To The Bone

Few things drive as much expectation to this writers ears than a new Steve Wilson album. Every one of his last 3 releases has been my album of the year and many others too. He is without doubt Prog’s shining star cum poster boy and one of the finest musicians of his generation. This new album ruffled feathers among some Prog purists when it came out, mainly because it’s a departure from the epic grandeur of his recent releases and a clear move in a progressive pop direction. It’s a combination of prog, pop, electronica and trip-hop, complete with trademark Floydian atmospherics. Wilson has stated his influences for the album clearly and publicly, particularly Kate Bush, Talk Talk, Peter Gabriel, Tears for Fears and The The. These were exactly the kind of artists me and whole load of other curious music fans were listening to in the 80s. Todd Rundgren's electronic ballads also appear to be an influence. There’s some XTC in there too with Andy Partridge co-writing two songs (To The Bone and Nowhere Now). I’d call out Talk Talk's The Colour of Spring and Tears for Fears' The Seeds of Love as being particularly influential albums on his new LP. What they all have in common is that they are accessible, with compelling melodies, but full of nuance and layers in the production, musicianship and lyrics. One of the early highlights of the album is hearing Mark Feltham’s amplified harmonica soaring over the mix. His distinctive sound is all over Talk Talk and The The’s best albums of the 80s (and many others too). One remembers it instantly and is transported back to the golden era of Prop Pop. Very powerful indeed. Another early highlight is Pariah, with Israeli vocalist Ninet Tayeb raising the hairs on one’s skin with her piercing tone, range and control. Wonderful. The stand out track of the 1st disc (I listen to this on vinyl at 45rpm of course) is Permanating. This is the one that some SW fans found a bit too much. It’s the most poppy, catchy and light-hearted song Wilson has ever written. It’s also the reason his LP charted at No. 3 getting him the wider audience he so clearly deserves. In stark and deliberate contrast is the soul shattering Refuge which follows it. Between these 2 tracks one has the entire A-Z of the Wilson cannon. Few, if any, can match him for diversity. The second disc is by far the Proggier of the two and acts as a payoff for the Pop indulgences of disc 1. Highlights would be Detonation which features (Slovak experimental guitarist) David Kollar’s magnificent extended solo over a funk vamp. Album closer, Song of Unborn is perhaps the best track on the album. It attains similar heights to last album closer Happy Returns. One can’t help thinking that Steve saved it to the end as a reward for listening to his pop experiment. One also can’t help thinking that there might be a little Wilson on its way too. Most welcome. To the Bone is a truly fantastic album, a showcase of variety and attention to detail, and a perfectly appropriate addition to Wilson's vast and diverse body of work. It deserves your full attention.

Some negative pre-release comment together with the singles releases made me wary about this purchase. However, having bought it on cd and vinyl, and listened to the music in context, from start to finish a good few times now I was relieved and pleasantly surprised, when I should not have been. This is an amazing collection of songs as one would expect from SW. I would not consider this a pop album per se though the songs are more accessible overall than previous releases. Its roots are certainly bedded in rock/ progressive rock and the end product has a very modern feel to it. There is one pure pop song “Permanating” (a good toe tapper for sure) which I would say is the weakest track, and occasionally the music will veer towards pop rock in a good way. This album is an eclectic mix that really gels. Stand out tracks for me are the title track “To the Bone” plus “Refuge”, “People Who Eat Darkness”, “Song of Unborn”, and the explosive (pun intended) “Detonation”. The balance of the songs are not too far behind either. Excellent song writing,musicianship and vocals/backing vocals from all quarters combine to make a superb album – again. And for something really different on a SW record– that harmonica! Lesson learned - ignore negativity and teaser releases and wait for the real deal.

