Love a Curious Feeling. Didn't hear it till the Esoteric remaster and fell right in love. Fugitive I somehow never listened too all of (only had the vinyl, need to find a CD) but the one track that caught my attention was the amazing "Charm."
Love a Curious Feeling. Didn't hear it till the Esoteric remaster and fell right in love. Fugitive I somehow never listened too all of (only had the vinyl, need to find a CD) but the one track that caught my attention was the amazing "Charm."
Really got into this when it first came out and was expecting more great solo material from Tony but sadly I never really got into anything else he released.
My understanding was that they were going to release the Wicked Lady themselves via the website, see how that went and look at it again after that. We personally would love to do them.
I've always wanted to like Banks' solo material. I just don't! I think he needs someone to counterbalance his lush, orchestral playing and melodicism to grit them up a bit. Hackett, principally, and Rutherford were instrumental (so to speak!) in putting Banks' beautiful playing and compositions in context. He's just not a great solo artist. I've tried several of his releases, including this one, and they're all yawn-inducing. Apologies to those that love this stuff!
worst album ever. sorry
Count me in on those who really like this album and there are some tracks I totally love too. Definitely a 4 out of 5 for me for the tunes I don't like quite as much because they're still really good, and for some tunes, especially the instrumentals, a 5/5--some absolutely classic original Tony Banks chord compositions and melodies, beautifully played (I only wish it was on acoustic piano rather than Yamaha CP 70, just my taste). I like the singer, but I find Tony always chooses very thin-sounding voices for male singers---he does a bit better with the female singers he's worked with. I'm another one who prefers Tony's own singing to the other male singers he's had on his albums, but I admit I never really go into The Fugitive that much---I should really give it another chance because I do like the singing, it's just something about the production of that one/not as nicely produced as A Curious Feeling.
Oh, I forgot that on Still, Fish did a great job on there, certainly NOT a thin sounding voice I liked Nick Kershaw on there too and the guy from Wang Chung has a good voice... OK, maybe he doesn't always choose thin sounding voices! But on Bankstatement and this one he did.
Tony can't sing, plain and simple, there's a reason there wasn't a vocal mike on his keys in Genesis, how you could "like" his voice over a professional singer, well, I don't get it.
You're entitled to not like his voice, but he did sing backups for Genesis in the studio and on tours (see the 1976 concerts, it was him and Mike doing the backups) He can sing nicely in tune and he wrote the songs and for me, I think his tone is fine, a bit like Al Stewart. But, to each his own, just check out the threads on best and worst singers in prog and the large amount of names that appear in both categories (in fact I think they ALL do!!)
I'd like to say that I do think the other singers he's worked with are fine, I don't dislike any of them, I just like Tony's voice even though they are more professional.
I have no problem with Fish, Kim Beacon, Nik Kershaw, et al, but Tony is by no means a lead singer, you can pretty much hide a harmony vocalist, Steve Howe does come to mind. Hell, if Tony sounds as he does with studio sweetening on The Fugitive then I'd have less than zero interest in hearing him sing live, even Ian Anderson sounds fine on TAAB 2, in concert it's a whole 'nother trip.
I think Tony would be the first to agree with you; I've seen interviews where he is curious as to why some people seem to like his voice over some of the other singers he's worked with. I think it comes down to whether an audience likes hearing a song "straight from the horses mouth". So the writer of the song obviously has the greatest understanding of what the song is about and I think that's why quite a few people like Tony's singing. That and the fact that he really doesn't have a bad tone---a bit choir-boy like/not very emotional, but a good pure tone---I can't recall the name of the early Genesis track where he does a duet with Peter Gabriel but it's exactly like that---a very kind of "young innocent" singer against Gabriel's soulful expressive voice and it works well as a contrast. I think the song is called "The Sheppard"
But harmony vocalists CAN sing, so it's unfair to say that Tony can't sing. But I'd agree with you that he's not a lead singer in the sense that his voice probably wouldn't work too well if he went out as "a singer" for other bands---I can't think of too many places where it would cut it---it's the fact that he's so involved with the writing that makes it work for me. Steve Howe is much worse to me because the tone is often really bad (Australia!), but even there, there is the occasional tune where I think he sounds good. But that's usually when he's singing lower and not trying to push any limits.
