GENESIS - A Trick Of The Tail - Part Deux

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ROBBERY, ASSAULT & BATTERY -
Seeing as how it's surrounded by mini-epics, powerful rockers, and lovely ballads, it would perhaps be easy to dismiss this song as one of the more lightweight tracks, given it's lighter feel and comedic lyrics. This would be a mistake, however, because it is in fact quite an inventive piece of songcraft.

The lyrics are about a robber who is caught breaking and entering and shoots his would-be captor. There are some very amusing lines and the video for the song, while being on the far end of 70s low-budget cheesiness, is a lot of fun as well. Collins played the part of the robber, with the rest of the band as policemen.

Musically, an obvious highlight is the keyboard solo. However, one of the striking features of this composition is the very musical and natural use of "odd" time signatures. The vast majority of popular music is in 4/4 (also known as "common") time. This means that there are 4 quarter notes (4 beats) to each bar. Most musical phrases within 4/4 are often in groups of 2, 3, and 4, and it is actually so ingrained in popular music that anything much outside this rhythmic syntax is deemed "odd".

RA&B begins in 7/4 time. Along with the pleasant melody, there is unobtrusive cymbal work from Collins - a very effective intro for the song. Phil hits a cymbal on beat 1, then hi-hat on beats 2, 4, and 6. This repeats 4 times, with the piano/guitar melody on top.
While "odd" time signatures were quite common in progressive music at this time, the way that Genesis made their rhythmic experiments sound so natural was quite remarkable. Of course, this isn't to say that other bands were incapable of the same, but it is a strong feature of Genesis' 70s music.

After the short intro, the verse comes in in 4/4. The verse is built on an excellent chordal riff from Banks, with Hackett either doubling it or adding in some very tasteful, un-obtrusive fills. In fact, the guitar playing here is simply excellent in it's approach to the arrangement. The song could very well survive without Hackett's parts, yet the bits he plays add to the arrangement without cluttering it. This was a strength of Steve's that is often overlooked in the tendency to see him as an under-used player. Though the tension created by Banks' increasingly dominating prescence perhaps led to Hackett's departure after one more album, it must be stated that this brilliant musician found a very creative approach to his instrument in the situation he found himself in, and his greatest strength as a guitarist may very well be his ability to do things that few others would consider. The excellent backing to RA&B is evidence of this.

A pre-chorus with some inventive chord choices leads into the chorus, also in 4/4. The end of the chorus features a quick lead line from Steve over another good rhythmic moment - two bars of 4/4 followed by one of 7/8, then back to the verse. Another run through verse, pre-chorus and chorus, and repeating the 4/4, 4/4, 7/8 phrase, then we are into the keyboard solo.

The solo itself is very well-constructed, and a highlight of Tony's work. Fast lines blaze over the top of the relatively simple, yet effective chord progression, and it sounds quite similar in effect to some of his excellent work on The Lamb.

The rhythm behind the solo is 13/8, and is best counted as a group of 7 and a group of 6. Time signatures can usually be broken down in this way (another Genesis song in 13, this time 13/4 is Turn It On Again, from Duke. The main riff can be broken down to 6 and 7, the reverse of RA&B.)
The backing from Phil and Mike is a perfect example of their strength as a rhythm section to create "odd" rhythms that really *groove*, as opposed to sounding stiff and forced. This is due to Phil's tastefulness and creative use of the entire kit, cymbals included, and also to Mike's driving, yet tasteful bass work. Few "rhythm sections" in the 70s progressive rock movement approached this level of musicality, and those who did were still quite different in effect. (Bill Bruford had just come from King Crimson when he joined Genesis for the Trick tour, and he had played in that band with bassist John Wetton. This rhythm team was arguably the most adventurous of all 70s prog-rock, but the character was very unlike that of Phil and Mike.)

After the initial sequence, the solo contines over a 4/4 pattern with the rhythm section laying down accents under Tony while Hackett comes back in with a single note, faded in over the top, while the band throws in yet another single bar of 7/8 that leads back into the 13 groove. Hackett bends his note up half a step to accomodate the new chord, and pulls back so that Tony can layer string-like chords over the band. He then, continues the chords while playing another quick line with the other hand.

A bar of 2/4 is inserted before going into 13/8 again, but it's a different 13 than the 7 and 6 subdivisions previous. Phil's vocal comes back in over what is best counted 123,123,123,1234. A very good contrast and an excellent break between keyboard solos. The bar directly before the keyboard solo comes back in (the last time Phil sings "bad man" is 9/8. Which is 123,123,123. So, the band simply cut off the accents at the end of the section, and back into the original 13 where Tony plays a repeated melody over an interesting chord progression, and finishes with a three bar phrase that takes us back into 4/4 for another verse.

The drums pick up through this last verse, then we come to yet another rhythmic device under Phil's repeated vocal "Done me wrong, same old song". This section is two bars of 5/8 and one of 3/4 (perhaps easier counted as 6 eigth notes, given the drive of the 5/8 bars, though the drums clearly accent the 3 quarter notes.)

A final melody brings this very well-constructed song to a close, and it is also over several different bars - in fact, quite a few.
The melody is played on piano and a few overdubbed guitars, which brings out the harmony of the chord sequence very effectively. This kind of team work between Banks and Hackett is felt thoughout the whole song (and album), and emphasizes the fact that Genesis was very much a BAND at this point, with everyone working together to achieve a common goal (a fine bit of songcraft). Strong ideas from all 4 members are brought together in the name of well-crafted writing and excellent playing, and this was of course what made Genesis so speciai through the 70s, even with the multitude of other fine bands working at the same time.

