track listing
1. Songs From The Bilston House
2. The Calm Absurd
3. Lost In Play
4. Understudy
5. Skimming Stones
6. Antares
7. Icarus & Me
8. Pillars Of Salt
9. Inner Moment
Credits:
All tracks composed & assembled by Guy Manning
Produced By Andy Tillison & Guy Manning
Artwork by Rosie Manning (Lilac Productions)
Line-Up:
Guy Manning - Acoustic 6, 12 & Classical Guitars, Electric Guitar,
Mandolin, Bouzouki, Keyboards, Samples, Basses, Percussion & Vocals
Laura Fowles - Saxes & Vocals
Ian 'Walter' Fairbairn - Fiddles
David Million - Electric Guitars
Julie King - Vocals
Guests:
Stephen Dundon - Flutes [Courtesy of 'Molly Bloom']
Andy Tillison - Keyboards, Drum & Vocals [Courtesy of
'The
Tangent' & 'PO90' ]
FOREWORD
IN 2006, I WAS INVITED TO PLAY AT THE INAUGURAL TWO DAY
“SUMMER’S END” MUSIC FESTIVAL.
THE EVENT WAS BEING HELD
AT BILSTON, A TOWN IN THE WEST MIDLANDS OF THE UK.
I WANTED TO
ATTEND BOTH DAYS AND SO I BOOKED INTO A
HOTEL AT THE OUTSKIRTS OF BILSTON.
THE HOTEL WAS REMARKABLE FOR TWO REASONS:
1. IT WAS
INHABITED BY A MACAW CALLED BARNEY, WHO, I WAS
FAITHFULLY INFORMED, DID NOT BITE!
2. AT THE END OF
THE ROAD, THERE WAS A LARGE DERELICT
PROPERTY, BOARDED UP AND DILAPIDATED
ON THE OUTSIDE,
NAILED TO THE BOARDS, WAS A SIGN
WHICH PROUDLY READ IN LARGE WARNING LETTERS
“DO NOT ENTER HERE! THE LAST PERSON DIED!”
AS I STOPPED TO
TAKE A PHOTO, SEVERAL MORBID THOUGHTS RAN
THROUGH MY MIND...WHO DIED? HOW? WHEN? WHERE EXACTLY?
I WONDER WHAT ELSE WENT ON IN THERE OVER THE YEARS?
THE IDEAS
PERCOLATED AND AS I STARTED TO ASSEMBLE PIECES
FOR THE NEW ALBUM, LATER IN THE YEAR, THIS THEME POPPED
BACK TO THE SURFACE AGAIN.
SO, HERE WE ARE
THEN, WITH STORIES, OBSERVATIONS AND ~
ATMOSPHERES WHICH HAVE BEEN SET WITHIN THE WALLS OF ONE
BUILDING OVER TIME.
IT SHOULD BE
STATED THAT THROUGH NO PRE-DETERMINED METHOD,
MANY OF THE TALES HAVE TURNED OUT TO BE QUITE AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL
IN NATURE, ALTHOUGH, MOST LIKELY, THESE HAVE BEEN DELIVERED
TO YOU IN THE THIRD PERSON (SEE “THE CALM ABSURD”)
AT THIS TIME, I
MUST ALSO TENDER MY APOLOGIES TO THE
INHABITANTS OF BILSTON ITSELF. IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE
“ANTARES”, I HAVE HAD TO UPLIFT THE HOUSE AND THE TOWN
TO THE UK COAST FOR A WHILE.
I PROMISE I WILL RETURN IT ONE DAY!
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