FOXTROT

Wow, 200 reviews for this little project. It's honestly incredible to me that I managed to write so many reviews in little over a year. That is honestly impressive to me. Anyways, since I am writing this, I might as well review my 2nd favorite album of all time, like how I reviewed my number one album for my 100th review. So, yeah, I freaking adore Foxtrot by Genesis.

Now unlike Close To The Edge where I had a lot to tell about in my relation to that album, Foxtrot here is a bit smaller in that scope. I had known about Genesis for a long time and I started getting into them around late 2021, and by then I kinda was exposed to a great deal of prog and music that made Genesis feel weak in comparison (which now I think quite opposite). Hell, before I was listening to Genesis intensively, I was getting exposed to bands like Magma, Frank Zappa, and even Swans. I think it was mostly because Genesis never quite interested me, especially since my first full listen to the band's music wasn't something like Selling England By The Pound or Nursery Cryme, but their first album of From Genesis To Revelations, which I think is a horrible way to introduce someone into Genesis. To me prog was stuff like Gentle Giant, or King Crimson, or Magma, or even Can, not Genesis. However, I decided to take some time and listen to their stuff and as I reached Foxtrot, I think something clicked.

I don't remember my first go around, since at first I simply thought it was just alright, but something eluded me. I think at the time I was also listening to their 1970 album of Trespass and I got to The Knife, and this nearly 9 minute piece of art kinda vibrated into my ears and I suddenly remembered Foxtrot, more specifically Supper's Ready. I thought The Knife was really, really good (I still think it is one of the best Genesis songs, I digress) but I wanted to relisten to the other big last song finale Genesis had in store with Supper's Ready, and after I listened to it I thought to relisten to all of Foxtrot again, and that is when it clicked. You ever not get something for a while, until it just clicks the more you look at it? Like a painting, or a movie, or a video game? When I got to the Willow Farm part in Supper's Ready, that was when everything just snapped together like a puzzle piece. I instantly knew, from that moment forward I would be a Genesis fan for a long, long time.

This won't be a normal, analytical review and more of me just gushing about my love for this album.

Ok, where to begin, well first off, the first side of this album, easily holds some of the best Genesis songs. I just love the opening track on this album of Watcher Of The Skies. It is so ethereal and magnetic that all aspects of it just feel so right and beautiful to me, and everything afterwards is just hit after hit. The queer Time Table giving this fun and cutesy number of medieval times, the comedic and very sublime Get 'Em Out By Friday that showcases the band going ham on their more comedic sign they showcased off of Harold The Barrel from Nursery Cryme, and the beautiful and poetic Can-Utility and the Coastliners that end the last side triumphantly are all songs that are masterpieces in their own right. I cannot even begin to wonder how these songs were thought up by man, but they just are.

I also have to take praise with just the instrumentation of this whole album. I think many agree that from Nursery Cryme through The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway was when Genesis was at their peak sound, and while on Nursery Cryme was when they really got their foot in, Foxtrot was when they ran. The Musical Box is like a prequel to Foxtrot in a way, similar to, say, Echoes by Pink Floyd is like a prequel to their enigmatic Dark Side Of The Moon record.

However, NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING, all caps, compares to the second side of the album. Firstly, Horizons, I love this short little acoustic guitar number from Hackett. Honestly it is just sweet, and does break the tension nicely from all these massive prog rock hits, and gives way very, very nicely to Supper's Ready. If you ask me what prog rock epic is the best, definitely Close To The Edge, but Close To The Edge itself is on a whole 'nother plane of existence, but Supper's Ready is a very, very, VERY close second. Holy hell, talk about a song. First off, the opening of Lover's Leap is just beautiful, Peter's vocals here are on point, and Hackett's acoustic just driving this along just makes me know I am in for a ride. Then it all slowly comes up with The Guaranteed Eternal Sanctuary Man, and it all becomes so bombastic and joyous that I never help but smile at this part because it is so beautiful, and how it transitions smoothly into Ikhnaton and Itsacon and Their Band of Merry Men still stupefies me, because I always picture these parts as the same thing, but man having them as separates really allows each of them to shine, since Ikhnaton and Itsacon and Their Band of Merry Men just continues the track of being quite amazing. The song then goes down and is quiet with How Dare I Be So Beautiful?, which is just Peter letting his soul fly into the abyss, and it enriches the entire song for me. Absolutely gorgeous. Afterwards, though, with Willow Farm, the song goes from beautiful to ugly and comedic, and when I say ugly I mean it in the most endearing way possible. It is such a contrast that normally it just would not fit, but Genesis made it work so well that it does a 180 and it all works out for the later half of this massive suite. As the song goes into Apocalypse In 9/8, this is when things just really get good. If you thought the earlier parts were amazing, sit your butt down for Apocalypse In 9/8, because this part is as perfect as it can get. The entire drive of this piece of music with Tony Banks keyboards just washes over my body, and Phil's drumming in combination to Mike's and Hackett's guitars just lets this already masterful song into one of legend. Oh, and don't get me started on the latter half of Tony's solo, especially on live recordings. I could talk about that part, that specific part, for days. And when it ends, the last part of As Sure as Eggs Is Eggs begins with Peter reprising the 'and its, hey babe, with your guardian eyes so blue'' from Lovers Leap, it's just indescribable. I am sorry but the feeling I get from that moment is so powerful that it is beyond human comprehension. At that point, this beyond music, or art, it is beyond anything. It reached to the heavens above and it came back in nothing but gold. There are few songs I call perfect, and this is one of those songs, and can you blame me?

I honestly have no words left for Foxtrot. Go listen to this album if you haven't already. I don't even plan on peer reviewing this review as I said before, it is just me gushing my heart out for this record. This is as essential as essential can get, and so do yourself a favor, and listen to this album.