Duke

Duke is the tenth studio album by British rock group, Genesis. Recorded in 1979 during the months of October, November, and December, the album was released in March 1980 where it became the band's first record to reach #1 in the United Kingdom. In the US, the album peaked at number 11 on the Billboard charts, and received an RIAA certification of platinum. Much like the preceding ...And Then There Were Three..., Duke presents a more mainstream sound while retaining a strong progressive influence. It was the final Genesis album to be produced by David Hentschel, who had produced all the Genesis albums since A Trick of the Tail in 1976. (wiki) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ by Stephen Thomas Erlewine If And Then There Were Three suggested that Genesis were moving toward pop, Duke is where they leaped into the fray. Not that it was exactly a head-first leap: the band may have peppered the album with pop songs, but there was still a heavy dose of prog, as the concluding "Duke" suite made clear. This is modernist art rock, quite dissimilar to the fragile, delicate Selling England by the Pound, and sometimes the precision of the attack can be a little bombastic. Nevertheless, this is a major leap forward in distinguishing the sound of Genesis, the band, and along with a new signature sound come pop songs, particularly in the guise of "Misunderstanding" and "Turn It on Again." The first is a light, nearly soulful, heartache song, the latter is a thunderous arena rocker, and both showcase the new version of Genesis at its absolute best. The rest of the record comes close to matching them.