TotW 2/4/2019 - 2/10/2019: TONY BANKS - Still It Takes Me By Surprise

    • Official Post

    What do you think about "Still It Takes Me By Surprise"? 9

    1. 14 points - very good (2) 22%
    2. 13 points - very good - (2) 22%
    3. 15 points - outstanding! (1) 11%
    4. 12 points - good + (1) 11%
    5. 10 points - good - (1) 11%
    6. 09 points - satisfactory + (1) 11%
    7. 03 points - poor + (1) 11%
    8. 11 points - good (0) 0%
    9. 08 points - satisfactory (0) 0%
    10. 07 points - satisfactory - (0) 0%
    11. 06 points - sufficient + (0) 0%
    12. 05 points - sufficient (0) 0%
    13. 04 points - sufficient - (0) 0%
    14. 02 points - poor (0) 0%
    15. 01 point - poor - (0) 0%
    16. 00 points - abysmal (0) 0%
    TONY BANKS & ANDY TAYLOR - Still It Takes Me By Surprise
    Year: 1991
    Album: Still
    Working title: unknown
    Credits: Banks
    Lyrics: Yes
    Length: 6:27
    Musicians: Tony Banks, Andy Taylor, Daryl Stuermer, Pino Palladino
    Played Live: never
    Cover versions: none

    Tony Banks's solo album Still was overshadowed (again) by the almost simultaneous release of Genesis's We Can't Dance. Banks moved closer to the mainstream in Still without hiding his roots. Pop hits with musical guests such as Fish and Nick Kershaw are interspersed with typical Banks songs that have a certain Genesis touch. Still It Takes Me By Surprise belongs in the second category. In its way it resembles songs such as The Cinema Show, Ripples and Home By The Sea...


    We invite you to share interesting facts and tidbits about this track. Let's look at the track in the context of the band's / the artist's history, at the music, the songwriting and all other aspects that are relevant for this track. Please do stick to the discussion of the track above. Comparisons to other tracks are okay, but remember that the other track you may be keen to talk about has or will have its own Track Of The Week thread. If you spot a mistake or if you can close a gap in the fact sheet above please feel free to contact martinus or Christian about it; we will gladly add and improve!

    ...cried a voice in the crowd.


  • Oh, I really like that one - 13 points from me.

    It is in many ways a Banks-version of Fading Lights- just without the drumming and guitar playing of his bandmates in Genesis. A wonderful ballad and a great piece of music!

  • A nice song with thought-provoking lyrics, but I've always thought that Andy Taylor's rather strained vocals were a poor fit for it.


    The instrumental section in the middle sounds very much like it uses a sequencer (whether it actually does or not). One reviewer has said that this section fits the song about as well as a rap break would fit in "Entangled," but I don't agree with that.

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


    ...crows simply drank at home.

  • This perfectly encapsulates what I want in a Tony Banks solo album - a lovely song highlighted by a great piano solo.

    Still It Takes Me... is just one of at least several great songs on this album, and whenever I listen to Still, I'm always at a loss to understanding why it didn't break any new ground for Tony as a solo artist.

  • On an otherwise excellent album - certainly my favourite of his solo efforts - this one was a real stinker. The vocal line is all too much for the singer and the strain is painfully evident.