Tony Banks the colonny of slippermen "genesis keyboard"

[@mantra3000]

This is insane. Bottom line. Tony really was at the peak of his superpowers on that record. It never fucking stops.

[@SEBINKU4001]

So right! But he also say that the lamb is his least favorite album.

[@mantra3000]

Really? He actually prefers... Invisible touch to the Lamb? Haha, then it makes Tony the worst Genesis fan ever!

[@MesaTheoryKid42]

+mantra3000 You can find the retrospective interviews from The Lamb on KZbin. From what I remember, Tony said the story just didn't click with him and he like the rest of the band were having trouble dealing with Peter's absences at the time. He still thinks they had some great musical and lyrical moments on the album even though it wasn't his favorite.

[@christiewang1016]

+mantra3000 his fave is Wind, which has a lot keyboard part

[@NS9213]

I think Tony said "Duke" was his Favorite LP, then "Wind".

[@akaski777]

Tony’s keys still touch me today

[@KLanz123]

People wonder why I put Banks ahead of both Emerson and Wakeman. It’s all about melody. Yeah Keith and Rick can play and riff, but Tony’s sense of melody and chord sequences are so compelling.

[@garri5108]

Agree

[@manfredconte4642]

No sé tocar el piano...pero coincido TOTALMENTE contigo. A mí lo que me lleva a Volar son las melodías.! Y las de Tony son Celestiales !

[@awaken77]

Banks is great as songwriter. He is driving force behind Genesis as a composer and songwriter (except lyrics which were mainly by Gabriel). Firth Of Fifth is almost solely Bank's child, including flute and guitar solo parts (he composed the melody which played by Gabriel and Hackett respectively)

[@KLanz123]

@@awaken77 I’d have to add that lyrics weren’t mainly by Gabriel. Firth of Fifth, Cinema Show, Watcher of the Skies, Can-Utility and the Coastliners, White Mountain and others have lyrics that were not written by Pete.

[@jeffhenderson3184]

Agree! Wakeman and Emerson are impressive… but Tony made beautifully melodic music that pierced your heart and soul.

[@markcbb]

Banks is a musical genius .

[@Richard_Jones]

I am convinced the sequencer was only invented because Tony's playing convinced somebody that it had already happened.

[@2visiondigital]

That is a terrific comment, made me smile.

[@santibanks]

I'm learning this piece now and what I've found are a few things: 1) The harmonic framework presented here is actually not so complex and pretty straight forward if you are used to Tony's work. Shifts from major to minor, sometimes adding in a diminished as a transitional/pivot chord, a lot of things Tony had done before and continued to do after. But the way the movement of the chords tell the story of the Slipperman is just fantastic as it is able to present the shift in action and mood very well. 2) Anyone who has played Bach during their piano/keyboard training (Well tempered clavier) straightaway understands this stuff and where it's coming from. Tony is basically breaking up the chords in patterns. A bit like counterpoint. By contrasting these intervals via set patterns, you basically hear the harmony shifting throughout the piece. The difficulty is in the coordination of left and right hands and playing them in time. The tempo is on the faster side for a sustained period of time and making sure all notes line up is what gives the challenge here (especially if you have to play it on the setup Tony had). You also need a bit of basic piano technique to play them correctly and consistently. But nothing too special I'd say (nothing I haven't already encountered in other pieces). But if you are a sloppy player, this piece is going to fall apart (I work with the metronome to get it tight and start slow). 3) Tony sets up a rhythmic counterpoint by playing 4 against 6. It's kind of where the difficulty lies because you get the patterns going in and out of sync as they only line up every bar and it takes a while before you can "hear" how these stack against each other. Funnily enough, this is exactly what is the foundation of King Crimson's music in the 80ies where you have two guitarists playing patterns in different time signatures against each other to create these interweaving patterns. 4) There are a couple of odd time signatures thrown in which you just have to memorize and play along (like the "give me one hell of a fright") 5) What makes this special to me and typical Tony Banks is the restraint and intention. You can argue that both Emerson and Wakeman can play this stuff with ease. Yes they can and probably in double tempo too. But I don't think that they are able to write this because what makes this a very strong composition is the discipline, constraint, and intention embedded in it. The way this moves tells the story in a very cinematic way. The patterns are intentionally like that to create the movement this piece has. It is the absence of more frills which makes it work and tell the story like it is. And that is a certain discipline which I think Tony excelled in. Wakeman f.e. would overdo it with embellishments which distract from the motion and therefor ruin it. (Funnily enough Tony admitted that the reason that he didn't believe Phil played him In the air tonight during the Duke sessions for consideration as a Genesis track is that he would complicate the song and therefor basically destroy it).

