Foxtrot is the fourth studio album by Genesis and the second from the "classic" lineup of Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins, and Steve Hackett. The album was recorded and released in 1972 as the band's career quickly gained momentum.

With Trespass and Nursery Cryme as warmups, Foxtrot was the album that finally showed the full promise of Genesis as a progressive rock band. Book-ended by the Arthur C. Clarke-inspired "Watcher of the Skies" and the 23-minute "Supper's Ready", Foxtrot's sound shares much with Nursery Cryme while demonstrating a marked improvement in terms of songwriting, musicianship, and overall production. Rutherford made more prominent use of his bass pedals, for example adding great slabs of bass to the middle section of "Can-utility and the Coastliners", and using them as the main bass instrument for most of "Supper's Ready". Banks' mellotron intro to "Watcher of the Skies" is one of the most celebrated uses of the instrument in rock music.

Foxtrot was also Genesis' first album to enter the UK charts, reaching # 12 and paving the way for a long and successful chart career for the band. Still, it failed to reach the US charts, as their contemporaries, Yes, Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull proved more popular at the time.

Both "Watcher of the Skies" and "Supper's Ready" rank among some of the band's most beloved works, and became live favourites. "Watcher of the Skies" and "Get 'Em Out by Friday" appeared on 1973's Genesis Live, while "Supper's Ready" was omitted. Live versions of that track did appear on 1977's Seconds Out (with Phil Collins on vocals), as well as the 1998 box set Genesis Archive 1967-75.

"Can-Utility and the Coastliners" is based on the legend of King Canute, who supposedly ordered the seas to retreat to mock the sycophantry of his followers. The song was originally called "Bye Bye Johnny".

Track listing

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All songs credited to Tony Banks/Phil Collins/Peter Gabriel/Steve Hackett/Mike Rutherford.

1. "Watcher of the Skies" – 7:21
2. "Time Table" – 4:45
3. "Get 'Em Out by Friday" – 8:36
4. "Can-Utility and the Coastliners" – 5:44
5. "Horizon's" – 1:39 (actually written by Hackett only)
6. "Supper's Ready" – 22:54
   • (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)

Personnel

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• Peter Gabriel – Vocals, Flute, Percussion, Oboe
• Steve Hackett – Guitar
• Tony Banks – Organ, Guitar, Piano, electric piano, mellotron, Vocals
• Mike Rutherford – Bass, Guitar, Vocals, bass pedals, Cello
• Phil Collins – Drums,Percussion, Vocals

Releases

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All releases of Foxtrot on Charisma Records in the USA were distributed by Buddah Records.

U.S. LP Releases

• Charisma CAS-1058 (1972): 1st issue with large "Mad Hatter" label. Gatefold cover.
• Charisma CAS-1058 (1973): 2nd issue with pink scroll label. No gatefold cover.
• Charisma CAS-1052 (1974): 3rd issue with small "Mad Hatter" label. No gatefold cover.
• Atlantic 81848-1 (1982): Reissue with no gatefold cover.

1972 albums | Genesis albums | Virgin Records albums | Atlantic Records albums

Foxtrot | Foxtrot (álbum musical) | Foxtrot (album) | Foxtrot (album) | Foxtrot (musikalbum)