English musician Steven Wilson is a rare individual in the music world. In a time where bigger than life rock personas are few and far between, Wilson is one that could be referred to as such. A founding member of the highly respected English band Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson gained a certain street cred both within the industry and without. For years, and over ten albums, Porcupine Tree have garnered a loyal fan base. However, Steven Wilson has exceeded the boundaries of that band by leaps, by bounds.
Since then, Wilson has endeared himself to the progressive rock world by taking on production duties and engineer jobs. Several of his high-profile productions include the remixed Jethro Tull classic, Aqualung, with an astounding sound revitalization, and two Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP) releases that include their eponymous first album and Tarkus.
Wilson has also explored music on a solo basis. With two albums currently to his credit, Insurgentes (2008) and Grace for Drowning (2011), he is about to enter a third new album into his expansive resume. On February 25 (UK/EU) and February 26 (US), The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories) will be released. The new album has been produced by legendary engineer and musician Alan Parsons, and will contain six songs. Of the six songs, three will be over the ten-minute mark. All songs are tied into stories of the supernatural.
The Raven That Refused to Sing (And
Other Stories) will be made available in several formats. As expected,
there is the obligatory standard CD issue. But there will also be a
two-disc set with CD and a DVD with the DVD containing 24-bit Stereo
versions, as well as 5.1 Surround tracks. The album is also
scheduled for a 180g, two-LP gatefold set, and a Blu-ray Audio with
enhanced 24-bit Stereo and 5.1 Surround tracks. The Blu-ray Audio
set will feature bonus instrumental versions of all six songs, and
will include a bonus song. The BIG bonus comes in a hefty four-disc
audio set with a massive 128-page hardback book with lyrics,
illustrations, and supernatural stories.
If you visit the provided link and sign up for the mailing list, the track "Luminol" from the new album can be downloaded for free.
With a Robert Fripp-like importance, Steven Wilson has ascended the ladder of rock stardom. With so many projects on his plate, it's a wonder that he has time to himself. Given the importance of his contributions, we are lucky for his prolific endeavors.
