Now my '74 Nova may have not been a lot to look at from the outside but the inside contained a state-of-the-art Pioneer sound system. The glow from the blue lights of the sound system lit up the interior as Steve handed me the cassette. I pressed the rewind button to play the first song. The whirring finally ended. I pressed play . . .
"Behind the Lines" exploded from my speakers with stacks of synth sound, cascading drums, a stabbing bass line, the electric guitar soaring over the rhythm section, and then the singer starts to sing, and man I was hooked. After five minutes the song started to fade and the electric drum loop takes over as the keyboardist plays the most strategic notes on a piano I had ever heard. I looked at Steve and said, "I think I've got time to listen to one more." He laughed and smiled the smile of a man who relished the success of his evangelistic effort.
Genesis is not my most favorite band. But I can't think of any other band that has influenced more with their music. And even though Genesis is not my favorite band, "Duke" is my favorite album. Each time I listen to "Duke" is like opening a doorway into a fantasy world, yet also like a familiar blanket, hitting just the right emotional touchstones. Hearing the opening synth stabs of "Behind The Lines" transports me every time to my twenties, with all the energy, confusion and hope that that age promised. I believe that God gave us a special gift with the gift of music. And the band Genesis gave me a wonderful gift in their album, "Duke".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nvwr6ZWhFDc&list=PL8Lpw39GxwbNF4PxNbCsCH9RnhuQY0OhE
