Grace for Drowning is Steven Wilson 's second album , released in 2011.
A masterpiece that, in my opinion, surpasses his first album and ranks among his best ever, in great competition with his two subsequent ones.
If the first was an excellent debut, this one marks a sort of consecration. It seems that this artist, a multi-instrumentalist genius, has inherited the legacy of the golden years of prog that preceded him and synthesized it, updating the sounds with contemporary ones, with an exceptional, entirely personal taste.
My considerations on the author and his works are well known, we have talked about them at length in previous articles.
The double vinyl set is divided into two parts, Vol. 1 - Deform to Form a Star and Vol. 2 - Like Dust I Have Cleared from My Eye, each lasting 40 and 45 minutes. Each vinyl set contains one volume.
The lineup once again features top-notch collaborators: Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment), Theo Travis (Gong, Soft Machine Legacy, The Tangent), Tony Levin (King Crimson, among others), Markus Reuter (King Crimson), Trey Gunn (King Crimson), Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson), and the legendary Steve Hackett (Genesis).
A complex work whose sound draws inspiration from Steven Wilson ( Pink Floyd and King Crimson in particular), and as the composer states, the orchestral parts are inspired by the works of Ennio Morricone.
I'll describe it in a few words, trying to summarize my impressions.
This is a darkly tinged album featuring sweet piano and vocal melodies, a mellotron that infuses 1970s atmospheres, echoing keyboards, beautiful wind instruments, intricate and fast sounds but also slow and relaxed ones, heavy and more delicate guitar, splendid drums, menacing songs, dissonant sax, psychedelic tracks, flute, sampled strings, reminiscent of the Beatles, short songs and suites lasting over 20 minutes, continuous contrasts even within the same song, space-rock atmospheres and so many emotions.
It's a great album, the second in a series of four that few bands and musicians can boast.
Absolutely advised .
Tracklist
VOL 1 - Deform to Form a Star (39:41)
1. Grace for Drowning (2:06)
2. Sectarian (7:41)
3. Deform to Form a Star (7:51)
4. No Part of Me (5:44)
5. Postcard (4:29)
6. Raider Prelude (2:23)
7. Remainder the Black Dog (9:27 )
VOL 2 - Like Dust I Have Cleared from My Eye (43:26)
8. Belle de Jour (2:59)
9. Index (4:49)
10. Track One (4:16)
11. Raider II (23:21)
12. Like Dust I Have Cleared from My Eye (8:01)
LineUp
- Steven Wilson - vocals, keyboards, guitars, autoharp (8, 10, 12), bass (2, 5, 8, 11), piano (5-7, 11, 12), gong (6), glockenspiel (7), programming (10), harmonium (11, 12), percussion (11), production and mixing
Featuring:
- Markus Reuter - U8 touch guitar (4)
- Trey Gunn - Warr guitar and bass (4)
- Steve Hackett - guitars (7)
- Mike Outram - guitar (11, 3.4)
- Sand Snowman - acoustic guitar (11)
- Jordan Rudess - piano (1, 3, 11)
- Theo Travis - soprano saxophone (2, 4, 7, 11, 3.4), clarinets (3, 7, 11), flute (7, 11)
- Ben Castle - clarinet (2)
- Nick Beggs - Chapman Stick (2, 7, 11), bass (7, 11), lead bass (4)
- Tony Levin - bass (3, 12, 3.2)
- Nic France - drums
- Pat Mastelotto - acoustic and electronic drums (4, 10, 3.2), additional production (4)
- London Session Orchestra - strings (4, 5, 8, 10)
- Dave Stewart - backing vocals (5, 6, 11) and strings (4, 5, 8, 10), arranger and conductor
- Synergy Vocals - backing vocals (5, 6, 11)
- Dave Kerzner - sound design - coda (11)
Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page.
