Foxtrot, Foxtrot, Foxtrot, where to start ?
I guess at the beginning. I like all the Gabriel prog albums, even Trespass, the one without Collins on drums. When this first came out the sound was lousy, cramming 50 minutes onto an LP meant a decrease in sound quality for us HiFi dweebs, 40 really is the max. But the later releases corrected this especially the re-mastered version.
As soon as I heard the beautiful mellotron intro in Watcher of The Skies, I was hooked. An amazing album, and in my opinion, Genesis' finest hour. The opening song, "Watcher of The Skies" is a bit of an odd track, (and reminds me of Ye's opener on The Yes Album, Yours Is No Disgrace in terms of the way itgallops along) but repeat listens unveil its true brilliance. Rutherfords work in this track is good, his bass riff is immediately catchy. Beautiful washes of mellotron and guitar give this song a lot of character, it stands out as one of Genesis' most adventurous (and rewarding) songs. "Get em Out By Friday" is another killer track with Gabriel playing different vocal roles and showcasing his versatile vocal style. Great organ work by Tony here. Can-Utility And The Coastliners is a great symphonic track that builds to a rich and breathtaking climax, Hackett and Banks' instruments weaving in and out of one another overtop a beautiful orchestral mellotron.
The real treat on this album is the albums centerpiece "Supper's Ready," this magnum opus travels through many different moods and reaches several awe inspiring climaxes. The song blends perfectly the emotion of Gabriel's performance and the power of the band supporting him. Many great parts in this song, and lots of lush instrumentals. Very melodic and rich, the composition flows perfectly through each musical motif. Some standout passages are Hackett's intense solo in the movement "Ikhnaton and Itsacon and Their Band of Merry Men", and Bank's crowning moment "Apocalypse in 9/8". Once the first movement is reprised, you WILL be in utter awe. This album is no less than a masterpiece of Prog and Im surprised it isnt mentioned much in the 10 greatest ever lists (as I think its better than any Pink Floyd album) , and an essential record for anyone who even remotely enjoys progressive music.
8/10
