FOXTROT

If not their most important album, Foxtrot certainly contains the most important Genesis song. This is one on which the band finally hit their stride, with the five classic members integrated into a powerful unit. The unifying theme of the album seems to be the passage of time, of the relationship of the present to the past and the future, and of humility in regards to our position in the grand scheme of things.

The mellotron/organ opening to 'Watcher of the Skies' is a classic, and the song itself, a sci-fi tale of an alien explorer visiting an Earth on which human civilization has vanished (the reasons for which are left uncertain), while a somewhat artificial basis for social commentary on the human condition, is nonetheless effective.

'Time Table' is another commentary on vanished civilizations, lamenting the tendency of each era and each generation to presume that they are superior to all who have gone before. A fairly gentle tune overall, it is nonetheless rather powerful.

'Get 'Em Out By Friday' is a mini-rock opera about tenants being evicted and the landlords who care more for profits than for the welfare of their renters. The second half of the song takes the story into a future era where genetic engineering is used to maximize the efficiency of fitting people into the available amount of space, and the basic idea is that the same practices continue throughout history. The final line of the song, 'Land in your hand you'll be happy on Earth, so invest in the Church for your Heaven', seems to put the Earthly concerns of all parties into perspective.

'Can-Utility and the Coastliners' is one of the best shorter Genesis songs, about the legendary King Canute and his famous boasts of his ability to control the sea. All that's left of the great king are 'the scattered pages of a book by the sea'. A folkier sounding beginning part of the song gives way to more uptempo mid-section and conclusion, and overall the dynamics are especially effective.

'Horizons' is a little solo guitar exercise by Hackett, probably his most famous guitar piece, though more because of its inclusion on the band's album than because of any intrinsic merit.

And finally... 'Supper's Ready'. This is what all the fuss is about when it comes to Genesis. In seven sections, it tells an allegory of the battle between good and evil, drawing upon actual mystical experiences by Gabriel, as well as the Book of Revelation and Greek mythology. It opens with a fairly mundane scene of two lovers in a sitting room, and as their story is gradually interwined with Apocalyptic visions, their love becomes a metaphor for the divine love for humanity. This song is what makes the album a essential masterpiece. Brilliant!