DUKE

Definitely a retooled Genesis for the 80's. A more streamlined, synth-oriented sound, with an obvious prog feel, but basically song-oriented. Actually, Genesis were always song-oriented, but this time they were explicitly aiming at the singles market. If they'd stuck to DUKE's formula, they could have been as successful artistically as they were commercially.

Surely, this is the most underrated album by the band's prog base. It was all downhill AFTER this, certainly, but this album is actually excellent, a near-perfect marriage of prog-rock musicianship and pop melody. While much-maligned, "Misunderstanding" is actually a gem of a pop song with a winsome melody, and deservedly a big hit. If anything, the weak spots on the album are Rutherford's "Alone Again" and Collins' "Please Don't Ask", both rather drippy MOR-type ballads and both setting rather bad precedents.

But the rest of the album is really superb, from the anthemic opener "Behind The Lines" to the energetic fusion-tinged numbers "Man Of Our Times" and "Turn It On Again" and mini-opuses like "Heathaze" and "Cul-De-Sac". And the epic, largely instrumental (save for the revised reprise of "Guide Vocal") "Duke's Travels/Duke's End" is one of the band's peaks as a performing unit.

So, don't listen to the "Genesis went to pot after Hackett left" contingent. Let them cling to their copies of TILL WE HAVE FACES. This is a superb album, definitely worthy of having in any collection.