A CURIOUS FEELING

Tony Banks is listed on this site under Crossover Prog, but his first solo album, A Curious Feeling, would qualify as Symphonic Prog. It is very much the sound of in between ...And Then There Were Three... and Duke, with a balance of energy and introspection that's a little bit closer to that of Wind and Wuthering. Tony Banks uses the familiar synth strings and moog leads we know from the Genesis albums, as well as the CP-80 electric piano he used on Wind through Abacab. He also played the bass and guitar parts, and his guitar parts are strikingly similar to Mike Rutherford's rhythm parts on ...And Then There Were Three.... Chester Thompson is on drums, and while he's not showing off as much as usual here, his parts fit the music just right. Kim Beacon provides the vocals, and while they may have a slight touch of blandness to them, they match the mood of the music and story very well. The album's prize is in the composition, as to be expected from Banks, and even moreso in the mood he's able to convey through the highly impressionistic chords and moving melody lines in the instrumental sections. The feeling of the very sad story is so convincingly translated to music that some of the more deep, exploratory moments may drag you into an abyss of emotion if you're capable of connecting to these profoundly abstract types of feelings. One could see some of these parts as being meandering, but they are also very engaging and healing if you are in the right place for them. In turn, the more energetic moments shine, the highlight for me being the very romantically written "You", with it's definition-of-a-ballad lyrics, the romantic and expressive melody that is very charactaristic for Banks, and the change into the faster section with the synth solo being one of the most enrapturing moments Banks has written. Another standout on A Curious Feeling for me is the title track, which is logically simple, but also has a mysteriously memorable depth and uniqueness to it, with an especially strong keyboard and vocal part in the chorus that work great together. All in all, a very rewarding and deep recording, and one that should not be left out of the historical progression of progressive rock, as has been stated on this site.