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SDE editor guests on Steven Wilson podcast

Paul Sinclair chats with Mr Wilson and Tim Bowness

By Paul Sinclair

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31

Songwriter and musicians Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness (bandmates in No-Man, of course) started a podcast called The Album Years back in May 2020. The concept is simple, the pair pick a year and discuss key album releases in that particular 12-month period, shooting the breeze over the merits – or otherwise – of specific long-players.

As a fan of this irreverent, informative and entertaining podcast, I was chuffed to be invited to take part as a special guest on a new 2021 Christmas episode – #17 – which is available today! In a change to the usual format, this podcast sees Steven and Tim look back over previous episodes of The Album Years, answer reader questions, and discuss the general state of the physical music industry, with yours truly at hand to chip in and – amongst other things – defend McCartney II, which got a drubbing on the very first episode!

Many thanks to Steven and Tim for having me on The Albums Years. You can listen to the new episode (or indeed previous episodes) using the link below, where you have the option to select the podcast provider of your choice.

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31 Comments

31 thoughts on “SDE editor guests on Steven Wilson podcast”

  1. On a kinda related note can someone give me a brief subjective review of the Steven Wilson mix of Ultravox’s “Vienna” that’s been released as a double disc set with instrumental versions of all album tracks?
    I’m in two minds about buying it as one not sure the mix alone is worth the effort but instrumental versions are a big selling point for me personally…

    1. I’d never heard the original album, outside of the singles, so this was all new to me. I really enjoyed the instrumentals album. I wouldn’t sit and listen to it, but when I’m cooking it’s been a good companion. It makes good back to back listening with the actual album.

  2. I’ve been listening to these throughout lockdowns, out the other side and then back into them. What it showed me is how much music I missed in the 80s and 90s in particular (I am 57), both which were well on my radar for buying. I think the older you get the tendency is to sink back into what you know and like but I need to shake that off in 2022. But when there’s still a great welter of music I even missed in the 70s, will I ever catch up?

    Finally, surely we aren’t far off the inaugural SDE podcast, Paul? Have a good Christmas.

  3. This was a fun episode and, as I said on Twitter, I now want a regular series of Steven, Tim and Paul just riffing about anything and everything music.

  4. Thanks, Paul, for being part of the podcast and at the same time showing me that it actually existed in the first place. Fits perfectly to staying in hospital during christmas.. merry christmas to all of you anyway!

  5. I subscribed to the podcast but never actually got around to listen to even one episode (somehow I find all podcasts a pain in the proverbial – I can’t focus on anybody talking for an hour or longer!). Guess this is as good a reason to start listening as any…

  6. Great podcast (as usual) and interesting contributions from The Guest (especially the short but punctual recommendation of the Plastic Ono box). Listening to it in my office was a bit weird, as Paul’s voice came from the exact spot that he was sitting in when he visited me ;-) years ago!

  7. I’ve listened to all of the podcasts now, drifted in and out of parts to be fair but it makes me realise something. I haven’t added anyone new to my favourite artist pile since 1989. 32 years of stagnation. Some things have popped in and out when the kids were young, like Busted and McFly in 2004 / 2005, but they were hardly going to storm the citadels housing Kate Bush and Mike Oldfield.

    So from finding Oldfield in early 1979 to Julia Fordham in 1989 that was just a decade out of 5 and a half where I was open to discovering someone new. Put like that I am not sure I can call myself a fan of “music” as outside of 5 or 6 artists I realise I don’t listen to much else. 95% of the people they talked about I either hadn’t heard of or had never knowingly listened to with very little chance of that changing.

    Only people to have even dented the fortress in the last decade or so are Matt Berry, Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen and let’s face it they are hardly new artists..

    So apologies to Nine Inch Nails, Momus, The Blue Nile, The Smiths, Arctic Monkies, Rush and the like. In the words of an old song by Phil Beer I passed you by. I am sure I am the poorer for it.

