Customer Reviews

Bankstatement

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

"Bankstatement" is the 1989 solo project by Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks, featuring lead vocals by Alistair Gordon and former Other Ones singer Jayney Klimek (though Tony himself takes the mike for one song, "Big Man"). Poppy, polished & radio-friendly, "Bankstatement" is the most fun and breeziest-sounding album Tony has ever made. That it didn't find an audience upon it's original release is a shame, 'cause almost all of the tracks here could've easily been big hits for Tony. Still, it's a great disc, with such catchy tunes as the brassy blast of "Throwback," the ominous "Queen Of Darkness," the beautiful duet between Gordon & Klimek on "That Night," the playful "Big Man," the powerful ballad "The More I Hide It," and the excellent instrumental, "Thursday The Twelfth." Tony's keyboard flourishes & songwriting is wonderful (and a very good vocal on "Big Man," too!), and Gordon & Klimek's fine voices fit Banks' material like a glove. For diehard fans of Tony Banks, "Bankstatement" is a treasure.

The music on this album foreshadows Tony Banks' followup efforts Still and Strictly Inc., and while the instrumental work here doesn't stand out as much as compared to the wonderful "A Curious Feeling," the music is solid, and the vocals are excellent. Alistair Gordon and Jayney Klimek do Banks' material justice, providing most of the album's high points. Standouts for me include Gordon's aching voicing of "I'll Be Waiting" and Klimek's haughty and sinister "Queen of Darkness." Tony wisely limits his vocal input to a single song ("Big Man") where his voice suits the song's atmosphere.

"A Curious Feeling" is still Tony's best solo effort to date, but "BankStatement" is a very pleasant listen, and tops much of what showed up under the Genesis banner 1983 on.

As I stated in a prior review, I bought "Bankstatement" when it initially came out on cassette in 1989. I recently purchased it on CD, and, unlike the cassette, it contains a bonus track, titled "Diamonds Aren't So Hard", which features a superbly-blended combination of Alto Saxophone and Tony Banks' haunting keyboard melodies. Nearly all of the tracks on "Bankstatement" are good, except "Queen Of Darkness" and "A House Needs A Roof", both of which sound too much like an aerobics class, although "QOD" has a nice guitar/keyboard intro. Jayney Klimek's ultra-sexy, powerful vocals give these two otherwise drab tracks much needed life, while Alistair Gordon's vocals on the other tracks (Throwback, I'll Be Waiting, Raincloud, The Border, The More I Hide It and Diamonds Aren't So Hard) have a somewhat limited range, and are just average. "That Night" is a lovely, sentimental ballad that features both Gordon and Klimek sharing lead vocals. Tony Banks' vocals on "Big Man" suits that song's lyrics and music perfectly. It's just too bad that this is Tony's only vocal appearance on "Bankstatement". TB's whirlwind keyboard style is rather effective on the lone instrumental track "Thursday The Twelfth". It is Mr. Banks' chilling keyboard work on this CD that makes "Bankstatement" worth having in any Tony Banks or Genesis fan's CD library. Too bad Atlantic Records in the U.S. took this one out of print, but it is still worth paying more for the import. Better buy "Bankstatement" before Virgin decides to take it out of print.

Bankstatement is just one of the more solid albums of Tony Banks. In fact it has a really good songs and someother not so good. The vocals of Jayney Klimek and Alistair Gordon are good. Throwback, I'll be waiting, That Night, The more I hide it and Thursday the thwelve are the better songs for me. I'll be waiting is just a really good comercial soft wich was listened on the radio. Throwback is a moved song in the direction of Shortcut to somewhere (Gordon has not the powerfull of Fish) and has great moments. That Night is just a little piece of gold, sang by Gordon and Klimek together, and a great melody composition. Finally, Thursday..., shows the true Banks with one of his best instrumentals which will overtake yourself. The rest it`s ok.

Pretty much the same as the other listing. Unnecesary unless esach is an import from two respective different markets.

This was one more unsuccessful attempt by Tony Banks to match the solo success that Genesis bandmates Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford were achieving. This time around, Banks added a couple of singers and tried to call it a band. One of the singers is Jayney Klimek, formerly of the Other Ones (not the Grateful Dead Other Ones, the OTHER Other Ones, the ones who did "We Are What We Are" and "Holiday"). The songs are drab middle-of-the-road efforts. Even the best songs, such as "Big Man", would be outtakes on any Genesis album.