FOXTROT

I avoided listening to "Supper's Ready" for years because I was afraid it would never be able to live up to the hype I had built up inside my own head. I've just listened to it. Twice. "Supper's Ready" is, without a doubt, the greatest achievement in progressive rock music ever. It is epic in the tradition of The Bible, WAGNER's Ring, The Illiad and Odyssey, and Song of Roland. It contains the soul of humanity--of human struggle and human potential and aspiration. It contains virtuosic performances from some of prog rock's most adventurous, theatric and yet melodic participant/performers. Even so, "Foxtrot" has never been a masterpiece to me. As much as the band loved "Watcher" and "Get 'em Out by Friday," I never liked them (and I have given them both so many chances/re-listens). "Can-Utility and Coastliners" has always been one of my favorite prog and Genesis songs--and I am glad to see it getting so much love here on ProgArchives. I used to love "Horizon's" but am now sick of it. Good song the first 1000 listens. Gets old, though. Despite "Can" and the greatest prog epic of all-time, this album only gets four stars from me; it has flaws. Some will call it essential because of "Can" and "Supper." They may be right. The two do help constitute over 60% of the album. But I can't reward the "album" which has two poor--yes, I've said it--poor songs with 5 stars.

1. "Watcher of the Skies" sounds old, overfull, and poorly recorded. I never liked it--always skipped it to get to "Can-Utility." HACKETT's "Revisited" version is ten times better. (4/10)

2. "Get 'em Out by Friday" is too over-the-top bombastic. Another "Knife" crossed with "Hogweed," previewing "Robbery, Assault and Battery" and "All in a Mouse's Night." (5/10)

3. "Can-Utility and the Coastliners." Prog perfection in six minutes or less. This is the song I would play if someone asked me to introduce them to that which is quintessential to progressive rock music in one song. (10/10)

4. "Horizon's." Go solo, Steve. (He did!) (6/10)

5. "Supper's Ready." "IT" DOES NOT GET BETTER THAN THIS! (10/10)