[@manfredconte4642]

Muchas gracias por tu detallada explicación. Es un dato más que hace a la Obra.

[@stuartdrury7128]

What he just said!

[@TheOGGameChanger]

Oh my goodness this is such an amazing comment. If you have any more thoughts on additional genesis of music in general, i would love to hear it. I am such a huge old school prog rock fan here and as soon as I saw you describe the tri tone sound of king crimson I just smiled. I’ve watched this video hundreds of times trying to transcribe it to guitar lol that was so much fun when I did it back in 18-19.

[@kayserlein]

Well said! In detail!!

[@spleensthecat1704]

so much detail packed into one comment . . . thanks for the info!

[@2visiondigital]

I know how I feel if i come up with a nice passage, tweaking presets and effects et all. Mr. Banks must of had a lot of great days of creative bliss.

[@angiorosa1]

this video is proof that Tony Banks is a monster of skill

[@OldKingCole77]

A pure genius

[@alanlucas501]

Genesis best album, without a shadow of a doubt. In totality it is a master piece. Absolutely love Lamb lies down on Broadway. It a musical and lyrical feast. Absolutely stunning piano, organ and keyboard playing. LOVE IT!!!!!!

[@rhyshughes3845]

💯 It completely stands alone, ATOTL is a superb album but is the musical and logical successor to Selling England. Weird that the Lamb is so good given neither Banks or Hackett were that engaged in the concept

[@Zerpersande]

Every time I listen to it I seem to find something new. I’ve listened to this for almost 50 years and it’s my favorite album of all time.

[@dannynysus]

​@@rhyshughes3845 ATOTL...A Trick Of The Lamia?

[@MrUsermister]

1:32 left hand in 6/8 right hand in 4/8 !!!!!!!!!!!!

[@stuartdrury7128]

How does someone's brain do that? It's like some drummers. I'm dead envious but totally appreciative

[@bandfromtheband9445]

The RMI Electric Piano sounds so freaking mysterious with the slow Phase shifter. It sounds like it's heaving, or throwing up, but the melody is so incredible. No one had a sound like Tony Banks did back in the 70's and the funny thing was that all of it could have easily been found and replicated, but it wasn't. He was in his own original "territory."

[@garygomes9851]

The RMI and the Hohner Pianet were underappreciated instruments.

[@manfredconte4642]

Amigo : ERES UN GENIO AL EJECUTAR ESTA OBRA. Millon de gracias por hacerlo y compartirlo. La Humanidad es mas buena contigo !!

[@t.seaverphotography9581]

So incredible. I just can't believe a human wrote this.

[@ryanschmit3948]

T. Seaver Photography lmao, Tony isn’t human!!!

[@HerbalistGuybrush]

Lol. Why not?

[@lamecasuelas2]

So what species usually writes stuff like this? Sun fish?

[@bandfromtheband9445]

@@lamecasuelas2 Yes!

[@arthurmee]

@@HerbalistGuybrush He stood under the Fountain of Salmacis and so became the best prog keyboardist ever.

[@FireworkRecordings]

Just absolutely incredible! Such a shame we'll never get to see him play any of this again.

[@AlexAlex-dr9zc]

Anthony Phillips, Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett and Phil Collins had their own solo career with different levels of success , Mike Rutherford had his with Mike + The Mechanics, but Tony Banks' solo carreer was... Genesis

[@ryanschmit3948]

Alex Alex No tony had a solo career just not crazy successful. He had more success there than ant Phillips tho or atleast just as much.

