Disco Gecko Recordings: Cat. # GKOCD010
Released September 2009
Track List:
Disk One (studio)
1. Spirit Of The Age (7:17)
2. Starless (11:19)
3. Echoes (22:26)
4. Soufie (Now That’s What I Call 2009) (8:39)
5. Tempra (7:10)
6. Terra Om (5:35)
Disk Two (live)
1. Analogique (6:50)
2. Indecision (6:54)
3. Soufie (Blue Mix) (7:23)
4. Qurna (8:59)
5. China (7:24)
6. Celestine (11:50)
7. How Much Reality Can You Take? (6:36)
8. No Rain (7:37)
9. Drunk As A Monk (7:09)
10. Last Train To Lhasa (7:08)
IN BRIEF: Quite a career.
Geez, can’t Toby Marks release a typical album this decade? Okay, so there’s been three thus far - Igizeh, You Are Here, and Farewell Ferengistan - but there was also the 10 Years retrospective, the remix package to go with that, and now a 20th anniversary retrospective. For those confused as to how a 20-year package can come out a mere seven years after the 10-year one, apparently the very first instance of Banco de Gaia as a name came when Marks initially paired with Andy Guthrie and played a few live gigs way back in ye’ old year of 1989. Fair enough, though considering the last proper album was over three years ago, wouldn’t it be nicer to have some fresh material?
Well, that’s the quirky thing about this release. Technically, this is all new, or at least previously unavailable. The first disc contains a few covers of old prog/space rock songs, plus re-releases of old Banco tunes that were never officially released; the second is all live material cobbled together from various gigs spanning ’92 to ’04. With that, I’m sure Memories Dreams Reflections has the impression of a ‘fans only’ release, which would be doing this album an injustice. True, there probably isn’t much here that would interest someone who isn’t terribly interested in the odds’n’sods development of Banco de Gaia, yet the music is hard to dismiss out of hand.
Besides, it’s been nearly fifteen years since we’ve had a proper live album from the world bank. With so many gigs to choose from though, the only fair way to give ample exposure to Marks’ touring career is to take various tracks from various shows and arrange them into a set itself. CD2 (the live one) certainly is an eclectic assortment of Banco tunes. There’s obvious favorites such as Last Train To Lhasa (given an additional bumpin’ rhythm here, easily making this the best version I’ve heard) and big-beat inspired How Much Reality Can You Take?; live staples like Celestine and Drunk As A Monk, where the Banco band usually gets plenty of opportunity indulge themselves (flutes, saxophones, and guitars, oh my!); a few overlooked gems - Qurna and No Rain - get some deserved re-exposure as well.
And, of course, there’s the early-early tracks: Analogique, Indecision, and Soufie; aside from Soufie appearing on a couple old ambient dub compilations, these have never had a proper release.
In fact, I don’t think Indecision did get a release period, as it doesn’t appear on any of the three Banco tapes. Shame, since this probably would have fit snugly in any number of prog-house DJ sets from the mid-90s, so if you fancy yourself a fan of that sound (hi, J’!), this track will undoubtedly sweeten the deal for you. Analogique is fun too, if anything for IDing various sounds and samples Marks would recycle for later tunes -though obviously the “hardcore, you know the score!” riffs were never seen again.
Speaking of early tracks, gander at disc one where we get three more oldies, here given a modern spit-shine -very modern, in the case of Soufie. Eh, I’m all for hearing that lovely melody again, but this ‘dancey version’ isn’t much to get fussed about - stick with the original (if you can find it) or at least the ambient one on the live disc.
There’s another three oldies on this CD: prog rock oldies! Doing that cover of Pink Floyd’s Echoes for Six Degrees Records Backspin compilation must have inspired Marks some, as not only do we have an extended 22-minute version of that here (with all the noodly prog-ambient sections you can handle) but also King Crimson’s Starless and Hawkwind’s Spirit Of The Age. These are quite well done, especially so Starless which includes a wonderful somber build, though like much of this release will probably only be of interest to fans of Banco.
Anything else? Nah, I say not. Memories Dreams Reflections is a tidy enough collection of obscure Banco, with plenty of material to please followers of Marks’ career. As for casuals, the live disc is the one you should get your hands on. It rounds up a few more choice tunes that weren’t on 10 Years, and is a better overall representation of Banco’s live shows than the Live At Glastonbury album.
Score: 7/10
ACE TRACKS:
Last Train To Lhasa
Indecision
Starless
Written by Sykonee, 2010. © All rights reserved.
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