"Flash" - 1971 to Present

Hi,

Edited by moshkito - March 31 2011 at 16:24

kglenz wrote: I was just listening to "in the can" last night. Question: I noticed Peter Banks has out other material (besides early Genesis), like "Empire" or some of his solo albums, anything of this similar to Flash or worth a listen? Thanks, KG

You might want to give TheTwo Sides Of Peter Banks from 1973 a listen if you haven't already. Then Focus guitarist Jan Akkerman is featured as well as other members of Flash, John Wetton from King Crimson as well as Phil Collins. Very diverse musically. Flash without vocals sometimes.

I was just listening to "in the can" last night. Question: I noticed Peter Banks has out other material (besides early Genesis), like "Empire" or some of his solo albums, anything of this similar to Flash or worth a listen?

I posted the February Goldmine article on Flash here -

http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=76154&FID=19

That's right, I understand "Psychosync" was first released on vinyl, and a few of those may still be out there.

It's certainly not a good way to be introduced to Flash.  Their studio albums are definitely superior.  But for Flash fans, and hardcore proggies, it's a bit of an historical document, and a bit of fun to hear them chatting, hear Jerry Lee Lewis introduce them on "Midnight Special", and get the feel of the complexity, abandon and energy of Flash live.  Mind you, this was early in their short career.  They got even more proficient and 'tight' after a couple years touring.

There's a review here on PA by 'DAVE M'.  He liked all the studio Flash albums, but didn't like this CD much.

Here are the liner notes written by Peter Banks - a pretty forthright assessment: (by the way, for those who didn't know - like me - 'vindaloo' is a hot curry!)

"Psychosync" Liner Notes

What’s in a name? Flash was a lot more apposite than we could have ever imagined when I conjured it up over a mediocre vindaloo and warm lager after one of our first rehearsals. Like most new bands, we regarded the name as a slightly embarrassing, but temporary, handle. Eventually divine inspiration would strike to reveal in all its glory, the designated epithet appropriate to the gathering of four young, talented, good looking musicians; it never happened. We were stuck with Flash and seldom has a band so lived up to its moniker.

The music was fast and furious, edgy and seldom relaxed. We were Flash. In our live performances we came on loud and strong with a musical athleticism that sometimes resorted to decoration rather than expression. Our songs became lengthy Olympian events which probably puzzled and intimidated a few audiences, but we never let that distract us, the stage was our domain – some nights I felt John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix and God were peeping out of the f-holes of my Gibson 335 guitar. We could take one of our compositions, celebrate every corner, angle and riff, and leave it squeezed dry and breathless, often leaving us in the same physical state.

What now strikes me whilst listening to these live cuts is the bizarre twists and turns, the convoluted arrangements, the groove that would suddenly veer off tangentially into yet another riff sounding like it was trying to bite its own tail – all of this sounded quite normal to us, which of course it was not.

We often played ten chords when three would have been better but we could never be accused of resorting to cliche or mediocrity. We were Flash. On a good night we blazed like our name with music that could shimmer and sparkle, twist, turn and dazzle; music that could inspire and agitate in equal measure. For a trio of guitar, bass and drums, we played like a five or six-piece and I still marvel at singer Colin Carter’s ability to sing over the top of music that sometimes had the subtlety and bombast of a world war. “We have no keyboard player; I can do it all on guitar”, was my war-cry, though I sometimes secretly wished for ‘The mighty swirling organ’ of Tony Kaye, who played on our first album.

On this CD live performances from U.S. radio and television show up all the flaws and cracks in our musical architecture. There are incidents when [we] sound like we are jumping through hoops instead of just grooving, or even relaxing. But leisure and blandness was never part of our agenda – we were Flash and we could make a riff stand on its head, walk a tight-rope and through fire – all in the name of rock music. Our songs were long and our trousers were tight. In the short space of two years we recorded and released three albums, had a hit single in the USA, I did a solo album; we toured Europe, America a lot, and even went to Australia for one gig – and still found time to do our laundry. In America we played to the biggest and smallest audiences, the best and worst venues; bars and stadiums. After two years of this we became a really tight musical unit. The performances and the songs got faster as did our tempers – we broke up for all the usual and wrong reasons. A disinterested record company and confused management infected our morale and Flash collapsed in true unspectacular Spinal Tap fashion in a Hilton Hotel in Alberquerque, New Mexico. It was a shame really.

Despite all the usual accusations of pomposity and self indulgence leveled at progressive rock, Flash has a vibrancy and optimism that transcended all the stereotypes of seventies rock music – we really loved our music and sometimes it showed. Our critics and detractors accused us of “sounding like Yes”. Of coarse we did. I was one of the founding members that helped to make (for better or worse – richer or poorer) the strange beast that band has become today. To those critics and fault-finders who expect a musician to re-invent himself every six months – I say f**k you!
We were Flash, our life was short but burned bright – we came and went in a Flash.

Peter Banks

January 1997



Edited by sherrynoland - February 16 2011 at 15:11

sherrynoland wrote: The only live Flash CD I'm aware of is one called "Psychosync".  It was originally a bootleg of performances from the TV show, "Midnight Special", and a WLIR radio concert in NY.  It was released in 1997 by Blueprint Records.  Don't know if it's still available.

I also have the 3 flash albums and like their music quite a bit. Just wondering if anyone knows about this recent release of some live concert recordings? I've noticed it on LP & have been tempted to give it a try but I thought I'd ask some other "flashers" prior. 

Party, party! Where?


Edited by sherrynoland - March 02 2015 at 15:26

Edited by sherrynoland - March 02 2015 at 15:23

"Two Sides of Peter Banks" was made at the same time Flash was recording their third album, "Out of Our Hands".  There was quite a bit of running 'to and fro' going on, and was a sign of the 'splintering' of the band about to take place - the beginning of the end.  

The third Flash album -




Ray played bass on a few tracks on Banks' "Two Sides", as did John Whetton, and Flash drummer, Mike Hough, as well as Phil Collins, and Steve Hackett.  Jan Hammer wasn't on the album -- it was Jan Akkerman of Focus.