Behind The Lines (track)
by Genesis
Behind The Lines appears on the following album(s) by Genesis:
- Duke (track #1) (this album) (1980)
- Platinum Collection (track #20) (compilation) (2004)
- Three Sides Live (track #4) (1982)
- 1976-1982 (track #29) (compilation) (2007)
- BBC Broadcasts (track #9) (compilation) (2023)
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Behind The Lines ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
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Showing latest 3 ratings for this track. | Show all 116 ratings for this track.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Track ratings | Avg. track rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 08/21/2026 15:05 | Siromynian | 20,223 | 71/100 |
| ! | 04/17/2026 15:58 | Pavloss | 2,378 | 60/100 |
| ! | 01/04/2026 09:07 | zsolti | 7,450 | 80/100 |
Rating metrics:
Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some tracks can have several thousand ratings)
This track is rated in the top 2% of all tracks on BestEverAlbums.com. This track has a Bayesian average rating of 83.9/100, a mean average of 83.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 84.6/100. The standard deviation for this track is 13.7.
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Behind The Lines comments
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Mdemauri 08/21/2014 16:37 | #119953
Great song to kick off an album. Love the segue into Duchess. I remember reading at the time this album came out they were trying to get Michael Jackson to cover this. They thought it would be a big hit if he sang it. Phil must've really liked it as well since he put it on his first solo album.
The introduction to Duke proves that Genesis was more than ready to transition to pop music with great success, though there are heavy elements of prog in here, including Banks' keyboards that drive much of the track as well as a bombastic two-minute instrumental introduction. But the pop feel takes center stage with Collins' rhythmic drumming, Rutherford's grooving bass, and the lyrics about our hero Albert (Duke) and his superficial relationship with Duchess. When all this is added with Banks' piano-like keyboard, it makes for some really tasty verses. Rutherford also gets the chance to shine on the guitar later on in the track, and the explosions after each "It is written in the book" are just pure musical bliss. One track in and we may already have the highlight of the album.
For me one of the greatest songs on this album and one of the greatest in the discography. A very strong start to the album with the starting piece which then fades into a beautiful song about relationships. The lyric: cant you see me/I'm slipping away is the standout lyric in the song showing anger at the partners inability to see his true feelings. 10/10 song (Edited)
M42K0 02/10/2016 00:26 | #159216
One of the greatest openers ever. Makes me laugh every time I see the average of this song is 73 while Watcher Of The Skies' is 88-89. Not that big of a difference in quality, I'd say.
AAL2014 TOP 100 COMMENTER 06/02/2024 17:01 | #303811
Sonically one of the most perfect examples of Genesis bridging together the worlds of pop and prog to create tone of their most identifiable sounds. (Edited)
