Press

'You often hear loose talk about the merits of "real music" played on "real instruments" by "real people". It's almost become a cliche now, but this seemingly bald statement brandishes a sharp little sword of truth. Personally speaking, by way of example, I prefer air to air conditioning, and a romantic evening meal for two as opposed to a night with a blow-up doll. The most important point of the original statement, however, is the bit about "real people", which is where Steve Wilson comes in. The integrity, quiet passion and gentle nature of his songs are all innate. They go with the territory, in the same modest but endlessly satisfying way that night follows day. In the end, it's really all about the essential "heart" I mentioned earlier. Some may scoff at this notion; but you won't get very far without one.'

- Marco Rossi, Dorset Evening Echo

 

Reviews for 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

 

Reviews for Sideshows and Fairytales:

 

Steve Wilson is of the breed of musicians that lives to play and plays to live. He writes quality, emotive and eclectic songs and plays with world-class musicians who share his drive and determination to make music on his own terms, blending pop, rock, jazz and a myriad of other more diverse influences. Sideshows And Fairytales is never less than interesting and rarely treads the same musical ground twice evidenced by the stand out tracks 'Sting In The Tail' and 'Stare At The Sun', uplifting feelgood music from a true troubadour. Steve's past is equally chequered and like this record, never less than interesting either. He has studied both jazz and popular music and performing arts at college and was once offered music by Paul McCartney for his A Level bass recital. His street cool is also preserved having once been refused entry to Holland on suspicion of being an IRA terrorist. A true recorded personification of wine, women and song. Good luck to him.

 

Reviewed in Fuse, UK

 

 

Wilson is the latest in a long line of clever singer/songwriter's in the pop vein. Folks like Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, Burt Bacharach, Sir Paul McCartney, Billy Bragg, John Hiatt, etc… Wilson evens looks a bit like a young Nick Lowe. Wilson 's band pours a lot of soul into the mix which makes this a winning recipe in my book. Very relaxed and unhurried blue eyed soul with loads of pop sensibility. Favorite track: the very Costello-ish 'Looking For An Idiot'.

 

Reviewed in Ear Candy by J.R. Oliver, UK

 

 

I really enjoyed Steve’s last album Steppin’ It Up A Notch especially ‘Hold On’ which was an absolutestunner of a song. Well, similarly I feel the best material on this album is where the band stretches out a bit. For example, on the 5:38 of ‘Wrap You Up’ with its passing resemblance to The Band’s ‘Whispering Pines’ and neat little guitar break from Jonny Burden. The 6 minute long ‘Hide’ is a very moving and soulful offering that has that stamp of class on it with Lemon Otter’s piano and harmony vocals and some propulsive drumming from Ady Milward contributing hugely to its success. Another case in point is the Brian Wilsonish 5:35 of ‘Grind’, a defiant song in the face of adversity that simmers along. But the band also makes its mark in shorter songs like the funky salutory tale ‘Don’t Forget The Bottom (When You’re Getting To The Top)’ with some heart warming sax from Clive Ashley. Also ‘Can I Be You’ has an early Beatles feel with Steve on harmonica and some nice ‘ooh la las’ from Lemon, definitely one of my favourite songs on the album.

The slow ballad ‘Wave Goodbye’ is distinguished by Robbie McIntosh’s nylon guitar playing, vocal harmonies from Lemon and Jess Upton and a blast of tenor sax from Clive near the end. ‘Everything’s Out Of Tune’ is a slow blues on which Steve’s Hammond underpins the song well and Jonny Burden and Robbie McIntosh provide the guitars with Robbie taking a tasteful solo. 12 string guitars take the album out on The Byrds like ‘Sting In Her Tail’, a strong closer with the vocal harmonies working well once again. The music of Steve Wilson continues to impress and ‘Sideshows and Fairytales’ is a triumph of soul and pop with a touch of venom in the lyrics and outstanding musical and vocal contributions from the band. Recommended. (Pink Hedgehog Records SMILE 18)

 

Biog:

After getting his first guitar at the age of thirteen, Steve was soon writing songs and performing with his school friends Tommy Crawford and Paul Fleming. Following their first recording session, aged sixteen, Steve (Bass) and Tommy (Vocals) went on to form The Little Green Men in their hometown of Corby, Northamptonshire. After two years of gigging together locally they, along with fellow members Ricky Stevenson (Drums) and Eddie O’Keefe (Guitar) filled a van up with all their worldly goods and unworldly smells and headed for the continent in search of musical redemption, cold beer and warm women.

One year and three guitarists later they returned and recruited Steve’s childhood friend Steve Garden, leaving Corby this time, to head south. The next five years were spent building a cult following, living, eating, drinking and playing together in an intense relationship that made them a remarkable live act, incredibly tight, both on and off stage.  In 1993 the band split and Steve went to College and  studied Jazz And Popular Music (is that a contradiction in terms?), plus Music ‘A’ level.  Then, as a mature student (now that is a contradiction in terms!) he went to study Performing Arts (Drama) at Middlesex University, playing various roles from Richard III to a brummie Elvis impersonator.

Steve brought all his experiences, from busking on German streets, playing in an orchestra and innumerable solo gigs, and channelled them into his first album Steppin’ It Up A Notch.  It is this wide variety of influences that makes Steve’s music so interesting and never repetitive. He can also call on world class musicians to join him, as is wonderfully demonstrated on his last album Sideshows And Fairytales.

 

Odd facts that you probably don’t know about Steve:

• Paul McCartney offered him some music for his ‘A’ level bass recital.
• He has a fan who contacts him regularly from Kampala after hearing one of his songs on their local radio station.
• As part of national ‘bike to work’ week, Steve spent a week cycling to all of his gigs.
• He was once refused permission into Holland, suspected of being an IRA terrorist.