as banal as the telling may be 
(ROOT (ADJP (ADJP (RB as) (JJ banal)) (SBAR (IN as) (S (NP (DT the) (NN telling)) (VP (MD may) (VP (VB be)))))))
(ROOT (ADJP (ADJP (RB ) (JJ )) (SBAR (IN ) (S (NP (DT ) (NN )) (VP (MD ) (VP (VB )))))))