Grace for Drowning
Grace for Drowning | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by Steven Wilson | ||||
Released | 26 September 2011 | |||
Recorded | January 2010 – June 2011 | |||
Genre | Progressive rock, experimental rock, jazz-fusion | |||
Length |
Disc 1: 39:38 Disc 2: 43:23 Total: 83:01 | |||
Label | Kscope | |||
Producer | Steven Wilson | |||
Steven Wilson chronology | ||||
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Deluxe Edition | ||||
120-page deluxe edition hardback book |
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Singles from Grace for Drowning | ||||
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Grace for Drowning is the second solo studio album by Steven Wilson, producer, songwriter, and frontman of Porcupine Tree. It was released by Kscope Music Records on 26 September 2011.[1] The album received a nomination at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Surround Sound Album.[2]
Background
After the release of his first solo album, Insurgentes, Steven Wilson spent time on a number of his other projects. These include Porcupine Tree's album The Incident in 2009, Blackfield's third album Welcome to My DNA, on 28 March 2011, and an on-going project with Mikael Åkerfeldt (the leader of the band Opeth) named Storm Corrosion. However, amongst these projects, in 2010, he announced that he had started working on his second solo album as well.
In early June 2011, Wilson launched a minisite for the new album revealing the album's name and album art photographed by his longtime collaborator Lasse Hoile. Additionally, a free download of the track "Remainder the Black Dog" was also added. Sound and Vision magazine's website premiered the video of "Track One" on 10 August 2011.[3] Not long after, Yahoo! Music debuted the music video for "Index".[4] On 16 August, WNYC's website premiered a free download for the radio edit of "Like Dust I Have Cleared From My Eye".[5] A video clip for "Remainder the Black Dog" was finally released on 31 August, through Guitar World magazine's website.[6]
Upon completion of the album, Wilson said:
"'Insurgentes' was an important step for me into something new. This record takes that as a starting point, but it’s more experimental and more eclectic. For me the golden period for music was the late sixties and early seventies, when the album became the primary means of artistic expression, when musicians liberated themselves from the 3 minute pop song format, and started to draw on jazz and classical music especially, combining it with the spirit of psychedelia to create “journeys in sound” I guess you could call them. So without being retro, my album is a kind of homage to that spirit. There’s everything from [Ennio] Morricone-esque film themes to choral music to piano ballads to a 23 minute progressive jazz –inspired piece. I've actually used a few jazz musicians this time, which is something I picked up from my work remixing the King Crimson records"[7]
The special edition of the album is going to release on Blu-ray video disc with the music playing in 5.1 surround sound and accompanying visuals and videos for each track,.[8]
The track Raider II is based on the murders of the "BTK killer", Dennis Rader.[9]
Critical reception
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [10] |
Mojo | [11] |
PopMatters | 8/10 [12] |
Rolling Stone | [13] |
Reception for the album was generally favourable. Ben Bland of Stereoboard wrote positively of the album, stating "For a work so defiantly widescreen in its intentions as this, it is truly remarkable that there is nothing that could, or rather should, be accused of being filler or being over the top."[14] William Ruhlmann from Allmusic gave a mixed review to the album and compared it to Wilson's other projects, Porcupine Tree and Bass Communion and commented: "Grace for Drowning has a particular conception in terms of its emotional journey from sadness through anger to acceptance, but it is also just another in a lengthy discography of albums by Wilson under various names in relatively similar styles".[10] Brice Ezell of PopMatters gave a very positive review to the album, scoring it 8 out of 10. He wrote that "[Wilson] may remain a divisive musical personality, but Grace for Drowning is such a fine listen that even the most adamantly opposed listener has to at least give him style points, both for the artistic presentation of the album and the music within".[12]
Track listing
All tracks written by Steven Wilson.
