Sunday, October 05, 2008

NUANCE Thanks

Many thanks to all who came out to the NUANCE Festival on Sat Oct 4th.  Everyone had a great time listening to the bands and chatting with each other.  Many and much thanks for all your support.

Wilton

Posted by Wilton at 21:44   ·   0 comment

Friday, September 26, 2008

Wilton Said... Newsletter #57

Hello to all.

    A few things happening in the next little while...

Shows
    Organization for the 3rd NUANCE Festival has been coming along nicely.  It’s looking to be a great day and evening of Progressive/Art Rock.  If you like your music along the lines of Genesis, David Bowie, Queen, Roxy Music, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Rush, Yes, Joe Satriani, Marillion, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, and/or Dream Theater then this is the indie show for you.  Details below...

  
NUANCE - Art Rock Festival   
Date - Sat Oct 4th 2008.
Venue - Legion Hall Br-10
1083 Pape Ave.  just south of O'Connor drive.
East York, Toronto
Time – Doors open at 2:30pm, event runs till 9:30pm with a 90minute dinner break.
Door Cover - $20.00.  Children 12 and under free.
Website - http://www.myspace.com/nuancegta

Performing Artists...
The Rebel Wheel
Wilton Said...
COUNTERPOINT (Featuring former members of Cerafim and Plenty)
Lorne Hind 360

In addition, we once again have DJ Stan Hilborn from FM 98.5, CKWR "Adventures In Plasticland" MCing the event.  Check out http://www.myspace.com/adventuresinplasticland for info on his show.

And what is a Prog/Art Rock Festival without a place to buy some music.  Mike from Records on Wheels in Dundas will be on hand again selling the performing artists CD's as well as other well known and not so well known prog artists.
Contact recordsonwheels@cogeco.net for more information regarding available merchandise and orders.

For those of you that have seen the band and I perform in more recent years, this show will feature a lot of material which hasn’t been performed in a while, hopefully giving a more diverse experience to the Wilton Said... sets.

Hope to see everyone out to support Indie prog here in Southern Ontario.

Radio Interviews
    Once again, I’ll be appearing on Adventures in Plasticland with DJ Stan Hilborn.  Stan has been a great supporter of Indie Prog Rock here in Southern Ontario.  I’ll be appearing on the Sat Sept 27th show at 11:59pm.
Please visit Stan sight at http://www.myspace.com/adventuresinplasticland for info on his show.
You can hear the show at http://www.ckwr.com/

Thanks
Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton at 21:44   ·   0 comment

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Review of The View

This review comes via Progressive Ears website.

"Wilton Said are a Canadian progressive rock outfit from Toronto and have been around since the late 90’s. This is the first I have heard of them, and it has been a pleasure listening to their latest album The View. This is pretty interesting stuff. I can hear bits and pieces of artists like Queen, Roxy Music, and David Bowie but in no way are they derivative. They have infused a classic guitar sound from the 70’s with a modern sensibility that sounds fresh and exciting. I found myself having a sense of nostalgia while listening to this record, but I did not find this to be a bad thing.

The album starts with a short carnival-like intro with interesting voicings which leads directly into the second song “Heavy Motion”. The song has a pounding bass and guitar that took me back to the 1970s. Wilton Said’s vocals are excellent with some nice falsetto that somewhat reminded me of Freddy Mercury, and that is not a comparison to be made lightly as we all know how tremendously talented he was. Also included is a neat little synth solo that made me think of Manfred Mann.

“Merry-go-Round” is a straight-ahead rocker which almost sounds like 1970’s Blue Oyster Cult during the chorus. The song ends with the same carnival-like sounds that opened the CD. “Pretty” features nice keys, and again has a BOC feel during the chorus. I can also hear Bowie in this one. Please do not get the wrong impression with some of my comparisons. These guys are not copycats and have developed their own unique sound by taking influences of the past and making a style all their own.

Tracks 7, 8, and 9 form the three-part epic, “The Empty Sky”. This is probably the most progressive song on the album and also my favourite. Very good keys, drumming, guitar, and nice tempo changes add to your listening pleasure. This one is not to be missed and makes for a rewarding listen.

