Genesis

Duke

A rock masterpiece which takes you on a thrilling journey.

Review Score:

(10/10)
Have you ever listened to a song, or an album of songs, and were convinced that the songwriter(s) probed your own mind and heart because the songs reflect and express your own thoughts and feelings so vividly? That is the effect that this album had on me. Normally I listen more for the music than the words, but both are so powerful on _Duke_. With this album and its two hit singles, "Turn it on Again" and "Misunderstanding," Genesis became more popular in the USA than they had ever been before. Interestingly enough, "Misunderstanding" is one of the first songs which singer/percussionist Phil Collins ever wrote all by himself (he had co-authored many before this). It is at this time (around then, he made his first solo album, _Face Value_) that Phil emerges as a songwriter of arguably comparable ability to keyboardist Tony Banks, and guitarist/bassist Mike Rutherford. I say this not only because I like "Misunderstanding," but also because the other song on _Duke_ penned by Phil only, "Please Don't Ask" is an extremely personal ballad (written for his wife about their divorce) which is at once absolutely heart-wrenching and musically inspiring. The only track on the album which does not rise to the otherwise 5-star standard of the rest of the album is Rutherford's "Alone Tonight"; it's an okay song, and it fairly effectively conveys the agony of lonliness, but only in a generic sense, not in the remarkably vivid and personal sense of Phil's "Please Don't Ask" which focuses on the horendous wound of losing relationship with an individual, and not just general lonliness. Rutherford proves to be, none the less, a brilliant song writer on "Man of Our Times" -- an amazing anthem in which the band performs with the precision of a well-oiled machine, yet they sound emotional rather than mechanical. As usual, Tony Banks is a master of words and music with tunes like "Heathaze" and "Cul-de-Sac." I could listen to that guy play keybaords forever! Like any great Genesis album, there are masterful instrumental passages which not only showcase Tony's keyboard wizardry and strong melodic sense, but some of the most powerful bass and drums ever captured on record. Rutherford is also very expressive with electric guitar on this album. Phil's vocals run from soft & subtle to grand & gothic. It's albums like this which make me wish they had stuck with co-producer Dave Henschel; their dynamic range was so rich on albums like this. Like other Genesis albums, you get the full range of tempos, moods, emotions, dynamics, and styles which makes for a truly musically and spiritually satisfying listening experience.

More Reviews: