[YES] Peter Banks' FLASH - Japanese Reissue '2010 (4x 2CD Set: 1972-1973) RE-UP

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[YES] Peter Banks' FLASH - Japanese Reissue '2010 (4x 2CD Set: 1972-1973) RE-UP

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allmusic.com biography:
Born April 8, 1947, in England, Peter Banks is perhaps best-known for his work with the progressive rock band Yes. Those who only see that part of the picture, though, are missing out on quite a lot. Banks first got his start with Yes bassist Chris Squire in the group the Syn. That group made a bit of a name for themselves in England from 1966 to late 1967. Squire and Banks moved to their next group after the Syn disbanded, the band Mabel Greer's Toy Shop. Banks left that group at about the time vocalist Jon Anderson was starting to become a presence on their scene, but it would only be a matter of time until they would work together. Banks went to play for a short time with Neat Change. As fate would have it, though, he hooked back up with Squire and Anderson's Toy Shop. By then, they had added Tony Kaye and Bill Bruford to the lineup and were just ready to embark on a new name for the outfit. The new name and Peter Banks' return were nearly simultaneous, and Yes was born. The group released two albums with Banks. The first of those was the self-titled debut that came out in 1969, the second album was Time & a Word released in 1970. By that time, the group had decided that Peter Banks was not really the guitarist for the band and replaced him with Steve Howe. Banks thus found himself without a musical home.

Undaunted, he formed Flash, a prog band that seemed to carry on in the mode that Yes might have gone had Banks remained. As fate would have it, keyboardist Tony Kaye was the next to feel the growing pains of Yes, and upon his replacement from the group he hooked up with Flash. The band released their debut, Flash, in 1972. They followed it in rapid-fire succession with In the Can (also released in 1972) and Out of Our Hands (1973). A live album, originally a bootleg, surfaced many years later under the moniker of Psychosync. Flash disbanded in 1973 and Banks released his first solo album, Two Sides of Peter Banks, that year. The album featured a rather impressive lineup of Banks, fellow Flash members Ray Bennett and Mike Hough, Jan Akkerman, John Wetton, and Phil Collins.

_ Peter Banks' FLASH - Japanese cardboard sleeve albums collection contains: _

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[YES] Peter Banks' FLASH - Japanese Reissue '2010 (4x 2CD Set: 1972-1973) RE-UP

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Flash - Flash (1972)
2x EAC-FLAC with CUE & LOG - 577 MB | Full Scans - 66 MB | MP3 CBR 320 Kbps - 188 MB
Running time - 41:41 / 41:29 minutes | Arcàngelo / TAMT Co., Ltd., Japan | Cat. # ARC-8020~1

allmusic.com says:
An album that could easily have been called "Son of Yes." With rippling keyboard passages and crackling lead guitar, the sound is less intense and demanding than Yes, but also less interesting.

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[YES] Peter Banks' FLASH - Japanese Reissue '2010 (4x 2CD Set: 1972-1973) RE-UP

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Flash - In The Can (1972)
2x EAC-FLAC with CUE & LOG - 495 MB | Full Scans - 63 MB | MP3 CBR 320 Kbps - 185 MB
Running time - 40:02 / 40:09 minutes | Arcàngelo / TAMT Co., Ltd., Japan | Cat. # ARC-8022~3

allmusic.com says:
If you closed your eyes, there are times when you would swear this is early-period Yes, and it's in that context only where Colin Carter's vocals can be called "eye opening." Without the high-register vocals and harmonies of Jon Anderson, compounded by the absence of Tony Kaye (who left to form Badger), Flash feels like Yes firing on half their cylinders. Of course, Yes even at half-power is better than a lot of things (like Time and a Word, for example). Peter Banks' guitar work, in particular, is terrific, gamboling along in the multi-part powerhouse "Lifetime" and conceding nothing to his counterpart, Steve Howe. Ray Bennett's bass is clearly modeled on Chris Squire, though his instrument fails to interleave with the other sounds as well as it could (sometimes, as on "Monday Morning Eyes," the mix is to fault), and drummer Michael Hough is unleashed to emulate Bill Bruford's athleticism. Carter isn't a bad vocalist, just a little affected (think John Sloman from Uriah Heep) and often lost in the middle of the mix. The lyrics he gets don't give him a whole lot to work with, either. Yet for all the moments where Flash seems to strain to match the complexity that came so natural to Yes, they still come away with much good music. There are individual passages on every song (the opening of "Monday Morning Eyes," the quieter passages on "Black and White") where the band nearly leaves the earth. On "There No More," they actually scratch at the door of the sublime, using Yes' "South Side of the Sky" as something of a template. Even if they couldn't keep abreast of Yes, Flash was following a hallowed path here. Unfortunately, the original Flash albums (and Banks' 1973 solo album) are in sore need of remastering/repackaging, since the One Way reissues are merely adequate.

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[YES] Peter Banks' FLASH - Japanese Reissue '2010 (4x 2CD Set: 1972-1973) RE-UP

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Flash - Out Of Our Hands (1973)
2x EAC-FLAC with CUE & LOG - 467 MB | Full Scans - 64 MB | MP3 CBR 320 Kbps - 154 MB
Running time - 34:08 / 34:09 minutes | Arcàngelo / TAMT Co., Ltd., Japan | Cat. # ARC-8024~5

allmusic.com says:
A loosely organized concept album – an otherworldly prophet is institutionalized, befriends a fellow inmate, and escapes back to his home world – this release is primarily of interest today to Peter Banks fans. Too often the songs appear to be formed around the lyrics, rather than the other way around, and they only really get rolling when Colin Carter steps aside to let the band kick out the jams. "None the Wiser" has some tearing leads by Banks, and "Man of Honour," their strongest track, moves from a phased banjo introduction to fine interplay between acoustic guitar, bass, and tight drumming. But waiting for the four or five worthy instrumental passages on this album may try the patience of most listeners. A note to fans: despite the album's title, Banks's later Empire song of the same name is nowhere to be found here.

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[YES] Peter Banks' FLASH - Japanese Reissue '2010 (4x 2CD Set: 1972-1973) RE-UP

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Peter Banks - Two Sides Of Peter Banks (1973)
2x EAC-FLAC with CUE & LOG - 478 MB | Full Scans - 65 MB | MP3 CBR 320 Kbps - 187 MB
Running time - 41:28 / 41:27 minutes | Arcàngelo / TAMT Co., Ltd., Japan | Cat. # ARC-8026~7

allmusic.com says:
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 and 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 Steve Hackett 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 Steve Hackett's mid-'70s albums. "Beyond the Loneliest Sea" is a delicate Akkerman tune, while "Stop That!" is an extended jam of medium interest (Banks and Akkerman trade some nice solos). Two Sides of Peter Banks is the most progressive effort the guitarist released after his departure from Yes. If it weren't for the star-heavy cast this album would be nothing more than an enjoyable curiosity, but fans of Genesis and Focus should find it an important addition to their collections.