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Tony Banks - Still CD (album) cover

STILL

Tony Banks

 

Crossover Prog

3.14 | 121 ratings

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Easy Livin
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
4 stars Still it takes me by surprise

With "Still" Tony Banks came up with his finest solo album since "A curious feeling". He took the wise step of surrounding himself with top notch musicians, and taking no more than an equal part in the performance himself. Vocal duties are shared between 80's pop star Nik Kershaw, Fish, Jayney Kilmek, and Andy Taylor, with Banks only stepping up to the mike on "Hero for an hour".

Fish sounds more Gabriel like than ever on "Angel face" but the track is never in danger of becoming a Genesis clone due to the female vocal backing and pop related structure. The first three tracks follow this pop trend, and it's only really with "Still it takes me by surprise" that things click into place. Bank's piano work here is beautiful in its deceptive simplicity, with echoes of the intro to "Firth of fifth". Andy Taylor, gives a vocal performance of great sensitivity. The previous track ("The gift") gives no indication he is capable of such a performance. This track alone justifies obtaining the album.

Nik Kershaw takes inspiration from Taylor's performance, and puts in a fine performance on the closing track, the appropriately named "The final curtain".

Yes the album is rather pop based, Banks was clearly getting desperate for some of the success his then current and former colleagues were enjoying. It is nonetheless, a fine collection, well performed, and very enjoyable.

Easy Livin | 4/5 |

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