Genesis / Foxtrot (1972)

United Kingdom

Progressive Rock, Pop Rock, Symphonic Prog, Progressive Pop, Rock Opera

Foxtrot was the first album I heard from Genesis, and I confess that I didn't like it on the first listen (this unfortunately happens), but today I think it's one of the nuggets of the golden age of progressive rock.

The album starts with the sensational ''Watcher Of The Skies'', a track that opens the A side in an excellent way, just that opening, it's worth having this record in the collection of those who enjoy progressive rock, really one of the best and the group's most famous songs of the time with Peter Gabriel. On the second track, we have ''Time Table'', we have a good 4 min song with a more romantic theme than the previous one. As for the third song, we have 8 minutes of a rock opera telling a story that involves 4 characters about a company employee who evicts tenants. In the next track, which even closes the A side, we have a song about a Norse king known as Canuto, conqueror for those who don't know, this mythological thing is something normal in the band.

Now we come to the B-side with "Horizons", a very beautiful acoustic guitar vignette but that soon ends for the entrance of "Supper Is Ready", a 22 minute song that has all the elements that guarantee its place as one of the brands- records of progressive rock with musical influences that go through folk, classical music and rock. Divided into 7 sections, in this song, the references of the lyrics are so many that no one has ever really been able to really know clearly what it is about but it can be said that it is about the battle of good against evil, evoked by the apocalyptic tone of the ending, which ends the disc in a masterful way.

Foxtrot is the band's first major work to be a big hit with audiences and critics, and in my opinion, it's not only one of the band's best albums, it's also one of the best albums of the 70's.

Members

Tony Banks (keyboards), Mike Rutherford (bass, guitar), Peter Gabriel (vocals, flute, oboe, 1967-75), Anthony Phillips (guitar, 1967-70), Chris Stewart (drums, 1967-68), John Silver (drums, 1968-69), John Mayhew (drums, 1969-70), Phil Collins (drums, vocals, 1970-96, 2006-07, 2020-present), Steve Hackett (guitar, 1970-77), Ray Wilson (vocals, 1997-98)

Track Listing

01 - Watcher of the Skies

02 - Time Table

03 - Get 'Em Out by Friday

04 - Can-Utility and the Coastliners

05 - Horizons

06 - Supper's Ready

i. Lover's Leap

ii. The Guaranteed Eternal Sanctuary Man

iii. Ikhnaton and Itsacon and Their Band of Merry Men

iv. How Dare I Be So Beautiful

v. Willow Farm

vi. Apocalypse in 9/8 (Co-Starring the Delicious Talents of Gabble Ratchet)

vii. As Sure As Eggs Is Eggs (Aching Men's Feet)

YANDEX