Imagine prog meets disco. If that sounds bad you really haven't appreciated the great songs, riffs, bass lines and rhythms that have come out of both genres. Mr W. has brewed up a fantastic concoction by mixing these disparate elements up in his mind and using the ensuing emulsion to write this superb collection of songs without the slightest consideration of what a 'genre' should sound like. And that is a good thing, not to mention a refreshing antidote to so much meh. Have you heard his work on the old Yes albums? Masterful - go and have a look at what he did to Fragile, for example. It's worth buying a surround sound system for the blu-ray 5.1 remix of that alone. Dear Mr Wilson, please could we have a 5.1 blu-ray of Hand. Cannot, Erase? Thanks. Mr JB

Am 18. August erschien das neue Album des Masterminds Steven Wilson, welches den Titel „To the Bone“ trägt. Wilson geht mit dem Album wieder in eine andere Richtung und kündigte vorab an, dass es sehr durch die Musik von Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush oder Talk Talk beeinflusst sein soll. Das klingt verlockend, waren dies doch alle große Alben des 80er Art-Rocks / Art-Pops. Auch das stylische Albumcover – welches wieder von Lasse Hoile entworfen ist – trägt dazu bei. Ich war auch dieses Mal sehr gespannt, was Steven Wilson gezaubert hat. Sein Vorgängeralbum „Hand. Cannot. Erase“ ist für mein Geschmack immer noch perfekt – habe es die Woche gerade wieder im Surround gehört. Auch die nachfolgende EP „4 ½“ hatte viele nette Momente („My Book of Regrets“, „Vermillioncore“ und auch „Happiness III“). Die vorab veröffentlichten Songs deuteten schon eine gewisse Veränderung, eine Weiterentwicklung seines Stils an (gefühlt poppiger). Doch jetzt liegt das komplette Album vor, welches ich hiermit mal kurz durchsprechen möchte. Es geht gleich los mit dem titelgebenden Song „To The Bone“. Wir hören zuerst gesprochene Worte von Jasmine Walkes, ehe eine von Mark Feltham gespielte Mundharmonika einsetzt. Nach diesem atmosphärischen Intro folgt die bekannte Stimme Wilsons, ehe ein eher eingängigerer Rock-Part beginnt. Im gefälligen Refrain ist auch die israelische Sängerin Ninet Tayeb herauszuhören. Spannend wird es, als ein kurzer, aber treibender Instrumentalteil einsetzt. Zum Schluss blüht der Song wahrlich auf. Definitiv ein guter Opener. Weiter geht’s. Mit „Nowhere Now“ folgt ein poppiger Rocksong. Besonders der Refrain geht ins Ohr. Daneben besticht der Song aber durch einen groovigen Sound und tollen Melodien auf der Gitarre. An beiden Songs wirkte übrigens XTC-Songwriter/Gitarrist Andrew „Andy“ Partridge beim Songwriting mit. Als nächstes folgt „Pariah“, der auch schon lange vor dem Erscheinen ausgekoppelt wurde. In seiner Form ist es quasi der typische melancholische-depressive Steven Wilson Song. Und hier ist Ninet Tayeb mit ihrem grandiosen Gesang im Refrain dabei. Wisst ihr woran ich zuerst gedacht habe? Genau: Don’t Give Up von Peter Gabriel mit Kate Bush. Gewisse Ähnlichkeiten sind vorhanden. Beide Songs sind in den Strophen eher verzweifelnd und depressiv, während der Refrain aufmunternd wirken soll. Zum Ende von Pariah gibt es noch ein großes Finale – ein atmosphärisches Ende. Gefällt mir sehr! Ich nenne diesen Teil inzwischen Coldplay-Teil (bezogen auf das Album Mylo Xyloto mit den Einflüssen von Brian Eno). Jup, „Pariah“ ist ein guter Song, hat sich aber mittlerweile vom vielen Hören ein wenig bei mir abgenutzt (aber dafür kann der Song nichts). „The Same Asylum as Before“ ist dagegen viel rockiger. Schönes Gitarrenriff. Ich musste zuerst so lachen, als Wilson in den Strophen falzet singt. Kann man machen. Der Refrainist aber