The saying, “good things come in small packages”, is appropriate as this is a short record (about 35 minutes). In this day and age of 75 minute long concept albums this may not be such a bad thing and dare I say almost refreshing? I really enjoyed the time I spent with this disc and recommend you give it a listen, especially if you like any of the artists I previously mentioned. Being a Canuck myself I am proud to say this is one I highly recommend!"

Rating: 8 (out of ten)
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf

Posted by Jon Neudorf at 20:25   ·   0 comment

Monday, June 30, 2008

Wilton Said... Newsletter #56

Hey there

    Summer has arrived and that means time for sunshine.  It also means a break from the band as they’re all busy doing things like scuba diving, driving their smart car around to show off, and working in their garden.  For me, it’s camping, BBQ and drinking on the porch.  What else is there to do when I’m not playing with the guys, errr, not playing music with the guys.

    Musically, most of the action has been taking place on my computer as I organize the NUANCE Festival which will be held on Sat Oct 4th 2008 in Toronto.  The details such as artists, time slots, and venue have been worked out and I’m waiting on photos and sound clips from some of the artists to complete the promo material.  It’s looking like it’ll be a great show with a great mix of arty farty music, including myself and the band of course.

For info, please check out the NUANCE site at http://www.myspace.com/nuancegta

    In other news, Steve Cochrane (a fellow Canadian Art Rocker) will be having his CD Release show on Sun July 20th at The Staircase Theater in Hamilton with Ken Baird opening the show.  If you’re in the area and/or would like to see and hear some great music, songs, and playing, check it out.  Further info at Steve Cochranes site at http://www.spiritcompass.com/shows.html and ken Bairds site at http://www.myspace.com/kenbairdnet

Thanks
Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton Said... at 20:16   ·   0 comment

Monday, April 28, 2008

Wilton Said... Newsletter #55

Hello to all.

I hope everyone has been enjoying the nice weather these past few weeks. Mind you, at the time of writing this newsletter the temperature has dropped to a nice 6 degrees, a far cry from the 21 degrees were were getting during the weekend. Well, summers just around the corner and before you know it, we’ll all be complaining about how hot and humid it is. Such is life in Canada I guess.

Past Performance
On to the good stuff. Our show at the Scarborough Music Festival on March 13th went really well as we played to a nice receptive crowd.

Interview
I’ll be interviewed live on Liquid Lunch internet radio show on Fri May 2nd at 1pm.
The interview can be heard via http://www.thatradio.com/

Hope you’re able to listen in.

NUANCE
I’m in the process of organizing the next NUANCE festival which will be held hopefully in Oct 2008.
More info to come. Please keep checking out the NUANCE site at http://www.myspace.com/nuancegta

Rock Opera
While my tinnitus has gotten better and I’m able to rehearse a little bit and play some shows, I’m not able to be exposed to hours upon hours of noise as is the case when recording live acoustic drums. (Live acoustic drums don’t have a volume knob to turn down) As a result, Barry and I have had to organize an electronic kit for him to play where I can keep the volume at a low level while recording. Next up is for us to organize sometime to start.

Thanks
Wilton

Posted by Wilton at 14:55   ·   0 comment

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Wilton Rocks The Legion

Interesting night at the Legion last night. Wilton Said was in rare form, playing up to his usual standards, entertaining to the last note! However, I'm getting ahead of myself. First, when my semi-niece Tiffany and I arrived, there was no one playing. When a band finally did show up, we noticed that they were called Easy-Sleazy. Oh, no! I groaned.
Yes,they were another in a long line of heavy metal junk bands. They were quite late (possibly from having to bail one or more members out of jail) and took forever setting up (possibly from them trying to use brains not equiped to deal with equipment). The lead singer opened the show by vomitting on stage. It turned out to be the hilight of their set. He looked like a snake-oil salesman, or like that guy from the condom ads. He screamed. A lot. Possibly from agony of having to sing with a heavy metal band, possibly not. He did it well, though. In fact, he screamed bettter than he sang.
The band featured two guitarists, a drummer and a bassist. The bass player stood as far away from everyone else as he possibly could, possibly to keep from catching anything the others might be carrying, possibly not. He had a very nice-looking bass guitar. I can't help but think his parents gave it to him as a bribe in the hopes that he would go away. Mission accomplished, folks!
Then there was the drummer. He stood up a lot, possibly to emphasize his barely adequate skills, possibly because his shorts were riding up on him. Hard to say. The two guitarists looked like bikers, with big, heavy chains hanging from their sides. Perhaps this was to make them look tough; or perhaps it was to facilitate their upcoming incaceration after the show. Again, hard to say. I can't help but think these guys are gonna wow'em at the Don Jail!

