Search - Genesis :: Duke

Brilliant compositions, masterful dynamics, simply BRILLIANT

Dave | United States | 02/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The very thought of Genesis' 1980 album "Duke" receiving a considerable amount of hostility is truly unjust and, frankly, ridiculous. "Duke", originally released on March 31, 1980, is, in some ways, a transitional record, but here's the thing... Serious fans realize that Genesis did not suddenly become a "pop" band overnight--the shift to a less progressive, more "pop"-ish sound was an extremely gradual one, & that said, a case can very much be made that every Genesis album from 1976 through 1983 are transitional ones. This album, sonically, is nearly identical to the previous album "...And Then There Were Three"--both albums featured production by David Hentschel.



To put it a certain way, I think if "Duke" had been released by an obscure band, it would have an absolutely fanatical cult following. As it is, it somehow seems to have gotten something of a bad rap with its increasing prominence of Phil Collins in the songwriting department. However, an album of this caliber can only be supplied by the likes of Banks, Collins, & Rutherford. If you think this is a straightforward pop-rock record, obviously the only tracks from it that you`re familiar with are "Misunderstanding" and "Turn It On Again".



Classify the album however you want though--the bottom line is that this is a masterpiece. Tony Banks' compositional brilliance is in serious abundance on this album, displaying why he is so widely admired by so many progressive rock fans. Vocally, Phil is in a weirdly transitional phase on "Duke"--his vocals are expressive & powerful, yet throughout the album, there's a `little guy' humbleness to his vocals, something that, strangely, was almost completely washed away even by the time of Phil's debut solo album "Face Value" from early the following year. Listen to Phil's vocals on Tony's gloomy, soothing, and dreamy ballad "Heathaze", or on Mike Rutherford's slightly weepy, yet soulful, soaring ballad "Alone Tonight", and you'll see what I mean--you never really heard that timbre from Phil ever again. It's almost as if after this album was completed Phil got an extra shot of testosterone.



Also, I want to point out the drumming. Phil's crisp, fluent drumming on here, which is brilliantly captured in the mix, is incredible. I'm not exactly sure about the chronology, but I *think* the recording of "Duke" came just before Phil, along with Hugh Padgham and Steve Lillywhite (while working on the third "Peter Gabriel" album), hit upon the gated "In the Air Tonight" drum sound that was soon to become a trademark of his.



The album opens with "Behind the Lines", which has an exciting, fast-paced 2+ minute instrumental intro before the wonderfully melodic, mellower song portion begins. "Duchess" also starts off with a 2+ minute instrumental portion which features atmospheric drum machine, washes of guitar, and ethereal keyboard chord changes from Banks--it's really beautiful, and it builds into the main song portion which has soaring Phil vocals, singing a haunting tale about the rise and fall of a female singer. Rutherford's "Man of Our Times" is an anthemic song loaded with catchy riffs that explodes out of the speakers/ headphones--it features searing vocals from Collins that, strangely, are majorly buried in the dense mix.



The two hit singles are terrific as well. "Misunderstanding" (which is indeed highly reminiscent of Sly & the Family Stone's "Hot Fun in the Summertime") is a sophisticated, yearning mid-tempo love song. And "Turn It On Again" has an ultra-catchy Rutherford guitar riff, and it's sort of a feel-good tune, but with a highly contemplative feel to it.



Phil also delivers a really hard-hittingly emotional ballad with "Please Don't Ask", a track which strongly underlines how unfair the criticism Phil has received about his songwriting over the years really is. Listen to the chord changes and the elegant shifts of key that masterfully intertwine with the lyrics of the song, heightening its emotional impact.



Genesis bring closure to the album in emphatic fashion with the multi-part, mostly instrumental "Duke's Travels" which really takes you on a musical journey, and it segues into the last track, "Duke's End", which is a reprise of the intro to "Behind the Lines".



All that said, calling this album a sellout pop-rock simply doesn't pan out. "Duke" is an album that offers a wealth of astonishing musicality, masterful use of dynamics, and brilliant composition. I've been listening to "Duke" since I was a kid, and my understanding, respect, and admiration of it has only grown since then. And with so much emotionally resonant music here, it's an album that can go a long way to help pull you through the dark phases of your life as well. If you've got a serious love for music, you can't go wrong with this stunning must-have album.



(P.S. One gripe I have with both this CD version and the later "original recording remastered" version is that the track mark dividing "Dutchess" & "Guide Vocal" was improperly inserted--that bit you hear at the beginning of track 3 is actually the closing portion of "Dutchess", not the intro to "Guide Vocal".)"