TWO SIDES OF PETER BANKS

Oddly enough Banks`only solo outing of the `70s was not really a solo effort as it includes some monster prog artists from the early seventies contributing their own ideas and material, including Jan Akkerman, Steve Hackett, John Whetton, Phil Collins and members from Bank`s own band Flash. Arguably the first prog supergroup!

The album weaves its way through an assortment of full group electric prog- like tracks albiet with no vocals, improvs and a couple of thoughtful Jan Akkerman compositions which reveal where he was artistically during the early 70`s. "Beyond The Lonliest Sea" is comparable to any acoustic work he did with Focus. Unfortunately we don`t hear everybody all at the same time and Whetton and Hackett appear only on two of the shorter tracks together with Phil Collins. Of the two extended jams, " Stop That! " shows what the album is really about, a group of contemporary musicians collaborating without trying to out do one another, but at the same time really grinding it out. The whole album sounds like iit was played straight with no overdubbing giving it a very hard texture throughout, even on the more subdued Akkerman pieces. Despite the the remarkable result, the rough sound indicates that it might have been hammered out in a short period of time due to the individual musicians having committments to other projects with their respective bands.

A highly sought after album in vinyl form back in the seventies and eighties due to it`s short pressing run on both sides of the Atlantic. Perhaps only for the curious and fans of Flash Mk.I. One of the most unique prog albums from the creme de la creme talent playing outside the normal confines of their own bands during prog`s glory years of the early 70`s.