New no-man album release.

Vinyl is a bit bass heavy for my liking. Sounds great on Tidal but overblown on my vinyl set up. I do use a sub so may have to switch that out. Shame as I love the whole album. Just keeps getting better with each listen..

 

Listened to this repeatedly on vinyl and it's great. It runs at 33,3, clocks in at 37 minutes still I'm rather viewing this as 12"-ep. I mean.... it's basically one song. Am I the only one?

 

Yes you are the only one. 37 min is not an EP. That is a full album. There are 5 tracks in each side that all segue together.

 

The fourth Blackfield album was only 31 minutes long. That was definitely an album, consisting as it did of a number of separate unrelated songs, as well as meeting other generally accepted criteria for "album", such as the vinyl version running at 33.3 rpm and being 12" in diameter.

My point is that if we feel the need to decide whether something is an EP or and LP (and some would say it's unimportant), then there are two ways to go. One is the size of the vinyl, whether 7" or 12", and if 12" whether it's a 33 or a 45. If you adopt this kind of definition, there can really be no debate. The latest No-man release is definitely an album.

The other way is to base it on descriptive criteria, recalling the original meaning of "album" as a collection of something - stamps, family snapshots, or songs. I admit that, based on this criterion, the new No-man probably "feels" more like an EP. The problem is, once you apply this standard you are on the slippery slope. Does that make Thick As a Brick an EP? Most people would say no.

If course if, like me, you have moved away from vinyl, there is no problem. They are all just CDs.

 

There are multiple examples for long eps, "Transparent Radiation" by Spacemen 3 runs 36+ minutes. Besides: There are not "10 tracks" on here. Just one. Probably two. To me this release has the genuine feel of an ep.

 

I'm not applying any "standard" to anything. Just talking about my impression. And to me this doesn't feel like an album.

And "Thick As A Brick" an "ep"? Only if played at 45rpm!

 

Strange as when I listen to this recording it feels like a concept album to me.

 

It's basically one track so I guess you can call it "concept album" or "suite"...
I think they have stretched the idea a bit too much...

 

I guess Close The Edge and Relayer are EPs then and Tales From Topographic Oceans is just a double EP set. I never knew.

 

None of these albums is based on just ONE musical theme.

 

Just to further muddy the waters of this EP vs album controversy, Heaven Taste is designated (presumably by the artists themselves) as a "mini-album". It's 41 minutes long, i.e. several minutes longer than Love You to Bits. For consistency, then, the latter should be called at most a mini-album.

 

Single
EP - extended play
LP - Long play
You have to use these terms the way they were intended when they were coined. This was a time when a standard full album was determined only by what could fit on an LP, which was about 20 minutes on each side. A record or tape with a total of 20 minutes or less was usually considered an EP. a 30+ minute album was never considered an EP.

 

Nevermind. One is bound to get pseudo-funny and zero helpful comments like the one above!

 

To be honest I'm a bit shocked by the lack of imagination on display here. When a simply observation I made is enough to bring out the scholars to educate me about formats. Thank you very much!

The thing with this release is that Bowness and Wilson obviously are playing with form and formats here, giving a de facto dance track a prog treatment. Which brings out a pretty fascinating hybrid.

But, go on, talk about formats!

 

Two other ‘journeys over a theme’ that this reminds me of -

Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence Quad Mix (15.27)

The Orb - Blue Room (39.57)

The latter introduced the discussion about max length for a single to be eligible for the UK chart.

 

Either are most EPs over the last 50+ years.

 

Debating LP vs. EP is silly – the reality at this point in time is very simple: it is what the artist says it is.

That's why we have 60 minute "EPs" and 30 minute "singles" and whatever. It's willy nilly.

no-man call LU2B an album, therefore it is an album. You can find it inadequate all you want, but it is what it is.

 

1. And of course the artist is always the best judge of their work.

2. What I find really... how did you put it "inadequate" is that an impression is voiced and immediately certain people start ridiculing, lecturing, turning this into a matter of who's wrong and who's right. End of discussion. Nnnnnice!

Incidentally I've just read the review on Deutschlandfunk and guess what: The guy also claims this reminded him of an ep. So it's not an observation or impression that's totally off the mark. Only to some guys in this thread!

 

no-man is generally my favorite Steven Wilson project and that is saying a lot because I hold PTree and his solo work in the highest of esteem. The vibe of the project and vocals of Tim Bowness (who is in my top 3 favorite male vocalists ever) just push all of the right buttons for me.

Frustratingly, I have been sufficiently distracted from this release not only to have just sourced the CD but also to have missed out on the signed print/blue vinyl issue. It's a shame, the print would have framed nicely in my music room and the going rate on the secondary market is stupid expensive so I'll have to be satisfied with the incoming black vinyl.

As for the music, yes...this is a change of direction from the previous three albums but it is an absolutely compelling and enjoyable listen. While the previous three are masterpieces in my book, this may prove to be a different kind of masterpiece. I can easily rate it 9/10 and it may go higher with repeated listens.