ALBUM REVIEW: Genesis - Foxtrot

    With their 1971 album Nursery Cryme, Genesis had obtained some amount of stability in the group - with the new additions of drummer Phil Collins and guitarist Steve Hackett, Genesis' transformation into an expansive and slightly humorous progressive rock group was complete, and it paired with increasing international success in others parts of Europe, even though they had yet to break through in the UK. It was also during this set of tours in support of Nursery Cryme where elements of the group began to blossom further - Peter Gabriel's eccentric stage presence and costumes had garnered some press attention in England. It was following this set of tours where the group began rehearsing and penning new material that would go on to form the basis of Foxtrot. Some kinks in the system followed, however - the group went through three producers due to musical disagreements and the oh so common issue of finance before settling on Dave Hitchcock, who would co-produce their next three albums. Initial sessions were so unproductive, even, that further recording was halted for a quick 1972 tour of Italy, with sessions properly beginning in August. Even with some troubles (including Hackett almost quitting due to feeling "fairly shattered"), the end results of Foxtrot showcase a group becoming realized - their expansive brand of progressive rock melding with a brilliant sense of theatrics and slight humor to create an album that is quintessential Genesis.

    One of the major benefits with Foxtrot over Nursery Cryme really is just the sharpening of the elements that made that album so fun in the first place, which can mainly be broke down to three things - the proficiency of the musicians, the absurd wit and charm in the lyrics, and the often grandiose scale of the pieces themselves. All of these things are even better on Foxtrot, but let's break it down by section. Surely all that touring around Europe sharpened the group up further, as the group's only continuously improving skills give ample ideas to fill the massive compositions on the album, and everyone is perfectly carrying their weight. Phil Collins' drumming has more going for it than that one gated reverb drum fill from the 80s, and on Foxtrot his steady rhythms over complex and bizarre time signatures is admirable, something that is immediately noticeable on the massive opening track "Watcher of the Skies", which we will certainly touch on later. Steve Hackett's guitar work may not be on par with other greats in the genre like David Gilmour or John McLaughlin, but he's playing is more a case of playing the right notes at the right time, and he does wonders when it comes to fleshing out songs, and he shines on his own with the acoustic solo "Horizons". Tony Banks' organ playing has rarely sounded better, and the same can be said for the driving energy of Mike Rutherford's bass playing. Peter Gabriel's vocal performances on this album are also just as dynamic as they have been since Trespass, but with an added layer of theatrics that adds a magical feel to some of the compositions at hand.

    Speaking of the compositions, this is where we move into the other two points of what this album does better. To go back to the absurd wit and charm, Genesis still have it in droves here on Foxtrot. The most shining example of this is the eight-and-a-half-minute opera of "Get 'Em Out by Friday", a surreal story about a landlord evicting tenets that eventually culminates in an announcement from the future world of 2012 with everyone being shrunk down to 4 feet to accommodate for more homes in housing blocks. It's one of the more surreal moments on the album, but not one overly dissimilar from something like "Harold the Barrel" on the previous album, especially with the multiple character being portrayed in the song. One other song carries some of this bizarre nature, but this allows me to segment into the third point - the grandiose scale of Genesis' material hits its apex here. Outside of the hilarious "Get 'Em Out by Friday" and the lush opening "Watcher of the Skies", we still have the gentle but infectious "Time Table" that serves as a more accessible respite between two of the album's three epics. Similar can also be said for the side-closing "Can-Utility and the Coastliners", which is a lovely piece inspired by King Canute, but with equally applicable themes of the weariness of fame. Of course, one can't mention Foxtrot without raving about the 23-minute "Supper's Ready", the group's longest song and by far their greatest accomplishment. Split into seven parts and inspired by religious imagery from the Book of Revelations, it's the entire group condensed into a microcosm and remains Genesis' shining moment - a brilliant work through and through.

    Rightfully so, Foxtrot became Genesis' first album to chart in the UK, and with an album of this scale it feels only right. Everything that the group had been working towards and creating has led up to this witty, bombastic, and often beautiful album filled with operatic highs and comedic relief that's immediately contrasted by sharp musicianship and a truly artistic touch. It's a touchstone of the genre and of Genesis itself, and is almost certainly an essential for any prog fan willing to spend 50 minutes - if you ask me, that's plenty worth it if it means finding a gem of this carat.

RATING: ✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

Listen to Foxtrot.