noch bessser und geht wahrlich ins Ohr. „The Same Asylum as Before“ macht einfach Spaß beim Zuhören. Porcupine Tree lassen grüßen! Ein richtig guter Song! „Refuge“ handelt von der Not syrischer Flüchtlinge. Der Song beginnt ganz verhalten mit Klavierbegleitung und steigert sich immer weiter. Wilson unterstreicht mit dem zurückhaltend instrumentierten Gesangsteil den emotionalen Text. Der Gesangsteil mündet schließlich in einen ergreifenden Instrumentalteil, der mit einem Mundharmonika-Solo eingeleiter wird und immer großartiger wird. Ein Gitarrensolo von Paul Stacey und Wilson am Synth. Ich höre hier sehr viel Pink Floyd heraus. Das hier ist Steven Wilson wie man ihn kennt, wie ich ihn mag. „Refuge“ ist grandios. Eins der Highlights des Albums. „Permanating“ gehört wohl zu den poppigsten Songs, die ein Steven Wilson bisher geschrieben hat – dazu noch geradezu fröhlich. Die ABBA-Einflüsse sind nicht zu leugnen. Man hört im Refrain fast schon Mamma Mia raus. Dennoch klingt es auch etwas nach Coldplay. Ich muss gestehen, dass ich den Song zunächst etwas zu übertrieben fand. Nach einer Weile – mit dazugehörigem Bollywood-Musikvideo – hat sich der Song aber in meinem Kopf festgesetzt und wurde zum fröhlichmachenden Ohrwurm. Ich kann ruhigen Gewissens sagen, dass mir „Permanating“ mittlerweile sehr gefällt. Ein perfekter Song für den Sommer! Das kurze „Blank Tapes“ ist dagegen ein ziemlicher Kontrast und dient zum Verschnaufen. Auch hier singt Ninet Tayeb im Refrain mit. Es ist ein netter, kleiner Song, der einem auf die folgenden Großtaten vorbereitet. „People Who Eat Darkness“ gehört wieder zu den düsteren Songs des Albums. Wie auch schon „The Same Asylum As Before“, geht es wieder in die rockigere und härtere Richtung, ohne dabei aber zu übertreiben. Dieses Mal hat sich Wilson wohl vom Punk beeinflussen lassen. Aber auch hier höre ich eine Portion Porcupine Tree raus. „People Who Eat Darkness“ gehört für mich zwar jetzt nicht zu den Favoriten des Albums, kommt aber abwechslungsreich und groovig daher. Ein weiterer interessanter Song ist „Song of I“. Gesangliche Unterstützung erhält Wilson dieses Mal von Sophie Hunger, eine Sängerin und Songwriterin aus der Schweiz. Entstanden ist ein atmosphärischer, leicht düsterer Song, der seine Kate Bush, David Bowie und Peter Gabriel (und Depeche Mode, Prince usw.….) -Einflüsse nicht leugnen kann. Mir gefallen vor allem der Refrain und der symphonische Mittelteil. Sophie Hunger hat eine erotisch-verführende und geheimnisvolle Stimme. Auch zu diesem Song wurde ein Musikvideo gedreht, welches absolut perfekt ist. Zusammen ist das einfach Kunst, die dazu noch sehr gut produziert ist! „Song of I“ hat mich von Anfang an beeindruckt und gehört definitiv zu meinen Favoriten des Albums. Es folgt das fast zehnminütige „Detonation“. Auch dieser Song zeichnet sich durch eine düstere Atmosphäre aus, gepaart mit teils verfremdenden Sounds. Dazu trägt im hohen Maße auch der Songtext bei, der von Gewalt und religiösem Fanatismus handelt. Keine leichte Koste also. Musikalisch zeigt Steven Wilson noch mal allen, was er drauf hat. Der Song steigert sich immer weiter und mündet in einen grandiosen Instrumentalteil. Ein richtig schönes Gitarrensolo ist dann die Krönung. So ganz kann es Wilson mit den epischen Songs doch nicht lassen. „Detonation“ ist mit Sicherheit eins der stärksten Songs des neuen Albums. Nach diesem aufwühlenden Lied folgt mit „Song Of Unborn“ abschließend eine Ballade. Im Songtext wird die Sicht eines ungeborenen Kindes thematisiert. Die Stimmung ist gedrückt, ja gar melancholisch. Zum Ende wird der Song aber doch noch hoffnungsvoller. Don't be afraid to die Don't be