Girish Mahajan (Editor)

4½

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Released
  
22 January 2016

Artist
  
Steven Wilson

Producer
  
Steven Wilson

Length
  
36:14

Release date
  
22 January 2016

Genre
  
Progressive rock

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Recorded
  
October 2012 – October 2015 at various locations

Label
  
Victor Talking Machine Company

4½ is a mini-album by UK musician Steven Wilson. It was released on 22 January 2016. It collects songs that were written during the sessions for Wilson's previous two studio albums, Hand. Cannot. Erase. and The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories). The closing track is a new version of "Don't Hate Me", originally recorded by Porcupine Tree on the album Stupid Dream, sung as a duet with Israeli singer Ninet Tayeb. The title 4½ indicates the EP serves as an interim release between Wilson's fourth solo album Hand. Cannot. Erase. and his upcoming fifth full-length studio album.

Contents

Recording

  • "My Book of Regrets" was written in late 2013 and finished in June 2015. Main recording took place from 28 June 2015 in Montreal, with additional recording at No Man's Land.
  • "Year of the Plague" was written and recorded during the The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories) sessions in 2012–2013.
  • "Happiness III" was written in 2013 and recorded during the Hand. Cannot. Erase. sessions at Air Studio in September 2014.
  • "Sunday Rain Sets In" was recorded during the Hand. Cannot. Erase. sessions at Air Studios, East West and Spin Studios in 2014.
  • "Vermillioncore" was partly written in late 2013, finished in June 2015 and recorded in October 2015.
  • "Don't Hate Me" was written in 1998 and originally released by Wilson's band, Porcupine Tree, on their 1999 album Stupid Dream. This version of the track was taken from a live concert in Europe in September 2015, with additional recording at No Man's Land.

    • Track listing

    All tracks written by Steven Wilson.

    Personnel

  • Steven Wilson – lead vocals, guitars, autoharp, Mellotron, piano, percussion, virtual instruments
  • Dave Kilminster – guitar (tracks 1 and 6)
  • Guthrie Govan – guitar (track 3)
  • Nick Beggs – bass, Chapman Stick, backing vocals
  • Adam Holzman – Wurlitzer, Hammond organ, Minimoog, Rhodes, piano
  • Craig Blundell – drums (tracks 1, 5, and 6)
  • Marco Minnemann – drums (track 3)
  • Chad Wackerman – drums (track 4)
  • Theo Travis – reeds (tracks 4 and 6)
  • Ninet Tayeb – co-lead vocals (track 6)

    • Songs

    1My Book of Regrets9:23
    2Year of the Plague4:15
    3Happiness III4:31

    References

    4½ Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA