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Rating: Foxtrot
After the critical and (partially) public success of Nursery Cryme, Genesis attempt the big hit with a new album, released a year after the previous one: Foxtrot. Even though at first glance this album seems to have been created to build a commercial trend following the success of Nursery Cryme, in reality, things are different... many critics have defined this LP as the consequence of Nursery Cryme, but in reality, you will understand that these two LPs are very different...
The album opens with "Watcher Of The Skies," which begins with Banks' mellotron and then transitions into a rock-driven song where Hackett's electric guitar is very prominent, and how! The opening song of their concerts, "Watcher of The Skies" is followed by a song, "Time Table," damnably simple and obvious but damnably sweet and beautiful, even though I repeat, it's not creatively exceptional. But you know, the simple things are often the most beautiful. From the ballad, we move to irony with "Get'em Out By Friday," a song with a perhaps bizarre theme, the invasion of aliens on earth, but undoubtedly fascinating. Musically, the song oscillates on highs and lows, on baroque strumming by the Banks/Rutherford/Hackett trio, accompanied by Collins and Gabriel's voice, and on very original narrated pieces, but they often break the harmony of the song. And this is one of the weaknesses of the entire album; the changes are indeed veeeeery rushed, and they don't always harmonize with the subsequent part. Here we are at another very underrated song: "Can-Utility & The Coastliners," the most glaring example of rushed rhythm changes, which here echo and re-echo in a melody that in some phases surprises (always thanks to Banks) while for the rest remains in the so-called "beautiful, but not perfect"!
Then on side B, we find ONLY two songs! Some of you may be wondering: "What, only two songs?" Yes, but let's proceed in order. The first is barely a minute and a half long, but the song is not scarce, though there is better. We're talking about "Horizons," an instrumental track that moves (almost like a snail, it must be said) on Hackett's strings, giving us a beautiful song but without too many pretensions. Pretensions that are completely met in the last track: "Supper's Ready," a chameleonic 23-minute suite with changing and often magnificent rhythms, see "Apocalypse in 9/8," a piece created in collaboration with Gabble Ratchet, "The Willow Farm," maximum level irony but also with much genius, and the final part "As Sure As Eggs Is Eggs (Aching Men's Feet)," with the liberation of Jerusalem. In short, "Supper's Ready" is perhaps the highest expression of Genesis' creativity, with a suite that ranks among the legendary suites of that era (including "Tarkus" by ELP).
And so concludes a magnificent album, which, however, compared to the previous and the following album, Selling England By The Pound, reveals a more accurate quest for simplicity compared to the baroque and magnificence of the other albums of the Gabriel era. And just as I said earlier, the rule of the simple song also applies to the album, which only loses the comparison to its majesty Selling England By The Pound, but wins the comparison with all the others. If you love Genesis and don't have this album, buy it immediately, and to the others, I advise reconsidering it, and to those who haven't... if you want to try something new and want to explore the progressive scene, Foxtrot might be the beginning of it all!
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Watcher of the Skies (07:22)
Watcher of the skies watcher of all,
his is a world alone no world is his own.
He whom life can no longer surprise,
raising his eyes beholds a planet unknown.
Creatures shaped this planet's soil,
now their reign has come to an end.
Has life again destroyed life,
do they play elsewhere, do they know
more than their childhood games?
Maybe the lizard's shed its tail,
this is the end of man's long union with Earth.
Judge not this race by empty remains.
Do you judge God by his creatures when they are dead?
For now, the lizard's shed it's tail,
this is the end of man's long union with Earth.
From life alone to life as one,
think not your journey's done.
For though your ship be sturdy,
no mercy has the sea.
Will you survive on the ocean of being?
Come ancient children hear what I say,
this is my parting council for you on your way.
Sadly now your thoughts turn to the stars.
Where we have gone you know you never can go.
Watcher of the skies watcher of all,
this is your fate alone, this fate is your own.
03 Get 'em Out by Friday (08:36)
JOHN PEBBLE OF STYX ENTERPRISES
"Get `em out by Friday!
You don`t get paid till the last one`s well on his way.
Get `em out by Friday!
It`s important that we keep to schedule, there must be no delay."
MARK HALL OF STYX ENTERPRISES (OTHERWISE KNOWN
AS "THE WINKLER")
"I represent a firm of gentlemen who recently purchased this
house and all the others in the road.
