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Thread: Tony Banks - A Curious Feeling

  1. #26
    Member bill g's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bob_32_116 View Post
    ^^ I think I need to check out "Six". I have "Seven", and it's good, but I wish it had more light and shade. A couple of darker angrier pieces would not have gone astray.

    I agree re Bankstatement. I've given this album a couple of chances and found none of the songs grab me - odd, because I think he took much the same apprach with Still, but that's a much better album.
    That's kind of what Tony himself said about 'Still'. (and Six over Seven, by the way)

    Tony's orchestral music is fairly pastoral, but two pieces, 'Blade' and 'City of Gold', blow away anything from 'Seven' in my opinion. You may find some elements of 'City of Gold' welcome, and the power of it contrasts well with the more peaceful tracks.

  2. #27
    Member WytchCrypt's Avatar
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    The Fish cut on Still (Another Murder of a Day) is fantastic but I don't care much for the rest
    Check out my solo project prog band, Mutiny in Jonestown at https://mutinyinjonestown.bandcamp.com/

    Check out my solo project progressive doom metal band, WytchCrypt at https://wytchcrypt.bandcamp.com/


  3. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by WytchCrypt View Post
    The Fish cut on Still (Another Murder of a Day) is fantastic but I don't care much for the rest
    It's a great one, for sure. There is another song sung by Fish on the album too, but it's not as strong, but not bad.

  4. #29
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
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    You'd think "You" would get more attention with that "Cinema Show" coda, but it may just be too "stuck" in the middle of the album for anyone to really notice.

    My only problem with "A Curious Feeling" is the overarcing theme: guys would be able to achieve brilliant things if it weren't for wimmins, am I rite, folks? Banks has always had a touch of misogyny in his lyrics ("The Lady Lies", "Queen of Darkness") but this is probably the most egregious. Still, if I can take it as a "come full circle" story like "One For the Vine" I still find it interesting.

    Bankstatement is like Rush's Presto for me -- came out at the right time when my tastes weren't super-honed and now I associate it with a pleasant time in my life. I do agree it's not a great album -- my favorite is actually the song Tony himself sings, "Big Man," because it's witty and fun.
    Last edited by ThomasKDye; 10-25-2014 at 04:15 PM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by ThomasKDye View Post
    My only problem with "A Curious Feeling" is the overarcing theme: [I]guys would be able to achieve brilliant things if it weren't for wimmins, am I rite, folks?
    I presume you do know the short story on which it was based? "Flowers For Algernon" by Daniel Keyes? (I'm sure you can Google it without my help.) that story has a love affair in it, but it's not the main theme of the story. It is one of those short stories that has stayed with me over the years, because although it is science fiction it is not really about science as much as human emotions and human consequences of scientific discoveries.

    The album is LOOSELY based on the story. There is one song - "The Lie" that does not seem to be related to anything in the original story,

  6. #31
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bob_32_116 View Post
    I presume you do know the short story on which it was based? "Flowers For Algernon" by Daniel Keyes? (I'm sure you can Google it without my help.) that story has a love affair in it, but it's not the main theme of the story. It is one of those short stories that has stayed with me over the years, because although it is science fiction it is not really about science as much as human emotions and human consequences of scientific discoveries.

    The album is LOOSELY based on the story. There is one song - "The Lie" that does not seem to be related to anything in the original story,
    And that's the song where the misogynistic elements come into play:

    'If I never fall for a lady then Let me famous, let me be wise -'
    Now this one I like,
    It has a different ring,
    Instead of something trivial
    That's a serious undertaking.



