Steven Wilson - Solo

[Shawn]

Here is "Track One" from Wilson's upcoming Grace For Drowning album. (the joke is that this song is track 3 on the disc).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP6fqrzsLOM

This album and the new Opeth should help turn the tide on a utterly lackluster 2011.

Edited August 11, 2012 by Shawn

[Aggie87]

I like that very much! Interesting video, too.

I also like the 9 minute long "Remainder the Black Dog" as well, which is the freebie MP3 track they offered up (available if you give them your email address (here).

Looking forward to this album alot! And the Opeth, and the two King Crimson reissues (Discipline and Starless). And the next U2 reissue (ducking), Achtung Baby (available in a 6 cd/4dvd set, yikes!). I happen to think that's U2's peak, and don't care too much for what came after that and Zooropa.

Oh, here's the latest SW Soundcloud freebie offering too, the earliest demo of Disappear, from the Stupid Dream era, but not recorded until Lightbulb Sun.

Another interesting track he put on Soundclock (here) is "Death of Samantha", which was originally a Yoko Ono track on 1973's Approximately Infinite Universe. SW took the Yoko vocals and put entirely new music to it.

[Aggie87]

Also - a nice interview with SW about Grace for Drowning, here.

[Aggie87]

Another SW freebie from the new album, this time it's the radio edit of "Like Dust I Have Cleared From My Eye". Found here.

[Aggie87]

Another video from the new album, for "Index", here.

Also, Gavin Harrison is doing a drum solo on Letterman tonight, as part of "Drum Solo Week".

Edited August 24, 2011 by Aggie87

[Shawn]

I think Harrison is playing here in LA either tomorrow night or Thursday. Thanks for the tip!

[Aggie87]

Here's the video, nice performance!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTcokoyn_HQ

[Shawn]

Awesome performance, love it.

[Aggie87]

Here's the newest video for this album, for Remainder, after Track One and Index. Bring on the album already!!!

Remainder the Black Dog:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDD5i-j1AnY

Index:

[jazzbo]

Yeah, I'm just waiting for the album, I've not listened to any leaked track or watched any videos. Won't be too long.

[BFrank]

Watching those videos, it seems as though our friend, Mr. Wilson, has some "issues" he's trying to work through.

[jazzbo]

I haven't watched these, but that's quite evident from the DVD for Insurgentes.

[Shawn]

from Steven Wilson's facebook page:

20 tracks that I'd been involved in that I was most proud of.

Stop Swimming (PT), Arriving Somewhere But Not Here (PT), Sleep Together (PT), Anesthetize (PT), Heartattack in a Layby (PT), All Sweet Things (No-Man), Returning Jesus (No-Man), Mixtaped (No-Man), 1,000 People (Blackfield), Ghosts on Magnetic Tape (Bass Communion), Pacific Codex (Bass Communion), Abandoner (SW), Salvaging (SW), Veneno Para Las Hadas (SW), Get All You Deserve (SW), Belle De Jour (SW), Remainder the Black Dog (SW), Index (SW), Raider II (SW), Like Dust I Have Cleared From My Eye (SW).

This appears alongside a list of Eclipsed journalists choosing their favorites:

Even Less (PT), Russia On Ice (PT), Blackest Eyes (PT), Trains (PT), Anesthetize (PT), I Drive the Hearse (PT), Octane Twisted (PT), All Sweet Things (No-Man), Things Change (No-Man), Pretty Genius (No-Man), Carolina Skeletons (No-Man), Blackfield (Blackfield), Christenings (Blackfield), Chiaroscuro (Bass Communion), Fie Kesh (IEM), Harmony Korine (SW), Abandoner (SW), Deform to Form a Star (SW), Index (SW), Raider II (SW).

[Aggie87]

Interesting list from SW. And from the journalists. I'm tired of "Trains" though, it's pleasant but not much more, for me.

[Aggie87]

SW has posted 4 live tracks on his soundcloud page, from the current tour - No Part of Me, Deform to Form a Star, Sectarian, and Index.

Get 'em here...

edit - That is to say, they're available for listening, I don't see a download link. Hopefully that shows up soon!

Edited November 11, 2011 by Aggie87

[jazzbo]

Well, I like this album, but I'm disappointed that it doesn't seem to carve the new ground that Insurgentes did (in my estimation) and instead treads water in Progland, water well tread before, and includes a bit of smoothed out Weather Report in spots. Absolutely well recorded and mixed, sounds fantastic in Blu-Ray. I just don't feel passionate about this one the way I do its predecessor. Ah well. Hopefully the next one will knock my socks off.

[Aggie87]

Well, I like this album, but I'm disappointed that it doesn't seem to carve the new ground that Insurgentes did (in my estimation) and instead treads water in Progland, water well tread before, and includes a bit of smoothed out Weather Report in spots. Absolutely well recorded and mixed, sounds fantastic in Blu-Ray. I just don't feel passionate about this one the way I do its predecessor. Ah well. Hopefully the next one will knock my socks off.

I haven't reached a conclusion on this album either way. I'm currently listening to the 3rd disc in the deluxe package - interesting.

I think Wilson's work with the King Crimson reissues has obviously touched him, and contributed to the Weather Report vibe that exists on some of this. I'm not sure that's his forte, but then he's always been sort of a consumer of other sounds that filter their way into his music.

As good as the music is, generally, I could see an argument that Porcupine Tree's last few albums haven't really carved much new ground, either. Though he has advanced every couple of releases in the past, maybe what comes next will be that next step.

[Shawn]

I think his mix of the Opeth record and his remix of Aqualung are the two best things he's done this year. I really like Grace For Drowning, it's kind of a melancholic listen, but that's fine. He has many musical interests, I'm happy to join him for the ride just to see where it takes me.

[jazzbo]

Oh I'll follow him on the path. I'm just less excited by what I see as a resurrection of 'seventies sounds and forms. I really did enjoy prog in the 'seventies, when I was younger and unhappier, but it just fizzled out for me, and this one doesn't have a lot of bubbles. I'm looking forward to the next, I have a feeling it will be different.

[Shawn]

I probably like it because 70's prog is my favorite style of music currently and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

[jazzbo]

I know that's likely. For me jazz is still the best medicine. I lived with Prog when it was new and cutting edge, which is different than how I hear it now, and how I hear recreations of then Prog such as this Wilson. Heavy doses of Prog now makes me feel alternately old and "squirmy." Different strokes!

Edited November 12, 2011 by jazzbo

[Aggie87]

Kinda interesting to be reading a thread over at the SH forum at the same time as SW. Maybe we can get him to join our board and chat about his relatively newfound interest in jazz (based on some of GFD, anyway)?

[BFrank]

Kinda interesting to be reading a thread over at the SH forum at the same time as SW. Maybe we can get him to join our board and chat about his relatively newfound interest in jazz (based on some of GFD, anyway)?

Is that THE Steven Wilson?

Not exactly an unusual name, you know.

[Quincy]

Kinda interesting to be reading a thread over at the SH forum at the same time as SW. Maybe we can get him to join our board and chat about his relatively newfound interest in jazz (based on some of GFD, anyway)?

Is that THE Steven Wilson?

Not exactly an unusual name, you know.

It is indeed. He interacted some in the thread about his album and a little bit elsewhere too. It's kind of scary when people get into talking specs and asking why he had to release on blu-ray rather than DVD-A.

[Aggie87]

Is that THE Steven Wilson?

Not exactly an unusual name, you know.

Yeah, it's him. He was in the Jethro Tull/Aqualung thread there, discussing his remixing of the album. He's also been in the GfD thread.

Edited December 15, 2011 by Aggie87