Disc 1: Deform to Form a Star | ||
---|---|---|
No. | Title | Length |
1. | "Grace for Drowning" | 2:06 |
2. | "Sectarian" | 7:41 |
3. | "Deform to Form a Star" | 7:51 |
4. | "No Part of Me" | 5:45 |
5. | "Postcard" | 4:29 |
6. | "Raider Prelude" | 2:23 |
7. | "Remainder the Black Dog" | 9:27 |
Disc 2: Like Dust I Have Cleared from My Eye | ||
---|---|---|
No. | Title | Length |
1. | "Belle de Jour" | 2:59 |
2. | "Index" | 4:49 |
3. | "Track One" | 4:16 |
4. | "Raider II" | 23:21 |
5. | "Like Dust I Have Cleared from My Eye" | 8:01 |
Disc 3: The Map (Deluxe Edition only; Demos + Out-Takes) | ||
---|---|---|
No. | Title | Length |
1. | "Home in Negative" | 3:00 |
2. | "Fluid Tap" | 5:45 |
3. | "The Map" | 3:30 |
4. | "Raider Acceleration" | 6:15 |
5. | "Black Dog Throwbacks" | 2:30 |
6. | "Raider II" (demo version) | 21:15 |
Blu-ray bonus tracks | ||
---|---|---|
No. | Title | Length |
1. | "Home in Negative" | 3:03 |
2. | "Fluid Tap" | 5:45 |
3. | "Sectarian" (demo) | 9:06 |
4. | "Deform to Form a Star" (demo) | 7:09 |
5. | "No Part of Me" (demo) | 5:59 |
6. | "Remainder the Black Dog" (video) | 9:29 |
7. | "Remainder the Black Dog" (demo) | 9:17 |
8. | "Belle de Jour" (video) | 2:59 |
9. | "Index" (video) | 4:49 |
10. | "Track One" (video) | 4:10 |
11. | "Raider II" (demo) | 21:09 |
12. | "Like Dust I Have Cleared from My Eye" (video) | 8:02 |
13. | "Like Dust I Have Cleared from My Eye" (demo) | 5:05 |
Personnel
Credits adapted from the official website[15]
Managerial
Technical and production
|
Visuals and imagery
Sounding
|
Musicians
|
|
- Deluxe Edition also contains:[16]
- 120 page hardback book.
- Blu-ray with 5.1 surround sound mix, high resolution stereo and additional demos.
- Blu-ray also contains films for five tracks (directed by Lasse Hoile), photo galleries, handwritten notes and lyrics.
DVD
Wilson and longtime collaborator Lasse Hoile announced in late August 2012 that a DVD, filmed live in Mexico City on the Grace for Drowning tour, would be released on 24 September 2012.
Tour
Touring band members included drummer Marco Minnemann, bassist and backing vocalist Nick Beggs, guitarist Aziz Ibrahim (First European leg only), John Wesley (First US leg only), or Niko Tsonev (Second leg), keyboardist Adam Holzman, and Theo Travis on flute, saxes and clarinet. Drummer/keyboardist Gary Husband was originally announced on keys, but pulled out for medical reasons. as Ibrahim was unable to tour in the US due to visa problems.[17]
First leg
Date | City | Country | Venue |
---|---|---|---|
Europe[18] | |||
20 October 2011 | Poznań | Poland | Eskulap |
21 October 2011 | Kraków | Wisla Hall | |
22 October 2011 | Berlin | Germany | Heimathafen |
23 October 2011 | Munich | Muffathalle | |
25 October 2011 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Paradiso |
26 October 2011 | Paris | France | Bataclan |
27 October 2011 | Cologne | Germany | Live Music Hall |
28 October 2011 | Hamburg | Markthalle | |
30 October 2011 | Zoetermeer | Netherlands | Boerderij |
31 October 2011 | London | United Kingdom | O2 Shepherds Bush Empire |
United States and Canada [18] | |||
8 November 2011 | Orlando | United States | House of Blues |
10 November 2011 | Baltimore | Rams Head Live! | |
11 November 2011 | New York City | Best Buy Theater | |
12 November 2011 | Philadelphia | Temple Performing Arts Center | |
13 November 2011 | Boston | Berklee Performance Center | |
15 November 2011 | Montreal | Canada | Corona |
16 November 2011 | Toronto | The Opera House | |
18 November 2011 | Chicago | United States | Park West |
Second leg
Date | City | Country | Venue |
---|---|---|---|
United States and Mexico[18] | |||
4 April 2012 | Seattle | United States | Showbox |
6 April 2012 | San Francisco | The Fillmore | |
7 April 2012 | Los Angeles | House of Blues | |
9 April 2012 | Dallas | House of Blues | |
13 April 2012 | Mexico City | Mexico | Metropolitan |
South America[18] | |||
15 April 2012 | Caracas | Venezuela | Hotel Eurobuilding |
17 April 2012 | Santiago | Chile | Teatro Oriente |
18 April 2012 | Teatro Caupolicán | ||
19 April 2012 | Buenos Aires | Argentina | Teatro Flores |
21 April 2012 | Sao Paulo | Brazil | Via Marquês |
Europe[18] | |||
25 April 2012 | Malmö | Sweden | KB |
26 April 2012 | Stockholm | Gota Kallare | |