    So if you should ever fall in love
    You'll not only not be wise,
    You'll lose your memory and most of your mind
    And I've never been known to lie…


    It could just be "love screws people up," another theme of Tony's ("Silver Rainbow") but it's that "If I never fall for a lady" line that doesn't go down right. Then, after he does fall in love ("You") he's thrown into utter torment ("Somebody Else's Dream"). Because it does seem to be more about "love" than "women," I guess it's not a dealbreaker, but I just wonder why that had to be the thing that brought down the protagonist's downfall. YMMV and all that.
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  7. #32
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ThomasKDye View Post
    Bankstatement is like Rush's Presto for me -- came out at the right time when my tastes weren't super-honed and now I associate it with a pleasant time in my life. I do agree it's not a great album -- my favorite is actually the song Tony himself sings, "Big Man," because it's witty and fun.
    Interesting. I'm in the same boat really, as Presto was the first new Rush studio album I waited for to be released since becoming a huge fan. I'll always have a true soft spot for it (despite the hideous production)! And I bought Bankstatement on cassette when it was released (same year if I recall) and I still kinda like it for the same reasons. In those days you could still hear a musician like Tony Banks on radio programs like "Rockline" (which I always tried to get through to), and I used to record those shows on tapes so I could listen a few more times! I even like the cheesy "Queen Of Darkness", which is a re-working of an earlier song, but my memory is failing right now as to which one it is.

    Quote Originally Posted by bill g View Post
    I'd probably rate his solo albums something like this:

    1. Six
    2. A Curious Feeling
    3. Still - even with all the different singers and moods I really like most of it.
    4. The Wicked Lady - prefer the keyboard instrumental half.
    5. Strictly Inc (absolutely love 'Island...', half the album though is just so-so to me
    6. Seven - interesting, but not nearly the subtle depth of 'Six'.
    7. The Fugitive - nothing blows me away, but its all pretty consistently good. 'Thirty Threes' and 'Moving Under' are my favorites
    8. Soundtracks
    9. Bankstatement - don't dislike this album, but I do agree with Tony when he said it was his weakest album. I do prefer it to Mike & The Mechanics and Phil solo though.

    Wow, Six at #1!

    As for The Fugitive, my favourite has always been "Say You'll Never Leave Me", which has always seemed like a John Lennon kind of song to me. Completely agree about Strictly Inc... "Island" is excellent but I've never been remotely moved by any other track on there. Still doesn't do a lot for me but I should revisit it, as it's been a while (I recall a "Rockline" interview for that album as well...)
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  8. #33
    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    Interesting. I'm in the same boat really, as Presto was the first new Rush studio album I waited for to be released since becoming a huge fan. I'll always have a true soft spot for it (despite the hideous production)! And I bought Bankstatement on cassette when it was released (same year if I recall) and I still kinda like it for the same reasons. In those days you could still hear a musician like Tony Banks on radio programs like "Rockline" (which I always tried to get through to), and I used to record those shows on tapes so I could listen a few more times! I even like the cheesy "Queen Of Darkness", which is a re-working of an earlier song, but my memory is failing right now as to which one it is.




    Wow, Six at #1!

    As for The Fugitive, my favourite has always been "Say You'll Never Leave Me", which has always seemed like a John Lennon kind of song to me. Completely agree about Strictly Inc... "Island" is excellent but I've never been remotely moved by any other track on there. Still doesn't do a lot for me but I should revisit it, as it's been a while (I recall a "Rockline" interview for that album as well...)
    Ah yes, I remember "taping" the show when Tony Banks was on Rockline as well--I may even still have the cassette. Those were the days! Thumbs up to other albums from that year (1989) such as "Presto" and of course "ABWH". That was about as proggy as things got at the time, at least in the mainstream. Of course I'd be shocked to hear anything one tenth as good getting any kind of mainstream promo these days...

