What does it sound like?:

The last time I reviewed anything for the Afterword was Wilson’s The Harmony Codex and whilst my thoughts on it were overall very positive it’s subsequently gone on to be one of my favourite Steven Wilson albums, second only to Hand. Cannot. Erase. There’s a huge variety of musical influences and landscapes on that album occasionally dipping into the more straightforward stuff from To The Bone or The Future Bites but largely it’s the more left-field music on that album which pulls me to it and it’s one that I’ve returned to regularly over the last 18 months.

The Overview has been heralded as a return to Prog roots for Wilson (or derided as being neither one thing or the other depending on what other reviews you pay attention to) but the truth is that this album, once you get past it being 2 lengthy single tracks, is much more of an evolution of THC rather than an about turn or diversion

The theme. (If it’s Prog, there has to be one!) Is the effect on individuals who go into space of seeing the earth from that perspective. Apparently, this generally hits people in » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

More a word of warning than a review. Released on CD for the first time, this is a recording of a radio broadcast of a live performance of TB from very shortly after its release and I was interested primarily due to the musicians involved (see below) and, of course because I love this album.

• Mike Oldfield – Lowery Organ, Bass, Acoustic and Electric Guitar and Mandolin. • David Bedford – Grand Piano, Accordian, Organ, Choir Master, String Arrangement. • John Greaves – Farfisa Organ, Electric Piano, Tin Whistle • Fred Frith – Electric and Bass Guitars • Tim Hodginson – Organ, Electric Piano, Fender Rhodes • Mick Taylor – Electric Guitar • Steve Hillage – Electric Guitar • Pierre Moerlen – Glockenspiel, Timpani, Tubular Bells, Gongs, Cymbals, Tam Tam • Steve Broughton – Drums • Ted Speight – Electric Guitar • Kevin Ayers – Bass • (and others that I am rudely missing off the list)

If it sounds like there’s a “but” coming, it’s because there is. I did buy this but I might not have done if I’d read the Amazon reviews – the “digitally remastered” recording is not great » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

I can’t really comment on the sound quality as I’ve been living with this as a 192k stream for the last couple of weeks but I’ve got the Blu-ray coming soon and I can’t wait to hear it in full quality and especially the Atmos mix which should be fantastic.

What does it all *mean*?

Or…Steven Wilson in return to form shocker Which would be an unfair sub-headline as he never really lost “form” but if, like me you were hankering after a return to the spirit, musically if nothing else of “The Raven…” and “Hand. Cannot. Erase” then you are not going to be disappointed by this album.

Any artist who specifically wants to push his own boundaries isn’t going to please all the people all of the time and there’s nothing wrong with the last two albums per se but I don’t go back to “To The Bone” ever and after an initial flurry, I think “The Future Bites” is patchy. Wilson himself has said that TTB was an homage to ’80s art pop and TFB was his streamlined electronic pop record. Wilson is proud of every album being different in style » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

I’ve put off writing a review of this because a) I was hoping someone else might do it and b) I loved her last album, Golden Hour, so much that I wanted to be absolutely sure about how I felt about this one before I committed myself. Golden Hour is probably my favourite album of the last 10 years and shamefully wronged in not winning our Album of the Year poll. It’s the result of an artist on top form backed up with a production team that understand what her songs and her voice need to maximise their impact. She’s moved from pop-tinged country to country-tinged pop over the 4 albums but she’s never fully had a foot in either camp, however, musically or lyrically. She hit a peak with Golden Hour – sublime melodies and a production that wraps around the essence of the songs and THAT voice and won’t let you out.

Someone cleverer than me said about Golden Hour – “The mystical grandeur of Golden Hour creates a magnetic effect as Kacey Musgraves sings simply about the world as if she’s the first person to notice, and you’re the first one she’s » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

One thing that can be said for Steven Wilson is that he never stands still. Anyone who’s involved in so many bands, projects, side-projects and work for other artists is always going to be hard to pin down and that’s clearly the way he likes it.

That, of course, can have potential downsides, especially from a commercial point of view and there’s no guarantee that if you liked any of his previous work, you’re going to accept the next thing that comes along. I presume this is a risk that Wilson doesn’t care about as there’s either a) a pleasing progression over his last few albums as he gracefully changes tack and develops as an artist or b) an unwelcome move away from the more prog-tastic work of his earlier career as he chases a bit more commercial success. You’re going to have to pick a side with this new album.

‘Hand. Cannot. Erase’ is peak Wilson for me so far and this new album doesn’t change that. It continues the move towards generally shorter, more traditionally commercial pieces that started with ‘To The Bone’ and there’s no doubt that there are several » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

This is series of about 20 books but I’m singing the praises here of the superb Radio 4 dramatisations that I discovered about 18 months ago and have been working my way through. The stories revolve around Charles, an actor now well out of the first flush of his career. Charles has all the cynicism of someone steeped in a profession that hasn’t delivered on its promises to him and yet he remains utterly in love with, as well as he tries to hide it at times. Charles has such a knack of being wrapped up in murder and intrigue that these could have been called Midsummer Mummers as the body count grows in each series of 4 episodes.

What does it all *mean*?

That might put some of you off as it sounds like standard potboiler fayre but the ace in the hole here is Bill Nighy as Charles who brings a warmth and humour to the part and the scripts that lift these way above routine Afternoon Play Radio 4 material (good though those can be, of course). The supporting casts are never less than good but it’s Nighy who makes it » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

I’d better make it clear right from the start that there is just no way for me to be completely objective about this album but I’ll do my best in light of this 2020 reissue

For anyone for whom the name doesn’t mean much, the potted history is as follows: late 70’s five Mancunians all around 20, move in similar circles with Barney and co. from Joy Division but in a band making music very different to them. Quickly became the next big thing in all the music press, released a couple of singles then, most importantly, “Time Goes By So Slow” on Factory but then signed by Island (the same day as U2, possibly) and this album, the first and only album, released by them. Dropped by Island for poor sales of the album, released another EP but then split up. The band did get back together over 30 years later and have since released two further albums but they’ve made no pretence to try and recreate the music of their first stab and they’re very different albums, which is to their credit in my view.

Nobody’s Perfect was only ever released on vinyl » Continue Reading.

What does it sound like?:

`Listen to my canny old folk-songs; they lilt and tilt into the dank alley, into the howls of strays.’

(from ‘The Newcastle Sequence’)

DREAMING NORTH was the first fruit of an innovative Northern-based collaboration between jazz musicians and writers: Rick Taylor (trombone), Paul Flush (piano), Keith Armstrong & Graeme Rigby (poetry).

The poems weave together strands of vision and experience; of history and the `men of mark’ that shaped the North of England; of the political and social forces, the industries and ordinary lives that shape it now; images, landscapes and people; rough comedy and emotional strength.

The music, richly textured, constantly plays off the words, off the stories, developing and pursuing ideas, evoking the moods: it draws on a range of popular music forms, on traditional folk melodies, on hymn tunes, even film music. What it creates is something new.

`Climbing up Penshaw Hill Looking down: The North laid out Panoramic.’

(from `Motordreams’) released October 14, 2019

Rick Taylor (trombone), Paul Flush (piano), Graeme Rigby (poet and writer), Keith Armstrong (poet and writer)

Recorded at Strawberry Studios, Stockport by Richard Scott 1986 ‘Ralph Wood’ recorded by John Sylvester, Cluny Studio, Newcastle.

A taster:

» Continue Reading.