[@Aquatarkus96]

@@ryanschmit3948 Actually as of late his classical career has been pretty successful, IIRC 5 reached the top of the classical music charts. Pretty amazing considering outsiders to classical scenes rarely have much success, but then again this is Tony Banks we are talking about, if any rocker or pop musician could make that switch it would be him or Emerson (rip)

[@CarnorJast1138]

Still the greatest ProgRock keyboardist of all-time! Hell, he's one of the greatest keyboardists of them all!

[@ProgBartleby]

He heads the second tier....after the two greatest...Emerson and Wakeman. This is commonly and widely acknowledged.

[@turbonino]

@@ProgBartleby Tony Banks is a fucking genius from outer space. Emerson and Wakeman can just tie his shoes.

[@RobertKekuna]

They may be technically more proficient and faster but Banks is the best composer amongst the three. And no, Banks is on the same tier, that is generally accepted among progsters.

[@MonoverSusstereo]

I concur!

[@aldenpoole3484]

@@ProgBartleby Emerson certainly had awe inspiring technical ability, but Wakeman and Banks could put compose Emerson easily. I would rate Banks higher than Wakeman in the composition category.

[@polvoazul]

This is too good to be true

[@tomuscle1]

Genesis is a separate entity in music . Human pride for eternity

[@johnsaunders6510]

That’s really fantastic playing. Just shows what a master Tony was/is

[@caramajaka]

Love it! Back when rock musicians actually knew their theory! He was my favorite! Very inspiring!

[@Lachenmann7]

He knew no theory. He never studied music beyond private piano lessons. 😉

[@Rondo2ooo]

@@Lachenmann7 for sure he still knows.

[@ancienbelge]

@@Lachenmann7 with his mother (a piano teacher) - but he did internalize much of the musical language of the classical pieces he studied. He's said in interviews to be especially fond of Debussy, Ravel, Rachmaninoff (that's VERY apparent when you practice some of his parts), and British orchestral composers like Elgar, Delius, and Vaughan Williams (that's very apparent in his orchestral records like "Seven").

[@watchthegamer73]

Right now NO ONE in the industry can write anything remotely close to this song, let alone this entire album! I challenge someone to find me a band in the last 5 years that has done this or something like it.

[@MrUsermister]

... no one has ever built anything even close to Saint Peter Basilica, even in modern times with technology, machines and computers ... just saying

[@brunoprimas1483]

Technology has taken over the ideas for compostion/construction/communication. Too much invested in the technology with too many options. The actual ideas can get lost. For example, newer movies that overdo effects, but seem to be, "light", on story.

[@jmcvcoelho]

Well, Martin Orford from IQ and Jadis sure gave it a try.

[@tommeloman6969]

IQ -the wake ,ever , or Tales from the lush attic . Marillion. -script for a jester’s tear ,and -clutching at straws

[@stevenosullivan3615]

Suppers ready

[@michaelpugh4894]

Tony Banks is master of the keyboards. He is one of the best.

[@Zerpersande]

Reproducing Tony’s compositions is difficult, as seen by most efforts to do so. Even here I think some of the ‘expression’ is lost. Incredible feat though. Truly enjoyed it. But what really blows my mind isn’t all about how well Tony plays. It’s that he CREATED this. And the other members of the band did thecsame with their instruments. Phil’s drums almost talk. And they created it.

[@rayrecordings]

Bravo !! Very glad to see talented people giving Tony Banks the immense credit he deserves.

[@Alun49]

Banks is underrated as a keyboard player. Less a showman and more a composer, he wrote one amazing music.

[@RaelNYC]

Bravo.

[@bandfromtheband9445]

Speechless! I can't believe how awesome Tony Banks really is!!! How does this stuff just roll right out of him?? Kudos to the guy reproducing this!!!

[@WinstonGuitar]

Here's the difference between Tony / Genesis and the other "see how fast I can play" prog gods of the 70's. While Tony, Steve, Phil and Mike were at Headley Grange, away from their families in this dark famed castle made famous by the recording of When The Levee Breaks in that same dim, dank, "studio," Peter was off with his family with his first wife delivering Jill, their first child, born several weeks prematurely, then Peter rushed back to Headley, to write lyrics to this entire beautiful monstrosity slowly shaping up to be something called The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, Peter ensconced himself into a room next to the practice room to write his lyrics, write something that would be cohesive and musical, and fit with the massive piece of music shaping up in the other room. By this time, there was already much talk of Peter leaving the group, but everything came together in time for the album, and in time for the tour, into one of the most breathtaking pieces of music ever recorded.

