DUKE

Why 3*?? Well, this is the beginning of the end (or the end of the beginning?) of Genesis prog golden era, the last of his kind... On one hand, it's definitively a Collins ego-album with lots of regular pop songs like "Misunderstanding", "Turn it on Again", "Alone Tonight" and "Please don't Ask"; not bad, but it's not my style. On the other hand we have songs like: "Behind The Lines": powerful overture, with a great sound of guitar and drums. But then, appears the Collins inffluence and this great songs became into a simple pop song. "Duchess": Another great intro that turns into a interesting ballad. "Guide Vocal": Very sad song, but too short... "Man Of Our Times": interesting rhythm, interesting keyboards. Sounds like a Rutherford song with a regular job of Collins on vocals. "Cul-De-Sac": An attractive composition, maybe a leftover of "Wind & Wuthering" or "And then they were three..." that they use to fill the space, but it's a good song with a pair of surpirses. "Duke's Travels" and "Duke's End": Definitevely, the best two songs of the album; a great instrumental journey with a brilliant Tony Banks playing keyboards as in the best past times. Great work of Mike and Phil on drums too. For me, still is an amazing composition that ends closing the circle with a superb reprise of "Behind the Lines". Powerful, full of surprising rhythmical changes and very-very prog. Maybe it's one of the best Genesis songs but surely it's the best prog song of the Collins/Banks/Rutherford era. That's why I give 3* to this album... as a farewell of a golden age...