THE RAVEN THAT REFUSED TO SING (AND OTHER STORIES)

I am about a level one on this album, as the only tracks that are slightly familiar to me are Luminol and the title track. However, I know that this album is hailed by many as the best thing Steven Wilson has ever recorded (including with Porcupine Tree) I am truly looking forward to it.

Lets' go!

Track 1 - Luminol

It starts very suddenly with some staccato rhythms and kicking into a great bass and drum riff. BTW the band on this album is stellar:

Steven Wilson ? lead vocals, mellotron, keyboards, guitars, bass guitar on "The Holy Drinker"

Guthrie Govan ? lead guitar

Nick Beggs ? bass guitar, Chapman Stick on "The Holy Drinker", backing vocals

Adam Holzman ? keyboards, Hammond organ, piano, minimoog

Marco Minnemann ? drums, percussion

Theo Travis ? flute, saxophone, clarinet

Additional musicians

Jakko Jakszyk ? additional vocals on "Luminol" and "The Watchmaker"

Alan Parsons ? wah-wah guitar on "The Holy Drinker"[27]

Strings arranged by Dave Stewart, performed by the London Session Orchestra and recorded at Angel Studio 17 October 2012 (Soloist - Perry Montague-Mason)

Niko Tsonev ? Guitar solo on "The Watchmaker (demo)" and additional guitars on "Luminol (demo)".

By around 30 seconds the guitars and keys join in, and Theo Travis takes a flute solo. At around 1:15, however, we suddenly switch to harmony a Capella vocal. The rhythm kicks back in and mellotron joins in. Nick Beggs then takes a bass solo with Minneman joining on drums, and then other instruments join in one at a time. Eventually there is a distorted electric piano solo. At around 4:15 there is a transitional riff then clean electric guitar chords take over before Wilson starts singing in a call & response with harmony vocals. The mellotron returns at around 6:40, then there is an acoustic piano solo. This is great prog! The harmony vocals over the solo remind me a bit of Yes' South Side of the Sky. There is mellotron galore on this. It sounds more like the early 70s than the early 2010s. Such a rich sound. The sounds at 10 minutes are fantastic! Govan takes a solo at 11 minutes. For those who don't know. Govan is considered by many to be one of the greatest guitarists in the world in recent years. There is a short closing riff, and then we are out. Fantastic track.

Track 2 - Drive Home

This one begins with a clean electric guitar melody that is slightly reminiscent of Bach's Bourrée in E Minor. The vocals begin at around 30 seconds in, and sound highly processed with effects. There is subtle drumming and guitars as accompaniment. The chorus that follows has still more beautiful mellotron. At just before 4 minutes in there is a lovely instrumental break. At 4:44 there is beautiful 12 string guitar along with mellotron & flute. A soaring guitar solo follows. This one feels a bit Floyd-like to me. Govan does a bit of shredding as the song closes, but in the most beautiful way! Amazing track!

Track 3 - The Holy Drinker

Distorted electric piano kicks this one off. Everything about this album feels "old school" so far. The band lays down a nasty jazz fusion groove, Cool analog synth sounds come in. This is SO COOL! It gets a bit dissonant at times but never degenerates into noise. There is a riff a bit like KISS' Love Gun that ushers in the next part of the song at around 2:20. Vocals join in and then we have some heavy power chords. Killer odd meter riffs start at about 3:30. This track keeps throwing curves at me. It is so good. It has a live band feel for much of it. The fusion intro has given way to organic prog with a slightly Zeppelin meets Tull vibe. That crescendo at 6:45! Wow! Then we have a quiet section. This part has a bit of a "No Quarter" vibe. The sound explodes again by 8:50. Another great track. This album is blowing me away!

Track 4 - The Pin Drop

A nice clean electric guitar part accompanies Wilson's vocals at the higher end of his range. The full band kicks in with a quick 3-4 feel then there is a sax solo. Minneman's drumming is fabulous throughout. Mellotron, once again, plays a big part. Lots of great dynamic shifts keep it interesting as do the harmony vocals. Govan takes another terrific solo, then the vocals return. Great song!

Track 5 - The Watchmaker

The opening verse on this reminds me a bit of Genesis' "Cinema Show" in sound. The song stays mellow for a good while, but in a good way. There is a clean guitar melody and more mellotron around 3:30. Things begin to change at around 4:15. The guitar gets more strummy, and the rhythm section kicks in. Theo Travis' flute plays a large role in this album. Govan plays another stunning solo. Things quiet back down at around 6 minutes, then an arpeggiated piano part comes in, before Wilson resumes singing. The vocal harmonies around 7:15 are just fantastic. The musicianship is top notch! Amazing rhythm shift around 9 minutes. Beggs gets a bass feature. The groove becomes YYZ like. Then there are some more indescribable sounds that are simply amazing. Man, this album keeps giving me jaw-drops. Unbelievably great track.

Track 6 - The Raven that Refused to Sing.

We save the title track for last. I have definitely heard this one before. It starts with mellow piano & vocals. There is a slow crescendo happening as we go along, and Instruments join in one at a time. We are in a slow 7-4 here. A string section joins in at around 3:30. The sound of this song is mesmerizing. Smooth guitar lines complement the melody as the drums kick in and the song keeps up its slow build. The restraint in controlling the dynamics in this song is masterful. There is a false ending with 30 seconds left followed by some quiet piano notes. Beautiful song.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

There was not one second of that album I would change. I wondered how it got into the top 10 of this list [Prog Magazine's Top 100 Prog Albums of All Time] surrounded by 70s prog classics. Now I know. It deserves every accolade it gets. Wilson's masterpiece. 5 out of 5 Stars.

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