Tony Banks might be a rock legend, but don’t you dare call him a classical composer. “Orchestral is good,” he tells me, sidestepping any hint of pretense. “Classical to me conjures up Bach and Mozart, and I don’t feel I’m quite there yet.” Considering Prelude to a Million Years marks his third orchestral album, he’s closer than he thinks.
Banks has never been the kind of guy to play it safe. From the expansive prog epics of Genesis to his surprisingly lush symphonic compositions, he’s always kept things interesting. But when I ask what draws him to the sweeping sounds of strings and brass, his answer is pretty straightforward: “I love the sound of an orchestra. You can be a bit more expansive – harmonies, structure, longer pieces. It’s a chance to go back to that progressive mentality from the early Genesis days without worrying about writing hits.”
He’s got a point. In the early 70s, Genesis wasn’t exactly chasing the top 40. Songs stretched out, meandered, exploded, and reassembled. Now, decades later, Banks is back to creating without the constraints of pop song structure. “I think you get better at these things,” he says, as though just getting started. One track, “Renaissance,” even resurrects a melody from his film score days that sat on the shelf for years. “Sometimes their moment just comes,” he shrugs.
Naturally, I had to poke the Genesis bear. Phil Collins has been back on stage despite health setbacks, and Banks seems genuinely happy to see it. “A year or two ago, I would have thought he wasn’t going to be able to get out there again,” he admits. “His voice sounds great, and his son is doing a fantastic job on drums – though it’s funny seeing Phil sitting down the whole time.”
As for a reunion? Banks won’t rule it out, but he’s cautiously realistic. “We could get in the same room and find there’s nothing to do,” he muses. “We’re all getting a bit long in the tooth, and who knows if it would actually be worthwhile. But never say never.”
If there’s one thing that still surprises him, it’s hearing his old Genesis tracks and thinking, “God, how did we do that?” Decades later, the music still holds up, and Banks can’t help but feel a little proud. “I’m amazed that we did it and that it sounds convincing. Even now, when the orchestra plays my new pieces, I think, ‘Wow, that sounds great. Where did that come from?’”
For now, Banks is content creating his orchestral epics and leaving any potential Genesis revival up to fate. “I’d love to have someone else take my music and perform it,” he jokes. “I’ve been trying to make that happen for 50 years, but who knows – maybe someday it will.”
Further Listening: Kyle also spoke with Mike Rutherford earlier this year about the Genesis co-founder's other band, Mike & The Mechanics.