Can't sing? How so? I was just listening to The Fugitive for the first time on Youtube and I wasn't expecting to like his voice, but I do. He's hitting the notes that 'he wrote' and I dig the fragile nature of his delivery. I can think of numerous successful, lead vocalists who I find way worse.
Btw, you would really hate my vocals.
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Yay, more support for Tony's voice! He might not win awards with it but it does the job well. I also like the fragile nature of his delivery---good way to put it. And he'd hate my vocals too I'm sure! S'all good, everybody likes/dislikes different things in a singer. And I too can think of lots of famous vocalists I find worse. Don't even get me started on the idol shows...
Wow, I'm Mr. "Defend Tony Banks" today or something but he did, to my knowledge write ALL of songs like One for the Vine or Mad Man Moon. Vocal melodies, words, instrumental bits. He can write complete songs! (and darn amazing ones at that)
Oh, I forgot "Firth of Fifth" but there are plenty more examples. Tony's the man
Tony's voice has character. The two songs he sang on his subsequent albums, "Big Man" and "Hero for an Hour," are both told from the point of view of someone really childlike, and Tony's delivery just seems to fit that to a T. "The Fugitive" has a similar "innocent" quality to it, which makes the album more fun for me than those albums which others sang. Nik Kershaw was pretty good, though.
I like Kim Beacon's singing a lot on String Driven Thing's Please Mind Your Head (1974) and Keep yer 'and on it (1975).
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Yep, Tony's the man. He also wrote all the music to the Lamia, besides writing Time Table, Evidence of Autumn, and a host of other gems.
He Has also written so much stuff that has never been released. It would sure be nice if some of that could get released.
Very true, and thanks for listing some of the other great examples. Is there quite a big amount of unreleased material? I don't remember hearing about it but I'm sure it's true as it is true of most writers/composers. For me, I now really like the orchestra albums he's done but it would also be pretty cool to have another album or two of his songs, whether new ones or previously unreleased older material
After revisiting Duke I kept the party going with this - what a great spin
I loved this when it came out, and it seems to have aged very well for me
Love Beacon's vocals - his key is perfect for the material
Tony lays down some wonderful layers - fantastic, under rated LP IMO
I liked it's contemporary, Rutherfords PetiteCreeps Day as well but this ones a level up
I remember Howe getting killed for his vocals on that song but I think it fits perfectly
A huge part of Yes sound for me was the 3 part harmonies and Howe's voice was a great compliment / contrast to Jon and Chris - I hear it in that song, and I love that side of Beginnings - maybe my favorite LP side of any of the 76 solo releases
BG
"When Yes appeared on stage, it was like, the gods appearing from the heavens, deigning to play in front of the people."
I really enjoy the 3 singers of Yes in the 1970's too and how their voices worked together. I'm sure most if not all would agree that Howe was a weaker voice than the other two but what can I say, I'm glad he was singing on those albums--it added something for sure, a certain "realness" as he was such a part of the writing. Same goes for Beginnings, I like it a whole bunch and I'm very glad it exists the way it is, even if I find there are some painful moments in the vocal (and also some good ones). I like Olias the best of the 1976 solo albums, but I like 'em all except I've never owned Ramshackled so I can't say with that one (sounds kinda neat and different from the "single" that appears on Yesyears)
Getting back to A Curious Feeling, Yes, I do like Kim Beacon's voice on there quite a bit. I do find there seems to be a lack of low or low-mid-range to his voice on there but that might just be how they recorded or mixed him and it gives more room for the layers of chords underneath. To a lesser degree I think Phil Collins voice is a bit like that---it leaves some room for the production underneath the voice.
"When Yes appeared on stage, it was like, the gods appearing from the heavens, deigning to play in front of the people."
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