Tony Banks solo work?

  • The best album to start with?

    For Collins era Genesis fans, it surely is Still or Bankstatement

    For Proglovers: A Curious Feeling.


    Strictly Inc works for both, but the sound might not be everybody's taste. It contains one of Tony's finest moments, the epic An Isand In The Darkness

    ... make tomorrow today!

  • Strictly Inc. is pretty good on the whole. "Charity Balls" I can really imagine Phil singing - could easily be a well-regarded late Genesis song. "Only Seventeen" is a very contemporary-sounding pop song, I'm surprised it wasn't a minor hit at least. Conversely, the album kicks off with the odd and clunky "Don't Turn Your Back On Me" and follows this with IMO one of Tony's worst ever songs, the soporific "Walls of Sound" (there's a clip of them performing it on Pebble Mill or something, and it's the dreariest thing you'll ever see). I can well imagine anyone giving the album a chance back in '95 not getting past those two tracks, and missing out on one of the highlights of Tony's career ("An Island in the Darkness")

  • the soporific "Walls of Sound" (there's a clip of them performing it on Pebble Mill or something, and it's the dreariest thing you'll ever see).

    Hahahaha! Oh I'm going to have to look this thing up. Excellent Pebble Mill reference by the way, even if qualified with the "or something".

    Abandon all reason

  • I don't get 'An Island in the Darkness'. I'm a huge Tony Banks fan and own all his solo work.


    Pretty much all my favorite Genesis songs are the one's that Tony wrote.


    But "An Island In the Darkness" does absolutely nothing for me. What am I missing? Sure, it's long. It's somewhat "proggy", but there's nothing interesting about it. IMHO.

  • I don't get 'An Island in the Darkness'. I'm a huge Tony Banks fan and own all his solo work.


    Pretty much all my favorite Genesis songs are the one's that Tony wrote.


    But "An Island In the Darkness" does absolutely nothing for me. What am I missing? Sure, it's long. It's somewhat "proggy", but there's nothing interesting about it. IMHO.

    It's a grower. I have problems with Another murder of a day, bit AIITD ist really a great "late career" track Tony did. People who like this one probably also like One man's fool a lot.

  • "An Island In the Darkness" does absolutely nothing for me.

    Glad to see I'm not the only one who's not a big fan of the track. I can't say it "does nothing" for me, but I consider it to be one of the less enjoyable tracks on STRICTLY. I guess I'd describe it as a 17-minute song that has a much better 8-minute song inside of it trying to get out.

    Little known fact: Before the crowbar was invented...


    ...crows simply drank at home.

  • I still haven't listened to Strictly but have just made a point of listening to Island given the above exchanges. I found it a bit of a struggle, its heavy reliance on Duke-era electric piano making it sound 15 years out of date even for its time, and its needlessly overstretching material the essential substance of which could've better fit a song half its length or less. It has a sort of insipid unmemorable overall feel to it. I hope it's not typical of the rest of the album.

    Abandon all reason

  • It's a grower. I have problems with Another murder of a day, bit AIITD ist really a great "late career" track Tony did. People who like this one probably also like One man's fool a lot.

    I love Another Murder of a Day.


    Not sure which song you're referring to when you say "People who like this one probably also like One Man's Fool a lot". By "this one", do you mean Island in the Darkness or Another Murder of a Day?


    FWIW, I don't care much for One Man's Fool, either. I don't dislike it, it's just kind of 'meh'

  • I love Another Murder of a Day.


    Not sure which song you're referring to when you say "People who like this one probably also like One Man's Fool a lot". By "this one", do you mean Island in the Darkness or Another Murder of a Day?


    FWIW, I don't care much for One Man's Fool, either. I don't dislike it, it's just kind of 'meh'

    I don't mind Fool, it's not great but okayish, but like you, don't see any link with Island.

    Abandon all reason

  • I find Island quite emotional and powerful. It certainly does have a sort of meat-and-potatoes rock sound but it rises above it quite admirably in my opinion. I've never really enjoyed Another Murder that much - it just seems to hang around not doing very much while Fish strangles the life out of the lyrics. I don't mind One Man's Fool but it's not a favourite.

  • Fugitive is the only TB album other than ACF I've ever listened to all of. Oh no hang on, Still as well but I have very little memory of it, also Bankstatement, ditto. I'll give SI a listen.

    All this talk about The Fugitive inspired me to go back and listen to the album again. I knew it was my favorite solo album by TB but I forgot just how much I like it. The first three tracks—This Is Love, Man of Spells, And the Wheels Keep Turning—rank right up there with my favorite sequences on any solo album from any current or former Genesis member (along with a couple of song sequences on Gabriel’s albums Melt and Security).

  • was just listening to ACF this afternoon..a great album whilst sitting in the sun!

    I really like Kim Beacon's vocal and was thinking how he could have probably made a good fill in vocalist for PC. I can see Kim style suiting Genesis post gabriel..maybe thats why he was chosen to sing?

  • I didn't want to start a new thread so decided to stick this in here. Probably I'm alone in not realising TB ever did any public performances of his solo stuff so I was surprised when I came across this. Are there any other examples?


    EDIT: I just noticed the earlier mention of a Pebble Mill (or similar type of show) appearance. Seems he was very much aiming to make Bankstatement a very visible M&tMs type project.

    Abandon all reason

    Edited once, last by Backdrifter ().

  • I didn't want to start a new thread so decided to stick this in here. Probably I'm alone in not realising TB ever did any public performances of his solo stuff so I was surprised when I came across this. Are there any other examples?


    EDIT: I just noticed the earlier mention of a Pebble Mill (or similar type of show) appearance. Seems he was very much aiming to make Bankstatement a very visible M&tMs type project.

    To be honest, I cannot even hear Tony's work. Too much poppy music in the background.