afraid to be alive Don't be afraid to die Don't be afraid to be alive Don't be afraid Ein Hoffnungsschimmer sozusagen. Unterstützt wird er von einem dezent arrangierten Chor. Ein schönes Ende eines abwechslungsreichen Albums. Das war es mit dem Album. Manche Sorgen, er würde sich mit diesem Album zusehends vom Progressive Rock verabschieden und stattdessen puren Pop abliefern, sind zum unbegründet. Einzig „Nowhere Now“ und das frohe „Permanating“ gehen in die Richtung. Aber alle anderen Songs sind in ihrer Art immer noch Steven Wilson-Songs, nur wieder etwas anders als auf den Vorgängeralben. Der Mann hat sich weiterentwickelt, kann aber seine Porcupine Tree – Wurzeln nicht leugnen. Auch die eingangs erwähnten Einflüsse mancher großartiger Art-Rock/Art-Pop Alben sind definitiv herauszuhören. Er hat aus all diesen Zutaten ein wunderbares und abwechslungsreiches Album erschaffen. Songs wie „Refuge“, „The Same Asylum as Before“ oder „Song of I“ sind einfach perfekt. Und nicht zu vergessen das düstere „Detonation“. Und selbst das poppige (als ob Pop-Musik etwas richtig Schlimmes wäre) macht richtig Spaß. Das ganze Album bietet einfach schöne Musik. Ihr hört es schon raus: Ich wurde mit dem Album bisher keinesfalls enttäuscht. Somit kann ich auch ruhigen Gewissens 5 von 5 Sternen geben. Ob es sich bei „To the Bone“ um das „Album des Jahres“ oder „Meisterwerk“ handelt, kann ich natürlich zu diesem Zeitpunkt nicht sagen. Dafür ist es selbstverständlich viel zu früh. Aber wenn der positive Eindruck anhalten wird und sich die Songs noch weiter in meinem Kopf festsetzen werden, besteht die Möglichkeit dazu. Ansonsten kann ich allen anderen nur sagen: Bitte gebt dem Album eine Chance. Hört es Euch mehrmals in Ruhe an. Lasst die Songs sich entfalten. Und Steven Wilson soll einfach weiter machen und sich gerne immer wieder neu erfinden. Ich bin mir sicher, dass er uns nicht enttäuschen wird. (Wenn ihr Fragen, Anmerkungen oder Kritik bezüglich meiner Rezension habt, dürft ihr dies gerne in den Kommentaren kundtun.)

This is a very different album for SW. The last 2 albums that he put out were instant hits with me but this one has taken some time to grow on me and to appreciate it. As Steve plays most of the instruments on the disc and he stated he was aiming for a more 80;s prog-pop feel (Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Tears for Fears,etc.), these songs are generally shorter and more concise than the ones on the last 2 albums. As such, my initial reaction was that the music was okay but not up to the depth of H.C.E. for example. Well, 3 more listens have definitely changed my mind. This disc grows on me more each time I listen to it. I find myself humming different choruses all the time and keep playing the music. Standout songs for me are Pariah (hauntingly slow build up to a wall of sound ending which features a beautiful call and response between SW and Ninet Tayeb - reminiscent of Gabriel - Bush era SO), The Same Asylum As Before (catchy tune with a great chorus),People Who Eat Darkness, Song of I and Detonation (the longest song on the album at just over 9 minutes with an extended instrumental jam at the end). On a side note, a lot of fans have been turned off by Permanating with its upbeat bouncy rhythm and Bollywood inspired video and again I was not a fan to begin with. I can now say that it is a bit of an earworm and I find myself replaying the song in my head every now and then. In general, I enjoy when artists take chances with their music and SW has done so with this album. Take a chance yourself and give this a few listens and I am sure you will grow to love this album as much as I do.

