FOXTROT

The music we love does not exist as such, before we allow it to. When we live our lives to a soundtrack chosen based on our mood, location, or the people we share our most precious moments these things and people become imbedded in our perception of the music just as our brains forge connections between memories and associated feelings.

When we go somewhere or do something memorable or meaningful with someone we care about, we leave an imprint in that place and with that person. Impulses fire across new synapses, and we grow. These memories become linked directly to that music.

Such associations may be obscured, dulled, or transformed over time, but never destroyed. It may hurt to listen to certain music for years at a time, because of its ability to remind us of the things we loved and the things we lost. When we rediscover those things and realize they were never gone, but only sleeping, that music suddenly springs back to life and takes on the meaning it once had -- except this time around, you never take a single note for granted.

Foxtrot is one such album for me. Yes, yes -- the songs are indeed wonderful, but all of you know I feel that way when you see my five-star review. Instead of doing a track-by-track critique and analysis, I'd rather illustrate just how special this album is if you allow it to be. This is just one in a series of albums by Genesis that deserve the highest rating based on my experiences, but have been sitting in an audio cocoon in my collection because of its power to make me pine for happier days. And Foxtrot in particular does that more for me than any other Genesis record.

And now I've cleared the dust from its jewel case, and put it on.

And I say to you out there (you know who you are. Yes, you. ), I have listened to this album for the first time in a long time and I am happy to sing this song to you once again:

"Hello babe, with your guardian eyes so blue [brown, really]... Hey my baby, don't you know our love is true?"

I've spent two years simmering in life's Crock-Pot, and now I can safely say that supper's finally ready.

"I've been so far from here, far from your warm arms. It's good to feel you again, it's been a long long time... Hasn't it?"

Five healthy f**king stars.