In the interest of humanity we`ve found a better place for you to
go-go-go-go-go."
MRS BARROW (a tenant)
"Oh no, this I can`t believe,
Oh Mary, they`re asking us to leave."
MR PEBBLE
"Get `em out by Friday!
I`ve told you before`s good many gone, if we let them stay.
And if it isn`t easy,
You can squeeze a little grease and our troubles will soon run away."
MRS BARROW
"After all this time they ask us to leave,
And I told them we could pay double the rent.
I don`t know why it seemed so funny,
Seeing ashow they`d take our money.
The winkler called again, he came here this morning,
With four houndred pounds and a photograph of the place that he has
found.
A block of flats with central heating.
I think we`re gonna find it hard."
MR PEBBLE
"Now we`ve got them!
I`ve always said that cash cash cash can do anything well.
Work can be rewarding
When a flash of intuition is a gift that helps you excel-sell-sell-sell."
MR HALL
"Here we are in Harlow New Town, did you recognice your
block across the square, over there,
Sadly since last time we spoke, we`ve found we`ve had to raise
the rent again, just a bit."
MRS BARROW
"Oh no, this I can`t believe
Oh Mary, and we agreed to leave."
.....
18/9/2012 TV FLASH ON ALL DIAL-A-PROGRAM SERVICES
This is an announcement from Genetic Control:
"It is my sad duty to inform you of a 4ft restriction
on humanoid height."
EXTRACT FROM CONVERSATION OF JOE ORDINARY IN LOCAL
PUBORAMA
"I hear the directors of Genetic Control have been buying all the
properties that have recently been sold, taking risks oh so bold.
It is said now that people will be shorter in height, they can fit
twice as many in the same building site
(they say it`s alright),
Beginning with the tenants of the town of Harlow,
In the interest of humanity they`ve been told they must go,
Told they must go-go-go-go."
SIR JOHN DE PEBBLE OF UNITED BLACKSPRINGS INTERNATIONAL
"I think they`ve reached a new deal
A dozen properties - we`ll buy at five and sell at thirty-four,
Some are still inhabited,
It`s time to send the winkler to see them, he`ll have to work
some more."
MEMO FROM SATIN PETER OF ROCK DEVELOPMENTS LTD
Land in your hand you`ll be happy on earth
Then invest in the Church for your heaven.
06 Supper's Ready (22:50)
"LOVER'S LEAP"
Walking across the sitting-room, I turn the television off.
Sitting beside you, I look into your eyes.
As the sound of motor cars fades in the night time,
I swear I saw your face change, it didn't seem quite right.
...And it's hello babe with your guardian eyes so blue
Hey my baby don't you know our love is true.
Coming closer with our eyes, a distance falls around our bodies.
Out in the garden, the moon seems very bright,
Six saintly shrouded men move across the lawn slowly.
The seventh walks in front with a cross held high in hand.
...And it's hey babe your supper's waiting for you.
Hey my baby, don't you know our love is true.
I've been so far from here,
Far from your warm arms.
It's good to feel you again,
It's been a long long time. Hasn't it?
"THE GUARANTEED ETERNAL SANCTUARY MAN"
I know a farmer who looks after the farm.
With water clear, he cares for all his harvest.
I know a fireman who looks after the fire.
You, can't you see he's fooled you all.
Yes, he's here again, can't you see he's fooled you all.
Share his peace,
Sign the lease.
He's a supersonic scientist,
He's the guaranteed eternal sanctuary man.
Look, look into my mouth he cries,
And all the children lost down many paths,
I bet my life you'll walk inside
Hand in hand,
gland in gland
With a spoonful of miracle,
He's the guaranteed eternal sanctuary.
We will rock you, rock you little snake,
We will keep you snug and warm.
"IKHNATON AND ITSACON AND THEIR BAND OF MERRY MEN"
Wearing feelings on our faces while our faces took a rest,
We walked across the fields to see the children of the West,
But we saw a host of dark skinned warriors
standing still below the ground,
Waiting for battle.
The fight's begun, they've been released.
Killing foe for peace...bang, bang, bang. Bang, bang, bang...
And they're giving me a wonderful potion,
'Cos I cannot contain my emotion.
And even though I'm feeling good,
Something tells me I'd better activate my prayer capsule.
Today's a day to celebrate, the foe have met their fate.
The order for rejoicing and dancing has come from our warlord.
