STEVE WILSON ~ STEPPIN' IT UP A NOTCH

How many independent musicians can count in its record with guests of the carat of ROBBIE McINTOSH (former-PRETENDERS and that he touched with PAUL McCARTNEY) and CHAS DICKIE, of the lendário VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR? STEVE WILSON can. E who is STEVE WILSON? Steve is former-member of the CHEESE, THE LITTLE GREEN MEN and arrives now at its alone estréia with a beautiful record, stuffed of climates of years 50 until the present. With more than 20 years of profession, Steve constructed a beautiful repertoire where the prominences are for the band heading, the beautiful 'Little Friend' and 'Your God Isn't Listening' with verses of opening "You think the only way you solves it problem is you fight/You say you've read your holy book and it's an eye will be an eye/But noone is listening, You the crocodile tears you cry /Your hatred you disguise but your to anger you can't hide."

Produced for Jonny Burden and the proper musician, STEVE WILSON is a good option for who likes climates that mix NEIL YOUNG, FAIRPORT CONVENTION, among others. Who to want to know more of the artist, is enough to go to its personal site or to enter in the page of the Pink Hedgehog. Steppin' It Up The Notch sample one more time that, although small, the Hedgehog still invests in excellent and unknown talentos. (Babel Fish translation, original review written in Portuguese)

Reviewed at Mofo by Rubens Leme Da Costa, BRAZIL

Thanks as ever to Simon at Pink Hedgehog for sending me this release. Every PH release I’ve heard has been most commendable, and this one is no exception. STEVE WILSON was the bass player in CHEESE, whose Let It Brie was released to favourable reviews a year or two ago. His band, The Innocent Bystanders, includes ROBBIE McINTOSH, who has played with THE PRETENDERS and PAUL McCARTNEY, and cellist CHAS DICKIE, ex VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR, on 3 tracks. Check out the exquisite ballad about a broken relationship, ‘Nobody Home’ - just Chas, two acoustic guitars, Steve’s plaintive voice - I remember my Mum singing ‘Send In The Clowns’ as well, Steve!

A lot of the music has a country rock feel to me, and there is one song that stands out - the 7 minute long ‘Hold On’ - this has everything, a wonderfully perceptive and reflective lyric, a great feel (some of the piano work has a CAROLE KING Tapestry feel about it), a smattering of harmonica at just the right moments and a soulful harmony vocal from JESS UPTON. There is nothing innocent about this album - it’s the work of seasoned veterans and skilled craftsmen who know exactly what they’re doing - at least I hope Steve knows what he’s doing, sitting atop the skyscraper rafter with the rest of the steel monkeys on the sleeve!

Reviewed in Zeitgeist by Phil Jackson, UK

Remember a few issues back when we waxed lyrical about the band CHEESE? Well, STEVE WILSON was the bass player for the band, and here, now, resplendent, is his own little solo album. Helping out are ROBBIE McINTOSH and CHAS DICKIE, both of whom had recent roles in GORDON HASKELL's band (indeed, CHAS DICKIE has been in VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR!). There's nine tracks, and the album kicks off in a lovely laid back mode with the title track. It's often difficult to categorise the music on this impressive cd. Sometimes you hear slight echoes of CHEESE (which is a bit obvious), and then there's the ever so ghostly presence of classic late 60s influences, but it works well. However, it's the acoustic 'When You Come Back' that's one of the gems on the album. Actually, there really aren't any weak tracks, they're all strong, and some are that bit stronger. 'Money Man', 'Hold On' and 'Your God Isn't Listening' - nice gear.

Reviewed in Modern Dance by Edgar, UK

This one is a little hard to describe. Not that it's something completely new and never heard before. It's hard to describe because there's so many styles melded together here. I hear great soul influences, especially in some of the vocals, a bit of fab-4, ragtime, eighties angry young man songwriting and a little piano man lounge. Mr Wilson does a respectable job of mixing all these styles together and with the help of The Innocent Bystanders he's pulled off an enjoyable listening experience.

Reviewed in Ear Candy by James Richard Oliver, USA

STEVE WILSON, formerly of CHEESE and THE LITTLE GREEN MEN, has a solo album out on Pink Hedgehog, Steppin' It Up A Notch. This was recorded with THE INNOCENT BYSTANDERS, who feature Robbie McIntosh of THE PRETENDERS and PAUL McCARTNEY's backing band, and Chas Dickie from VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR, both of whom are also in GORDON HASKELL's band. As to be expected from this, the music here has a very professional approach. The title track starts off with some excellent folky fiddle playing, but as I suspected, this didn't last. The rest of the song sticks to a pretty standard 'adult pop' formula. 'Invisible People' is on the grown-up side of indie music, a good song but very familiar sounding.

'Whenever You Come Back' is an acoustic song with cello and soprano sax. As with the previous track, the song is good but sounds very familiar, even though it includes instruments that don't normally turn up in this kind of music. 'Little Friend' has shades of country music and 1940s popular song. 'Away' is a vocal duet between STEVE WILSON and the female singer JESS UPTON, who has a very strong and quite deep voice. Their voices work well together. It starts off as an acoustic track but completely changes mood when the full electric band comes in; I like the way it does this. The song itself is a little too much on the standard pop side for me though. 'Your God Isn't Listening' is a protest song against people who use religion to "justify" their hatred and violence; I like the sentiment behind this song.

There's nothing really wrong with STEVE WILSON's music, and I kinda like some of it, but I just felt I've heard too much music like this in the past for it to be really exciting. Also it veers dangerously close to middle of the road/easy listening territory on several occasions. PETER LACEY can get away with sophisticated mature pop music because his songs have a strong sense of inventiveness, but with STEVE WILSON's music I'm left thinking I've heard similar stuff many times before. If you dig adult-oriented, middle of the road pop songs then this is a well crafted example of its genre; you can't really expect anything less than well crafted when you consider the professional musicians who are on board. But personally I prefer music with a bit more bite, and/or a more distinctive musical style.

Reviewed in Aquamarine by Kim Harten, UK