Anything But Words

When asked by his manager who he would like to work together with musically, RZA responded with Interpol member Paul Banks. When asked about his choice in a 2013 Rolling Stone interview, RZA stated that Banks "just has an energy about him" and that "it [would] be great" if the two were to collaborate.{{cite magazine | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/rza-on-his-new-movies-and-recording-with-paul-banks-20131008 | title=RZA on His New Movies and Recording With Paul Banks | magazine=Rolling Stone | date=October 8, 2013 | access-date=July 5, 2016 | author=Zemler, Emily | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009224358/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/rza-on-his-new-movies-and-recording-with-paul-banks-20131008 | archive-date=October 9, 2013}} In 2011, during which the duo were not planning on making an album together, a demo of material was created with Banks providing vocals over a beat developed by RZA.{{cite web | url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/rza-and-paul-banks-explain-what-the-hell-theyre-doing-with-banks-and-steelz/ | title=Two Music Geeks: RZA and Paul Banks Explain What the Hell They're Doing with Banks & Steelz | publisher=Noisey | date=June 22, 2016 | access-date=July 5, 2016 | author=Jackson, Reed}} The first public mention of the duo's collaborations was made in the same Rolling Stone interview. It was during 2013 that the duo began working on an album together. RZA expected the album to take about a year to finish.{{cite magazine | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/rza-interpols-paul-banks-talk-meeting-in-the-middle-as-banks-and-steelz-20160609 | title=RZA, Interpol's Paul Banks Talk Meeting in the Middle as Banks and Steelz | magazine=Rolling Stone | date=June 9, 2016 | access-date=July 5, 2016 | author=Horowitz, Steven J.}} During 2014, Banks' main project Interpol recorded a studio album titled El Pintor, which was then released in September of that year.{{cite web|url=http://matablog.matadorrecords.com/2014/06/05/coming-september-9-interpol-el-pintor/ |title=El Pintor on Matador Records|access-date=July 5, 2016}}{{cite web | url=http://pitchfork.com/news/55453-interpol-announce-new-album-el-pintor/ | title=Interpol Announce New Album El Pintor | publisher=Pitchfork Media | date=June 5, 2014 | access-date=July 5, 2016 |last1=Minsker |first1=Evan |first2=Zoe |last2=Camp}} The duo wanted to release their material in 2015, but later realized that the material was unfinished.

The duo premiered the album's lead single, "Love and War", featuring fellow Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah, on the Apple Music radio station Beats 1.{{cite web | url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/post/idsa.bbd8ce27-1ddb-11e6-869f-a6c723399088 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923202046/https://itunes.apple.com/us/post/idsa.bbd8ce27-1ddb-11e6-869f-a6c723399088 | url-status=dead | archive-date=September 23, 2016 | title=World First: Banks & Steelz feat. Ghostface Killah – "Love & War" | publisher=Apple Music | date=May 19, 2016 | access-date=July 5, 2016 | author=Lowe, Zane | author-link=Zane Lowe }}{{cite web | url=http://pitchfork.com/news/65553-interpols-paul-banks-and-wu-tangs-rza-are-banks-and-steelz/ | title=Interpol's Paul Banks and Wu-Tang's RZA Are Banks and Steelz | publisher=Pitchfork Media | date=May 18, 2016 | access-date=July 5, 2016 | author=Phillips, Amy}} A video for the song, which pays tribute to a scene from the film Reservoir Dogs, was also released the following day.{{cite web | url=http://pitchfork.com/news/65572-rza-and-interpols-paul-banks-pay-tribute-to-reservoir-dogs-in-love-war-video/ | title=RZA and Interpol's Paul Banks Pay Tribute to Reservoir Dogs in "Love + War" Video | publisher=Pitchfork Media | date=May 20, 2016 | access-date=July 5, 2016 | author=Pearce, Sheldon}}{{cite magazine | url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/banks_and_steelz-love_war_ft_ghostface_killah_video | title=Banks & Steelz "Love + War" (ft. Ghostface Killah) (video) | magazine=Exclaim! | date=May 20, 2016 | access-date=July 5, 2016 | author=Murphy, Sarah}} Details for Anything But Words, as well as tour dates, were released on June 9. Also released on that day was the album's second single, "Giant".{{cite magazine | url=http://www.spin.com/2016/06/rza-paul-banks-banks-steelz-anything-but-words-tour-dates/ | title=RZA and Paul Banks (Banks & Steelz) to Release Collaborative Album, 'Anything But Words' | magazine=Spin | date=June 9, 2016 | access-date=July 5, 2016 | author=Brodsky, Rachel}}{{cite magazine | url=http://www.factmag.com/2016/06/09/interpol-paul-banks-rza-banks-steelz-anything-but-words/ | title=Interpol's Paul Banks and RZA announced new LP, share 'Giant' | magazine=Fact | date=June 9, 2016 | access-date=July 5, 2016 | author=Bowe, Miles}} "Speedway Sonora" was released as the album's third single on July 14.{{cite web | url=http://pitchfork.com/news/66801-rza-and-interpols-paul-banks-share-new-song-speedway-sonora-listen/ | title=RZA and Interpol's Paul Banks Share New Song "Speedway Sonora": Listen | publisher=Pitchfork Media | date=July 14, 2016 | access-date=July 24, 2016 | author=Lozano, Kevin}}{{cite web | url=http://www.stereogum.com/1887520/banks-steelz-speedway-sonora-stereogum-premiere/ | title=Banks & Steelz – "Speedway Sonora" | publisher=Stereogum | date=July 14, 2016 | access-date=July 24, 2016 | author=Trewn, Pranav}} "Sword in the Stone", featuring rapper Kool Keith, was released as the album's fourth single on July 28{{cite magazine | url=http://www.xxlmag.com/rap-music/new-music/2016/07/banks-steelz-sword-in-the-stone/ | title=Banks & Steelz Premiere "Sword in the Stone" Featuring Kool Keith | magazine=XXL | date=July 28, 2016 | access-date=August 3, 2016 | author=Madden, Sidney}} and the album's title track was released as the fifth single on August 12.{{cite magazine | url=http://www.spin.com/2016/08/banks-steelz-anything-but-words-stream/ | title=Banks & Steelz Share Album Title Track, 'Anything But Words' | magazine=Spin | date=August 12, 2016 | access-date=August 15, 2016 | author=Brodsky, Rachel}}