  9. #34
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Baird View Post
    Ah yes, I remember "taping" the show when Tony Banks was on Rockline as well--I may even still have the cassette. Those were the days! Thumbs up to other albums from that year (1989) such as "Presto" and of course "ABWH". That was about as proggy as things got at the time, at least in the mainstream. Of course I'd be shocked to hear anything one tenth as good getting any kind of mainstream promo these days...
    Yes, it was a difficult time to be a prog fan attending high school in 1989. Most people were either into metal guitar heroes, horrible pop music, or alternative Smiths-type stuff. And there I was with my custom-painted Nursery Cryme denim jacket.
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  10. #35
    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    Yes, it was a difficult time to be a prog fan attending high school in 1989. Most people were either into metal guitar heroes, horrible pop music, or alternative Smiths-type stuff. And there I was with my custom-painted Nursery Cryme denim jacket.
    Definitely agreed. One had to latch onto what one could for new stuff, but fortunately there was the back catalog--some people knew me in HS as the "guy who liked weird stuff like old Genesis". You did a lot better than me with that jacket though!

    There were a few people into Marillion I hung out with briefly, but they were total rednecks, mostly into it for the lyrics about booze, drugs and "ladies of the night"!

  11. #36
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
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    I was in college during that time, and fortunately I was discovering some old school stuff then… ELP, Yes's "Drama" and so on… but the new stuff was spread pretty thin. This is why I don't have such a negative attitude about ABWH as many people here do. It was new, it had a Roger Dean painting on the cover, it had multi-part epics and Jon Anderson's otherworldly lyrics. It took me to a whole new level when I heard it. Same as Bankstatement or Presto… to me at the time, this was fun stuff with great musicians and cool lyrics. (Okay, I wasn't wild about "That time of night when even dogs believe in ghosts" at the time, but "The Border" and "Raincloud" just seemed very inspiring.)

    Sorry, I may have helped drag this off-topic.
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    Quote Originally Posted by ThomasKDye View Post
    Sorry, I may have helped drag this off-topic.
    No, I did that when I mentioned Tony Banks' other albums.

  13. #38
    Quote Originally Posted by ThomasKDye View Post
    I was in college during that time, and fortunately I was discovering some old school stuff then… ELP, Yes's "Drama" and so on… but the new stuff was spread pretty thin. This is why I don't have such a negative attitude about ABWH as many people here do. It was new, it had a Roger Dean painting on the cover, it had multi-part epics and Jon Anderson's otherworldly lyrics. It took me to a whole new level when I heard it. Same as Bankstatement or Presto… to me at the time, this was fun stuff with great musicians and cool lyrics. (Okay, I wasn't wild about "That time of night when even dogs believe in ghosts" at the time, but "The Border" and "Raincloud" just seemed very inspiring.)

    Sorry, I may have helped drag this off-topic.
    The promo for ABWH on Muchmusic, rockline and elsewhere was pretty much heralded as "the return of prog rock" (and this approach was followed a few years later by ELP when they did Black Moon) so while not exactly true when you look back at it now, at least their hearts were mostly in the right places and it all felt pretty good to me and a few of my friends.

    Presto was a great fun Rush record for me which I still enjoy, and Bankstatement (also on cassette--in fact I still listen to it that way in the car) had some cool moments/some not so strong. "Big Man" is among my favourite tracks. More recently I've come to appreciate "That Night" especially the chorus which I think is fantastic---if all adult contemporary was so well-done as that, I might not dislike the genre so much.

    OK, back to A Curious Feeling! I have to say I regret getting the new version without the DVD attached. I'd love to see some interviews about the album, and the promo vids would be cool to have.

  14. #39
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Baird View Post
    Definitely agreed. One had to latch onto what one could for new stuff, but fortunately there was the back catalog--some people knew me in HS as the "guy who liked weird stuff like old Genesis". You did a lot better than me with that jacket though!

    There were a few people into Marillion I hung out with briefly, but they were total rednecks, mostly into it for the lyrics about booze, drugs and "ladies of the night"!
    I had the Armando Gallo book "I Know What I Like" and I (stupidly) tore out some of those beautiful full-page photos and had them pasted on my schoolbooks... I've since replaced the book, fortunately. As for the denim jacket, I paid one of the art students at my school to do it in oil paint! So it took a while to dry before I could wear it... I remember the guy initially scrunched up his nose at the idea and suggested "Three Sides Live" instead! He was a great artist, this guy, but clearly a lazy one. It ended up taking him a while, so as an apology he gave me a cassette while I waited: Trespass!