    Final point : The odd thing to note is how many bands, that were very active in the years that I was really listening to music, I hadn’t been in contact with. I could understand missing that a band in 2006 existed, but to find out how many names from 1979, 1981, 1984 etc had not crossed my path felt odd. I might be deep but I am not very wide should go on the gravestone. As ironic a statement as that is.

  8. Excellent to see that you were invited onto the podcast Paul, and I am looking forward to listening today while working. I am sure you did a great job, I have listened to all episodes over the last couple of years and always enjoyed their debates! Here’s to a fantastic 2022 full of worthy releases, not least your SDE exclusive of the TFF album The Tipping Point in Feb…Happy Christmas and New Year to all SDE regulars!

  10. Great podcast that I’ve been listening to since Steve Wilson and Tim Bowness started it. It’s introduced me to so many artists of which I was previously unaware.
    It’s cost me a fortune! Must say that this episodes ‘special guest’ was a welcome addition to the Album Years. Cheers Paul.

  11. I had to laugh when Steven Wilson mentioned that saving space ultimately ultimately ends with you carrying your collection around on an iPhone. While I have ripped my collection to iTunes since 2006 in lossless ALAC for home playback and for my phone in lossy AAC ever since Apple released a 256 GB iPhone 7, I only just put my whole collection in ALAC (830 GB) onto my new 1TB iPhone 13. It will even play the 96/24 hi-res albums though won’t allow 192/24 files to be loaded.

    To this middle-aged music fan it absolutely insane I can now listen to my collection of nearly 3,000 CDs (over 28,0000 songs) in lossless format wherever I go. I can literally hold my whole collection in one hand and carry it in my pocket. Paul, I hope this still qualifies as “holding the music in your hands.” :-) I still buy boxed sets and music blu-rays or DVDs so have not fully moved to the “dark side.”

    Love Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness’ work and this Podcast is a hoot – why had I not heard about it before? Will listen to them all over time.

  12. Delighted to hear the new podcast (a long time fan)! — and it led me to discover SDE! So hello Paul! Best wishes Toby (the Elephant Talk email list guy from back in the day)

  13. Really interesting discussion, thanks Paul. Re: the mention of Bob Dylan boxed sets compiling every take, it’s worth noting that these tend to be done for copyright extension reasons as much as anything else.

  15. As a huge Wilson and Bowness fan I’ve been listening to The Album Years since its inception, so it was a nice surprise to hear you guesting on the Christmas Special, bravo.

  16. Thank you for introducing me to this – listening to it now.
    I had to hop on here to say that I totally totally agree with Tim when he says that Press to Play is better than Tug of War. Unpopular statement I know but there it is – I’ve said it :-)
    Really enjoying the McCartney II discussion – there’s is some lovely humour bouncing around.

    Definitely going to listen to some more of them – just need to find the time.
    Maybe they will have you on again Paul – great discussion.

  18. Nice work Paul.

    Currently listening to 1984, have done 1973 already. Will pick the years that are key to me. I see that they cover Japan in 1981 and Kate in 1989, so will do those next and then follow up with the others.

  20. Always listen to this in the hope of finding some obscure classic but also just for the sheer knowledge of these guys. And this time they were in good company Paul!

  21. Great show, made me think about if I really do need 10.000+ CD’s…
    I don’t know anything about the Blue Nile cover art, but I would love to listen to a whole episode about the Blue Note label cover art – greatest cover art ever made imho.

  22. A compadre who is mega-huge on Wilson pointed me toward The Album Years about 12 months back. Each episode has been a nice payoff. But it’s good to see the hosts break format this way and add a guest.

    So, thanks for being a great addition to a favorite podcast, Paul.

    Happy Holidays to everybody. Not as happy as we might have hoped, I suppose. Put on a record and make the best of it.

  24. Good stuff, was a fun listen. I’ve not heard of their show before so I’ve subscribed. Really interesting discussion about this site, reissues and box sets and off on all sorts of tangents. Never given the Blue Nile cover art much thought but yeah, come to mention it….! Also nice to hear the Seefeel box set getting props from Steven Wilson, not their most accessible work but it’s a thing of strange beauty (came out on Warp earlier this year).

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