Foxtrot 1972

"quot;Foxtrot" feels the most consistent and coherent of all the early Genesis albums, and a good place for newcomers to start. It really shows how Genesis were the restrained, tasteful side of the prog rock scene, as opposed to the excesses of Yes and ELP. Melody is clearly the most important thing here, they were never into too-many-notes complexity or instrumental wankery.

Most famously, or notoriously, this contains the side-long track "Supper's Ready". This is just a series of short episodes connected loosely by instrumentals. From the gentle 12-string guitar of the opening tune, to the symphonic "Apocalypse" finale, this sums up most of the qualities that are either liked or disliked about early Genesis. The most irritating bit is of course "Willow Farm" - it's a fun enough Beatles-style piano tune, but Peter Gabriel's unbearably cute stream-of-consciousness rambling is hardly "I Am the Walrus".

The other classic track is "Watcher of the Skies" - which epitomises all that's best about symphonic rock. Tony Banks's grandiose Mellotron keyboard intro soon gives way to an infectious bass rhythm in an off-beat 6/4. The song sontinues with some great dynamics and quirky twists.

The camp Englishness of many of the lyrics is the only major annoyance of this album, and I find they can be ignored in favour of the mellow tunes. "Time Table" is a pleasant enough folk tune, and behind the hideous title of "Can-Utility" lurks a decent song with some fine instrumental interplay. "Get 'Em Out By Friday" is a bit more weak, the silly story doesn't really have a strong enough tune to back it up. It's a shame that Steve Hackett's beautiful acoustic guitar solo "Horizons" only goes on for a minute."