DUKE

Genesis

Symphonic Prog

3.52 | 1722 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Duke is a definite improvement over "And Then There Were Three".

1. The production values are excellent with good separation. 2. The songs have a generally positive feel compared to the darker ATTWT 3. Mike is much more confident in his lead guitar work. 4. Phil's drum sound is much bigger and more dynamic

Several of the songs follow a concept known as The Duke Suite but which have been split up across the album rather than as a single long track. These songs are Track 1 Behind the Lines, Track 2 Duchess, Track 3 Guide Vocal, Track 7 Turn It On Again and the instrumentals Track 11 Duke's Travels (8:39) and Track 12 Duke's End (3:08). As whole these work quite well in a live setting and it is pity they were not kept together on this album.

Misunderstanding is very much a Collin's ballad and would have been better left for one of his solo albums (which Phil had yet to make). Similarly, Rutherford's "Alone Tonight" which like "Your Own Special Way" from W+W should have been kept for his future Mechanics project.

Turn It On Again is often derided but it does have a very interesting time pattern (13/4?) and was clearly a crowd and band favourite.

Overall this Album shows that the "Then There Were Three" Genesis have the ability to work successfully as a three piece.

The album is quite long for a vinyl recording (Total Time 55:46). If Misunderstanding (3:13) and Alone Tonight (3:56) were dropped and replaced by Bank's Single B-side Evidence of Autumn (4:58) this would clearly be a four star album and still be considered as a long vinyl album. This would have dramatically altered the ratio of Banks songs to the others. I think Tony was outvoted.

3.8 stars but could have been higher had Tony got his way!

KeepItDark | 4/5 | 2010-12-12

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