Customer Reviews

Next Best Thing

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This work is amazing ***** (five stars). When I heard "Calling All Stations" from Genesis where Ray made the vocals it made me remind the old and great Genesis with Peter Gabriel. I still don't understand why it was the last Genesis work. Even though Ray is on the road making REAL ROCK in these commercial days. If you never heard about Ray Wilson but like rock try without hesitation.

This CD is great. Fantastic songwriting and performance. Ray is a brilliant talent and I thank Genesis for turning me on to his incredible voice. This CD is a great follow-up to "Change" and one of the best new releases out there. I was lucky enough to get an autographed copy! Pick this one up for sure!

Ray Wilson continues to shine in his solo career. Unfortunately, he also continues to try the softer ballads, which is okay on occassion, but this new CD features quite a few. Ray's voice is pure rock, and is better utilized in much heavier tunes, as evidenced by this CD's version of the Stiltskin hit, "Inside," which kicks some major butt. This CD is Ray doing a bit of it all, including the progressive rock touches he's aquired. The only reason this gets 4 stars instead of 5 is because I selfishly want Ray to do more hard rock.

With each solo project, it more and more perplexing as to why the band Genesis didn't utilize Ray's talents more. Ray is the real deal. This CD coupled with 2003's Change will be an excellent addition to your music collections.

Ray Wilson's second solo album, the follow-up to 2003's "Change", shows Ray's growing talent as a singer/songwriter. More personal than Change, and even though the album clocks in at 45 minutes, it is a complete picture of Ray at this stage in his career. I am so glad that Ray has continued on after Genesis, even when Ray had his own doubts he could continue. The song "The Actor" illustrates Ray's state of mind after his time with Genesis.

Scottish-born singer, songwriter and musician Ray Wilson has returned with his second studio solo album entitled "The Next Best Thing". Like his previous album "Change", "The Next Best Thing" offers many different sides to Ray's diverse songwriting tackling a variety of genres from hard-rock and blues to pop and acoustic. The variety displayed on this album makes for a rewarding 46-minute listening experience.
Included on the album are standout tracks such as the new version of "Inside" (originally performed by Wilson's pre-Genesis band Stiltskin), the folkish mandolin-led "How High", the John Lennon-esque "Adolescent Breakdown", the simple balladry of "Sometimes" and "The Fool In Me" and the moody surf-pop of "Alone" and "Magic Train" which both have similarities to Chris Isaak.
The album is bookended by two of its strongest tracks, the opening first single "These Are The Changes" which includes recordings of historical events that have occurred within the last 20 years (a definite Political `message' song) and the closing dynamic instrumental title track which displays Wilson's ability to communicate a great tune without lyrics.
"The Next Best Thing" is a solid follow-up to "Change" and continues to show Ray Wilson in his best light as a budding singer/songwriter. If Ray continues to play his cards right, he could very well be The Next Best Thing worldwide.