Steven Wilson - New Music Coming? (2020?)

[aith01]

I liked this idea much more when I thought ol’ Steve was merely being ‘ironic’ and it wasn’t actually a ‘thing’.

My bad.....

It could still be ironic I suppose.

[mozo-pg]

I'm definitely in for the new album.

[Steve F.]

It could still be ironic I suppose.

$10k wipes out ANY sense of irony, dude....

[aith01]

$10k wipes out ANY sense of irony, dude....

It does blow my mind that anyone would spend 10 stacks on any album, but especially a Steven Wilson one.

[taliesin]

This guy bought the £10,000 limited edition (of one) boxed set of the new album. That's what, about $13,000-$14,000 U.S. dollars?

You know this was to raise money for the Music Venue Trust charity right?

[Marco]

This guy bought the £10,000 limited edition (of one) boxed set of the new album. That's what, about $13,000-$14,000 U.S. dollars?

Never have I seen something so cringeworthy, and I'm a prog rock fan.

[aith01]

Never have I seen something so cringeworthy, and I'm a prog rock fan.

What exactly is cringeworthy about it?

[JKL2000]

Thank you so much for sharing this interview - what an excellent piece of journalism.

As a longtime fan, I've enjoyed the SW trip with all its twists and side projects, but I have wondered whether TFB will be the album that gets a couple of spins and then shelved. However, this interview has given me a lot of insight into how the music has been constructed, and I'm now very interested.

Apart from a the briefest one-off listen to Personal Shopper when it came out last year, I've steered clear of anything to do with the promotion and singles, and when the cd arrives next week, I'll be sitting down and listening to it completely new and in one complete album session.

Same with me, except while I became something of a fan a long time ago (before Signify was released), I was a pretty casual fan until just before The Raven... was released. I wasn't into the P Tree "Metal" stage at the time, although I was into Opeth, and saw P TRee tour with Opeth, but wasn't very into P Tree's set. I've still never listened to Deadwing. I really liked TTB from the start - it's a great headphone album.

I've listened to most of the pre-release tracks once or twice, but that's it. I just checked and I did receive a tracking number for my limited edition, which is due to arrive on Wednesday. Boy, a lot has happened since I placed that order!

I am glad if you enjoy them.

Sorry, you're going to have to take a lie-detector test to verify that statement!

[aith01]

I really liked TTB from the start - it's a great headphone album.

Same here, and I agree about it being a great headphone disc. I listened to TTB on headphones almost constantly after it came out, while playing puzzle games on my Nintendo Switch. It's one of my most-listened to Wilson albums actually.

[JKL2000]

Same here, and I agree about it being a great headphone disc. I listened to TTB on headphones almost constantly after it came out, while playing puzzle games on my Nintendo Switch. It's one of my most-listened to Wilson albums actually.

I listened to it on headphones every night for a while, doing nothing but looking at the big book it came in (the deluxe edition). All his "solo" albums have been great headphones albums (I also really like "The Incident"; not sure why people had such a bad reaction to that one, but that's another thread, than I'm sure already exists!). We'll see about TFB. I think some of the tracks we've already heard will sound better on headphones than on my laptop's speakers, but I don't know if that will help enough. But I think he's released too many advance tracks, and the other session tracks. Better just to wait and take in the real album in one sitting. Then I'll decide thumbs up or down. About that $13,000 deluxe-deluxe edition, I think it's more along the lines of performance art. It's nice that the guy was willing to donate the money, and also to play along and make an unboxing video, which I'm guessing Steve and Co. suggested to him that he do. So I don't find it cringeworthy, although I do believe the guy is a Wislon uber-fan.

[Sunlight Caller]

I see that the deluxe edition, limited to 5,000 boxes, is almost sold out, so add in all of those limited edition red, white vinyls and he’s sure to get number one. I broke the deluxe box set habit with the last one, but sounds like I missed a good one. I read the hype this morning about it being close to selling out and nearly pressed buy. I’m not ever sure I like it well enough yet!

[Sean]

Is there any place online to just buy the album and download it?

[Frumious B]

Is there any place online to just buy the album and download it?

Qobuz: https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/th.../e1mm370i2unma

CD resolution is $11.49 or you can get 24/96 for $13.49.

[polmico]

Listening to the album now. First time hearing any of these songs. Sounds fine to me. More sort of weird electro pop from Wilson is not a bad thing. I don't imagine it'll be my favorite album of the year, but I wasn't expecting it to.

[Kcrimso]

This is how I rank Steven Wilson solo albums:

1. The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories)*(2013) *****-
2. Grace for Drowning (2011) ****½
3. Insurgentes*(2008) ****+
4. Hand. Cannot. Erase.*(2015) ****
5. To the Bone*(2017) **½
6. The Future Bites*(2021) **+

[Steve983]

^^^

Mine if I included his mini album would be

1. Grace For Drowning
2. Hand Cannot Erase
3. The Raven
4. 4 1/2
5. Insurgentes
6. To The Bone
7. The Future Bites

[mnprogger]

It doesn't hurt it much, but there is a clear simiarity between 12 Things I Forgot and Lazarus.

It's in the same key at points.

Also my wife's observation when hearing this album:

"Personal Shopper needs to be remixed and played in the Clubs (when Clubbing happens again).

Yes, things were better in the 80's

I don't want to like your music"

[Paulrus]

"Personal Shopper needs to be remixed and played in the Clubs (when Clubbing happens again)."

I may catch flak for this, but I suspect the new Mrs. Wilson was an influence on SW in that regard.

"I don't want to like your music"

[jkelman]

I'm not bothered by SW's change of direction and have been thinking for at least 10 years that it could be interesting if he added more electronics to his sound.

