DUKE

I have yet to review the Genesis collection of classic cd's. As they remain my overall favourite band of all, I have to try to be as unbiased as possible. Nevertheless, like most Genesis fans, I agree that when Steve Hackett left, they lost something vital in their makeup, and were never the same, or as good, again. However, of all the post- Hackett albums they did, this is, for me, without doubt, the best. It is the closest to the 'classic' Genesis sound. Ok, it is lacking Hackett's melodious and mysterious touch, but, otherwise, it is a good collection of songs. Mike Rutherford, in his own right, is a talented guitarist. He only turned to bass because Anthony Phillips was a better player, and then along comes Mr Hackett! This album does have a couple of songs that indicate the direction the band were to go under Mr Collins, eg: 'Misunderstanding', 'Alone Tonight', 'Please Don't Ask', but these tracks are not bad in their own right, and don't spoil the album in any way. The first three songs here merge magnificently together, and sound in many ways like the old Genesis, but with an updated sound. Collins on some songs sounds more like Gabriel here than on most other albums, especially the stark but effective 'Guide Vocal'. All good stuff! 'Man Of Our Times' is a wonderfuly powerful piece. 'Heathaze' is another superb song, melodic and Gabriel-like. 'Turn It On Again', although aimed more at the singles market, is a decent enough effort, catchy if not traditional Genesis fare. Cul-De-Sac is, again, an above average offering, whilst the magnificent 'Duke's Travels' is maybe the highlight of the album, and more in keeping with the old style. If Hackett had been on this song, it could have been a classic. As it is, Tony Banks is in wonderful form here, as is Phil Collins, whilst Mike Rutherford contributes an incredibly short, but stunning solo towards the end. And, at the end, we have 'Duke's End', which reprises 'Behind The Lines' in a most effective way to bring the curtain down on the last Genesis album worth having. After this, things were never the same again. Good job Steve Hackett is keeping the prog banner flying.