The sound and subject matter of
The Garden were informed by a number of factors: with Foxx's
Catholic upbringing and early exposure to
Latin mass and
Gregorian chant and his exploration of England's countryside,
architecture and
history following the release of
Metamatic. The song "Systems of Romance", which had been written during sessions for the
Ultravox album of
the same name but was not included on the record, even though its title was used. Another connection between
The Garden and
Systems of Romance the album was the presence of
guitarist
Robin Simon, whose textured style had been a significant influence on the sound of the earlier release. Whereas on
Metamatic the only conventional instrument had been
bass guitar, Foxx used a full band of musicians on
The Garden to play electric and acoustic
guitar, electric bass,
piano, and acoustic
percussion, in addition to
synthesizers and
drum machines. Regarding the album's title and the influence of his travels through England, in a 1981 interview with
Bruce Elder on Australian radio
Triple J, Foxx said, "'The Garden' seemed to be a pretty good metaphor because I found a lot of gardens that were overgrown and ruined and a lot of very grand buildings that were almost decaying - but I found them a lot more beautiful than they were in their original state, being overgrown". The opening track, "Europe After the Rain", encapsulated the style of the album as a whole, featuring discreet synthesizer work in concert with piano, acoustic guitar and a digital drum machine; its title came from a
Max Ernst painting. The tune of "Night Suit" betrayed a
funk influence, whilst its lyrics were among many on the album that alluded to 'The Quiet Man', an alternative persona Foxx had developed prior to Ultravox's
Systems of Romance and which inspired one of its key songs, "Quiet Men". Foxx saw The Quiet Man as the epitome of detachment and observation, and claimed to often write from his perspective. Two songs that reflected the influence of church music and prayer were "Pater Noster" and the title track. The former was played entirely by Foxx, the
Lord's Prayer sung in
Latin against an electronic
disco beat and the composer’s 'Human Host', a collection of tapes,
vocoders and synthesizer sounds. The latter was a manifestation of the inspiration Foxx took from rural England and cathedral architecture; musically it also bore some resemblance to the final track on
Systems of Romance, "Just for a Moment". ==Release and aftermath==