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Iconic Albums Genesis A Trick of the Tail Era (1976): A Track-by-Track Journey through Transition and Triumph
Paperback
Series: Iconic Albums, Book 7
MusiciansPop/RockMusic Reference
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Jun 2 2026
Pages: 318
Weight: 0.94
Height: 0.67 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
When Peter Gabriel left Genesis in 1975, many believed the band's story was over.
He had been the voice, the face, the theatrical force, and the strange symbolic figure at the centre of the group's rise. Without him, Genesis seemed to be standing on dangerous ground. Could they continue? Could Phil Collins step forward as lead singer? Could Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Steve Hackett, and Collins preserve the band's identity while creating something new?
A Trick of the Tail answered those questions with grace, confidence, and imagination.
This book offers a deep, track-by-track journey through one of Genesis' most important albums: the record that proved the band were more than Peter Gabriel's group. From the explosive urgency of Dance on a Volcano to the dreamlike unease of Entangled, the tragic fable of Squonk, the romantic grandeur of Mad Man Moon, the emotional beauty of Ripples, the whimsical title track, and the instrumental triumph of Los Endos, every chapter explores how Genesis transformed crisis into renewal.
More than a fantasy record, A Trick of the Tail is an album about insecurity, survival, transformation, disappearance, and rebirth. It kept Genesis' love of myth, fable, surrealism, and story alive, but reshaped it into something warmer, clearer, more melodic, and more emotionally direct.
Inside, you will discover how Phil Collins became the new voice of Genesis, how Tony Banks' keyboards shaped the album's emotional world, how Steve Hackett's guitar preserved its mystery, how Mike Rutherford helped hold the band together, and how the four-man line-up created one of the most elegant progressive rock albums of the 1970s.
For fans of Genesis, progressive rock, classic albums, and the dramatic stories behind great records, this book is a detailed celebration of the album that turned uncertainty into triumph.
A Trick of the Tail was not merely the album after Peter Gabriel.
It was the sound of Genesis surviving - and becoming stronger.
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