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Thread: Your Opinio - TONY BANKS-BANKS VAULT: COMPLETE ALBUMS 1979-1995-7 CD+DVD

  1. #26
    Member bill g's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LeFrog View Post
    On the one hand I think it's great that Tony's discography gets the extensive boxset treatment, on the other hand those who will shell out for it are probably the same ones who bought the 4 CD retrospective A Chord Too Far four years ago, so some may feel they are being milked.
    The 'Chord Too Far' box was great in that it had unreleased material. Very disappointing that there's no unreleased material on the new box. Even keyboard versions of 'Five' would have been enough to sell me.

  2. #27
    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bill g View Post
    The 'Chord Too Far' box was great in that it had unreleased material. Very disappointing that there's no unreleased material on the new box. Even keyboard versions of 'Five' would have been enough to sell me.
    Hi Bill - is there quite a bit of unreleased material on Chord?
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  3. #28
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bill g View Post
    Even keyboard versions of 'Five' would have been enough to sell me.
    I would be all over that!

    Quote Originally Posted by mozo-pg View Post
    Hi Bill - is there quite a bit of unreleased material on Chord?
    There are three of Tony's home demos for the orchestral tracks Spring Tide, Neap Tide and City Of Gold, as well as the previously unreleased instrumental track Poppet. These are on the excellent fourth disc of the set, one of my most listened-to CDs in many years I think!
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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  4. #29
    Member Gizmotron's Avatar
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    Thanks for the Thread! It encouraged me to buy the set.

    Another vote here for his three orchestral CDs by the way. Sterling stuff. The guy is such a capable and intriguing composer...from super pop to classical.

  5. #30
    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    I would be all over that!



    There are three of Tony's home demos for the orchestral tracks Spring Tide, Neap Tide and City Of Gold, as well as the previously unreleased instrumental track Poppet. These are on the excellent fourth disc of the set, one of my most listened-to CDs in many years I think!
    I have to confess, I bought both boxes. Glad to hear the extra tracks are decent. I'm looking now and see 3 demos on the 4th disc.
    Last edited by mozo-pg; 08-13-2019 at 04:33 PM.
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  6. #31
    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gizmotron View Post
    Thanks for the Thread! It encouraged me to buy the set.

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  7. #32
    Member bill g's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mozo-pg View Post
    Hi Bill - is there quite a bit of unreleased material on Chord?
    Yeah, those keyboard versions of Spring Tide, Neap Tide, and City of Gold are really great, and a different feel than the orchestral versions. And 'Poppet', though not quite to the level of those 3, was written during the 'Still' sessions, and would have been perfect between 'Another Murder' and 'Final Curtain', replacing the horrid 'Back To Back' which is I think the only track in his entire solo catalog I actually don't like. 'Poppet' may have been enough to tip the scales enough to attract the prog crowd to the album as a whole.

  8. #33
    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bill g View Post
    Yeah, those keyboard versions of Spring Tide, Neap Tide, and City of Gold are really great, and a different feel than the orchestral versions. And 'Poppet', though not quite to the level of those 3, was written during the 'Still' sessions, and would have been perfect between 'Another Murder' and 'Final Curtain', replacing the horrid 'Back To Back' which is I think the only track in his entire solo catalog I actually don't like. 'Poppet' may have been enough to tip the scales enough to attract the prog crowd to the album as a whole.
    I'm at home and checked the Chord box. Looking forward to exploring both boxes. I'll play the 3 bonus tracks on CD 4 with interest.
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  9. #34
    Of his rock albums, I'd rate them in this order:

    A Curious Feeling
    Strictly Inc
    The Fugitive
    Still
    Bankstatement

    Would love for him to do more!
    -noisynoise
    www.polarizedguru.com - 5-piece jazz fusion group
    www.incandescentsky.com - inventive improvisational instrumental ensemble

  10. #35
    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    I would be all over that!



    There are three of Tony's home demos for the orchestral tracks Spring Tide, Neap Tide and City Of Gold, as well as the previously unreleased instrumental track Poppet. These are on the excellent fourth disc of the set, one of my most listened-to CDs in many years I think!
    I opened the Chord Box for the first time. Blade is absolutely gorgeous. Love all the instrumentation, the violin particularly. I jumped ahead to the demo tracks. These are lovely too. Very rich instrumentation and tasteful piano throughout. I can't say how much I'm truly enjoying this - way past my expectations, when I ordered the A Chord Too Far. What a revelation! I'm also motivated to listen again to Strictly Inc., The Fugitive, and Still although I'll listen to everything, even if once for some! Back to Chord - all the demos are truly wonderful. All of the piano is subtle and tasteful. Poppet is another gem, nice interplay between piano, the violin and other instrumentation. I'm going to sync the 4th disc to my Galaxy phone tomorrow.

    Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll review them again as I make my way through both boxes. What a great purchase.
    Last edited by mozo-pg; 08-14-2019 at 08:45 AM.
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  11. #36
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    I'm so glad to hear how much you're enjoying it! I agree, that fourth disc is outstanding. You can probably see why both Bill and I would instantly have shelled out for the new set if it had included more of that kind of thing, but this time from Five. I can only imagine how Tony's keyboard demos of fantastic pieces like Prelude To A Million Years, Autumn Sonata and Reveille would be... drool...

    The rest of the Chord set is a good listen also, with so many varied pieces of music from all throughout his albums remixed and arranged in a different running order. It presents his catalogue in a different light when you listen that way. I had only ever listened to his albums in their natural running order, so this was a fun way to shake things up and come at it with a fresh approach. It was a very successful boxed set IMO.

    BTW I really like Poppet too. In the liner notes he mentions that it sounds as though he was intending it to be a proper song, but I'm glad he left it as an instrumental. He has such a gift of instrumental composition. I have the Walls Of Sound CD single, which I got originally for the b-side track Back To You, a leftover from the Still album, but the real gem on it is the instrumental version of Only Seventeen, which is really cool and a much better track than it is with vocals and lyrics, IMO.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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  12. #37
    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    I'm so glad to hear how much you're enjoying it! I agree, that fourth disc is outstanding. You can probably see why both Bill and I would instantly have shelled out for the new set if it had included more of that kind of thing, but this time from Five. I can only imagine how Tony's keyboard demos of fantastic pieces like Prelude To A Million Years, Autumn Sonata and Reveille would be... drool...

    The rest of the Chord set is a good listen also, with so many varied pieces of music from all throughout his albums remixed and arranged in a different running order. It presents his catalogue in a different light when you listen that way. I had only ever listened to his albums in their natural running order, so this was a fun way to shake things up and come at it with a fresh approach. It was a very successful boxed set IMO.

    BTW I really like Poppet too. In the liner notes he mentions that it sounds as though he was intending it to be a proper song, but I'm glad he left it as an instrumental. He has such a gift of instrumental composition. I have the Walls Of Sound CD single, which I got originally for the b-side track Back To You, a leftover from the Still album, but the real gem on it is the instrumental version of Only Seventeen, which is really cool and a much better track than it is with vocals and lyrics, IMO.
    Yes, I only explored disc 4 one time but I agree with your assessment of this music. I said it was a revelation because, to be honest, I was never struck by his catalog outside of Curious Feeling. I'm looking forward to repeated listening on disc 4 and indeed the full box. I wish there were more rare tracks on the Vaults Box too but at $51 USD, I jumped on this too even though I was concerned with overlap. It looks pretty/nice! I'm going to give the full Vaults box a new listen (as I have many of the CDs already) to see if the recommendations in this thread on the full catalog leads me to explore certain albums in a new light. Genesis, from my first time seeing them in 1976, are my favourite all time band. Tony is certainly a huge part of this enjoyment. Hopefully, I'll get a high level of enjoyment from exploring all his albums that counters my first impression.

    I was already a huge fan of Tony's orchestra albums. I thought it reveal a new level of sophistication with composition. I actually look forward if there is another round of recordings!

    Also, in terms of rankings, how do you rate Tony's full catalog?
    Last edited by mozo-pg; 08-14-2019 at 09:15 AM.
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  13. #38
    Member bill g's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mozo-pg View Post
    Yes, I only explored disc 4 one time but I agree with your assessment of this music. I said it was a revelation because, to be honest, I was never struck by his catalog outside of Curious Feeling. I'm looking forward to repeated listening on disc 4 and indeed the full box. I wish there were more rare tracks on the Vaults Box too but at $51 USD, I jumped on this too even though I was concerned with overlap. It looks pretty/nice! I'm going to give the full Vaults box a new listen (as I have many of the CDs already) to see if the recommendations in this thread on the full catalog leads me to explore certain albums in a new light. Genesis, from my first time seeing them in 1976, are my favourite all time band. Tony is certainly a huge part of this enjoyment. Hopefully, I'll get a high level of enjoyment from exploring all his albums that counters my first impression.

    I was already a huge fan of Tony's orchestra albums. I thought it reveal a new level of sophistication with composition. I actually look forward if there is another round of recordings!