28 April 2012 | Bergen | Norway | Peer Gynt |
29 April 2012 | Oslo | Rockefeller | |
30 April 2012 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Amager Bio |
2 May 2012 | Tilburg | Netherlands | 013 |
3 May 2012 | Mannheim | Germany | Alte Feuerwache |
4 May 2012 | Paris | France | Le Trianon |
6 May 2012 | Saarbrücken | Germany | Garage |
7 May 2012 | Stuttgart | Theaterhaus | |
9 May 2012 | Pratteln | Switzerland | Z7 |
10 May 2012 | Milan | Italy | Alcatraz |
11 May 2012 | Rome | Orion | |
13 May 2012 | Dortmund | Germany | FZW |
14 May 2012 | Brussels | Belgium | AB |
15 May 2012 | London | United Kingdom | Shepherds Bush Empire |
Charts
Country | Peak Position |
---|---|
Netherlands[19] | 22 |
Poland[20] | 7 |
Italy[21] | 45 |
Switzerland[22] | 54 |
France[23] | 96 |
Belgium[24] | 76 |
Austria[25] | 40 |
Finland[26] | 30 |
Germany[27] | 22 |
United Kingdom[28] | 34 |
U.S. Billboard 200[29] | 85 |
U.S. Independent Albums[29] | 12 |
U.S. Top Rock Albums[29] | 19 |
Awards
Grammy Awards
Year | Nominee/work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | Grace For Drowning[2] | Best Surround Sound Album | Nominated |
Progressive Music Awards
Year | Nominee/work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | "Raider II"[30] | Anthem | Nominated |
Grace for Drowning (Deluxe Edition) [30] | Grand Design | Nominated |
References
- ↑ Steven Wilson – Grace For Drowning
- 1 2 Nominees And Winners | GRAMMY.com
- ↑ "Video: Steven Wilson's Track One". Sound and Vision Magazine. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
- ↑ "Video: Steven Wilson's Index". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
- ↑ "WNYC Soundcheck: Like Dust I Have Cleared From My Eye". WNYC. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
- ↑ "Exclusive: Porcupine Tree Guitarist Steven Wilson Premieres "Remainder the Black Dog" Music Video". Guitar World. 2011-08-31.
- ↑ Grace for Drowning by Steven Wilson, talk
- ↑ BD Music News – Steven Wilson's 'Grace For Drowning' Will Be Released On Sexy Blu-ray
- ↑ The Raven that Refused to Sing – Concert Review
- 1 2 Grace for Drowning – Steven Wilson | AllMusic
- ↑ "Steven Wilson – Grace for Drowning – OUT NOW". gracefordrowning.com. Retrieved 2011-12-26.
- 1 2 Ezell, Brice. Steven Wilson – Grace For Drowning (Deluxe Edition): Review | PopMatters popmatters.com. 2011-10-20. Retrieved on 2011-10-29.
- ↑ David Fricke."Grace for Drowning – Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. 2011-11-22.
- ↑ "Steven Wilson – Grace For Drowning (Album Review) – Stereoboard UK:". Stereoboard.com. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
- ↑ "Credits". Album's Official Website. Kscope. Retrieved 20 Jul 2011.
- ↑ Grace For Drowwing official's Website, Deluxe Edition infos
- ↑ John Wesley's personal website , 21 Nov 2011
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Live". Album's Official Website. Kscope. Retrieved 20 Jul 2011.
- ↑ "dutchcharts.nl – Steven Wilson – Grace For Drowning". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
- ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS – Official Retail Sales Chart". Retrieved 2011-10-07.
- ↑ "FIMI Federazione musicale industria italiana (archive)". Retrieved 2011-10-14.
- ↑ "Steven Wilson – Grace For Drowning – hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
- ↑ "lescharts.com – Steven Wilson – Grace For Drowning". lescharts.com. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
- ↑ "ultratop.be – Steven Wilson – Grace For Drowning". ultratop.be. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
- ↑ "Steven Wilson – Grace For Drowning – austriancharts.at". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
- ↑ "finnishcharts.com – Steven Wilson – Grace For Drowning". finnishcharts.com. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
- ↑ "Steven Wilson – Grace For Drowning – Music Charts". aCharts.us. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
- ↑ "Steven Wilson – Official page". Steven Wilson. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
- 1 2 3 "Steven Wilson – Grace For Drowning – Music Charts – AllMusic". Retrieved 24 November 2011.
- 1 2 "Progressive Music Awards 2012 Nominees". Progrock Music Magazine. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2011.