RIPPLES - This is the longest track on the album, and an obvious highlight within this excellent collection of songs.
Once again, Mike and Steve layer 12-string acoustic guitars, joined by fine piano work from Tony. Phil delivers the delicate vocal line superbly, and performs quite effectively as a drummer as well.
The poetic lyrics are once again joined in excellent fashion to the music, one of Genesis' many strengths in this period. The atmosphere created by this lyrical/musical marriage is very strong, and once again, the contrasts in dynamics and texture throughout the piece amply demonstrate why Genesis remains one of the most accessible and enjoyable bands to come out of the progressive rock genre.

Again, Mike's 12-string work sets the song up,and it's a fantastic example of the use of the instrument in Genesis' music. Mike and Tony wrote the song (the remastered CD credits only Banks - this was wrong) and their distinctive styles shine through, especially in the chordal structure. A lot of these chord movements are not necessarily unique (moving minor to major on the same chord, etc.) but they aren't toally common either, and Genesis' use of extended chord progressions (longer than, say, 5 or 6 chords) is remarkable in this song.

Another key element is the lead guitar work of Steve Hackett. Steve is one of the most under-valued guitarists in all of rock music, and his "backwards" solo on this song is a brilliant example of what this gifted musician could do. Hackett has always stated his preference for atmospheres over "flash", and has given us many fine examples of this approach. (Including his best-known solo in 1973's Firth Of Fifth, a beautiful melodic work.)
In Ripples, Hackett made very creative use of "backwards" recording. This technique was used by several musicians at this point, and was pioneered in rock by the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. Essentially, the recording tape is reversed, so that the player/singer hears the entire track so-far recorded played backwards, then plays/sings over that. Then the tape is reversed so that we hear the original track "normally" again, and the instrument/voice is heard backwards.

Hackett lays down a great understated atmospheric solo with this device, and it is one of his most memorable moments on record. Steve Hackett would only be in Genesis for one more studio album, an EP, and a live album. The band would go on as a three-piece. Though much is made of the tension between Steve and Tony at this point in the band's history, along with Banks' increasing dominance, it must be stated that Genesis was a very different animal after Steve's departure. For many progressive listeners (myself included), the band would simply not be the same. Capable of providing enjoyable work at times, but no longer with the help of this truly thoughtful and gifted musician, Genesis would eventually lose their status as a prime "prog-rock" band among many listeners of the genre.

Steve's brilliant work can be heard on several solo albums, as well. The best place to start is possibly his first, Voyage Of The Acolyte, released shortly before A Trick Of The Tail. It also includes performances by Mike and Phil, and is not only a fine counterpart to this album, but one of the essential albums in the Genesis canon.

A TRICK OF THE TAIL - Like RA&B, this song could be mistaken for a lightweight, and it would once again be a mistake. The pacing of this album is superb, and putting the "lighter" title track between the exhilarating Ripples and the powerful Los Endos was quite a good use of contrast. This demonstrates a strength not only of Genesis in the 70s, but of much rock music at that time. The Beatles had introduced the concept of the album-as-one-unit-in-sections with the landmark Sgt. Pepper's album (at least it was the first album widely regarded as such), and most "serious" rock music afterwards followed suit. The list of great rock albums that were unified works (and this doens't necessarily mean "concept album") is quite long for the 1970s, and it was accomplished by Genesis throughout their peak period.
This idea changed towards the end of the 70s, and albums once again were often simply a collection of tunes, and in many cases had a few standout tracks with the remainder being "filler". This increasingly became the case with Genesis after the release of Duke in 1980.

The Beatle analogy is appropriate, because this is very much a "pop" song in the best sense of the term. Genesis has often been criticized for performing "pop" material, but they always saw themselves as a pop band anyway. This is largely due to the fact that the term did not carry the stigma in the 1960s (their formative years) that it does today, with pop music often being considered the province of businessmen and advertising agents rather than musicians. In the 1960s, *all* rock music was "pop", and it's a distinction to consider, especially since there is much even in today's 90s pop that is much more inventive than is recognized (due to the overwhelming success of the business/ad-men variety.)

Built on Banks' bouyant piano work, ATOTT succeeds on many levels because it is a pop song with attention to detail. Tony is afforded the sole writing credit, and the vocal melody is obviously built around the left hand piano part. The right hand part plays staccato quarter-note chords while the left hand performs the melody.

The lyrics are about a creature who is brought into society and wishes to return to his home in the "city of gold" while the humans regard him as a "freak". This kind of alienation lyric is often found in progressive rock, and is an obvious point of reference for many fans of this "music for social outcasts". :) While a discussion of the "social" aspects of progressive rock is beyond the scope of this analysis, it should be noted that (especially in the compartmentalized 1990s) many progressive rock listeners feel an "alienation" from the "cool" music-buying public because of the music's limited commercial appeal. The rise of the Internet has given a "home" for many progressive listeners, but the Internet prog community is still only a small fraction of the overall fan base.

The song is very well arranged, and Steve's guitar adds a lot to the song without being obtrusive. Once again, he shows his impeccable taste and restraint as a player. His "sound effects" guitar can be taken out of the song, but it provides such a nice texture that losing it would be a shame.

Mike and Phil provide excellent understated rhythmic support, and the song ends softly, bringing us to...

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