Million Dollar Wound Reviews
TILT is a project with musicians who have in the past played with the singer Fish. Steve Vantsis, who wrote and produced the album “13th Star” with Fish, is head of the rock-triumvirate. Alongside Steve are Robin Boult (guitar), Irvin Duguid (keyboards) and Dave “Squeeky” Stewart (drums). They are assisted by, amongst others, Fish’s
long-time guitarist Frank Usher and the multi-talented John Wesley, who has most recently got himself noticed for his work with Porcupine Tree. It is a conglomerate of musicians, whose names you might not recognise, but who you will have surely heard as part of one or other projects.
The basic structure of this EP is truly classic rock. The opening track “No Superman” is reigned over by strong guitar riffs, which lead down into a retro groove, which could easily have come from “13th Star” and is clearly Vantsis’s handiwork. Paul Dourley steps forward as guest singer and takes the song into rocky spheres and gets good results alongside the solos of the guitar line-up of Boult, Wesley, Usher and Nick Robertson.
“Long Gone” starts acoustically, with celestial sounds. The ballad is carried along by the enchanting voice of Kaela Rowan. Dave Stewart’s delicate percussion is notable (with which he really made an impression when he played with Fish). “Gravity” is also really laid back and is sung with a female voice, this time Holly Tomás. The arrangement is sown with electronic and orchestral elements, and gives an impression of being as light as a feather.
The EP finishes with two almost epic tracks: “Answers” and “Adore”, and along the way establishes an almost progressive feel. “Answers” is a multi-faceted and carefully constructed track, with different instrumental passages and cleverly placed electronic touches. “Adore” sounds mysterious and melancholy – repetitive at the start, but clearly intensifying in the second half of the song.
The EP works as a whole and is much better than middle of the road music which I had anticipated from the first information and clips. Steve Vantsis is a brilliant songwriter and has brought together good singers and musicians here. It is really noteworthy how many excellent session musicians Fish has got through in the past. “Million Dollar Wound” proves once and for all that they can all produce good work under the direction of Steve Vantsis.
8 out of 10 Andreas Weist, Music HQ
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Who the bloody hell is Steve Vantsis, I asked in the nicest possible way when I heard ‘13th Star’, because I was convinced, and I still am, that this man had created for Fish one of the better albums of his tremendous body of work. Certain Company members didn’t find this very amusing and gave me a hard time, which they were entitled to do, seeing as I was criticising their idol. Mind you, they haven’t really come up with an explanation for the previous field of work of the man… now they don’t need to wonder, because Steve has formed TILT.
The musicians who are involved read like a Who’s Who of past and current Fish musicians. Even more Fish musicians have been recruited as guest artists, for example, John Wesley, who is well known in Fish & Marillion circles. Unfortunately it’s hard to tell from my review CD what each of them does individually, but since they all do their thing extremely well, it doesn’t really matter.
I could really spoil my relationship with The Company (which if you don’t know, is the official Fish fan club) if I were to say that Vantsis has made a fantastic Fish album without its biggest shortcoming – Fish’s voice… And since nothing better occurs to me, I’ll say it anyway. If every Fish fan doesn’t immediately check this out, then I really don’t know what the world is coming to.
Paul Dourley is a belter of a singer. A little Chris Cornell (Soundgarden), his strong singing makes the rocking ‘No Superman’ and the new prog ‘Answers’ explosive songs. But the band hasn’t peaked too early. The beautiful ‘Long Gone’ is folky art pop, a mixture of ‘Iona’ and ‘Isildur’s Bane’. Kaela Rowan’s voice could soften stone. Holly Tomás scarcely falls behind with the introverted ‘Gravity’, which wouldn’t be out of place on a ‘Gathering’ album. On the final track you hear the men and women together, supported by Lorna Bannon, with a really great bombastic ‘Floyd’ finale. I wouldn’t say that ‘Adore’ is the highpoint of the EP, but it finishes off this great piece of art pop perfectly.
I take my hat off to Tilt. The band just happens to have come up with a superlative half an hour. The music is very varied and the band makes straightforward ‘pop’ and comes up with some chilled and relaxed, really good songs. The overall controller, Vantsis has written these and one can only hope that there’s more to come from this highly talented man. The disc is tastefully produced, sounds modern and the arrangement is top class. Someone here really knows what they are doing.
Of course the whole thing might not have an effect on die-hard prog fans, but I’ll gladly say it again: if Fish fans, and fans of well put together rock music don’t love this record, then I don’t know what the world is coming to.
12 out of 15 Fix Sadler, Babyblaue Seiten
