FOXTROT

1972 is a contender for the greatest year in rock music ever...in Progressive Rock at least. Yes released both FRAGILE and the genre defining masterpiece CLOSE TO THE EDGE in 1972. Jethro Tull released THICK AS A BRICK, the greatest album of their career. Genesis released their fourth album that year, FOXTROT. Simply put, FOXTROT is a masterpiece of Progressive Rock, and the best the band would ever do.

Watcher of the Skies is one of the most haunting songs ever recorded, especially the introduction. Tony Bank's masterful mellotron is simply amazing. Collins' drums and Hackett's guitar slowly enter the ominous keyboard textures, until the song finally peaks, and Peter Gabriel begins singing. Watcher of the Skies features excellent lyrics telling of an alien race visiting the earth after humans have departed. Overall, and excellently rousing track, a Genesis classic. The next track is more traditional, and is mainly a vocal showcase for Peter Gabriel. Time Table is quite good, with great lyrics reminiscing on the days of yore, (all very English of course). Nothing quite prepares you for the song Get 'Em Out by Friday. Like all great Genesis songs, this piece tells an extended (and bizarre) story of tenants being manipulated by their landlords, climaxing in a "four foot restriction on all humanoid height" in the future, so the landlords can fit more people onto lots. Gabriel aptly portrays no less than four characters over the course of the story, with his typical emotion and liveliness. Hackett and Banks playing is especially great here. A great song. (Check out the live version, which rocks a bit harder, on GENESIS-LIVE). Side One closes with Can Utility and the Coastliners, a much underrated Genesis gem, featuring incredible synthesizers by Banks and pretty (but powerful) melodies throughout.

Side Two begins with Horizons a delicate solo acoustic piece by Hackett. This was also the first piece he wrote for the band, a milestone in Genesis history. This gentle song offers a perfect introduction to the 'magnum opus' of Gabriel-era Genesis, Supper's Ready. This twenty three minute epic is Gabriel's tale of the apocalypse, as viewed by himself and his wife. Perfect Genesis. It features clever and challenging lyrics by Gabriel (as always) and wonderful playing by all involved. The instrumental segues between the nine plot sections are well done, but the lyrics are really the show case on this song. The zany section "Willow Farm" (surprisingly a single release!) is especially entertaining. This is definitely a song to hear, at least once.

FOXTROT marked the first real success for Genesis. It was their first album to have 'somwehat' decent production and engineering, with tolerable sound quality. While 1971's NURSERY CRYME was a great album, FOXTROT blows it away, with better compositions, and better integration of the new members Steve Hackett and Phil Collins. Genesis had matured at this point, finally finding their groove, understanding how to balance loud, complex sections, with delicate acoustic passages, and how to have virtuosic musicianship and theatrical vocals complement one another. While Yes is amazing, their music is a bit to micromanaged, with everything being perfectly arranged in the studio, sterilizing it to a degree. Genesis does not have that problem here, as Peter Gabriel helps create some of the most emotional songs in Prog, especially Supper's Ready. FOXTROT also marked Genesis's commercial breakthrough, though not on the large scale pop sense of the 80's.

5 STARS! Not a weak track to be found.

P.S. Check out the awesome cover art by Paul Whitehead.