Anyway, Wilton came on. He didn't vomit, but he and his excellent band did make the Sleaze boys look like amateurs. Now, admittedly, I'm a prog fan first and foremost, so I'm bound to be a tad prejudice here. But I've been listening to heavy metal since I was was twelve, and prog for just as long. Wilton Said outclassed the Sleaze meisters by a mile. His show was smooth, entertaining, and just plain great! The all-ages crowd seemed to enjoy his performance tremendously, clapping along, and even singing along to 'Why Don't We Do It In The Road'. Some small children were having a great time dancing up a storm to the music!
All in all, a great show by Wilton Said. Again. I believe the drummer from the Easy Bake boys was watching Richard play drums with a great deal of envy. And he didn't have to jump up and down like a deranged monkey while doing so! Truth is, Richard's playing made his look pathetic. And I say that with all due respect, of course.
This music festival wasn't a bad idea, really. It drew a fairly large crowd who were very good-natured and receptive to the music. It really did make me appreciate the NUANCE shows that much more. Still, it gave Wilton Said a venue where his music stood out like a beacon. And that is certainly all to the good. Doug.
Doug LeBlanc
Canadian Progressive Music Society http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/canprog/

Read my writing at: http://writing.com/authors/starlake

Posted by Doug Leblanc at 01:08   ·   0 comment

Friday, March 21, 2008

Wilton Said... Newsletter #54

Hey there.

Things are looking a bit better for me in regards to my ears and their tinnitus. While I continue to have the ringing, the sensitivity has pretty much diminished making it much more tolerable to listen and play music. However, I’ve had to do a few lifestyle changes in order to keep the pain and the ringing at a tolerable level.

First and foremost is for me to keep my ears protected from excessive volumes. Ear plugs, lower stereo volumes, and shorter exposure times to loud sounds are what I now must be very aware of. (I recently purchased a decibel reader to help me with this). Next up is for me to get my rest and relaxation. I’ve found that stress and lack of sleep play a big part in keeping the tinnitus at bay. It’s not unusual for me to wake up with high pitched screeching in both ears when I’ve been lacking the 8 hours of sleep for a few nights in a row. Another major item I’ve had to change is my consumption of caffeine. Where I used to drink about two caffeinated coffees, 3 caffeinated teas, an at least 1 can or bottle of coke in a day, I now drink no caffeinated beverages. No Coke, Pepsi, coffee or tea, only decaf for me.
Perhaps the last thing which has helped me with the condition is to simply try and ignore the sounds by keeping attention focused on other things which seems to be working.
As for medical treatment or advise, I’ve had a few sessions of acupuncture and been doing a lot of online research into this condition. In the end however, it seems that the lifestyle changes mentioned above seem to be doing the most to help.

This brings us to the music portion...

The band and I will be playing our first show of the year in April. Details below...

Scarborough Music Festival
Venue – Royal Canadian Legion Br#10
Location – 1083 Pape Ave East York
Date – Sun April 13th 2008
Time – 7pm

In addition to our set, there will be about 10 other bands playing, all of various genres, starting from 1pm through till midnight. Come on out an support independent music. Please bring either a Non-perishable Food item or a TOONIE for the needy.

For those who are interested, please email for free ticket to this event.

Rock Opera Info
As some of you are aware, for the last two years or so, I have been part of a writing duo in the writing of a rock opera. Due to my tinnitus, we will have to figure out a way to record the drums without exposing my ears to the excessive volume while keeping the exposure time to a minimum. More to come later....

Thanks
Wilton

Posted by Wilton at 14:21   ·   0 comment

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Newsletter #53/Wilton Said... Is forced to take a Musical Sabbatical.

