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Joined: June 24 2008
Location: USA
Status: Offline
Points: 13
Posted: March 14 2018 at 23:35
Yeah, Peter Banks really was part of the original Yes sound. Funny to me that despite how much better Howe was, he still on some level copied what Banks did..I swear I can hear that Pete beat howe to the punch with that Yes sound in some small way. To me the first two Yes albums (and BBC tapes with Banks) are far from most "first albums" so at least Pete was on good projects. To me, the first album has excellent playing and excellent fidelity. Very huge sound.
What's sad is that Flash weren't as thematic. It has nothing to do with complexity....they simply could have created a weird mellotron part with a lot of ethereal plate echo and created a bizarre yes-like moment. It's more about mood and vibe than a thing of talent. That's why to me certain albums are on Yes-level, despite the technical abilities (ie Dark Side of the Moon, etc). Flash just didn't have any mood, never seemed to take a breather, and if you're going to rush through like that you better be good, ie Cherry Five good.
Pete Banks had all the chance in the world just like I have, and it's up to us if we blow it or not.
Joined: July 20 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ USA
Status: Offline
Points: 7275
Posted: March 03 2018 at 23:17
Thanks, Sherry!
This is a look at Flash at their peak...sadly, there is little film/TV footage of the band available from what I've seen. They were on the US TV show "Midnight Special" once, but I don't know if anyone has ever found that footage yet.
Enjoy, this gives you an idea of the talent this band had! Ray Bennett had a very powerful, driving bass, Mike Hough was a big-band drummer who knew how to swing, Peter was a prog veteran, and Colin had a very unique vocal style and great stage presence.
Joined: January 02 2010
Location: Las Vegas
Status: Offline
Points: 377
Posted: March 03 2018 at 15:28
Straight from the horse's mouth—here's a very candid, informal conversation with Ray and Colin at the start of the reunion in 2010 in which they discuss a bit of their history with Pete and Mike, and how they approach music and feel about the label 'progrock'.
Joined: July 20 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ USA
Status: Offline
Points: 7275
Posted: March 03 2018 at 11:53
Sean Trane wrote:
miamiscot wrote:
Love those first two Flash albums. Great stuff. Kaye should have stuck around...
BTW: Banks apparently showed up with his guitar without being invited at the Onion Union reformation concert in the early 90's, and Squire shoo-ed him away.
This is controversial, I know of one person who claims to have known Banks and Yes, and he says that it was Howe who pulled the plug on Banks appearing at a Los Angeles appearance.
Peter had a sorry history, with many friends and bandmates turning on him. He died a lonely death in his London flat, leaving behind quite a bit of unreleased material.
Flash was an early proponent of the "jam band" formula, pioneered by the Grateful Dead and later refined by bands such as Phish. This is one of my favorite songs by them, from their second LP, "Flash In The Can." Bassist Ray Bennett is excellent on Rickenbacker bass!
Joined: April 29 2004
Location: Heart of Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 20251
Posted: March 03 2018 at 02:54
miamiscot wrote:
Love those first two Flash albums. Great stuff. Kaye should have stuck around...
They're OK, and I also feel that Kaye should've stuck around to make the later albums more interesting, but in some ways, I think he did good not to overstay his welcome in Flash...
I'm currently in the process of reading Aymeric Leroy's book on Yes (in French), Banks seems/seemed to be a permanent grouch and a fairly disgruntled individual ... I can understand getting the boot from Yes can make you a sourpuss, but it wasn't only his guitar abilities that seemed to be a concern for Jon & Chris, but he was already misbehaving during the the T&aW sessions (he's rumoured to have stuck his guitar in the producer Coulton's face - a professional acquaintance of Jon) when the dude was trying to get something Jimmy-Page-esque out of Banks.
Banks has had bad relations with Yes (mainly Squire) right from the start, whereas Kaye didn't, maybe one of the resons why he was invited back. Maybe if Kaye had stuck around in Flash, this might've developped in worse relations with Yes than he's had since.
BTW: Banks apparently showed up with his guitar without being invited at the Onion Union reformation concert in the early 90's, and Squire shoo-ed him away.
Joined: July 20 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ USA
Status: Offline
Points: 7275
Posted: March 03 2018 at 00:33
Mortte wrote:
Never listened Flash, because I´ve read about that they never rised into level of Yes.
Here, give them a try! This is original bassist Ray Bennett on 6-string guitar, and original vocalist Colin Carter, with a really good group of musicians. Keep in mind, this was their first rehearsal together! I think this is a fine rendition of a spirited song.
Joined: November 11 2016
Location: Finland
Status: Offline
Points: 5538
Posted: March 02 2018 at 23:46
Dellinger wrote:
Mortte wrote:
Dellinger wrote:
^ Yeah, but when you are discovering music, you can't listen to everything that exists all at once, so you have to choose were to go next and what to dedicate your time, and money, into. So, if you read something is not good, and you believe it, well, why wast your time? Or at least you may leave it for later and go with something that seems more appealing at the moment. And yeah, it has even happened to me that I read negative reviews of something and I go like, well, it sounds like the things this guy dislikes of that album are just the ones I would like, and makes me want to check it out instead of discouraging me.
I am thinking quite like this. Just haven´t got time to check out everything, because there are just so much interesting music in the world. Also, really haven´t anybody even here said Flash is something everybody should check. But of course, found out great music accidentally and also some albums, that some reviewer hasn´t found great...
For what it's worth, I found the first Flash album at least worth knowing. The two songs I liked better were "Small Beginnings", and then "Dreams of Heaven". You should at least give a good listen to the first one.
So many albums that I´ve never listened and wanted to listen. Maybe Flash in my 60th birthday?
Joined: June 18 2009
Location: Mexico
Status: Offline
Points: 12732
Posted: March 02 2018 at 21:22
Mortte wrote:
Dellinger wrote:
^ Yeah, but when you are discovering music, you can't listen to everything that exists all at once, so you have to choose were to go next and what to dedicate your time, and money, into. So, if you read something is not good, and you believe it, well, why wast your time? Or at least you may leave it for later and go with something that seems more appealing at the moment. And yeah, it has even happened to me that I read negative reviews of something and I go like, well, it sounds like the things this guy dislikes of that album are just the ones I would like, and makes me want to check it out instead of discouraging me.
I am thinking quite like this. Just haven´t got time to check out everything, because there are just so much interesting music in the world. Also, really haven´t anybody even here said Flash is something everybody should check. But of course, found out great music accidentally and also some albums, that some reviewer hasn´t found great...
For what it's worth, I found the first Flash album at least worth knowing. The two songs I liked better were "Small Beginnings", and then "Dreams of Heaven". You should at least give a good listen to the first one.
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sherrynoland wrote:
