SEVEN - A SUITE FOR ORCHESTRA

I read a lot of negative critic here about this album. People say that this not progressive music, that Banks is not a good orchestrator and he should stick to piano, that if there not were Banks name on this record it would never end up here, that this sounds like fourth rate nineteenth century classical music and on and on...

Let's first figure out what is progressive music? When simple three chord rock and roll landed Europe and in particular England the more sophisticated and educated young musicians turned it into a continuity of the thousand years long Western European music tradition. They were not satisfied in the simple rock but wanted to create symphonic music combining classical, folk, jazz and rock. The progressive element to this music came from classical music. It's all progressive! And so is this Tony's orchestral work. It's not rock but it is progressive.

About Tony's skills as an orchestrator I have no idea. This music was orchestrated by Simon Hale! Tony Banks is a composer here. And I think a great composer.

In terms of musical language this music is not nineteenth century music. This is more like eighteenth century music. This is romantic music. That is not modern! Listen to say Kaija Saariaho, she is modern. This is not classical music that tries to open new horizons or brake some boundaries. This is progressive rock melodies played by an classical orchestra. You can here that this composer has used a mellotron.

All in all this is a fine piece of music in it's own right. Not a new Beethoven but much better than say sir Paul's efforts.