[Review] Empire: Mark I (1995)
Genesis 2.24: Therefore a man shall hold fast to his wife and become one Flash.
Kronomyth 1: Run with the foxx.
Peter Banks isn’t the first artist to mistake matrimonial harmony with musical harmony. Empire, Banks’ post-Flash band, is basically Flash Mk. II with a female vocalist who just happened to be Banks’ wife, Sydney Foxx. Prog bands with female vocalists are rare for a reason, as women tend to bring prog’s sci-fi/fantasy imagery down to earth. At least, that’s what happens here on the first Empire album. Foxx writes about love and romance in a voice better suited to country/pop. I think anyone hearing the country-pop Hear My Voice on the Radio would agree that Foxx shines in this setting. Prog fans, however, are much more likely to champion the Flash/Yes soundalikes Out of Our Hands (named for the last Flash album) and the multi-part Shooting Star. The closing Sky at Night, in which Foxx steps out of her comfort zone for spacey sci-fi imagery and sounds, will also please prog fans. The rest of the band does an excellent job of emulating early Yes, with Jakob Magnusson and John Giblin delivering impressive impressions of Tony Kaye and Chris Squire. As for Banks himself, he’s the genuine article, and his guitar playing hasn’t changed much (thankfully) from Yes through Flash to Empire. Unfortunately, fans had to wait 20 years to hear Empire, as this music was never released until One Way added it to their reissue of the Flash/Banks catalog in the mid 90s. It certainly deserved an audience then, still does now, even if it’s a mixed bag (especially in the middle). Peter Banks was always more star-crossed than star; whether that was the result of his depression or the cause of it is open to conjecture. All of us turn to dust or ash eventually, and few of us leave any footprints. Personally, I think Mark I is a laudable feat worth following if you enjoyed the adventures of Flash, with a warning that Foxx’s sultry voice and romantic lyrics often feel out of place.
The Songs
A1. Out of Our Hands (5:40)
A2. More Than Words (7:40)
A3. Someone Who Cares (7:01)
A4. For a Lifetime (2:44)
A5. Hear My Voice on the Radio (3:30)
A6. Shooting Star (13:00)
A6a. Part 1 – From the Top
A6b. Part 2 – Common Ground
A6c. Part 3 – Iceland on the Rocks
A6d. Part 4 – Shooting Star
A7. Sky at Night (9:36)
All music by Peter Banks, lyrics by Sydney Foxx.
The Players
Peter Banks (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Sydney Foxx (lead vocals), John Giblin (bass, vocals), Jakob Magnusson (keyboards, vocals), Preston Ross-Heyman (drums) with Phil Collins (drums, backing vocals), Sam Gopal (tabla). Produced by Peter Banks; engineered by Richard Palmer.
The Plastic
Released on compact disc in 1995 in the US (One Way, OW 31443).