    Yeah, back catalogues were a wonderful thing. I spent what little money I earned at my part time fast-food job on expensive import CDs like some of the Yes and Genesis solo albums. At the same time I was really into live bootlegs, which I used to order from mail-order catalogue from a guy who used to live around here that ran a little 'business' - he himself recorded and filmed a LOT of shows in the Greater Toronto Area.

    So, it's much like today, where I still spend most of my extra money on CDs, it's just that I have a lot more of it. As for Marillion, There are a lot of women in their late twenties now named "Kayleigh"... a girl in my class got pregnant young and had a boy, but if the baby had been a girl, she was going to name her Kayleigh! I got into them the following year ('90) with Script (which I had heard a lot about) and Fish's newly-released Vigil. That was also the year I saw Rush for the first time (Presto tour - Maple Leaf Gardens, Voivod opening).. amazing times. Over the course of the next couple of years, we got a Yes boxed set (again, saved up my meager earnings - still have it too), a Yes "Union", a Genesis documentary VHS... these were like gold to me. Then in '92, Änglagård appeared and prog suddenly seemed to be over the hump. I used to go on the mailing lists in the early days of the internet and talk about all this stuff. I was a teenager then... I'm 41 now and still doing it every day.

    Quote Originally Posted by ThomasKDye View Post
    Sorry, I may have helped drag this off-topic.
    You have the OP's permission to do so.
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  15. #40
    Progatron: Looks like we have a lot in common with the Southern Ontario prog exposure, although I have a few years on you at 43. I saw the Presto tour but oddly I have no memory of Voivod opening up? This was probably at Copps Coliseum/Hamilton. I guess they did--I've seen Rush so many times the shows tend to blend together. Agreed with the various documentaries coming out being pretty cool and yes, I think Änglagård coming in was a big sign of change, along with early PT and of course IQ coming back with Ever. The one that clicked with me most was IQ, but I didn't truly hear them until about 2003 or so.

    Listening to the re-mixed version of A Curious Feeling tonight and I'm remembering how much louder/more powerful the drums are now! Vocals also sound more clear/powerful.

  16. #41
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Baird View Post
    Progatron: Looks like we have a lot in common with the Southern Ontario prog exposure, although I have a few years on you at 43. I saw the Presto tour but oddly I have no memory of Voivod opening up? This was probably at Copps Coliseum/Hamilton. I guess they did--I've seen Rush so many times the shows tend to blend together. Agreed with the various documentaries coming out being pretty cool and yes, I think Änglagård coming in was a big sign of change, along with early PT and of course IQ coming back with Ever. The one that clicked with me most was IQ, but I didn't truly hear them until about 2003 or so.

    Listening to the re-mixed version of A Curious Feeling tonight and I'm remembering how much louder/more powerful the drums are now! Vocals also sound more clear/powerful.
    Ken, the Presto show with Voivod was at Maple Leaf Gardens, the second of two nights (May 17, 1990). They played Copps on the following tour (RtB) which I think was Andy Curran opening..?

    Do you remember when 97.7 HTZ FM in St. Catharines used to play a classic album on weeknights about 10:00 pm? I remember hearing Foxtrot once! You'd NEVER hear that on radio today.
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  17. #42
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Baird View Post
    Definitely agreed. One had to latch onto what one could for new stuff, but fortunately there was the back catalog--some people knew me in HS as the "guy who liked weird stuff like old Genesis". You did a lot better than me with that jacket though!

    There were a few people into Marillion I hung out with briefly, but they were total rednecks, mostly into it for the lyrics about booze, drugs and "ladies of the night"!
    LOL! Kayleigh fuckin' rules!

  18. #43
    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    Ken, the Presto show with Voivod was at Maple Leaf Gardens, the second of two nights (May 17, 1990). They played Copps on the following tour (RtB) which I think was Andy Curran opening..?

