Foxtrot

The album Foxtrot followed Nursery Cryme and to some the two albums are linked and as mentioned before even share a link in the album artwork which was painted by Richard Whitehead, who also painted some album covers for the prog band Yes. One track from the album is Watcher of the Skies which the band began to use as an introduction to their live performances. The track was written by Banks and Rutherford and was inspired by the view from their hotel balcony. The track is very powerful and draws in the listener or live audience. The track much like the Musical Box became a live mainstay again with Gabriel presenting the track in a costume of bat wings on the sides of his head and donning a cape.

It was around this time that Gabriel first began wearing the foxes head and red dress on stage. Gabriel took the idea of the fox head from the cover of Foxtrot which shows a figure in a red dress and with a foxes head. Also shown on the back of the cover are the six saintly shrouded figures from the lyrics to the epic 20 minute track Suppers Ready.

Suppers Ready was a collection of 7 tracks with the same story running through them. As mentioned earlier, it is the story of the lovers going on a mystical journey only to return in time for the apocalypse. Gabriel got the idea for the track when he was with his wife in a room at his parent’s house when, as Gabriel has been quoted, he saw his wife’s face change into someone else’s and he thought she was possessed by a spirit. Suppers ready is considered one of the first great prog classics and is a favourite of many fans. The 20 minute track again was an amazing feat to perform live without sheet music. It was around the time of this album that it is thought the band members were becoming more aware of each other’s playing styles, which allowed them to predict each other and write such an epic piece of work as Suppers Ready. The parts in the track seem to be magically linked together and quite seamless. There are not many bands that would attempt such a lengthy piece or would consider it to be popular, but some prog fans believe that if it’s long then it must be good. A lot of fans have tried to describe the theme to the track, yet Gabriel has been quoted as saying, “do not try to read too much into it, it is after all just fantasy”.