    Also, in terms of rankings, how do you rate Tony's full catalog?
    I'm glad you're enjoying the demo tracks!! Full catalog is difficult but I'll try:

    Five
    A Curious Feeling
    Six
    Seven
    Still
    The Wicked Lady
    Strictly Inc
    The Fugitive
    Soundtracks
    Bankstatement

  14. #39
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Five
    A Curious Feeling
    Six
    Seven
    The Fugitive
    The Wicked Lady
    Strictly Inc.
    Bankstatement
    Soundtracks
    Still
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

    *** Join me in the Garden of Delights for 3 hours of tune-spinning... every Saturday at 5pm EST on Deep Nuggets radio! www.deepnuggets.com ***

  15. #40
    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bill g View Post
    I'm glad you're enjoying the demo tracks!! Full catalog is difficult but I'll try:

    Five
    A Curious Feeling
    Six
    Seven
    Still
    The Wicked Lady
    Strictly Inc
    The Fugitive
    Soundtracks
    Bankstatement
    Thanks Bill - I consider working through the Vaults Box according the this list.
    What can this strange device be? When I touch it, it brings forth a sound (2112)

  16. #41
    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    Five
    A Curious Feeling
    Six
    Seven
    The Fugitive
    The Wicked Lady
    Strictly Inc.
    Bankstatement
    Soundtracks
    Still
    Okay (opinions vary) - I'll have to listen to them all again! I'm optimistic from this thread that I'll find some great music I've been missing.
    What can this strange device be? When I touch it, it brings forth a sound (2112)

  17. #42
    Member bill g's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mozo-pg View Post
    Okay (opinions vary) - I'll have to listen to them all again! I'm optimistic from this thread that I'll find some great music I've been missing.
    At least some gems, such as 'An Island In The Darkness' and 'Another Murder of a Day' (with Fish singing), and a few good instrumentals in there, such as Thirty-Threes from The Fugitive and 'Spring' from The Wicked Lady. Enjoy!

  18. #43
    This is a link to see a video of my 2017 song "Mr. Sun" sung by Alistair Gordon, who was the main lead singer on "Bankstatement". It also features Neil Taylor (Tears For Fears)on guitar.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OARYvy3JB8o
    Last edited by the winter tree; 08-14-2019 at 08:41 PM.

  19. #44
    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by the winter tree View Post
    This is a link to see a video of my 2017 song "Mr. Sun" sung by Alistair Gordon, who was the main lead singer on "Bankstatement". It also features Neil Taylor (Tears For Fears)on guitar.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OARYvy3JB8o
    Andrew, a very nice melodic song. The vocals sound decent, as are the lyrics. I like the blend of instrumentation, very nice guitar solos. Who are the influences on your music?

    It's cool that there is a Tony Banks connection to the song.
    What can this strange device be? When I touch it, it brings forth a sound (2112)

  20. #45
    Member bill g's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by the winter tree View Post
    This is a link to see a video of my 2017 song "Mr. Sun" sung by Alistair Gordon, who was the main lead singer on "Bankstatement". It also features Neil Taylor (Tears For Fears)on guitar.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OARYvy3JB8o
    This is very nice. Love those minors! I love when the keyboard comes in around at 1:23 mark, just before the drums. Overall, not tooooo far removed from 'That Night', and the female backing vocals at the end almost sound like Jayney Klimek.

  21. #46
    Quote Originally Posted by mozo-pg View Post
    Andrew, a very nice melodic song. The vocals sound decent, as are the lyrics. I like the blend of instrumentation, very nice guitar solos. Who are the influences on your music?

    It's cool that there is a Tony Banks connection to the song.
    I'm glad you enjoyed the song. My influences are vast. I have just been soaking it all in since an early age. This particular song seems to have Beatles, the Who, early Chicago and probably a bit of Genesis vibe to it maybe.

  22. #47
    Quote Originally Posted by bill g View Post
    This is very nice. Love those minors! I love when the keyboard comes in around at 1:23 mark, just before the drums. Overall, not tooooo far removed from 'That Night', and the female backing vocals at the end almost sound like Jayney Klimek.
    Thank you Bill G. That's actually all Alistair on the vocals. He is a great vocal arranger. He sang another song called "Shine" that wouldn't have been out of place on Bankstatement.

  23. #48
    Member Top Cat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by the winter tree View Post
    I'm glad you enjoyed the song. My influences are vast. I have just been soaking it all in since an early age. This particular song seems to have Beatles, the Who, early Chicago and probably a bit of Genesis vibe to it maybe.
    I would include some very tasty vintage Alan Parsons vibes on some of your instrumental songs(especially on your earlier albums).
    Soundcloud page: Richard Hermans, musical meanderings https://soundcloud.com/precipice YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/@richardhermans4457

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