Guide Vocal

The "Duke Suite" might have been split up on the album but was put back together for the In Concert '80 tour which took place following the release of Duke, and, as it happens, the first time I saw Genesis live. Phil introduced it with a little story about Albert, the character on the album cover and presumably therefore the 'Duke' of the title.

According to Phil, Albert was a born loser. He fell in love with the Duchess who dumped him. Guide Vocal is apparently Albert expressing bitterness at this. Albert went on to fall in love with the television (Turn It On Again) and then, bizarrely, his walking stick (Dukes Travels I guess). He ends up at a retirement home for losers called Duke's End where he reviews his life (we get samples of the songs) and another round of bitterness towards the Duchess.

I sometimes wondered if the other songs fit into the suite. I'm sure they could - Misunderstanding is when Albert catches the Duchess having a bit on the side, Please Don't Ask suggests that he and the Duchess had children and he's missing them like mad, Alone Tonight is self evident. However, I presume that these are stand alones and Duke's Suite is indeed just Behind the Lines, Duchess, Guide Vocal, Turn it on Again, Duke's Travels and Duke's End.

this goes with duchess i think but is less about the singer ad more about someone or something else... now, the person talking here could be an actually muse figure to the singer who has gone outta their way to help them on their way. the fact nobody would understand if they knew about it is interesting tho' suggestin that this figure isnt real... if i had to go out on a limb id say its likely this muse was a conscience of the singers. perhaps the voices inside telling her what to do and it eventually being ignored as the lure of fame and fortune caused the duchess to forget her original reasons for performing. -followed by a rise and fall in this persons career as written in duchess.

Hmmm if you (parberoo) are right, then I'm way off on the Duke album;

For some reason I've always felt "Behind the Lines", "Guide Vocal", "Duke's Travels" and "Duke's End" are completly connected together.

Plus, from your view, the following part "For nobody would understand, And you kill what you fear." doesnt fit anywhere. I think it's more the "fairytale character" from "Behind the Lines" (see my post there... ive got an extremly vague understanding of that song's meaning) that has entered the "reader's" life for real (again, like i said for "Behind the Lines", "neverending story" style) and must leave in fear of other people seeing it/him/her because it/he/she is very different and people tend to be afraid of very different beings. Often we kill one another over physical differences... in fear of that difference.

It's the end of the "opera" that was written for this album. We all know Phil loves to do ballads (like off of his No Jacket Required album, the song "We Said Hello, Goodbye". Cryptic meanings are commonplace with Genesis, and this tune is no different. It is beautifully written, and with that, the connection with Duke's Travels, Duke's End and Duchess all fit together perfectly.

The "opera" otherwise known as "The Duke Suite" consisted of Behind The Lines, Duchess, Guide Vocal, Turn It On Again, Duke's Travels & Duke's End. It was originally intended to be like Supper's Ready and take up one side of Duke. However the band, in the end, decided against it and split the songs up, spreading them across the album.

The whole suit, however, has been played a couple of times live when they were promoting the Duke album on tour.

(Squonk) Tony Banks wrote everything for that song..lyrics and music. Phils ballads have nothing to do with that song, and the only really ballad he has on the album is "Please Don't Ask."

Some of the most powerful lyrics in music! Think about it:

"I am the one who guided you this far All you know and all you feel Nobody must know my name For nobody would understand And you kill what you fear

I call you for I must leave You're on your own until the end There was a choice but now it's gone I said you wouldn't understand Take what's yours and be damned."

Spiritual guidance for for the first two lines ... GOD,Allah, Buddha etc. figure it out by now ... who is it? We cannot comprehend. The powerful part is in the last two lines of this stanzas ... the most powerful lyrics in music to me. Not necessarily a break up, but EVERYTHING!

Kill = Hate

Hate for a country Hate for another culture Hate for another person Hate for a subject in school Hate to an ex Etc. etc.

I believe it is about ignorance and misunderstanding (coincidence song title on Duke) We all say we hate things, but what I believe is that we don't necessarily hate those things, but we don't understand them ... therefore we "kill" them with words, actions, writing, whatever.

It then comes back in full circle ...

"I call you for I must leave, You're on your own until the end. There was a choice but now it's gone, I said you wouldn't understand, Take what's yours and be damned."

Your beliefs call you back from all this hatred, or you are so far gone that you can't. YOU MUST ANSWER FOR THEM! YOU MADE YOUR CHOICE! Sometimes we couldn't understand what our true meaning is/was, but we still have to answer for them ... take your hatred ... and you WILL be damned.

Tiny loop compared to "One for the Vine", but a loop without a doubt.

Paraphrasing Genesis, they did not want the Duke Suite to be another "Supper's Ready". They split it up.

Behind the Lines Duchess guide Vocals Turn It On Again Duke's Travels Duke's End

(Squonk) Tony Banks wrote everything for that song..lyrics and music. Phils ballads have nothing to do with that song, and the only really ballad he has on the album is "Please Don't Ask."

This is motivated by Tony's frustration at the changing direction of the band. He was the preeminent song writer to that point, "I am the one who guided you this far" Obviously the band was moving rapidly to a Phil driven Pop vibe whilst Tony retained a more Progressive sophistication of the past. However, he came round as the hits began to accumulate and still manged to retain significant prog influence if some what less overall.

Guide Vocal had so much influence on me becoming a deist, mainly- “you’re on your own, until the end.” This just made so much sense to me. At the risk of getting religious, spiritual, whatever.. I believe in God, but reject the notion that he intercedes in our everyday lives. Fact is, everyone can listen to brilliant songs like this, and have there own unique way of interpreting them, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that!