Foxtrot

Peter Gabriel's appearance began to (literally) blossom during the summer prior to this album's release. After he debuted his partially shaven head at the Lincoln Festival in May, the costumes weren't far behind. His between song chatter—ostensibly done to allow time for the band to tune up—was as cryptic and incredible as his lyrics; and indeed, Foxtrot gave him the material to back it up. Led by Tony Banks's powerful Mellotron introduction, the incessant pulse of "Watcher of the Skies" immediately captivates; its massive arrangement and heavy rock posturing would remain a concert favorite for years. Both "Get ‘Em Out By Friday" and "Can-Utility and the Coastliners," written during the year's touring, are again typical of the band's quirky signature. The former would also shine in live presentation, while the latter's oddball construction would relegate it to vinyl only. The album's second side, the brief "Horizons" notwithstanding, comprises the band's epic-length masterpiece "Supper's Ready." Like all good album-side-long pieces of the era, Genesis merges each section together with ease, and the piece flows continuously. The 12-string guitars are in force, with delicate yet infectious melodies. After Gabriel's rollicking "Willow Farm," the band kicks it into high gear for "Apocalypse In 9/8 (Co-Starring The Delicious Talents Of Gabble Ratchet)," again highlighting both the instrumental dexterity and heavy rock nature of the album. The emotional finale of "As Sure as Eggs is Eggs" winds things up, its lyrics lifted (near verbatim) from the Book of Revelation, 19:17. The album is a milestone for the band; and in particular, Gabriel delivers one of his strongest vocal performances ever. But more than anything, the album presents the band's most unique and idiosyncratic songwriting in full bloom. Following the album's release, Genesis played their first concerts in the US before returning to a headlining tour in the UK, where the album had risen to No. 12 on the charts.