FOXTROT

Well, time to review one of mu favorite albums ever. No big deal really. XD Anyway, I've only been into prog about a year and one day last summer, my grandpa told me he would order me 3 CD's. Those three were Close to the Edge (which, I'm actually listening to now), Selling England By the Pound, and Foxtrot. You can imagine my anticipation as I waited. And finally, Foxtrot shows up first! Sadly, though, the one defective track was Supper's Ready, but fear not, I got it fixed.

So, I finally listened to it, and this was the most amazing thing! From the opening to Watcher all the way through the end of Suppers Ready, never a dull moment.

Watcher of the Skies, one of the most iconic openings ever. Sadly, it has worn off a little bit, but is still an amazing track! The verses are really great and the ensemble playing of the band is superb. That main rhythm is something that I'll tap on my desk or just start singing as it is so catchy! 4.25/5

Time Table, I actually like this song. Sadly, the ending goes on a little long, but it has a beautiful chorus and divine piano playing. 4/5

Oh yeah, time for Get Em Out by Friday! The second best song here without a doubt. Those heavy verses with the manic organ playing almost makes me wanna take John Pebble's side! But, if there is one thing that really sticks out, it is Rutherford's bass playing. My god, this is one of the best bass performances I have ever heard! On par with YYZ and Roundabout, in my opinion. Even during the soft parts, he does better fills than Steve, who contributes a really good middle solo which should have been MUCH longer. Definite 5/5

Can Utility and the Coastliners took me a while to get into, but once it sunk in, it was amazng! When Pete sings "Far from the north...",. the hairs on the back of my neck raise I really enjoy that two chord jam in the middle which leads into a fast little bass solo. Steve actually does a hell of a solo near the end which is honestly hardly ever talked about. Fantastic track! 5/5

Believe it or not, I really enjoy Horizons (as a young, Hackett influenced guitarist myself). Its so relaxing and perfectly leads into the grand opus of this album... 4/5

..."Walking across the sitting room, I turn the television on..." The classic opening to the greatest epic of all time! Once Pete hits the second chorus, we know that the audience is now completely enthralled. Near the end of the first piano solo, it gets very solemn and I can just imagine all of the them standing reverently. Its nearly impossible to imagine this song without some image of the story line or of Pete walking around stage, spinning the tale of the 2 lovers throughout the rest of the song. I absolutely love Steve's solo near the middle (I can actually play it!!!) and he and Tony are so great on those tapping arpeggios. Willow Farm always has me singing and getting strange looks from people! Haha, its really great and segues into a relaxing instrumental bit before the true intensity begins. Apocolypse in 9/8 creates nightmarish images, even as Tony Banks does his amazing solo. When Pete comes back in (in the magog costume, of course) the song truly gets scary, but leads to the light, as Pete throws the costume off and is dressed as a pure white angel. When I saw the live version from Shepperton, I was nearly crying, as the lord had come to saver his people and take them to the new Jerusalem. You cannot help but feel something when listening to the end, and as Steve fades out, you sit and think about what you have just heard, completely dumbfounded.

If there is one album that should displace CTTE, it should be this one, as I see them as equal, but Foxtrot has Suppers Ready and is probably, no, definitely, the greatest album of all time. But I'm still young, so what do I know!