GF music review club

[moof]

I managed to sit down and listen to the album posted by moof and I have definitely not heard of Steven Wilson before seeing this posted. So from that respect my eyes have already been opened up to a new genre of music. At least I thought so.

 

Having listened to the whole album it reminded me of a number of other musicians including Peter Gabriel, certainly Pink Floyd and perhaps on a similarly slightly lesser known scale - similar to Steven Wilson - Lonely Robot. You may want to check out an album called 'Please Come Home' by Lonely Robot which was certainly similar but perhaps not quite as good.

 

Which brings me back this album, absolutely beatifully produced and performed with lots of variety but it's also quite a sad album for the influences behind it.

 

I like the epic feel to some of the tracks - after all tracks 1,5 and 7 make up almost 30 minutes of the album and really deliver a great soundtrack.

 

I have as a result picked up another of his albums today as part of a deal (I think it's called Transcience) so I am looking forward to giving this a listen.

 

Overall very impressed with this, and will keep an eye out for others similar for sure.

 

8.5/10 overall.

Cracking stuff mate.

 

I think Transience is a kind of compilation album with some demos and stuff, but I could be wrong. Still has some magnificent shit on it though.

 

I was going to save this for a later pick, but if people are sufficiently interested then I would wholeheartedly recommend checking out the album ‘The Raven That Refused to Sing’, same line up, vastly different sound. Shep, I was especially thinking of suggesting you listen to this one, just a hunch but I reckon it’s right down your alley.

 

I’ll defo have a look at Lonely Robot, too

[Carvalho Diablo]

Will do mate. Really enjoyed Hand. Cannot. Erase.

 

Sat here listening to it again now with my mate Bry who's been bowled over by it.

 

Hey Skids, looking forward to your selection next week now mate. Make it a good un.

[Bjornebye]

Listening to Steven Wilson now, on track 4, what the fuck am I listening too? Sounds like a modern war of the worlds! don't know if its naff or genius yet. 

[Carvalho Diablo]

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Will do mate. Really enjoyed Hand. Cannot. Erase.

 

Sat here listening to it again now with my mate Bry who's been bowled over by it.

 

Hey Skids, looking forward to your selection next week now mate. Make it a good un.

Feel a little under pressure now.

[VladimirIlyich]

Is there a way us 'outsiders' could listen to these albums by somebody creating a list on one of the various media thingies like Youtube,Spotify or whatever? Call it TLW Music Club list or whatever? I am usually using my phone to view this forum but it would be easy enough to click a link on my laptop and listen at my leisure,and others could do the same too.

[Carvalho Diablo]

Is there a way us 'outsiders' could listen to these albums by somebody creating a list on one of the various media thingies like Youtube,Spotify or whatever? Call it TLW Music Club list or whatever? I am usually using my phone to view this forum but it would be easy enough to click a link on my laptop and listen at my leisure,and others could do the same too.

You mean like this ?

 

https://open.spotify.com/user/carvalho666/playlist/3k64dON6XvCI1W9GFNH8Gr?si=MQYf0cE4TZeMEwLkGxrRxg

 

The GF Music Collective Spotify playlist, anyone can access this. I intended it to include the latest album of the week and select songs from previous selections.

 

Also there are links throughout this thread to the albums of the week, both Spotify and YouTube formats so far, enabling everyone to join in and have a listen.

 

Please feel free to post your own review of any of the AOWs, a couple of people have done so already.

[Bjornebye]

Ok so I listened to Steve Wilson "Hand. Cannot. Erase"

 

Listened to half last night then half this morning. Just a completely different album to anything I've ever heard. He has the sounds of about 10 different artists. 

 

First Regret - Love the piano solo opening, bit Moby to begin with then randomly the acoustic guitar but sounded a bit like Cast , then it went mental, then chilled a bit and sounded a bit like an Australian band called Powderfinger. the vibe for the 2nd half of the song reminded me of the completion music to a 90's computer game. 

 

Hand Cannot Erase - Love the lyrics. Again, 80's/90's computer game vibe. I like the drums in this, similar to track 1 in a lot of ways.

 

Perfect Life - Very Baz Lurhmann this one. Great vocals and lyrics. Could be a movie soundtrack. 