All songs produced by Paul Banks and RZA except where noted. Credits adapted from AllMusic.{{cite web | url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/anything-but-words-mw0002963582 | title=Anything but Words – Banks & Steelz | website=AllMusic | access-date=August 26, 2016}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Anything But Words — {{nobold|CD — digital download{{cite web | url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/anything-but-words/1119641169 | title=Anything But Words by Banks & Steelz | publisher=iTunes U.S. | access-date=July 5, 2016}} — streaming — vinyl{{cite web | url=http://www.fatbeats.com/collections/pre-order/products/banks-steelz-paul-banks-and-rza-anything-but-words-2xlp | title=Banks & Steelz (Paul Banks and RZA) – Anything But Words (2xLP) | publisher=Fatbeats | access-date=July 6, 2016}}}}

| total_length = 55:14

| extra_column = Producer(s){{cite AV media notes|title=Anything But Words|others=Banks & Steelz|year=2016|type=album liner notes|publisher=Warner Bros. Records}}

| title1 = Giant

| writer1 = {{hlist|Paul Banks|Robert Diggs|John Hill|Tom Hull}}

| extra1 = {{hlist|Hill|Kid Harpoon}}

| length1 = 3:52

| title2 = Ana Electronic

| writer2 = {{hlist|Banks|Diggs}}

| length2 = 3:44

| title3 = Sword in the Stone

| writer3 = {{hlist|Banks|Diggs|Nico Fidenco|Keith Thornton}}

| extra3 = Andrew Wyatt

| length3 = 4:50

| note3 = featuring Kool Keith

| title4 = Speedway Sonora

| writer4 = {{hlist|Banks|Diggs}}

| length4 = 4:15

| title5 = Wild Season

| writer5 = {{hlist|Banks|Diggs|Florence Welch|Wyatt}}

| note5 = featuring Florence Welch

| length5 = 4:26

| title6 = Anything But Words

| writer6 = {{hlist|Banks|Diggs}}

| extra6 = {{hlist|Banks|Ari Levine|RZA}}

| length6 = 4:21

| title7 = Conceal

| writer7 = {{hlist|Banks|David Coles|Diggs|Gintas Janusonis|Andrew Kelley|Borahm Lee|Wes Mingus|Arnold Mischkulnig|Kejuan Muchita|Noah Rubin|Josh Werner}}

| length7 = 3:59

| title8 = Love and War

| writer8 = {{hlist|Banks|Dennis Coles|Diggs}}

| note8 = featuring Ghostface Killah

| length8 = 4:09

| title9 = Can't Hardly Feel

| writer9 = {{hlist|Banks|Diggs}}

| length9 = 4:33

| title10 = One by One

| writer10 = {{hlist|Banks|Diggs}}

| length10 = 4:48

| title11 = Gonna Make It

| writer11 = {{hlist|Banks|Diggs|John F. Kennedy}}

| length11 = 5:46

| title12 = Point of View

| writer12 = {{hlist|Banks|Diggs|Clifford Smith|Elgin Turner}}

| note12 = featuring Method Man and Masta Killa

| length12 = 6:31

}}

Notes

{{Notelist}}

References

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{Discogs release|release=8958068|name=Anything But Words|type=album}}

{{Banks & Steelz}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2016 debut albums

Category:Warner Records albums