THIS IS LOVE

Both tracks in this single were taken from "The Fugitive" (1983), Tony Banks`s second solo album in which he decided to become the lead singer of his own solo songs, doing a good job, in my opinion. And he also decided then to record more accessible Pop Rock songs for that album, without really leaving behind at all his Prog Rock influences and introspective lyrics. But for that album the Pop Rock style was more influential, I think.

"This is Love" is a love song with some Reggae music influences in the rhythm, but still very Pop Rock in style, with very good drums playing which sound was influenced by Hugh Padgham`s work as recording engineert (and some time later co-producer with Genesis) in their previous album titled "abacab" (even if Padgham did not work as co-producer with Banks in his second solo album). And the drums playing (by Tony Beard) sounds a bit similar in style to Phil Collins`s drums playing in some songs from the "abacab" album (in "Dodo / Lurker", for example). "This is Love" is a good song, maybe the best from that second solo album.

The "B" side, titled "The Charm", is an instrumental song which is somewhat similar to Genesis`s "The Brazilian" , still using some programmed drums and some real acoustic drums playing, but without using the more varied sounds which Phil Collins played in his electronic drum kit in "The Brazilian". "The Charm" also has some programmed keyboards, one of which sounds like a "digital clock" or a "digital metronome". Both "The Charm" and "The Brazilian" are not among my favourite songs.