 

Routine - Again, reminds me of a movie soundtrack (The Gladiator end bit actually). This is where the album starts going Pink Floyd for me. It just grows and grows, bit Iron Maiden at points but a proper song that takes you on a Journey. 

 

Home Invasion - Very atmospheric this one, this is the point I started thinking the album was like a modern twist on war of the worlds or some shit. Amazing drums on this again as well. 

 

Transience - Just a filler/interlude. Moody. 

 

Ancestral - Floyd meets Iron Maiden. Struggling at this point to decide if Steve Wilson is a genius or just some nut who is merging shit loads of music together to see what comes of it. Not an album you can play loud if you have people in the house. 

 

Happy Returns - Very indie this, could be on many a 90's indie bands album possibly the Verve if the vocals were more haunting. I really like this one. 

 

Ascendent here On - Last song, just felt like I was drowning in wonder at what I had just listened too beforehand. 

 

Sorry its not the most detailed review but quite frankly I am lost for words. Honestly don't know how much I love this but thanks a lot Moof for introducing this. I wont be adding it to a playlist just yet but ill keep listening. A film could be made of this album for sure. 

[TheHowieLama]

According to Moofer he made the album based on watching a film 

[moof]

Some interesting perspective there, about the melding of styles and such. Definitely get what you mean by likening some songs to movie soundtracks; there’s a clear cinematic/takes-you-on-a-journey type vibe present throughout the record.

 

Nice one, stig.

[moof]

According to Moofer he made the album based on a film

Not quite what I said, but there is a film based on the same story that he drew inspiration from.

[TheHowieLama]

After listening to the album - I read that he was introduced to the story through the film/documentary - there is a pretty cool interview of him in the studio talking about the influence of that as that was his initial exposure. Obviously not what Stig was suggesting though - the grandeur of the tunes is very cinematic. There is a 4 parter on line from these sessions - some great performance videos

 

Also good call on the Raven record -- great clip here of one of the top tunes on that record - awesome animation from the video that accompanies this

 

 

 

[moof]

After listening to the album - I read that he was introduced to the story through the film/documentary - there is a pretty cool interview of him in the studio talking about the influence of that as that was his initial exposure. Obviously not what Stig was suggesting though - the grandeur of the tunes is very cinematic. There is a 4 parter on line from these sessions - some great performance videos

 

Also good call on the Raven record -- great clip here of one of the top tunes on that record - awesome animation from the video that accompanies this

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBjD8QFtleM

That’s pretty interesting. Because I read about the story after hearing the music, and only found out about the film that way.

 

I’m not surprised the film moved him to create this work, though, it is so deeply harrowing and profoundly poignant. Sad!

 

(Great clip! Guthrie is the fucking man)

[TheHowieLama]

(Great clip! Guthrie is the fucking man)

 

You have to check out the documentary online of the sessions search Steven Wilson AIR Studios

 

 

[moof]

Haha! His face when he finished “...aaaand breathe.”

 

Guthrie is an absolute monster, complete master of his instrument. Fucking stunning.

[moof]

You have to check out the documentary online of the sessions search Steven Wilson AIR Studios

 

 

 

Ace, will do! Nice one

[Boss]

The album starts off with a piano arrangement reminiscent of Clint Mansell’s work on Requiem for a Dream. Underneath the piano there’s a very low pulsating rhythm, which nostalgically reminds me of the incredible outro to Air’s All I Need.  

 

It’s got a Massive Attack feel to it when the synth strings hit, then random Brit Pop era guitar stabs, which break into some complex time signature Prog Rock. Then it sounds like Pete Townsend strumming an acoustic, then it’s Steve Vai playing guitar, then we’re back to slow strumming guitar with a Memphis style lap steel in the background.

 

I just want people to understand how musically all over the place this album is. We’re at 3 minutes here. It’s the musical equivalent of someone saying, “Hey, have you heard Taxman? Then playing 3 seconds of it. “Hey have you heard “Wish you were Here?” and playing 4 seconds. “Hey do you like Tommy?” and so on.

 

It discombobulates you. And that’s not even getting into the Rick Wakeman keyboard solos and all the other mad shit that gets thrown in. I could have sworn at one stage I heard The Simpsons theme. This is the track First Regret and it’s the first song on Steve Wilson’s album ‘Hand. Cannot. Erase.’.

