Foxtrot (album)

Foxtrot
Studio album by Genesis
Released	6 October 1972
Recorded	August 1972 at Island Studios/London
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	51:08
Label	Charisma, Virgin, Atlantic
Producer	David Hitchcock of Gruggy Woof
Genesis chronology
Nursery Cryme (1971) Foxtrot (1972) Genesis Live (1973)

Foxtrot is the fourth studio album by English progressive rock band Genesis and the second from the band line-up which included Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins, and Steve Hackett.

History

Foxtrot was also Genesis' first album to enter the UK Top 20, reaching No.12. Still, it failed to reach the US charts. Nor was it the first Genesis album to chart worldwide: Trespass had reached No.1 in Belgium in 1971, shortly followed by Nursery Cryme's No.5 placing in Italy. Foxtrot also reached No.8 in the Italian charts.

"Watcher of the Skies" and "Get 'Em Out by Friday" appeared on 1973's Genesis Live, while the 23-minute-long "Supper's Ready" was omitted due to space considerations. Live versions of "Supper's Ready" did appear on 1977's Seconds Out (with Phil Collins on vocals and Chester Thompson on drums), the 1998 box set Genesis Archive 1967-75, and the 2008 box set Genesis 1970–1975.

The title of the album may be a nod to the Mellotron Mark II used by Banks at the time, which included foxtrot as one of the preset rhythms in its tapeset. The 'fox on the rocks' is mentioned in the lyrics of the "Willow Farm" section of "Supper's Ready", and is featured in the album artwork. This figure in a red dress with a fox's head became one of Gabriel's earliest stage costumes.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
BBC Music	(very favourable)
Robert Christgau	(C)

In the Q & Mojo Classic Special Edition Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, the album came No.2 in its list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums".

Sound

The Mellotron introduction to "Watcher of the Skies" was esteemed enough that the manufacturers of the mellotron, Streetly Electronics, now supply the "Watcher Mix" sound as a mellotron tape set.

"Can-Utility and the Coastliners" is based on the legend of King Canute, who supposedly ordered the seas to retreat to mock the sycophancy of his followers. An early, longer version of the song found its way into pre-album live sets; known as "Bye Bye Johnny", it featured an extended instrumental section in which the Mellotron string sound dominated.^{[citation needed]}

"Horizons" (performed solo by Steve Hackett) starts with the central idea of the prelude from Bach's first cello suite and then develops its own piece, baroque style.

Artwork

So, I'd hear the lyrics and over breakfast or dinner we would throw ideas around. It was a collaboration... It was a great collaboration!

“

”

Paul Whitehead

The cover artwork for Foxtrot was created by Paul Whitehead, a former art director for the London-based magazine Time Out who also created artwork for the albums Trespass (1970) and Nursery Cryme (1971). All three original paintings were later stolen from Charisma Records when it was sold to Virgin Records in 1983. Whitehead has hypothesized that the staff of Charisma got wind of the imminent sale and responded by looting the building.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett and Mike Rutherford.. 

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Watcher of the Skies"	7:23
2.	"Time Table"	4:45
3.	"Get 'Em Out by Friday"	8:36
4.	"Can-Utility and the Coastliners"	5:44

Side two
No.	Title	Length
5.	"Horizons"	1:41
6.	"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)"	22:58

Remastered

A digitally remastered version was released on CD in 1994 on Virgin Records in Europe and on Atlantic Records in the US and Canada. The remastered CD restores the original printed lyrics to all of the songs for the first time since the vinyl LP was released, in addition to the original album artwork. The original CD release omitted the lyrics and parts of the artwork.

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Watcher of the Skies"	7:24
2.	"Time Table"	4:40
3.	"Get 'Em Out by Friday"	8:37
4.	"Can-Utility and the Coastliners"	5:45
5.	"Horizons"	1:41
6.	"Supper's Ready"	22:51

A SACD/DVD double disc set (including new 5.1 and Stereo mixes) was released in November 2008.

Personnel

• Peter Gabriel – lead vocals, flute, oboe, percussion
• Steve Hackett – electric and acoustic guitars
• Tony Banks – organ, acoustic and electric pianos, mellotron, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
• Mike Rutherford – bass guitar, bass pedals, cello, acoustic guitar, backing vocals.
• Phil Collins – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Production

• Producer: David Hitchcock
• Engineer: John Burns, Richard MacPhail
• Cover artwork: Paul Whitehead