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Ray now had a problem. He had
been trying to make The
Next Best Thing a heavier album than Change.
He had even mentioned this in various interviews, but The
Next Best Thing was not decisively harder rock than
Change. Later on he would admit that he did not know how
to produce the heavier material. He had, however, managed to integrate
the core of what he had wanted to do (Pumpkinhead, Magic Train
and the rerecording of Stiltskin’s hit Inside) into
the album.
After the tour Ray decided to change directions and have a much
louder and heavier album. While he had been working on The
Next Best Thing, he had met Peter Hoff who works at Benztown
Studios in Stuttgart, Germany. Hoff had done a remix of the These
Are The Changes single and Ray decided to ask him to produce
his next album. Soon Ray began to spend a lot of time in Germany
to work on new songs. After his acoustic concert in Mönchengladbach,
Germany, Ray told the German Genesis Fanclub it
that the new album would not be by Ray Wilson, but could well be
a Cut_ record. He went on to explain that “it may even become
a Stiltskin album”. A big surprise. Pete Lawler, the creative
force behind Stiltskin's first output, was not interested in Stiltskin
anymore. Ray obtained the right to use the name before spending
the whole of 2005 with touring and work on the new album. Ray and
Peter Hoff were joined by guitarist Uwe Metzler who has previously
been working with highly popular bands like "Die Fantastischen
Vier" and "Turntablerocker. Uwe was to complete the band
for the Acoustic tour in spring of 2006, but had to decline for
lack of time. Other musicians involved include Irvin Duguid who
has been working with Ray for a long time, and Nir Z, who not only
hit the skins of Genesis’ last tour but was also in Cut_ and
had drummed on Ray’s solo records.
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In the course of 2005 Ray
began to play Lemon Yellow Sun in his concerts. At the
same time this was to be the title of the upcoming Stiltskin album.
Ray, on the other hand, was not too sure if the song would make
the album because it was a melodious number and a ballad to boot.
In January 2006, the new official
Stiltskin website went online and surprised everybody by revealing
that the new album is called not Lemon Yellow Sun but
SHE. Sound clips downloadable from the web site offered
a first impression. Ray also had the album play before and after
his shows in early 2006 – and yes, SHE seems to
be much rockier than previous Ray Wilson records. Lemon Yellow
Sun was released as a free single (downloadable) in March.
The record can be ordered directly from Ray’s site or via
the German Genesis Fanclub (by
bank transfer for those who do not have a credit card). No less
than twelve years after The Mind’s Eye its successor
has been released. Ray is the only one left from the original
formation, that is, if you except Irvin Duguid who was tour keyboarder
with Stiltskin. Ray, Peter Hoff, Uwe Metzler and Irvin Duguid
were joined by Scott Spence (guitar, songwriting), Alvin Mills
(bass) and Henrik Müller (drums). The album was recorded
and mixed at Benztown Studios.
SHE will also be released “the usual way” in 2006,
so that SHE will be in stores 4th September 2006 at the
earliest. A number of shows are planned, and they, too, will not
take place before autumn. Coming soon is a comprehensive review
of the record. We shall also find out who SHE is – perhaps
the woman in the center image? Ray will tell us in an interview
during the summer.
Auhtor: Christian Gerhardts
Translation: Martin Klinkhardt
Links:
Official Stiltskin
Homepage
Order SHE |
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