    Do you remember when 97.7 HTZ FM in St. Catharines used to play a classic album on weeknights about 10:00 pm? I remember hearing Foxtrot once! You'd NEVER hear that on radio today.
    I'm sure I did see the Presto tour though, I remember the giant "blow-up" rabbits on both sides of the stage. I should really look it up and see exactly which Rush shows I saw/which tours, I think it was the Presto tour and every tour after that. Wow, I don't remember 97.7 playing that, or having a classic albums show like that. Great!

    No, I don't think any commercial radio station would ever play a whole album like Foxtrot these days, although I've heard shows playing all of Dark side of the Moon, but it's a slightly bigger album

  19. #44
    Quote Originally Posted by JKL2000 View Post
    LOL! Kayleigh fuckin' rules!
    It was a little like that, but a bit "deeper" somehow. I think the story of Clutching at Straws appealed to them a lot (I think they fantasized living the "hotel hobbies" lifestyle and possibly "not reaching 30") and I remember them enjoying lines from Misplaced Childhood such as "A train sleeps in a siding/The driver guzzles another can of lager".

    Funny the things you remember, eh?

  20. #45
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    One of those albums that I loved from the first spin. My only reservation was the production. Yesterday was Christmas in November for me as got The Endless River, Six and A Curious Feeling.. I also got 3 computer books too. It was a good day.

    I've given three spins of TER and it gets better with each listen. I just finished listening to remastered ACF and I only have a one word review. It is 'Wow'! A great job in cleaning up the sound. Hello Chester and Kim, we can finally hear you both! Esoteric, take a bow.
    Last edited by Tangram; 11-12-2014 at 02:27 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tangram View Post
    Yesterday was Christmas in November for me as got The Endless River, Six and A Curious Feeling..
    Funny, believe it or not those are the three I have on my own shopping list.

    Ummm... it's Beacon, not Bacon. Or were you trying to say his voice sounds more meaty?

  22. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by bob_32_116 View Post
    Funny, believe it or not those are the three I have on my own shopping list.

    Ummm... it's Beacon, not Bacon. Or were you trying to say his voice sounds more meaty?
    Gotta give you kudos for one hell of a shopping list. Bacon is curtesy of auto correct. Fixed my post.

  23. #48
    I love the album, but it has weaknesses -- particularly the poppier tracks ("Lucky Me" and "A Curious Feeling" -- there's nothing wrong with them or the vocal performance, they're just not my taste) and the production (a lot of it just sounds muffled to me). I actually liken it the most to the Genesis album, ...and then there were three..., it tells me his writing is all over that one. "After the Lie" is probably my favourite track, love that instrumental break, that's classic Banks. "You" has a pretty great instrumental break, too. And yes, the instrumentals are particularly delicious.
    Last edited by Dusty Chalk; 11-12-2014 at 07:12 PM.

  24. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dusty Chalk View Post
    I love the album, but it has weaknesses -- particularly the poppier tracks ("Lucky Me" and "A Curious Feeling" -- there's nothing wrong with them or the vocal performance, they're just not my taste) and the production (a lot of it just sounds muffled to me). I actually liken it the most to the Genesis album, ...and then there were three..., it tells me his writing is all over that one. "After the Lie" is probably my favourite track, love that instrumental break, that's classic Banks. "You" has a pretty great instrumental break, too. And yes, the instrumentals are particularly delicious.
    If the production on both ACF and ATTWT, bother you like they did me, you have to get the remastered albums. I am not one to automatically get the remastered releases, but these two definitely needed it. Especially ACF. My fav part of Genesis are the Tony Banks Years, from ATOTT to ATTWT. Including ACF. Banks a has the lion i share
    of the song writing and the solos are all top notch.

  25. #50
    I definitely need to track down the ACF remaster since I found out about it just a couple weeks ago.

    I might even have the ...&ttw3... remaster, as I think that is the one box set I did not snooze on (yeah, I know, I need the other two, too), but I don't think that one is as bad as ACF.

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