[@KevStevens-Music-Drums-Art]

Phwarr! How on God's earth did you work all this out? That is seriously top playing. Tony was in a league of his own in the early seventies. In fact so was every individual member of Genesis. They each created and contributed to each other's writing beautifully. It's not until you actually see it like this that it can be fully appreciated. The soundtrack to my life. Thank you for posting.

[@desdevarela]

Increíble talento de Tony Banks para componer esto, pero también es increíble tu talento al interpretarlo de una manera magistral. Excelente !!! miles de veces escuche este teclado en el disco de The Lamb.. y algunas veces he intentado tocarlo pero muy lejos de la performance que vos expones en este video.... bravo !!!

[@TheCoD3Veteran]

I have wrist and finger ache watching this. Literally can’t understand how this is remotely possible to do. Tony Banks is the keyboard 🐐 Genius!

[@bierologeprof.prosten7792]

Tony is a brilliant keyboard player!

[@robloveday4265]

Thanks to this video, this is the first time I've realised in 27 years of listening to this song that half the parts I thoughtTony played on the ProSoloist were actually through the RMI Electra put through a chorus pedal! Genesis = genius, and so is this video. Many thanks!!!!

[@242-f5u]

I played piano for a while, nothing expansive or anything like that. This I can tell you, I could never ever work both hands in sync like this. Not a chance. The concentration needed to do this is immense.

[@JamesEndo1]

This is freaking awesome. Genesis genius still rocks!

[@uckbee]

Tony's classical approach to writing really pays off here and on the rest of 'The Lamb.' Breathtaking. My favorite out of an embarrassment of riches.

[@matteounderhill2245]

Tony Banks, a genious.

[@hans-peter3050]

Outstanding forever.

[@riccardochifari9289]

Best Tony keyboard solos 1)Riding the scree 2)Cinema Show 3)In the cage 4)Robbery assault & battery

[@ProfFLopez]

So perfect dexterity, man you are a master, Tony Banks would be glad to see and hear this, thank you so much for share it in the tube.

[@anthonytoner11]

Sounds fantastic as an instrumental piece.

[@martijnvaassen]

I never had a clue about the left hand part in the verses being so rhythmically complex and super cool. Amazing to keep on discovering new stuff about this song after listening to it so many times!

[@declermartineza761]

I sincerely believe that these, like other pieces, are the most complex of Banks' genius. The recorded performance is incredible. You are u Eres un maestro Sebinku ❤️👌

[@tom4u2c]

Well played

[@proschoolaudio]

Tony Banks...The absolute greatest!!!! Nice job on the performance. I saw Lamb Lies Down live 3 times! Absolutely incredible!!

[@Crichton51]

saw it once. unforgettable. best live show i have ever seen across 40 years of watching the best

[@selppir]

Te admiro hermano por la manera como tocás. Te felicito!!! Tony es un tecladista verdaderamente realmente increible!!!

[@NS9213]

I could listen to this all day. There's just something about the SOUND and Tone of this that's just so Hypnotic. Banks sure knew how to mix and match his sounds to form an incredible palette to listen to and enjoy!

[@mease512]

Agree, it was occasionally given some column inches in articles at the time and there were some deeper pieces on how he got his sounds, but I seem to recall Mr B never gave much away and actually now it would be really interesting to hear him talking a lot more about his programming/experimentation, his success with early sampling tech and his motivations re sound. He was/is 'quiet and reserved' about most things but in my humble opinion has a lot to share and inspire around this area of his great work. Mr B if you are listening please tell us more!

[@ignamax08]

This is a HELL of a song

[@SirDonovanAston]

Thank You

[@losendosultimategenesis]

Absolutely phenomenal playing, have never attempted this piece but this would be invaluable to learn!! I had no idea it is so complex and certainly the most difficult I have seen Banks write. Thanks so much for this!

