DUKE

I give this album 5 stars - it has always held a special place for me since I brought the vinyl on release, and I really do not think there is a weak song on it.

The opening Behind the Lines, Duchess, and Guide Vocal were performed stunningly on the last reunion tour, and they are a tour de force of a band creating a huge wall of sound and progressive moments behind a more accessible veneer.

Man of Our Times thunders along, with Collins, I think, sounding particularly sinister in a song clearly aimed at politicians and their art. Banks & Rutherford again create a huge soundscape.

Misunderstanding is hated by many, I know. No, it's not prog, yes, it's pop, but at this stage, songs such as this did not detract from the excellence of all else, unlike in the following albums which I will review next.

Heathaze is a pleasant Banks inspired song with gentle and emotional keyboards providing the backdrop.

I still think Turn it on Again is a fantastic single, this studio version being far superior to the live versions in later years which I came to loathe. The original version contains some thunderous keyboards, huge drum sound, and simple, but effective guitar work. A brilliant single which again introduced many people to their earlier, pure prog, works.

Alone Tonight is a great melancholic song, definitely to be played after about 8 pints when you've been dumped or some such other tragedy. Again, the difference here between the individual band members solo efforts and the band efforts is the huge sound they create and the sense of emotion and musical feeling.

Cul de Sac features some excellent Banks work and is comparable, I think, to One for the Vine in its feel and subject matter.

Please Don't Ask was originally to be a Collins solo track on Face Value - thankfully, the other two liked it and created, again, a sympathetic and huge sounding texture to a very personal account of a breakup.

Dukes Travels & Dukes End are simply symphonic prog at their best - a huge sound driven largely by Banks, with the return of the guide vocal seeing Collins almost driving away whatever demons were pursuing him a the time. The final part crashes into a massive keyboard, drum, and guitar noise which is pure prog - not pop by any stretch of the imagination.

This is a far better album than many of the previous reviews suggest. It is not at all comparable to any of the Gabriel LPs, but it does represent a band who started an alternate journey with Trick of the Tail and have matured into a confident and musically tight outfit producing great work. Very highly recommended for all those who can listen to an LP without imagining its rubbish simply because its a Collins LP.

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