Label: Jaggy D
Release date: 8/27/2021
Production: Ray Wilson
Album length: 47:33 min
Genre: Art Rock
Rating: 9.0/10
Scottish singer Ray Wilson, who broke through internationally as a member of the post-grunge/neo-prog band Stiltskin and as a former member of prog rock legends Genesis, with whom he recorded the album »Calling All Stations« (1997) as the replacement for the legendary Phil Collins, has released his seventh solo album, titled »The Weight of Man«.
After leaving Genesis, Wilson, who has also worked in the past with prog rock icons like Steven Wilson and Steve Hackett, built himself a respectable solo career, but with the exception of Germany, the one country where some of his solo albums have occasionally made the best-seller charts, he remains a largely overlooked musician.
For such an overlooked artist, even though his solo albums have been at least very solid if not outright excellent, perhaps nothing says it better than the 2014 Genesis documentary »Genesis: Together and Apart«, in which Wilson wasn’t even mentioned. Even prog purists tend to keep their distance from Wilson’s solo career, despite his Genesis connection, since most of his solo output sits somewhere on the border between art rock and pop rock, with the occasional alternative rock moment.
»The Weght of Man« also follows this kind of ‘borderline’ musical direction, which marks the lion’s share of Wilson’s solo career, while the prevailing melancholic mood has long since become his trademark, so all fans of his solo path will surely give it a warm welcome. Among Wilson’s collaborators on »The Weight of Man«, one name that stands out is his old buddy, Israeli drummer Nir Z, who as a guest musician played most of the drums on »Calling All Stations«, was briefly a member of Stiltskin, and is also the brother of Blackfield drummer Tomer Z. Most of the remaining instruments on the album were played by Wilson’s own bandmates, who make up the current incarnation of Stiltskin. Some might wonder why Wilson didn’t release this album under the Stiltskin name given that, but even a cursory look at the lyrics reveals that they’re mostly very personal.
Over the years Mr. Wilson has become even more sophisticated and lyrically mature, while his vocals are every bit as good as when he briefly joined Genesis in the late nineties, which the opening track »You Could Have Been Someone« demonstrates nicely, with Ray, backed by programmed orchestral arrangements, immediately winning you over with his melodramatic vocal performance. »Mother Earth« is a melancholic-dramatic, environmentally conscious song in which Ray warns that humanity’s final hour is approaching if it keeps treating nature like a ‘bull in a china shop’. »We Knew The Truth Once«, bathed in indescribable melancholy, also belongs in the socially conscious category. It’s a track that, with its ambient depth, melodic quality and clear message, will surely appeal to fans of ‘softer’ neo-prog acts like Jadis and Lifesigns.
Ray wouldn’t be Ray if he didn’t put at least one song about unhappy love on »The Weight of Man«. This time around they’re »I, Like You« and »Amelia«, both of which got accompanying music videos. Anyone familiar with Ray’s solo output so far won’t be surprised that these aren’t syrupy ballads, but richly arranged pieces with exceptional ambient depth and a superb vocal performance. The title track is definitely among the ambient highlights of the album, closing with a melancholic guitar solo. On »Almost Famous«, Mr. Wilson takes a meaningful look back at his Genesis days and reveals that he doesn’t regret one bit not achieving worldwide fame in that short period, after »Calling All Stations«, which did nicely in Europe, flopped completely in the US commercially, leading to the cancellation of the American leg of the tour and, as a result, the (temporary) halt of the legendary band’s activity. The special edition of the album also closes with an interesting cover of The Beatles classic »Golden Slumbers«.
»The Weight of Man« will further cement Wilson’s reputation as an exceptionally consistent solo artist who stays faithful to his sonic and lyrical vision, which has so far never let down his relatively small but very loyal following. Even though »The Weight of Man« will most likely, like most of Ray’s albums so far, go completely overlooked commercially, and prog purists ‘on the other side’ won’t want to give it a listen no matter what, it’s a fine reflection of Wilson’s musical growth, which means that with its rich ambient and lyrical content, quite a few listeners will be left thinking hard about where humanity is currently headed.
Author: Peter “Dr. ProgRock” Podbrežnik
Track list:
1. You Could Have Been Someone
2. Mother Earth
3. We Know the Truth Once
4. I, Like You
5. Amelia
6. The Weight of Man
7. The Last Laugh
8. Almost Famous
9. Symptomatic
10. Cold Like Stone
11. Golden Slumbers
Line-up:
Ray Wilson – vocals
Ali Ferguson – electric guitar on tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7
Uwe Metzler – electric guitar on tracks 3, 9,10, 11, acoustic guitar on tracks 3 and 8, banjo on track 8
Lawrie MacMillan – bass guitar on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Martin Ziaja – bass guitar on track 11
Jethro Bodean – keyboards on tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, programming on tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7
Yogi Lang – additional keyboards on tracks 2, 4, backing vocals on track 2
Scott Spence – piano & keyboards on tracks 8 and 9, string arrangements on track 8
Rainer Scheithauer – piano on track 11
Marcin Kajper – clarinet on track 1
Alicia Chrzaszcz – violin on track 8
Henrik Mumm – cello on track 11
Nir Z. – drums on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Frank Dapper – drums on track 11
