THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: Steven Wilson (Page 1 of 2)

STEVEN WILSON – The Raven That Refused To Sing

March 16, 2023 /

This is one of my favourite albums ever. Six songs spread over four sides, this is as good as it gets. Now, I’ll admit I don’t play the vinyl very often, I usually play the surround sound because it’s just insanely sonically brilliant, so it was a pleasant surprise for this one to pop up today. This album, and the one that came next (Hand Cannot Erase), are Wilson’s finest achievements of all that he has done – including Porcupine Tree’s Fear Of A Blank Planet which I also hold in high regard. It helps when you have an amazing band, and in Marco Minneman and Guthrie Govan you have two musicians who are at the top of their game. Forget Pink Floyd, Yes, and King Crimson this is the best progressive album you will ever hear.

Starting off with the incredible Luminol which starts with an incredible instrumental groove that lasts for ages before the vocal kicks in, only for the insane instrumental groove to return. I mean, how good is that to open an album with? That’s side one done.

Drive Home, which there is an incredible stop motion animation video for, is such an incredible emotive song that will have tears coming to your eyes when the song reaches the incredible crescendo of Guthrie Govan’s guitar solo. My favourite track is The Watchmaker. This song just builds, and twists, and turns until again that incredible guitar solo just blows you away.

The whole album is based around ghost stories and the eeriest of them all is the title track which just send shivers down your spine. The Holy Drinker and The Pin Drop are very similar tracks in feel and vibe, but also incredible with a heavier vibe than the rest.

Steven Wilson is an incredible artist for sure but some of his warblings in recent interviews have been annoying to say the least. To say the guitar is a dead instrument is the one that irks me the most, especially when it has been such a stand out on all his material.

I digress, this gets (as did the Van Halen first album)…

1000/10 from The Grooveman.

STEVEN WILSON – Grace For Drowning

May 14, 2021 /

I think I have mentioned this before, but SW is one of my favourite artists around today. I feel very lucky that he keeps pushing and challenging himself creatively to come up with fresh ideas and trying not to repeat himself. He calls this phase his Jazz period – there are definitely elements like that within these groves. Although for every jazz reference, there are more nods to King Crimson, whose back catalogue he was remixing for deluxe editions at the time of writing this record.

Tracks like Sectarian and Raider 2 are epic pieces of music that take the listener on a journey of discovery, and at times are very challenging pieces. Then there are really beautiful tunes like Deform To Form A Star and Postcard that are very accessible and are songs your Mum would like. No Part Of Me is one of my favourite SW tracks, as it has a beautiful almost serene beginning and then (in classic SW style) the dissonant heaviness interjects. Awesome track! The very eerie Remainder The Black Dog is a delightfully, dark, menacing tune – and again with the discordant tones towards the end. Killer tune! One of my favourite SW songs is a menacing tune about serial killers called Index. This time it has that dark electronic tone and groove to create the sinister vibe. I never tire of hearing this, and I love the way it’s developed in the live setting. I’ve already mentioned Raider 2, but I would have gladly paid for this track alone. From the solitary low end tones of the piano, to the manic guitar crunch towards the end, I don’t know anyone who could come up with music like this. Stunning! Then right at the very end of the album, following that supreme darkness of Raider 2, is a beautiful little piece called Like Dust I Have Cleared From My Eye. Only SW would do that.

If you like albums that keep on giving…you know the rest.

10,000/10 from The Grooveman.

STEVEN WILSON – The Future Bites

March 9, 2021 /

This album was due to be released last June. There should have been an arena tour throughout Europe to promote it – with his biggest production yet – but due to the pandemic it was not meant to be. When the first single dropped, Personal Shopper, all the so-called fans were up in arms about how poppy and un-Prog it was. A quick search on the majority of the haters, one would see they have only been interested in Mr. Wilson’s output since around the Raven period, and were oblivious to his previous output through his various projects. In the beginning, before SW solo or Porcupine Tree, there was No-Man – basically a indie/synth pop duo. Sound familiar? He has also mentioned in interviews, on numerous occasions, that he does not want to repeat himself from album to album, and wants each release to be different. Again, people are not paying attention!

Each of his solo albums have been different and have progressed with each release, the true definition of a progressive artist. There was always a nod to the previous release somewhere on each release. The reference point from the last album to this one would be Song Of I with the electronic pop feel. I’m not going to dissect each song, as that won’t achieve anything. I will say my two favourite songs are Eminent Sleaze, and Personal Shopper – with the hilarious inclusion of Elton John doing the spoken piece. I will say that this album should be heard as a whole – it makes a lot more sense if you do. It is a wonderfully crafted album that deserves your attention, albeit short at 39 minutes. The production is incredible, and if you buy the surround sound version, as well as a raft of extra tunes, there is a Dolby Atmos mix which even sounds incredible with the headphones on.

Is it his best release to date? Well, the short answer is no – as nothing could beat Hand Cannot Erase, but it’s up there as one of his best – it’s just a different listening experience. Buy this, don’t believe the haters.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

STEVEN WILSON – Hand Cannot Erase

February 16, 2021 /

!WARNING! This is in my top ten records EVER!!! Prepare for a gushing review.

This is SW’s 7,000,000th release across a myriad of projects, but technically it’s his 4th studio release as a solo artist. The concept and idea behind this album is pretty amazing. There was a lady called Joyce Carol Vincent whose body was found in her apartment badly decomposed. She had been laying there for over two years. I know what your thinking, she was an old lady that was alone, but no, she was a 35 year old women with family and friends. The album uses this as inspiration and is told from the female perspective.

There is not one second on this album that I do not love. Everything from the writing, production, playing and the art is just amazing. The songs have so much depth and emotion put into them. This was also the best line up he had with him. Guthrie Govan, Marco Minneman, Nick Beggs and Adam Holzman is a killer line up of muso’s, and they give everything to the songs. Guthrie’s contribution on Home Invasion/Regret#9 is worth buying the album alone. Incredible playing! Marco brought so much to the table here. Each song was given that little something extra that I’m not sure your average drummer could have done.

Listen to the whole piece from the beginning and I can guarantee that when you get to Happy Returns you will be in tears. Such a beautiful piece. I know there have been 2 albums released after this masterpiece, and they are both good in their own way, but put them along side this, and they have big shoes to fill. The surround sound version of this is incredible, and if you are lucky enough to have the deluxe box set, the artwork and detail is incredible. If you are somewhat unsure of where to dive into SW’s vast catalogue then you should jump in here. I guarantee you will be blown away by the sheer quality of this album.

10/10 from The Grooveman.

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