BANKSTATEMENT

I find really weird that this album was intended as a band project, and it is still listed in some sites as a separate entity to Tony solo works, when this is in fact a work composed and writen (mostly) by Tony Banks, even knowing that, i really apreciate the talents that he got for making this album.

And now the review:

1.- Throwback 8/10: A song that i first ignored, that has some really good moments, i don't usually talk about lyrics, but i really like the ones here, i like what it tells and how the singer reaches those notes. Another thing to point out is the video, wich has several nods to The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, the video overall is really entertaining. The song itself may feel too happy with those horns, or sometimes really repetitive, but the Tony Banks factor clearly plays into here, wich makes the song be entertaining... and by the Tony Banks factor i mean that he has difficulties to do something simpler, but also he says that its intentional because he believes that pop songs need more beef, like his musical inspirations have done (The Beatles, Pet Shop sounds).

2.- I'll Be Waiting 4/10 Those synth clap sounds are back, this time for a more forgetable song (spoilers from a future review), this song would fit Calling All Stations, i can already imagine Ray Wilson singing this. With this song i really feel like i'm waiting for a more entertaining song to happen... the wait ain't so bad tho, there is interesting material here, expecting to have a better usage, like the pieces of music i have writen myself, except that i don't release them. Also, as i say to many songs... this one is also repetitive.

3.- Queen of Darkness 8/10: Based on the song "Lorca" from "The Red Wing Suite", feels like a new version from a song that i already like (spoilers), and "Lorca" feels based on "Final Chase" from the "Quicksilver Suite". If you have followed my reviews, you should know that i'm a fan of soundtracks, and that before Prog i was into movies and videogames soundtracks, and this song feels like an HD remaster of Lorca with interesting lyrics "If you wanted a creature from another dimension... i'm the answer", what is with that? I like it, and the voice work is excelent as well, the only downside to this song is the ending, wich feels boring, should've done a little more instead of a remaster with lyrics of "Lorca", but anyway, it still made for an entertaining song.

4.- That Night 7/10 A song clearly made from someone that specializes on keyboards, one really beautyful and melancholic song, really good voice work here. This song has a really interesting concept where the music and voice work contradicts each other on every verse until they mix together for the final, really nice idea that makes the song don't get old, but i feel like this song could've been expanded, made a part of a really large song, the fade-out at the end comes too soon.

5.- Raincloud 4/10 What is this? What a change from the last song feelings-wise, either way, it makes me feel really similar to what "I'll be waiting" did, except that this one could be on We Can't Dance and its repetitive, but it is more entertaining and has more variations than that one... if this song lasted 1 minute, it wouldn't lose that much.

6.- The Border 8/10: I really like the piano here, its repetitive but mesmerizing, the voice gives intensity and strenght to this song, that already feels more serious than everything previous on the album. Even with the little changes near the end, the song is still very repetitive, this song could be shorter... also, on a video for a certain Tony Banks tribute group (yes, there is one, i don't remember the name) they use an instrumental version of this song for introducing their concerts, it sounds really sweet. This song does what some songs previous on this album tried to do, a catchy sound to get us interested.

7.- Big Man 5/10 This starts like a SNES song and then it transforms into a Genesis/Mega Drive song, Tony would be really good at making videogame music... ok, aside from that, now Tony is singing, and he does a good job while telling bullies how they are. The problem with this song is that it gets repetitive quickly and tried to do an interesting chorus that comes out as boring.

8.- A House Needs a Roof 6/10 Tony really needs to make music for the Yamaha YM2612... this song is as 80s pop as a song can be, why wasn't this a hit? And as always, he needs to add something more and added a really minuscule keyboard solo, this is good, probably no for this site, but what can i do, this song works for what it is.

9.- The More I Hide It 4/10 This again reminds me to "The Waiting", yet this song tried to be interesting at one point, to add more, it really feels like this song was calculatedly crafted to add more "beef to pop", but in the end it falls short again, its the same case.

10.- Diamonds Aren't So Hard 7/10 It starts a little funny with happy music while telling horribly bad and ridiculous situtations, then the music makes you travel to a fictional world where diamonds aren't so hard to find, and that's how the song keeps being interesting, the changes one the song are welcome and the rythm is well done.

11.- Thursday the Twelfth 8/10: What an ending to this album, its as if a portal is distorting the world and re-organizing every physical entity while also making me dizzy. This instrumental track its a really interesting ending to an album that was supposed to be filled with pop-hits, yet Tony Banks can't contain himself from being weird, and you know, weird isn't bad. My problems with this song are that the intensity of the start decreases too fast, i feel like some people won't like this song for how it sounds or for being on 4/4, i like to be subjective on my reviews but i always seem to not make it that way, and in this case i can tell you, i'm clearly being biased because i just like this song.

So in the end this album gets a 62/100, wich is just 3 stars, almost 2.

My "5" review got lots of atention and i forgot to add in there that i was updating my older reviews with "B-Sides", right now "Abacab" and "... And then there where three..." are already done, but i plan to continue with "Invisible Touch" and "Trespass". I'm sorry if it took so long for me to post, but i was so busy that i even forgot that i was doing reviews and now i'm back, hope you give Bankstatement a chance and for Tony Banks in general, he is a really good keyboardist and composer, probably one of the best and my biggest inspiration... well, not for that i'm gonna make inflated scores, i don't want to spoil it, but there's an album that "still" dissapoints me to this very day... ok, that was mean, goodbye.

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