A CURIOUS FEELING

A Curious Feeling was Genesis keyboard wizard Tony Banks' first solo album. In addition to keys, Banks plays guitars, bass, and percussion. His guests are Chester Thompson (Zappa and Genesis' concert drummer) on drums and Kim Beacon (String Driven Thing) on lead vocals. Being a famous prog rock keyboard wizard, one might expect this solo effort to be loaded with keyboards. And in many places it is. However, Banks doesn't overdo them, allowing the other instruments to fill their roles appropriately. Clearly Banks is a competent and intelligent composer.

Kim Beacon's voice takes a bit getting used to. Beacon doesn't have a very good range, so his skills seem limited to me. His voice is kind of husky and the best person I can compare him with is Ray Wilson (from Genesis' Calling All Stations album). But after repeated listens, his voice grows on me.

Musically, this is an excellent work. Banks provides us with many solos and atmospheres of lush synths. The music is most comparable with Genesis' Wind and Wuthering album. However it is important, like other reviewers have mentioned, to not think of this as a Genesis album. If you do, you might find it disappointing the first few listens because it is a bit of a departure.

Highly recommended for Genesis and symphonic prog fans. An excellent addition to a prog rock collection. Four stars.