This album sings truth … and it does so in a way that moves in streams far beyond those familiar to the committed fan of prog (or the collective fan of all things Wilson for that matter). To The Bone may end up being one of the most polarizing releases of Wilson’s career, but it could just as well represent one of the most impactful (culturally), transparent (lyrically) and accessible (musically) works of his storied career. Not having listened to any of the “pre-release” tracks, I trusted in the “virgin” listening experience to bring me to a definitive opinion about this work. If you listened to all the hype (about this being a “pop” divergence) you might have even gone to the extreme of declining a listen altogether. Don’t succumb to the hype – fans can be reassured that this is NOT a pop album whatsoever. Even the much maligned “Permanating” (nice word by the way), which does indeed hit the ears in a manner similar to Yes’s “Owner of a Lonely Heart” in that it is so strikingly catchy and danceable, is certainly never going to find its way into any “pop” jukebox rotation (okay maybe in the 70’s/80’s). Undeniably, however, Wilson has stepped outside of his comfort zone here and delivered something different from the introspective, dark and experimental world of Insurgentes/Grace For Drowning, the instrumentally indulgent, storybook world of Raven Refused to Sing, or even from the somewhat escapist world of the conceptually brilliant Hand.Cannot.Erase. In the end, though, would we expect anything less from one of the most innovative/talented artists of the past 20 years? Without question, from a lyrical perspective, Wilson has moved from portraying lonely/desolate/eccentric individuals to illuminating the circumstances/reality of those who surround us every day – specifically to the “I” of me and you. Not only are these Wilson’s most direct and relevant lyrics to date, but, more importantly, they represent the truth of the world around us that can’t be ignored – one man’s truth is another man’s death sentence, either physically, emotionally or spiritually. And songs like the beautifully crafted “Refuge” reference real world scenarios that have become a daily news item. “Pariah,” one of the best songs here (and one of a few that feature the ethereal Ninet Tayeb on vocals) perfectly chronicles the state of a mind addicted to all of the things we think are so important to keep up with on a daily basis. Similarly, the sensual “Song of I” – featuring the sultry voice of Sophie Hunger – points out the “self-centered” nature of our perpetually “addicted” culture. All hope is not lost, though, as “Song of Unborn” – an absolutely beautiful song – preaches (about as much as you will ever hear from Wilson in this regard) that “It’s not the years that pass/It’s about the moments that last forever in you … Don’t be afraid to die/Don’t be afraid to live/Don’t be afraid.” Amen. Musically this album shines as well, but don’t expect the lengthy indulgences of albums that have gone before. With the exception of the keyboard contributions of Adam Holzman (and the aforementioned vocals of Tayeb), Wilson has a whole new consortium of partners this time. Craig Blundell and Jeremy Stacey share the drums while Wilson himself plays most of the keyboard, bass and guitar parts. Beggs does make an appearance on “Permanating.” The addition of the harmonica (Mark Feltham) adds a new texture on a few tracks. The sound quality is exceptional; you can actually listen to these songs at all volumes and experience no “listener fatigue.” There is a bit more guitar riff driven rock and roll here (title track a great example) and much less ambient/experimental focus. Wilson said he wanted to make better crafted songs and I think it is fair to say he succeeded in that regard. In many ways, To The Bone is the natural progression of what Wilson started on Hand.Cannot.Erase. Elements from songs like the title track from that release and “Perfect Life” show up here in both content and musical direction. And while I prefer the deep conceptual nature of Hand.Cannot.Erase, and the eerie vibes of Grace For Drowning I must confess that I love these songs more and more with each listen. Vinyl Version Finally got my vinyl and believe this is a good pressing of the album. Its 45 RPM and 180gm black vinyl so its weighty and quality both aesthetically and aurally. It comes in double LP gatefold with included printed album sleeves ( lyrics on disc 1 sleeve and credits on disc 2) and paper sleeves as well. Audiophiles will still want Mofi or similar sleeves for the record itself because the included paper sleeves are inner-lined with paper on one side and plastic on the other. One of mine was quite folded up so I discarded both in favor of the Mofi sleeves I used on all my vinyl. The download code is included. This