FOXTROT

I will admit: they don't make em like this no more. Still, I find it a bit surprising that this album has received so many five-star ratings. Sure, I understand that many reviewers on this forum are partial to the nostalgia of their youth, but I just can't seem to grant this album the default five stars that it very well may have deserved in its time. Yes, "Watcher of the Skies" is a gripping classic. But it also doesn't stand up as well after several listens, am I wrong? Certainly, "Time Table" features a beautiful melody, but doesn't the song also come off as a tad bit, dare I say, cheesy in the 21st century? And indeed, "Supper's Ready" remains a timeless gem that should forever be protected from honest criticism, right? Wrong. No piece of art should ever be above criticism, and I am willing to step upon the gallows and argue that the song, regardless of its overall brilliance, can often come across as patchy and maybe a little incoherent.

Despite these criticisms, this is undoubtedly an excellent album. Hackett's work on the guitar is showcased in the beautiful acoustic "Horizons," and Rutherford's keyboard work immediately stuns the listener in "Watcher of the Skies." Finally, regardless of its tendency to wander, "Supper's Ready" is a work that combines the contributions of each band member into a magnificent whole that at times sounds nothing short of orchestral in its development and release. Personally, I prefer the more pastoral sound created by Hackett and Rutherford in SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND, but there's certainly nothing wrong with this brilliant release.