FOXTROT

Well, it seems all the bases have been pretty much covered talking about the music on this classic album. Certainly I can't think of much more to add, so I'd rather go over Foxtrot from another perspective. Back in the year of its release, 1972, Genesis were still a band who had not yet attained anything close to the success they were to achieve just a few years later. As a result, the recording budgets, techniques, and resources available to them up to this point were still somewhat rudimentary. Yes, things were getting better, but time and money really limited what could be done. The original Foxtrot album and CD issues have always been a bit lacking as far as sound quality and mixing go, so when the word came that a new version was being re-mixed for release in the Gabriel era box, I enthusiastically put it on my list as a must buy ! Now I have it, and wow, what a great job was done. The band sounds tighter, and the vocals are much cleaner and warm. Rutherford's bass provides a much fuller, rounder bottom end that connects a lot better with Phil's kit. The drum sound alone, is worth the price of admission now, and where before there were times where it appeared that Collins was beating on a set of cardboard boxes, now there is a rich full drum kit. On the original release there is a split in Supper's Ready where two sections were recorded out of key with each other in error, but 21st century digital tools have allowed correction of this difference, and it has been repaired in this edition. Yes, I have heard criticism about compressions that have been applied, and that perhaps this makes all the instruments "too loud" and the final result modern and monochromatic. I disagree with this judgment, and really believe that what was done to Foxtrot is a definite improvement. The change is dramatic, which may not be popular with everyone, but from my standpoint it was due, and I'm glad we now have it.

At the time of this review the Gabriel period re-mixes are still only available in the 1970- 1975 Box Set. Individual album releases are still pending.