Genesis

Duke

Genesis in transition (folks, they're not ALL worth 5 stars)

Review Score:

(6/10)
At first listen, this sounded like a concept album about divorce, and it probably works better in that context. Half the album was a set of songs co-written by the group about a character (Duke) whose lover leaves him, driving him to madness (a recurring Genesis theme? "Domino"? "Evidence of Autumn"?). These songs were split up on the album because having them in sequence made the rest of the album sound weak by comparison. Add to these a pair of Phil Collins songs about his recent divorce, especially the heartbroken "Please Don't Ask", a couple of feeling-lonely Mike Rutherford cuts, and a couple of gloomy Tony Banks tracks, and the overall feeling is of loss and dissolution.

"Duke" and "...and Then There Were Three" were transition albums between the prog-rock of the 70s and Genesis' pop career of the 80s and early 90s. "Misunderstanding" was the biggest radio hit Genesis had had to date, though at the time the piano shuffle sounded like Toto's "Hold the Line" and the faux-Motown backing vocals had fans screaming "sellout". The best cuts here are from the Duke group: "Turn It On Again" (which has to have had the most airplay ever of any song based on a riff in 13/4 time) and the mostly-instrumental "Duke's Travels", which features another classic Banks synth solo and tremendous drumming by Collins. It's interesting to compare the "heavy" version of "Behind the Lines" included here with the "light" version of Collins' "Face Value" album. I don't care much for the two Rutherford cuts. Banks' "Heathaze" is a pleasant ballad (Tony Banks in-joke: the repeated chords when Collins first sings "I feel like an alien" are the same chords that start "Watcher of the Skies", about an alien). "Cul-de-Sac" seems like a missed opportunity -- if it was stripped of some of the opening clutter and played faster, it would be as powerful as "Squonk". Mike Rutherford gets in a few of his best guitar leads on "Behind the Lines", "Cul-de-Sac", and "Duke's Travels".

The album sound is sort of muddy. The band's surprise at hearing how poor the album sounded on radio led to the sonic overhaul and clear, crisp production of "Abacab". Genesis fans on this site seem to give every single album five stars, which can't be helpful to newcomers trying to figure out where to start. "Duke" is not a good choice for your first Genesis album. It's enjoyable, but not crucial to a music collection.

(1=poor 2=mediocre 3=pretty good 4=very good 5=phenomenal)

More Reviews: