Genesis

Duke

Before FACE VALUE, Phil exorcised his romantic demons here

Review Score:

(10/10)
With 1978's ...AND THEN THERE WERE THREE, Genesis proved that becoming a trio & more of a pop band wasn't something they were unable to do. Rather, they did it & were fantastic at it! Not much of the band's progressive sound had been diluted, it was just being employed on shorter songs that were more likely to get on the radio. After a two-year break, Genesis came roaring back into the marketplace with 1980's DUKE.

When "Follow You Follow Me" became Genesis' first American top 30 hit, that had to have convinced the trio that people were listening to them & waiting for more from Genesis. DUKE certainly didn't disappoint with 2 major hit singles & a million-selling album that also happened to be one of the finest in Genesis' catalog.

Keyboardist Tony Banks & guitarist/bassist Mike Rutherford had long been acquainted with writing their own songs, but drummer/vocalist Phil Collins hadn't had enough practice yet & before DUKE, was more comfortable writing songs as part of a unit. But with his first marriage on the rocks, Phil must have found some therapy in writing his own music, enough to even lay the groundwork for his first solo album around the time of DUKE's recording. Before that, Phil gave two solo compositions to the band: the insanely catchy "Misunderstanding" (Genesis' first excursion into the top 20) & the heartbreaking ballad "Please Don't Ask". While the former may not be directly related to Phil's marital troubles, the latter's relevance is more than palpable, with a sense of "let's try & work this out" sentiment to it. The much deeper look into Phil's psyche of 1981's FACE VALUE is first evident on "Please Don't Ask".

Even on the songs Phil sang, but didn't write, there's a sense that he was using his own personal upheaval as a source of inspiration for his singing. Mike Rutherford's "Alone Tonight" is clearly coming from a man who needs someone to love, but has become too accustomed to being alone to really know when it's there (sort of autobiographical here). Tony Banks' brief "Guide Vocal" takes a different side, perhaps indicating Phil is bitterly saying farewell to his estranged wife & maybe the grass is greener on the other side. Talk about your mixed emotions!

But DUKE is not just simply a dry run for Phil's aural therapy session on FACE VALUE. This is still a Genesis album, and it's an excellent showcase for the band's always-tight musicianship. DUKE opens with a bang on the group-penned "Behind The Lines". Perhaps similar to the "day in the life of a rock star" opener of ...ATTWT ("Down & Out"), Phil would later re-record this song for FACE VALUE, giving it a decidely different arrangement. "Turn It On Again" was the album's other hit single (despite charting in the lower half of the Hot 100), and has long been a fan favorite, even lending its name to the band's greatest hits album. Again, catchy as hell, all doubts about Genesis not being able to rock are silenced once one hears this song.

The less personal numbers on DUKE are equally strong. The band-written "Duchess" was written about a year before Princess Diana, but its story of a much-loved & tragic public figure (for this song, a singer) is eerily prophetic. It still stands as a near-spot-on commentary about the price of fame. Mike's "Man Of Our Times" is a slow-moving, dirge-like number that could be about a politician, a king or any famous man of some sort. Good groove to it, though. Tony's "Heathaze" has an ethereal, windswept quality that would not have been out of place on 1977's WIND & WUTHERING. The meaning to Tony's "Cul-De-Sac" is hard to discern, but it's still a fine performance all the same. As with any of Tony's compositions, the keyboards are front & center in the mix, carrying the song fabulously.

To show that they hadn't completely turned their back on the progressive days, DUKE began the tradition of featuring at least one song that can rank as tried-and-true progressive rock. For this album, it was the closing two tracks of "Duke's Travels" & "Duke's End". The first part opens with a shimmering wall of synthesized keyboards that literally wraps the listener in sound before Phil's long-underrated prowess as a drummer comes in, leading the band on an epic, layered instrumental work that shows off the benefits of DUKE having been recorded at ABBA's Polar Studios in Sweden. It was one of the first all-digital studios ever built. Although listed as an instrumental "Duke's Travels" does have lyrics (a reprise of "Guide Vocal"). The second part closes out the album with a much more syncopated version of the first part, bringing DUKE to a smashing end.

With their commercial standing increasing as time went on, Genesis more than proved they were not just another band commercializing their music to get on the radio & sell more records. At the same time, Genesis were improving as a band, exploring unchartered (for them, at least) musical waters. Even nearly 25 years after its release, DUKE still ranks as one of Genesis' finest albums, especially at a then-lengthy 55 minutes. With Genesis on their way to becoming pop music royalty, DUKE was more than an appropriate moniker.

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