"HOW DARE I BE SO BEAUTIFUL?"
Wandering through the chaos the battle has left,
We climb up a mountain of human flesh,
To a plateau of green grass, and green trees full of life.
A young figure sits still by a pool,
He's been stamped "Human Bacon" by some butchery tool.
(He is you)
Social Security took care of this lad.
We watch in reverence, as Narcissus is turned to a flower.
A flower?
"WILLOW FARM"
If you go down to Willow Farm,
to look for butterflies, flutterbyes, gutterflies
Open your eyes, it's full of surprise, everyone lies,
like the fox on the rocks,
and the musical box.
Oh, there's Mum & Dad, and good and bad,
and everyone's happy to be here.
There's Winston Churchill dressed in drag,
he used to be a British flag, plastic bag, what a drag.
The frog was a prince, the prince was a brick, the brick was an egg,
the egg was a bird.
(Fly away you sweet little thing, they're hard on your tail)
Hadn't you heard?
(They're going to change you into a human being!)
Yes, we're happy as fish and gorgeous as geese,
and wonderfully clean in the morning.
We've got everything, we're growing everything,
We've got some in
We've got some out
We've got some wild things floating about
Everyone, we're changing everyone,
you name them all,
We've had them here,
And the real stars are still to appear.
ALL CHANGE!
Feel your body melt;
Mum to mud to mad to dad
Dad diddley office, Dad diddley office,
You're all full of ball.
Dad to dam to dum to mum
Mum diddley washing, Mum diddley washing,
You're all full of ball.
Let me hear you lies, we're living this up to the eyes.
Ooee-ooee-ooee-oowaa
Momma I want you now.
And as you listen to my voice
To look for hidden doors, tidy floors, more applause.
You've been here all the time,
Like it or not, like what you got,
You're under the soil (the soil, the soil),
Yes, deep in the soil (the soil, the soil, the soil, the soil!).
So we'll end with a whistle and end with a bang
and all of us fit in our places.
"APOCALYPSE IN 9/8 (Co-Starring the delicious talents of Gabble Ratchet)"
With the guards of Magog, swarming around,
The Pied Piper takes his children underground.
Dragons coming out of the sea,
Shimmering silver head of wisdom looking at me.
He brings down the fire from the skies,
You can tell he's doing well by the look in human eyes.
Better not compromise.
It won't be easy.
666 is no longer alone,
He's getting out the marrow in your back bone,
And the seven trumpets blowing sweet rock and roll,
Gonna blow right down inside your soul.
Pythagoras with the looking glass reflects the full moon,
In blood, he's writing the lyrics of a brand new tune.
And it's hey babe, with your guardian eyes so blue,
Hey my baby, don't you know our love is true,
I've been so far from here,
Far from your loving arms,
Now I'm back again, and babe it's gonna work out fine.
"AS SURE AS EGGS IS EGGS (Aching Men's Feet)"
Can't you feel our souls ignite
Shedding ever changing colours, in the darkness of the fading night,
Like the river joins the ocean, as the germ in a seed grows
We have finally been freed to get back home.
There's an angel standing in the sun, and he's crying with a loud voice,
"This is the supper of the mighty one",
Lord of Lords,
King of Kings,
Has returned to lead his children home,
To take them to the new Jerusalem.
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Other reviews
By joe strummer
Supper’s Ready is the most beautiful song ever made by Genesis, so intense, coherent, and immense as to touch deeply.
It’s impossible to get tired of this dazzling and always fresh music.
By Breus
"'Supper’s Ready' contains in a nutshell everything Gabriel and company had to say and would say later, offering a testament of what I would call intuitive rather than technical ability."
"'Foxtrot' still has some greenness too much to be their creative peak. However, it represents the key to their maturity..."
By theJOKES
Spread a beach tarp on the sand, look at the sky, and press PLAY... the notes of the album will do the rest!!!
'Supper’s Ready' confirms the band’s ability to impress listeners with changes in rhythm and masterful combinations of instruments.
By STIPE
As soon as the record started, I saw behind me men on horseback with dogs chasing a fox.
Now the dogs weren’t even trying to catch the fox. She was calmly on the ice and began to dance very gently and gracefully.
By Intermdiario
"Personally, I consider 'Watcher of the Skies'... the most beautiful song ever written."
"'Supper’s Ready' is a true film to watch with eyes closed."
