add to wish list | library


23 of 23 recommend this,
would you recommend it?

yes | no

Support this site by purchasing from these vendors using the paid links below. As an Amazon Associate SA-CD.net earns from qualifying purchases.
 
amazon.ca
amazon.co.uk
amazon.com
amazon.de
 
amazon.fr
amazon.it
 
jpc

Reviews: Steven Wilson: The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories)

Reviews: 3

Review by sylvian April 14, 2014 (4 of 4 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
The (to*date) finest release by Steven Wilson. Drive Home and Watchmaker are best selections (for me). Musically Steven is following very symphatetically 70s Prog scene without bad aftertaste. While previous 2 solo albums had its moments the third one is undoubtedly his best.

One can only wonder how he is doing his time management cause he is very busy with remastering King Crimson, YES, ELP, Jethro Tull, Caravan, Hawkwind besides his main composing for Porcupine Tree and solo projects not to mention co-composing with Aviv Geffen and Mikael Akerfeldt on other projects.

Easter eggs? Yes, they are there: some of the tracks have its intrumental only couterparts and you could infinitely alternate them with the original ones in different order. Nice experience.

I still dig this album out.

Was this review helpful to you?  yes | no

Review by Laird-o September 4, 2014 (6 of 6 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
This is one of those recordings that gets better and better with repeated listening. The sound is signature Steven Wilson, lush and layered. Overall, the music is harmonically complex and manages to be dissonant in all the right places. It rarely gets boring, but it is also not the kind of music that you would put on as the "Backing track" for some other task. It has a very dark feel. The album is extremely coherent as an end-to-end listening experience. The title track, a beautifully-dark piece that uses a very dark, dissonant theme combined with a more uplifting one, is the perfect end-piece ... especially the last 30 seconds or so that sees both themes presented together in a manner that nicely summarizes the feel of the entire album.

The other musicians are some of the top rock/jazz/fusion artists active today and they blend fantastically. Jazz/Fusion/Shred drummer Marco Minnemann - who has worked with Paul Gilbert, Levin-Minneman-Rudess, The Aristocrats, UKZ, and many others - is just brilliant. Nick Beggs plays bass and chapman stick, and he and Minneman manage to sound like they have been playing really difficult music together since they were toddlers.

My respect for guitarist Guthrie Govan, which was already pretty high, jumped a couple more notches in this one. His solo on "Drive Home" is one of the most lyrical that I have ever heard him play. Multi-instrumentalist Theo Travis' woodwind work is an unusual twist and add welcome additional layers and timbres.

The surround mix is a must. While the stereo mix has all of the properties mentioned above, it does feel crowded at times. The 5.1 mix is far more articulate since there is more instrumental separation. It is enveloping without anything distracting going on behind the listener, which is typical of any Steven Wilson surround mix. The dynamic range is rather pronounced. Listen in a quiet room if you can. If you can't, then be prepared to ride the volume on the remote occasionally.

Was this review helpful to you?  yes | no

Review by Marpow November 19, 2014 (2 of 3 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
Steven Wilson: The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories) Blu Ray Disc 2013

As I expand my knowledge into the world of Steven Wilson I continue to not be dissapointed.

Performance: This is a disc that I really like because of it's melancholy feel. Deep and spacey. The musicians are absolutely great and this is a very tight band.

Stereo Sonics: I did not listen.

Multichannel Sonics: Of course this is what makes the performance so great. Fully immersed, great distribution between my 5.1 set up. It is so well balanced that I actually here it as everything is in center of the 5.1, meaning some parts and vocals do not come center front but center space, very wonderful disc to own. My favorite track is the last, The Raven That Refused To Sing. My choice to listen was 5.1 LPCM 24bit/96kHz. Funny, I am looking at a Raven outside as I type.

Packaging: Standard Blu-ray Disc plastic case. Mini booklet with lyrics to all 6 tracks. Everything you need to know on band members and where and how the recordings took place. Easy to navigate on screen menu. There is a still on screen video, moon and stars, that stays motionless but inside the moon is a constantly changing image.

Glad I have it.

Was this review helpful to you?  yes | no