9, 2016.
9. ↑ Joe Asmodo: Robbery, Assault & Battery. In: ROCK MAGAZINE eclipsed. No. 178, Aschaffenburg 2016, p. 38.
10. ↑ Steven Thomsen: Squonk. In: ROCK MAGAZINE eclipsed. No. 178, Aschaffenburg 2016, p. 33.
11. ^ W. Porr: Genesis. 40 years of A Trick Of The Tail. 2016, p. 40.
12. ↑ Matthias Bergert: Los Endos. In: ROCK MAGAZINE eclipsed. No. 178, Aschaffenburg 2016, p. 40.
13. ↑ ^{a b c} Sascha Seiler: From squonks, nurses and Dickens figures. The artwork expresses the fairytale character of "Trick". In: ROCK MAGAZINE eclipsed. No. 178, Aschaffenburg 2016, p. 34.
14. ↑ Set list of the Genesis tour A Trick Of The Tail , http://foxtrot.de/GGfSetlists/sl_genesis_trick.htm, viewed on July 9, 2016.
15. ↑ Setlist of the Genesis Tour Wind And Wuthering , http://foxtrot.de/GGfSetlists/sl_genesis_wind.htm, viewed on July 9, 2016.
16. ↑ Setlist of the Genesis Tour Mama , http://foxtrot.de/GGfSetlists/sl_genesis_mama.htm viewed on July 9, 2016.
17. ↑ Set list of the Genesis tour Invisible Touch , http://foxtrot.de/GGfSetlists/sl_genesis_invisible.htm viewed on July 9, 2016.
18. ↑ Setlist of the Genesis tour 'Turn It On Again', http://foxtrot.de/GGfSetlists/sl_genesis_turn_it_on.htm viewed on July 9, 2016.
19. ↑ DISCOGRAPHY: ALL ALBUMS BY GENESIS , http://www.discographien.de/alle_cds_von_Genesis.htm viewed on July 9, 2016.