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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Solid Effort In the Banks Collection, April 9, 2002
Rule of Marketing No. 23a: If you are not a brand name in the first place, why confuse the issue by further anonymizing your work (note that if one searches on the Amazon listing for Tony Banks it does not pull up this album, which has much to recommend it - just as Strictly Inc. does). Contrast this with Peter Gabriel's approach, which for the first three albums were named "Peter Gabriel" alone and had his face (or a semblance of it) on the covers. For further great moments in album marketing, see the movie "This Is Spinal Tap", and how it's "Smell the Glove" cover artwork was pulled back and the group ended up with "The Black Album."
But I digress. Regarding Bankstatement, the record company apparently was concerned about whether Banks' material was going to be commercial enough, so it asked TB to get a coproducer. From the list given him he chose Steve Hillage of the 70s' group "Gong", not exactly the most commercial of ventures either. Yet he and Tony seemed to work together well, and there is a certain "sheen" to the production. As in his last "formal" solo album 8 years earlier ("The Fugitive") Banks wrote mostly 4 minute pop songs, but as opposed to "The Fugitive", where he sang everything himself, he astutely decided to bring in a male and a female singer. I would characterize it as Tony's most "romantic" album, one with several love songs in lush settings ("I'll Be Waiting", "That Night") that you can listen to with a loved one without worrying about "The Return of the Giant Hogweed." Well, not so fast - two songs harken back to "old" Genesis. One is "Big Man", sung in an ominous tone by Banks, and the other is a fan favorite, the instrumental "Thursday the Twelfth." Here, Tony uses sampling techniques to craft a rather ghoulish soundscape. All in all, a solid effort, and a good place to start for those uninitiated with the work of this great, underappreciated pop/rock keyboardist.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
GENESIS, NO.... BANKABLE, YES!, January 28, 2009
The first time I played this I wasn't all that crazy about it, but
after the second time I listened to it, I started to notice that I
was suddenly hearing the keyboard quality that I had so loved by
Tony when doing Genesis albums. Perhaps not for all Genesis fans,
but anyone who likes beautiful melodies and, on this album, sweet vocals(even though Tony only sings on one song...)
Of all of Tony Banks' solo works, I'd say this album is absolutely
his best (I know some of you will disagree and say 'A Curious Feeling'
is his best)... but I stand by this one.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Was never a fan..but do love these songs, March 13, 2008
My husband has always loved Tony Banks. I, honestly, had never heard him. One day my husband came in and gave me a song to play ("That Night"). Didn't say anything about it. I loved the song. Asked him who it was my and he told me it was off this CD. So, now I'm a fan as well. Very unique music. Just so different from the usual stuff I listen to.
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~ Tony Banks
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~ Tony Banks
~ Tony Banks
by Tony Banks' Banks Statement 
