DUKE

This was my favourite Genesis album for many years, and I use it as a benchmark for whether people like Genesis in the same way as I do. If someone likes "Selling Engand by the Pound" but does not like Duke, then I know they do not like Genesis for the same reasons as I do, just as much as someone who only likes the modern albums.

For me Genesis can be split up into three phases, first - the albums with Gabriel as vocalist up to the "Lamb", second the "Hentschel" years from Trick of the Tail to Duke, and third the modern albums from Abacab to the present. The second middle period is the best in my opinion, and the first period the second best, and the modern period is the weakest and least consistent. In my opinion "Duke" belongs to the modern period only in a superficial sense - in essence and quality it belongs to the classical period of musical creativity and brilliance. For me, the real tragedy of Genesis is this: they could do a progressive album with a pop sound (i.e. Duke), but they still chose to sell out and do music which was poppy to the core (i.e. Abacab etc.)