FOXTROT

While the debate about which is superior (Selling England or Foxtrot), I'd like to add to the fray by suggesting that they are complete equals! And while I always come back to Foxtrot simply for the extrodinary tracks SUPPER'S READY and TIME TABLE, Selling England has Dancing With The Moonlit Knight and Firth of Fifth, but for some reason Foxtrot has always kept my labelling as favorite, likely because I bought it before Selling England... and have heard it more times, who knows. Anyways, to me they both deserve high merits, but this one is, perhaps, just a fraction better in my opinion.

Onto the review.

While obvious tracks to quote here are the bookeneding masterpieces, I'm going to ignore them until later. Other, more overlooked songs on the album are increadible to say the least. TIME TABLE has always been my favorite track off the album, often overshadowed by surrounding tracks, this short, beautiful song has a lot to say in the time it's given, with wonderful instumentation and vocals with some strong melodies this song is a must for any progger, especially those who doubt the power of the four minute song. CAN-UTILITY AND THE COASTLINER is another great song, and while it's good from beginning to end it's good to note that the ending solos are easily the best part of the song. GET 'EM OUT BY FRIDAY is a great song that carries on the tradition of knocking the British-higher-ups set down by Harold The Barrel and continued later by The Cinema Show, another good song, if frantic at times. HORIZONS is a great, if too short, instumental track performed by the wonderful Mr. Hackett, proving that he's more than just a guitarist, if you didn't already know that.

Now for the main course. WATCHER OF THE SKIES opens the album with one of the bands most powerful tracks, an ominous, if apocolypic, story accompanied by a great mellotron intro and bizzarely sung lyrics that thows off just about anyone the first time they hear Gabriel belt out "Watcher of the skies, watcher of all! His is a world alone, no world his own." But as great as this opener is, it too is overshadowed by the side-long collossus that is SUPPER'S READY (Curiously, Genesis's only side long track). While each section has it's own charm, especially WILLOW FARM with it's increadable quirk, LOVER'S LEAP, the perfect intro and APOCOLYPSE IN 9/8 with it's... well, apocolypic sound, but all around it's just a perfect song. While a bit dissorienting (perhaps) the first spin around, what with the silent breaks between many parts (not at all similar to a track like Thick As A Brick or Close To The Edge), it's a track that requires age to grow on you, you may listen to it for the 10th time and finally think to yourself, "Holy crap! What a song!". Anyways, there's not much more to say about this one (after all, look at how many reviews this album already has), just note that this is definately Genesis's first defining moment, despite how good Trespass or Nursery Cryme was.

While this is not a necissary review (more of a praise, actually), this definately is a necissary album. Listen to it again right now if you already own it, or go buy it if you don't have it.... just do it. A masterpiece that deserves no less that 5 stars. Perfect.

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