As the gimmick cover suggests, Gentle Giant's 1978 studio album took things a little too far. Giant For A Day delivered straightforward rock that had little to offer either their progressive fans or any prospective new ones. A true dud, save for John Weathers's simple "Friends," the record is best left in the past. After a US tour in late 1977, the Giant went dormant for a while, eventually returning to Los Angeles in 1979 for a new recording. The band's final album, Civilian, was released by Columbia Records.

With solo albums out of their system, Genesis regrouped in late 1979 to record what would be their next album, Duke. The album marks a stark difference from their 70s output—and it's not only the cover art from illustrator Lionel Koechlin that stands out. The album continues the songwriting collaboration between Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks that began with their last album. But when offering their self-penned songs, the trio seem to try to outdo themselves with commercially-viable hits.