Two Sides of Peter Banks in Bloomington, MN

For
Two Sides of Peter Banks
, the ex-guitarist from
Yes
gathered an impressive group of guest musicians, including
Genesis
'
Phil Collins
and
Steve Hackett
King Crimson
's
John Wetton
. Most importantly, the whole album was written and recorded with Netherlands guitarist
Jan Akkerman
(of
Focus
). The first six tracks make up a suite (early themes are recapitulated toward the end) ranging from acoustic duets (
"Visions of the King"
) to full-blown instrumental
progressive rock
numbers (
"Knights"
) that bear noticeable similarities with some material
would record for his first solo album
Voyage of the Acolyte
. Some sections (like
"Battles"
) are surprisingly sloppy and show poor production, but overall the material is engaging for the
prog
fan and is worthy of the attention of anyone fond of
's mid-'70s albums.
"Beyond the Loneliest Sea"
is a delicate
Akkerman
tune, while
"Stop That!"
is an extended jam of medium interest (
Banks
trade some nice solos).
is the most
progressive
effort the guitarist released after his departure from
. If it weren't for the star-heavy cast this album would be nothing more than an enjoyable curiosity, but fans of
should find it an important addition to their collections. ~ Francois Couture