FOXTROT

Given that this album has ID #2 in the album database (who got ID #1? I'll probably never know, it seems to have been removed...), it must be one of these albums you first think of when you say "prog", right? Right. And it's a perfect example of progressive music. It's long, complex, original, inventive, and it doesn't reveal itself to you until after a few good listens. Then you start getting the thing, and you can't get it off your head. You're in for a treat. You're pretty much done.

"Supper's Ready" is a 22-minute masterpiece that swims between bliss and, well, whatever the opposite of bliss is. It has singing flowers, Narcissus, organs in Hell, strange visions, it even has a short vocal section that bears a striking resemblance to Randy Newman! Wow. "Watcher of the skies" has pretty much the definitive Mellotron introduction. I'm sure these machines sold like cakes after the release of the album. If they ever needed to. "Can-Utility" has some fascinating melodic lines between 2'30 and 4', and "Get 'Em Out By Friday", a great song in its own right, has some of the most interesting lyrics in Genesis' history. I've been listening to this CD in my car's CD player for weeks now, and I still don't feel the need to switch to another CD. I must be crazy. Or this must be because Foxtrot is one of the definitive prog albums. Amen.