[@AdiMercury]

Los Endos every Tony composition is complex. He is such a genius, and I can't believe that he went full retarded with Invisible Touch

[@PLATOON72]

Hell! I though it was really Tony Banks in a documentary until I've seen the guy's face XD This video shows how much complex those arrangements were; personally I can't understand how someone can reach such complexity in a composition...

[@ChristianSchonbergerMusic]

Great playing and the sounds are spot-on! The more I get into Tony's playing (in the '70s I should mention) the more I discover how insanely complex and difficult, yet perfectly fluid it was. I got a lot of eye rolling or sarcastic comments from some "trendy-artsy jazz virtuoso" guys (I had the misfortune to work with) when I mention Tony Banks. Well I am more than happy to see musicians from everywhere who know better - and go to the trouble to actually transcribe and learn every note and sound. This is ace and right up there with the very best keyboarders from top Genesis tribute bands!!! Thanks for sharing!

[@ChristianSchonbergerMusic]

+feralapple You mean that my time signature in the avatar should be "C" (=common time)? Perhaps, but I prefer the more pleasing looking 4/4 alternative spelling (preferred by Berklee teachers btw.). :-) As a Genesis fan I might change that one day to 7/8 (an often used time sig) or 9/8, which is even part in a name of a movement in "Suppers Ready", but of course you know all that. I mean it. :-)

[@ChristianSchonbergerMusic]

+feralapple I know. :-) I took it both as being a joke (as in: funny) and I decided to take it at face value (cheesy Phil Collins pun intended) and elaborated - just for the fun of it. :-)

[@PLATOON72]

Christian Schonberger trendsy-artsy jazz virtuosos are just fucking tramps.

[@ChristianSchonbergerMusic]

PLATOON72 Yep, I know. Too many of them though.... annoying.

[@PLATOON72]

Christian Schonberger yes. They have destroyed my dream to make a band for playing this. Bastards.

[@pianochops8056]

Amazing... such a busy left hand as well in this and others of Tony’s compositions....

[@therealslipperman8700]

Great job with a modestly tricky piece of music. I love this era of Banks work. He really was stretching his legs almost continuously. Being the insanely competitive bastard that he is, I suspect he was trying to get some recognition from the "keys chops" prog crowd of the time. Which is great and our gain. The Lamb is his most daring and creative effort IMHO. Fun to hear it authentically reproduced and displayed.

[@yaybestos]

Modestly tricky.....

[@Eleventhearlofmars]

Insanely tricky ffs

[@DanielGonzalez-eq4ow]

OH MY GOD! AMAZING ! TONY IS BEYOND THIS REALITY! FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION !

[@hillshepherd9444]

Can't get much better than that. EXCELLENT !!!!!!!

[@Mag777Nus]

In "The Lamb..." , Tony Banks did 60/70% of the sound of this record

[@mylousjakes9702]

J S Bach in modern times...

[@psalmsurfer1]

pretty much..you can hear his Bach/classical influences on the intro of Timetable from Foxtrot

[@MrUsermister]

@@psalmsurfer1 ... all the progressive movement is classic music

[@bodobahia]

Exactly, I think it must be the spirit of Beethoven.

[@jayarnbert6137]

Kids of today...wake up and take note

[@pataleno]

3:58 he must have been on something when he composed that.

[@kahaula32]

Awesome! I appreciate this song even more now, and it was already my favorite.

[@ignamax08]

You got to be a genius to compose 1:17 , absolutly gorgeous

[@bandfromtheband9445]

At 1:17, it's a stunning and beautiful piece (or passage) of music!

[@RaelWander]

This is beautiful! I get to appreciate one of my favourite tracks on The Lamb a bit more now.

[@geoffreydowen5793]

just frigging beautiful and awe-inspiring best album saw it live in bham England in the 70's now 64 and it's still fucking magic

[@musiquemillet]

Thank you so much for sharing. I now have the clue to what I've been listening for years

[@awaken77]

Perfect! Great playing skills, it's one of the hard tunes to learn

[@aleister9721]

el-mejor-organista-de-rock-progresivo-lejos

[@Eleventhearlofmars]

Fantastic my friend, it always amazes me the complexity of Tony's playing on some of the earlier pieces, it just blows me away how beautiful it really is

[@patrickmitchell7351]

Absolutely brilliant!!!

