TONY BANKS INTERVIEW 2: ‘TRESPASS','MUSICAL BOX','SELLING ENGLAND' 'TRICK OF TAIL' 

Both of those songs are epic of course, but Steve and Tony don't play harmony on either of those. He's referring to Los Endos, It, end of Dance On A Volcano, Ikhnaton section of Supper's Ready, The Musical Box, etc.

@@ianbenhamou They do play in harmony on the live versions. That's the ones I was referring too.

The lamia is one of the most beautiful songs ever made, the melody is just sublime.

Return of the Giant Hogweed

Thanks! Glad you’re enjoying it!

Maybe he saw the interview:) But you'll notice most of these guys don't talk that much about the others unless they are asked. Thats partly politeness, self defense, but any musician of that calibre is going to have a bit of an ego.

Steve was a whiner he suffered from mick Taylor syndrome a great guitarist who ends up thinking he should write all the songs

Once you hear it that way, it's difficult to hear it any other way!

He never played electric. He tried to copy parts using a distorted Hohner Pianet.

I think he's more pissed people ASK him so much about it and mention it as if he's an orphan child "Well, Tony wasn't very successful but he's the sound of Genesis". Mike had a couple 'hits' in a band, but he didn't sing, and their main song he didn't write the lyrics or melody. Peter and Phil were the main standouts, and Peter never had commercial success til he had a commercial producer. And his earlier innovative stuff was FAR more original. Somebody mentioned elsewhere some prog band I'd nver heard of and said they always did far more interesting work in the eighties but nobody ever heard of them. So I think the whole commercial aspect is overstated. Often having a hit is an INSULT. For artistic expression Tonys's stuff is BETTER than Phils or Mikes. His main problem was that he wouldn't tour. Particularly in the US, you pretty much HAVE to tour to get your single known. But so much atteniton is on them because of their commerciality, when Steve and Anthony were by far the most prolific ex members. And their work stands out just as much. They just weren't 'hits', even when they tried to be. Commerce really messes up art whenever the two get together.

Thanks. So glad to have the chance to let people enjoy the richness of this interview.

Watch this space ! Give me a couple of weeks or so

@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES Wonderful!

I have done an interview with him. It will be on here soon ..

@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES Awesome . Cant wait to hear it.

To feed your anti- Steve conspiracy theories of course

@@JOHNEDGINTONDOCUMENTARIES Aha!

They are all of course very competitive and therefore not too keen to offer opinions on each other's solo work....

I think he does, thats why he says in his solo work he plays all the instruments....except the drums. But in general I think thats true, but that also worked well. Phil says Tony didn't even notice that apocalypse was written in 9/8, and Phil admits now that he doesn't even know 'how' he did what he composed to go with it. That experimentation is what made them so special, even Mike admits he can't replace a lot of earlier stuff because he can't even remember the tunings anymore.

Why stick with just a word? Later on he gives the man credit for turning Firth of Fifth into the masterpiece it became. The whole Tony hates Steve thing is pure myth

I"d argue the opposite, translating A pilgrims progress to the streets of new york was a pretty cool idea. I think the only other idea was that Mike wanted to do the nutcracker, or some prince story or something. And most of the lyrics to the songs are fantastic. I don't think there is anything really 'wrong' with the album any more than any other album. Listening to it straight through is a pleasure, and the music is great as is the story. Some people have trouble with metaphors, Pink Floyd dumbed them down a lot for the mass audience but in this case they didn't want to. Tony seems to mostly be irked that the songs that COULD have been 'hits' were lyrically unsuitable. Thats a fair comment but thats a MARKETING decision. I think I remember Marillion had that problem after Misplaced Childhood when they did Clutching at Straws and whatsisname did "warm wet circles" as too thinky and racy for it to be a radio hit. Thats a fair enough criticism from the BUSINESS side of things, but I think it kind of insults the audience, many of whom dont follow the lyrics in songs AT ALL. The Lamia which Tony says 'could have been a very pretty song' IS a pretty song, regardless of the snakes. I can't even think of a case where somebody would listen to "The Cage" and go "wait, whats he talking about there in the third verse?" Most songs you can hardly even make out the lyrics. What is always unfortunate about Genesis is that even in the band discussion goes from the music to the market. Radio play and 'hits' are as much marketing and flukes as anything else. Music was never supposed to be an elitist or 'hit making' thing. On the interviews with The Band, its sad to see Leon talk about how he thought 'rag momma rag' should have been a 'hit', while Robbie Robertson points out that 'we were just trying to write a great song and we did'. Because it doesn't make huge money or get radio play really has little to do with the music.