Hello to everyone.

    An update to let you all know what is, or should I say what isn’t happening in the world of Wilton Said...  As the title reads, I’ll be taking a sabbatical from performing, and recording any type of rock music for the time being.  As some of you know (and thanks for your kind words of advice and encouragement), I’ve developed tinnitus (ringing in the ears) over the past month and a half.  Additionally, both my ears have become highly sensitive to loud sounds, especially sounds in the lower frequencies such as kick drums and bass.  This was reinforced on the weekend while sound checking drums for a recording of the rock opera I have been working on.  Even though I was wearing ear plugs, I could feel that my ears were painful and my tinnitus was much worse.  I put two and two together and unfortunately had to abandon the recording until further notice.

    The cause of my tinnitus and sound sensitivity can be due to a number of reasons, most likely exposure to loud sounds over a long period of time such as my stereo system and mixing a certain very loud band without ear plugs.  How stuuupppiiiidddd am I?  It’s ironic that I’ll wear ear plugs with my own band, yet play my stereo system at a loud volume.  Other causes can be due to that I have a natural hearing loss which was inherited (thanks granddad) and it’s getting worse with age.  My mother has also stated, “all those things that you do to you body when you’re young will come back to haunt you at an older age”.  Gee, how will I explain the  onset syphilis to my wife in a few years.  (Just kidding).

     While I’m awaiting an appointment with an ear nose and throat specialist, I think it’s best that I minimize any damage by avoiding loud environments such as rehearsals, club shows, dance clubs, and concerts.  While I have already paid out money to see Iron Maiden, Turn it on Again (Genesis tribute) and Jesus Christ Superstar, I will go wearing earplugs as my seats are quite far back from the stage and mains and hope that I can sit through the shows.  Otherwise I’ll have to leave.

    Overall, I have no idea how long it’ll take for my ears to get back to normal, if they ever get back to normal.  Hopefully with the help of a medical specialist and a naturopath  I will be able to get my ears into a working condition where I can pick-up and continue my music as Wilton Said...

Thank You
Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton Said... at 11:50   ·   1 comment

Friday, December 28, 2007

Tinnitus (Ringing in the ears)

Well, somehow it finally happened. I've had tinnitus (ringing in my ears) for the past two and half weeks. When it started it was very faint and intermittent. I was able to do a show and everything seemed not too bad. However, over the past week it appears to have gotten worse. After doing some online research, I've found about 10 causes for tinnitus. The obvious one being due to exposure to loud music. Believe it or not, I would think this would be the last reason why I have tinnitus as I always wear custom ear plugs when I rehearse or play live with the full band. i rarely use my iPod and when i do i wouldn't say the volume is excessive. And i don't crank the music at home.

Other online reasons for tinnitus can be due to stress and fatigue. I'm hoping this is the cause as I did have a bit of a personnel issue going a few weeks ago, and I didn't get nearly enough sleep. So here's to an extremely restful and stress free weekend and hopefully this ringing will go away or diminish. If not, it's off to the doctors.

Wilton

Posted by Wilton at 14:52   ·   0 comment

Sunday, December 16, 2007

NUANCE Showcase on Sat Dec 15th 2007.

NUANCE Showcase on Sat Dec 15th 2007.

I'd just like to say thanks to all who braved the oncoming winter storm and came out to the show.  I'd also like to thank the bands Half Past Four and greedyfeedr for being part of the show, Wayne at Smiling Buddha for having us all.  And a big thanks to my band members drummer Richard Rizzo, Bassist Frank Heisler, and guitarist Chris Reid for the past year of great playing.

Although the turn out was lower then hoped for, we were able to raise some money for the Coalition for Music Education in Canada.

For those that are interested, our setlist was as follows...

In a People Bar
Merry-Go-Round
The Empty Sky               
    i) The View               
    ii) Goodbye       
    iii) Fallen
All for You (pt1)
Heavy Motion
Pretty           
/Gender Bender
No Other Way

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Please stay tuned for info regarding the next NUANCE event which will be taking place in March of the new year.

Thanks
Wilton

Posted by Wilton at 12:35   ·   0 comment

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Wilton Said... Newsletter #52

Hello and Happy Hanukkah and Christmas to everyone.