 

I’m not going to waffle on about all the songs individually because it’ll take me forever, but I will say it’s a very ambitious album. Musically it’s not the sort of stuff I’d usually listen to, I’m not a big fan of Prog Rock to be honest. However, it’s impossible not to comment on the sheer quality of the musicianship on this record - the understanding of different time signatures, modes, intervals, rhythms and harmony. You just have to take your hat off to them for the way they’ve interwoven all these different musical styles into one.

 

The only criticism I have, is it does fall into “It’s so visually dense, every frames got so much going on” George Lucas territory at times. There are too many layers; too many themes and the traditional song writing and lyrical elements are sometimes ignored in favour of an outrageous solo or some unnecessarily complex choral arrangement. But then again, you can’t be expecting John Prine when you’re going into this.

 

I enjoyed it. I say embrace the chaos. 7/10

[Bjornebye]

The album starts off with a piano arrangement reminiscent of Clint Mansell’s work on Requiem for a Dream. Underneath the piano there’s a very low pulsating rhythm, which nostalgically reminds me of the incredible outro to Air’s All I Need.  

 

It’s got a Massive Attack feel to it when the synth strings hit, then random Brit Pop era guitar stabs, which break into some complex time signature Prog Rock. Then it sounds like Pete Townsend strumming an acoustic, then it’s Steve Vai playing guitar, then we’re back to slow strumming guitar with a Memphis style lap steel in the background.

 

I just want people to understand how musically all over the place this album is. We’re at 3 minutes here. It’s the musical equivalent of someone saying, “Hey, have you heard Taxman? Then playing 3 seconds of it. “Hey have you heard “Wish you were Here?” and playing 4 seconds. “Hey do you like Tommy?” and so on.

 

It discombobulates you. And that’s not even getting into the Rick Wakeman keyboard solos and all the other mad shit that gets thrown in. I could have sworn at one stage I heard The Simpsons theme. This is the track First Regret and it’s the first song on Steve Wilson’s album ‘Hand. Cannot. Erase.’.

 

I’m not going to waffle on about all the songs individually because it’ll take me forever, but I will say it’s a very ambitious album. Musically it’s not the sort of stuff I’d usually listen to, I’m not a big fan of Prog Rock to be honest. However, it’s impossible not to comment on the sheer quality of the musicianship on this record - the understanding of different time signatures, modes, intervals, rhythms and harmony. You just have to take your hat off to them for the way they’ve interwoven all these different musical styles into one.

 

The only criticism I have, is it does fall into “It’s so visually dense, every frames got so much going on” George Lucas territory at times. There are too many layers; too many themes and the traditional song writing and lyrical elements are sometimes ignored in favour of an outrageous solo or some unnecessarily complex choral arrangement. But then again, you can’t be expecting John Prine when you’re going into this.

 

I enjoyed it. I say embrace the chaos. 7/10

 

 

Mate bang on. I heard Wish You were Here about 7 times throughout the album. 

 

I didn't rate it out of 10 because I still don't know. 

[Boss]

Mate bang on. I heard Wish You were Here about 7 times throughout the album. 

 

I didn't rate it out of 10 because I still don't know. 

 

Yeah, it's one of those albums that's very difficult to rate. 

[VladimirIlyich]

You mean like this ?

 

https://open.spotify.com/user/carvalho666/playlist/3k64dON6XvCI1W9GFNH8Gr?si=MQYf0cE4TZeMEwLkGxrRxg

 

The GF Music Collective Spotify playlist, anyone can access this. I intended it to include the latest album of the week and select songs from previous selections.

 

Also there are links throughout this thread to the albums of the week, both Spotify and YouTube formats so far, enabling everyone to join in and have a listen.

 

Please feel free to post your own review of any of the AOWs, a couple of people have done so already.

I will try that out once I get a spotify account. Cheers.

[Carvalho Diablo]

Still a couple of days until Skids posts his AOW, plenty of time for some more reviews of the 2 records so far.

 

Vlad, check your pm.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

I’ll get the AOW out tomorrow. Review in a couple of days.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[setreal]

Will give the Steven Wilson album a listen later. Love the Beach Boys, me

[Carvalho Diablo]

Come on Skids, let 'er rip.

[Bjornebye]

Yeah come on Skids.