is a thick outer jacket which can easily accommodate both the record in Mofi plastic sheath and printed sheath. I think To The Bone sounds phenomenal on vinyl but this should not be surprising in that this is purportedly inspired by the more melodic prog of the 80's - an era when vinyl was still popular. As I have state previously, I don't like the "pop" tag that has been attached to this release. To The Bone focuses more on melody and catchiness, but that hardly makes it pop in my mind. This album still sounds like Steven Wilson doing his thing. And these slightly more accessible tunes will likely bring in very few new fans for that matter, but I'm enjoying it more each spin. "Detonation," which is by far the most traditional "proggy" tune in the Wilson sense, shines on the vinyl release, but all of the songs breathe nicely here. I can't help but feel To The Bone is a more truly "solo" album than anything Wilson has released to date. As much as I loved Raven, I felt like it wasn't really a "solo" effort - more of a band effort, very instrumentally dense. And no, I don't like this more than HCE, or even GFD, but its very enjoyable in its own right and To The Bone is every bit as audibly enjoyable as its predecessors. BD The Blu-ray contains 96/24 5.1 DTS, 96/24 5.1 LPCM and 96/24 2.0 LPCM and an all instrumental version of the main tracks with no bonus tracks or demos. Unfortunately the only way you can score those demo versions is with the now extinct artbook version. In any case, from an audio standpoint the 5.1 versions are phenomenal. I prefer the 5.1 LPCM version over the DTS version for general listening but some pretty amazing things pop out of the music on the DTS mix as well, especially if you are willing to park yourself in the center of your sound system for the better part of an hour. Oddly, the screensaver images during the music tracks are variations on Wilson’s head, but some of the effects, especially with the song titles, are cool. On the video side, we only have the two song videos here - "Pariah" and "Song of I" - which is pretty Spartan. However, the "making of" video is interesting on several levels. First, it is done in typical Lassa Hoile fashion, so represents not merely just a video recording of musicians talking and playing, but instead creates some tension and mood with interesting/atypical camera shots and image effects. Those who love Hoile's work will enjoy this aspect, but those who don't like his style or merely just want the documentary/discussion you may find some of this annoying. Second, when you compare this documentary to the "making of" video from the Raven sessions (more of a band effort) it becomes readily apparent that To the Bone is truly a solo artist album - essentially a collaboration of Steven Wilson with producer Paul Stacey. These two are clearly the principals. While the interactions with the "guest" musicians are interesting, they are quite limited. Third, and most fascinating to me, this documentary showcases Paul Stacey and his incredible studio, which in and of itself is a museum of analog recording equipment. Given the chaotic and seemingly disorganized mass of cables, effects tools and vintage instruments on display it is a wonder how it all came together on this record. I was also left feeling that this documentary is integral to understanding more about To the Bone and why it sounds the way it does, both in terms of production quality and composition. On a final note, when you hear these songs, during their recording process, being broken down into parts, there isn't anything that sounds remotely like pop.

Um ótimo trabalho do Steven Wilson. As influências de discos como o "So" (Peter Gabriel), "Hounds Of Love" (Kate Bush), "The Colour Of Spring" (Talk Talk) e "The Seeds Of Love (Tears For Fears) fazem desse disco uma abrangente experimentação de pop progressivo com elementos do rock progressivo assim criando uma simbiose perfeita de trabalhos clássicos do passado traduzido para o atualidade de forma inteligente e criativa.

E' risaputo che Steven Wilson cura moltissimo la produzione dei suoi album ed il fatto che la casa discografica abbia deciso di incidere i due dischi a 45 giri anzichè ai canonici 33 ne esalta ulteriormente la qualità. Il vinile utilizzato è di ottimo e quindi molto silenzioso, di conseguenza la dinamica espressa da questa edizione è preservata e molto molto godibile. A titolo esemplificativo, il finale di Pariah esplode letteralmente in un soundtage veramente ricco, amplissimo ed esteso, così come Song of Unborn; le altre tracce hanno il giusto punch e suonano davvero come si deve. La stampa della copertina è ottima e le buste contenenti i dischi sono rivestite. Nel complesso un'edizione eccellente, suonata su un Rega P8 con testina OC9XML, ampli Synthesis e diffusori Klipsch RF7-II.