Tony Banks, with nods to the "Ricks" -  Wakeman and Wright.

Keith Emerson

TONY BANKS without any doubts. He is

twosteves wrote: This is easy---overall Banks--he's a real genius and can do it all----even if he is smug, pompous, conceited a hole.

Lately I'm really getting into Neal Morse's keyboarding - he really is extraordinary.....
Rudess too.

Mirror Image wrote: Such a tasteful player and someone who didn't need to dazzle the listener with his technical facility, although he had this in abundance. Besides his obvious gift for counterpoint, his approach to harmony is unrivaled in progressive rock. I can think of no other player whose chord changes make the same kind of impact as Banks'. All of the members of Genesis were important, but I feel that this band wouldn't have had the kind of influence had it not been for Banks' own keyboard playing and song-writing.

Most of this is about songwriting/composition. I agree that Banks is one of the greatest composers of the last century, but in terms of pure musicianship, there are many who are more virtuosic and diverse. I feel similarly about Neal Morse.

My vote is easily for Keith Emerson. He could play literally anything he wanted to, with two different keyboards at once if necessary. His playing takes from just about every era of classical music and substantially from jazz and even ragtime/honky tonk and a couple others. He could improvise great ideas, as opposed to studiously composing. That was part of his approach too, but it's evident that the ideas poured out of his fingertips and he'd scrawl some of the main ones down later. He was not a genius composer (although a very good one), but definitely a genius musician.

Mirror Image wrote: Tony Banks, for me, is the greatest keyboardist/pianist in rock history. I know there are so many others who deserve mentioning, but Banks is my favorite of them all. Such a tasteful player and someone who didn't need to dazzle the listener with his technical facility, although he had this in abundance. Besides his obvious gift for counterpoint, his approach to harmony is unrivaled in progressive rock. I can think of no other player whose chord changes make the same kind of impact as Banks'. All of the members of Genesis were important, but I feel that this band wouldn't have had the kind of influence had it not been for Banks' own keyboard playing and song-writing.

 
Does Banks solo works have the same brilliance? If so, which would you highlight as your fave ones? I'm thinking about checking it out because i know nothing about it.
 
I'm just curious about the reason for omitting from the list f.e. Jürgen Fritz, Detlev Schmidtchen and Manfred Wieczorke, i think it's pretty wrong not considering their work as brilliant as the others more renowned ones.

Agree with Mirror Image Banks is the best ever---and unlike some--I like CUrious Feeling and The Fugitive--believe it or not I think the later has some great playing on it and I like Banks voice. The Genesis sounding songs would have been perfect if Hackett had guested on it.

Banks for me. Big fan of chords in general, and a song like "Anyway" or "Firth Of Fifth" is so sophisticated and beautiful. Keith Emerson didn't write as attractive music, although "Take A Pebble" is way up there. Rick Wakeman is a bit too much for me at times, and you have to be in the write mood. Still a great writer though. Also love Hugh Banton, Dave Stewart, Mike Ratledge, and Rick Wright - so many great names here! 

a bit difficult. I voted for Kerry Minnear. Tony Banks, Rick Wakeman and Dave Stewart came really close, though .

Edited by Gryphon - April 25 2014 at 20:16