Excellent songs that didn't make the final cut Some very strong songs were left off Porcupine Tree's ten studio albums for reasons of space, changes of style ... or in at least one case due to what the band's leader Steven Wilson now regards as a mistake on his part. I discovered some of these …
Album Review – Fragments by Trifecta
***** New Prog supergroup bring joy in fragmented times Drummer Craig Blundell, keyboard player Adam Holzman and bass player Nick Beggs began playing together on Steven Wilson's Hand. Cannot. Erase tour in 2015. They also joined Steven on his To the Bone tour in 2018 and 2019. When Steven went off for a cup of …
Album Review – Departure Tapes by Giancarlo Erra
Music inspired by a 'hard but healing' experience **** Requiems in music come in many forms, from the operatic grandeur of Giuseppe Verdi, to the serenity of Gabriel Fauré, and the fiercely anti-war War Requiem of Benjamin Britten. These all use Latin words from the Requiem Mass, but a wordless requiem can also be effective. …
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Review – The Last Gig by Adam Holzman and Brave New World
Impeccable live jazz-rock from former Miles Davis music director and Steven Wilson's keyboard player ***** On 12 March 2020, keyboard player Adam Holzman and his band Brave New World drove to the Nublu club to soundcheck for a gig that night. The global pandemic was about to close New York City. Broadway had just shut …
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Remixed Review – Steven Wilson B Sides and Bonus Tracks
Additional content on up-to-date media **** The recent release of a new song by Steven Wilson, Anyone But Me is an opportunity to review some of the recent bonus material and B-sides associated with his top 5 album THE FUTURE BITES™ Update - June 2021 - the Scottish rock-band have remixed Personal Shopper, turning it …
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Remixed Review – Steven Wilson B Sides and Bonus Tracks
Additional content on up-to-date media **** The recent release of a new song by Steven Wilson, Anyone But Me is an opportunity to review some of the recent bonus material and B-sides associated with his top 5 album THE FUTURE BITES™ Update - June 2021 - the Scottish rock-band have remixed Personal Shopper, turning it …
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Steven Wilson and the Art of the Home Studio
No Man’s Land When No Man’s Land Studio finally gets the Blue Plaque it deserves in recognition of the artistic endeavour that took place there, the people who arrive to mount it on the wall it won’t find a palace like Paisley Park. They will find a suburban bungalow in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. Unlike …
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Album Review – Isolated Dreams by Ghost Echo
A bold and accomplished debut from the Dutch duo **** Many lockdown albums will be released in the next few months. Some of the recent highlights include Richard Barbieri’s Under a Spell , and Steven Wilson’s The Future Bites, recorded before lockdown but released in January. Now Dutch musicians Remy de Wal and Karel Witte …
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Album Review – Under A Spell by Richard Barbieri
A spell-binding journey through lockdown dreams ***** Image credit Kscope/Richard Barbieri It's a strange coincidence that all four members of the prog rock band Porcupine Tree have brought out solo albums during the past few months of lockdown in the UK; first drummer Gavin Harrison released Chemical Reactions (with Antoine Fafard); in January it was …
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Album Review – Once Only by Eternal Return
An atmospheric debut from an international progressive rock ensemble **** Once Only by Eternal Return Eternal Return is a new prog rock band made up of five members, based around two duos who have worked together in the past; the Australian bass player Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree, No-Man, O.R.k.) who has often worked with the …
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