Yet, after a couple of spins, my first impression was that the songs were rather unremarkable, more surface than substance.

Now after 3 or 4 spins, it looks like the substance is slowly starting to reveal itself.
So, for what it's worth, it could be a grower and I'm not writing off this album yet.

I received my Deluxe addition yesterday and, while I must say that of all the deluxe editions he's released since Grace for Drowning, this is the only one where I feel a little ripped off. The others had so much great artwork and, in the case of Hand Cannot Erase, the scrapbook nature of it for the woman who's the subject of the album was really terrific. This one, while suiting the album's message, shouldn't have been this expensive. Sigh.

That said, I've had an advance of the record, and sorry, no review this time...my absence here included, I've been consumed by work on my Crimson book, between dealing with too much bureaucracy over turning 65 this Friday and some particularly bad bouts of CFS. I like it a lot. Even if it appears to be a shift for him, his innate lyricism still shines through at many points on the record. The same guy who wrote the track to The Raven has delivered a couple of deeply moving, albeit more atmospheric, tracks here and even the "dance" tunes are appealing. Listening to the high res instrumental mixes now, and it's definitely worth hearing the music without the vocals to really suss out what's going on.

Anyway just a quick weigh-in as I think Wilson is turning into one of those artists who you can count on to deliver consistently fine albums, regardless of what's moving him at any given moment. Sure, I like some albums more than others, but there's not a single album he's released since Insurgentes that I would consider to be anything less than excellently crafted and, in some way, shape or form, eminently appealing.

[moecurlythanu]

^ Since I won't remember day of, Happy Birthday in advance, John.

[Progtastic]

Anyone heard the bonus tracks on the Deluxe edition? Any hidden gems?

[AncientChord]

The other day I visited a friend who just got TFB. He knows that I will hate this release, but encouraged me to give it a spin. I said ok, I have an open mind. Well my friend was spot on about my reaction. It was not taken well because my ears are prog ears, not electronic disco dance and pop music ears. What a huge disappointment for me, and much worse than I had originally imagined. I've always been a prog head since the 1970's and pretty much loathe pop music, especially today's pop. I'm an original prog-snob. IMO the last time pop was great was in the 1960's. Of course SW can choose any direction in music that he wishes, but this isn't for me. It saddened me, thinking what a shining light he has been in the modern prog world. I told my friend that I believe SW was pulling a Genesis, and on the way to losing thousands of loyal prog fans. Or maybe his creative juices have finally dried up? I certainly hope not. Maybe too many remastering album jobs has zapped his energy? Let's see if he gains an entirely new audience that does not even know anything about prog, just like Genesis. Maybe it's time to say that we, the prog fans, must move on to the next developing prog artist that will be a shining light for the future of prog. Who knows?

[mozo-pg]

The other day I visited a friend who just got TFB. He knows that I will hate this release, but encouraged me to give it a spin. I said ok, I have an open mind. Well my friend was spot on about my reaction. It was not taken well because my ears are prog ears, not electronic disco dance and pop music ears. What a huge disappointment for me, and much worse than I had originally imagined. I've always been a prog head since the 1970's and pretty much loathe pop music, especially today's pop. I'm an original prog-snob. IMO the last time pop was great was in the 1960's. Of course SW can choose any direction in music that he wishes, but this isn't for me. It saddened me, thinking what a shining light he has been in the modern prog world. I told my friend that I believe SW was pulling a Genesis, and on the way to losing thousands of loyal prog fans. Or maybe his creative juices have finally dried up? I certainly hope not. Maybe too many remastering album jobs has zapped his energy? Let's see if he gains an entirely new audience that does not even know anything about prog, just like Genesis. Maybe it's time to say that we, the prog fans, must move on to the next developing prog artist that will be a shining light for the future of prog. Who knows?

So, I take it, you don't like it?

[JKL2000]

I received my Deluxe addition yesterday and, while I must say that of all the deluxe editions he's released since Grace for Drowning, this is the only one where I feel a little ripped off. The others had so much great artwork and, in the case of Hand Cannot Erase, the scrapbook nature of it for the woman who's the subject of the album was really terrific. This one, while suiting the album's message, shouldn't have been this expensive. Sigh.

That said, I've had an advance of the record, and sorry, no review this time...my absence here included, I've been consumed by work on my Crimson book, between dealing with too much bureaucracy over turning 65 this Friday and some particularly bad bouts of CFS. I like it a lot. Even if it appears to be a shift for him, his innate lyricism still shines through at many points on the record. The same guy who wrote the track to The Raven has delivered a couple of deeply moving, albeit more atmospheric, tracks here and even the "dance" tunes are appealing. Listening to the high res instrumental mixes now, and it's definitely worth hearing the music without the vocals to really suss out what's going on.

Anyway just a quick weigh-in as I think Wilson is turning into one of those artists who you can count on to deliver consistently fine albums, regardless of what's moving him at any given moment. Sure, I like some albums more than others, but there's not a single album he's released since Insurgentes that I would consider to be anything less than excellently crafted and, in some way, shape or form, eminently appealing.

Thanks for the quick appraisal, John. Your thoughts on the music now have my hopes up, although what you say about the deluxe edition packaging confirms my worries on that front. You're probably right that the price should have been lower; have we paid to finance the videos?

Feel better, and have a good birthday!

[Sunlight Caller]

These deluxe editions usually attract a strong price in the after market and so I suspect investments will be recoverable if anybody wants out. I have quite a number in my collection and never think of parting with them, but in mint condition they are a nice to have, and someone will always want one. I will pass on this one though, it doesn’t have that same vibe as previous sets, and I’ll put my £75 towards Bandcamp Friday and dedicate it to a bunch of new and lesser known artists instead.