Genesis

Generally considered the strongest of Genesis' pre-Lamb Lies Down era, Foxtrot opens with the crowd fave and archetypal mellotron anthem "Watcher of the Skies" (inspired by Arthur C. Clark) and ends with the 22-minute "Supper's Ready," another crowd fave and band tour de force (inspired by the Book of Revelation). Where Genesis came off as ultra nerds with Nursery Cryme, released the year before, here the group assumes the mantle of prog rock masters -- echoing the Zombies with "Time Table" and successfully lifting from Bach with the beautiful "Horizons."

This band's defenders--fans of manual dexterity, aggregate IQ, "stagecraft," etc.--claim this as an improvement. And indeed, Tony Banks's organ crescendos are less totalistic, Steve Hackett's guitar is audible, and Peter Gabriel's lyrics take on medievalism, real-estate speculators, and the history of the world. This latter is the apparent subject of the 22:57-minute "Supper's Ready," which also suggests that Gabriel has a sense of humor and knows something about rock and roll. Don't expect me to get more specific, though--I never even cared what "Gates of Eden" "really meant." (Grade: C)