[@MrUsermister]

... can you imagine composing this, and many others, presenting the music to the band, and play it spot on for 2 hours every night on tour ... and then another album !!!

[@liamako]

Tony is a monster! He was 24 at the time too. Astonishing piece of music, this.

[@joserobertodossantosvieira2320]

Tony Banks: monster of keyboards!!!

[@pierpaolocatapano6574]

I go crazy for "Slippermen"! Genius!

[@akaski777]

Still blows my mine 40 years on

[@freetv77]

That was amazing. Amazing. So very well played. I've listened to that song 100+ times, and never appreciated everything Tony Banks wrote and PLAYED at this level of detail. I'm blown away at your playing, and even more amazed (and I didn't think that was possible) at the "note detail" and just sheer musical (Bach-level) genius of Tony Banks. Thanks very much for posting.

[@squonkk]

Absolutely brilliant

[@hillshepherd9444]

First of all, Genius Writing !!! {Tony Banks} Second, how anyone can copy that, that well, is beyond me! GREAT JOB !!!!!!!!!!! From someone 9 years later, & a huge Genesis fan when in my teens. {63 now}

[@jacquesperrotte9599]

Bravo !!!!!

[@robertwyatttube55]

Eccezionale esecuzione 👏👏👏

[@SRNF]

Great playing. I had to watch it twice more, nice cover mate.

[@RProgressive]

Thank you!

[@AzimuthTao]

The level of musical genius it takes to compose this kind of music is often overlooked because it was a genre that most people ignored. I'm so glad that I discovered "The Lamb" when I did. It changed not only the way I listen to music but it influenced my entire life with the understanding that art can be pushed to the levels beyond what is considered possible.

[@philipmastman1098]

Very well done! Great playing... And thanks for shooting it in a way that we can really see how you played it!

[@RProgressive]

Thank you! Actually, one of my biggest concerns was trying to record the video with angles that show how to play, especially what the left hand does.

[@pataleno]

How the f@ck are you expected to write lyrics around these keyboards passages banks played on this track ? Gabriel was also an absolute amazing Genius. These guys were like 24.

[@Delphi333]

Awesome! Great job! Thanks for posting!

[@Rafael.Silva_]

Delphi333 ;)

[@sgoodwinca]

Wow, this is awesome! Do more of these please! :)

[@Lord-Elpus]

To be able to play all this, I salute you, good man!! To be able to compose something like this? Holy moly, what a gift.

[@cedricbablet9429]

Ah Tony, éternel respect.

[@danburnes722]

This is as good as anything that Philip Glass ever composed.

[@funklover24]

Oh damn I really love these sounds!

[@psalmsurfer1]

1:30 reminds me of Tonys intro on Timetable from Foxtrot..that Bach classical feel he loved

[@alvogeljr]

You deserve 1 billion likes on this one. Great job

[@RProgressive]

Thanks, man! ☺

[@drzirkle]

This is excellent! Thanks!

[@awaken4945]

this is soooooo good well dune PERFECT

[@jeffbillingsworth392]

Really great line in the left hand!!

[@ianbetts5031]

What kind of idiot gives this a thumbs down. I feel sorry for anyone that can't appreciate this amazing music. The lamb lies down is easily the best album ever made.

[@pjost6643]

What type of keyboards did he use? You’ve got the exact sound! Perfect! Wow

[@RProgressive]

Olá. Eu usei alguns VSTs, como Sonic Synth 2 e Hammond B4. Abraços.

[@Per.G.Andersson]

Please do More genesis

[@michaelggood]

This is incredibly original.

[@pthomas36]

This must be one of the most demanding Genesis songs for Tony to play. Top three for sure. It's nearly impossible to play it with the right phrasing and timing. Admirable job done here though!

[@raymondvaughan6262]

And to think he did this live some now can't even press buttons live

[@Rel6956]

Beyond excellent!