The Raven That Refused To Sing＜限定盤＞

PORCUPINE TREEを中心に各種プロジェクトで八面六臂の活動を繰り広げる多彩なアーティスト、英Kscopeから発表された'13年作が英Transmission Recordingsよりゲートフォールド仕様ジャケット/2枚組の限定アナログ盤で'23年新装再発!

これまでの自身の多彩な人脈を駆使したプロジェクト色の強い作風から一転、KAJAGOOGOO/Steve Hackett BAND/LIFESIGNSのNick Beggs(b/stick)、GPS/THE ARISTOCRATSのGuthrie Govan(g)、SOUNDS OF CONTACTのAdam Holzman(ele-p/key/organ/moog)、UKZ/THE ARISTOCRATSのMarco Minnemann(dr)、GONG/SOFT MACHINE LEGACYのTheo Travis(sax)等HM/プログレッシブ・ロック/フュージョン各シーンのトップに挙げられる超一級ミュージシャン達を揃えて制作。過去二作のソロを土台としつつも、本作参加メンバーでライブ・バンドとして活動してきたことを反映し、イマジネイティヴな楽曲/音空間はそのままに従来のソロ作以上にロック的なドライヴ感/ダイナミクスを発揮。過去のソロ作を凌ぐ、非常にナチュラルで親しみやすくも濃密な内容に仕上がった傑作です!

Over the past decade, Steven Wilson's relationship with prog rock has grown increasingly intimate. He previewed a killer new band on the live album Get All You Deserve -- woodwind/multi-instrumentalist Theo Travis, keyboardist Adam Holzman, session bass and stick player Nick Beggs, drummer Marco Minnemann, and guitarist Guthrie Govan -- put a diverse, sophisticated face on Wilson's 21st century brand of the genre. The Raven That Refused to Sing and Other Stories is their first studio outing. Wilson was also able to coax Alan Parsons out of semi-retirement to co-produce and engineer the effort, and he fully committed: the album's crystalline, detailed sound and spacious ambience reflect some of his best work behind the boards. The result is a collection of six new songs -- three over ten minutes in length -- that reflect the very best of what classic prog rock aspired to: skillfully written music with expertly arranged compositions of color, nuance, texture, dynamics, narrative and artfulness played by a group of stellar musicians. The songs are based on short stories Wilson wrote or co-wrote with Hajo Mueller, which center around the supernatural -- though this is not actually a concept record. While the album begins with a warning sign --- the first four minutes of opener "Luminol" are a knotty, driving, near-fusion instrumental workout that gives way to a complex, beautifully wrought mini-suite that draws on sources such as Pink Floyd, early Genesis, and King Crimson. While "Drive Home" builds gradually with a near-majestic sweep of harmonic and lyric invention, it features wonderfully inventive guitar work by Govan. "The Holy Drinker" is a sprawling ride fueled by by Holzman's glorious keybaord work. There's a smoking guest guitar spot by Parsons, and a dazzling soprano saxophone from Travis. It commences with a diverse anglularity but never once loses its musical center. "The Watchmaker"'s intro of lilting, layered, acoustic guitars takes on heft as the ensemble enters with furious bass and drum work, and a gorgeous flute solo by Travis. The increasing drama includes death metal riffing, syncopated vocal choruses, and a flood of strings that never overdo it. The title track is the set closer, a lush, straightforward number about an old man speaking to his long-dead sister. His loneliness and grief are heartbreaking in Wilson's vocal expression, before strings, Mellotron, winds, and rolling drums build to a final, dramatic conclusion. The Raven That Refused to Sing and Other Stories is the best of Wilson's three solo projects; let's hope this particular group stays together awhile; with this bunch, the sky is the limit in terms of potential. ~ Thom Jurek