The world of Wilton Said... has had it’s ups and downs this year. The downs were that my wife and I had to deal with the smoking downstairs tenants for about 4 months. The ups were that we now have the whole house to ourselves at a reasonable rate. Thanks once again to all those who supported or offered support during the time.
Other up events were the fruitation of the first all day NUANCE Festival last March and the 2nd one in Sept. Also successful were the evening NUANCE Showcases. Thanks to all who helped out (Stan Hilborn, Mike Clasen) and came out and supported live Indie Progressive/Art Rock in the southern Ontario area. Big thanks go out to guitarist Chris Reid, Bassist Frank Heisler, and drummer Richard Rizzo who have shown great support for my music by playing in the band.

Speaking of my band, and NUANCE, there is one last Showcase event for the year. Please read below for details...

NUANCE Showcase
Date - Sat Dec 15th 2007
Venue - Smiling Buddha - 961 College Street, (just West of Dovercourt) Tor, Ont
Website - http://smilingbuddhabar.com
Door Cover - $8.00
NUANCE Website - http://www.myspace.com/nuancegta

Doors open at 8:15pm
9:00 - Half Past Four
10:15 - Wilton Said...
11:30 - greedyfeedr

This show will also be in support of a charity called Coalition for Music Education in Canada. The aim of this organization is to help support music education in Canada by ensuring all Canadian children have access to music education. We work with parents, educators and government officials to ensure every child has an opportunity to receive music education.
For more info, please visit http://coalitionformusiced.ca

Come on out and show your support for the bands, the progressive/art rock genre, and for music education in Canada. Without it, we wouldn't have the wealth of talent that exists in our country today.
I am also currently in the process of organizing a NUANCE all day Festival for March 2008. Details to follow.

Other News
The Wilton Said... CD “The View” is now available at Soundscape Records at 572 College St. West, northside of the street.
http://www.soundscapesmusic.com

Wilton Said... albums are also available for mp3 downloading at CD Baby.com at http://www.cdbaby.com/all/wiltonsaid

Thanks
I hope everyone’s holidays are filled with joy and dancing in 7/8 time.

Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton Said... at 20:04   ·   0 comment

Monday, November 05, 2007

Review of NUANCE SHOW At the Black Swan

NUANCE SHOW At the Black Swan
Sat Nov 3rd 2007

    Ah, the Black Swan! A tavern in Toronto, a veritable
pesthole of a place! The venue has all the attraction
of a really damp bat cave, with denizens that would
grace any good wanted list in any police station
anywhere. The semi-human wait staff still has the
classic zombie shuffle they are so famous for, and
that blank stare that really achieves that magic air
of a comatose toad. But so much for the venue’s good
points.
    Lorne Hind 360 opened the evening’s affair with a
rocking set that, frankly, probably scared away half
the cockroaches in the place! They are a band that
simply makes you forget everybody else. Lorne not
only has a lightning style of guitar playing that
would have made Hendrix proud, but he has a stage
presence that brings an air of magic and fun to every
performance! Watching his fingers blaze across the
guitar strings is nothing short of awesome. He and
Andrew on bass and Tom on drums make a magic
combination that works perfectly! Lorne Hind has a
spirit about his playing that makes him and his band
an absolute delight to watch! Frankly, I find his
sets way too short, but that is certainly no fault of
his. The fact is I could listen to him rock all night
long and never grow tired of it. Normally strictly an
instrumental band, they finished the set with a
fantastic version of Neil Young’s anthem ‘Rockin’ In
The Free World’, and did a truly admirable job of it!

    After the set I had a word with this remarkable
artist, and purchased his CD. I can tell you now that
his CD certainly has all the elements of his live work
in place. He works beautiful, often lilting melodies
into fast paced, breathtaking solos. I normally don’t
enjoy instrumental bands as much as I do other forms
of prog, but he has made a believer out of me. Simply
magnificent!

    Wilton Said... was up next. I have seen him and his
excellent band perform five times now, and I
appreciate him more every time! He presents a world
that is fascinating to me. His songs feature
characters that seem larger than life, and, at times,
almost grotesque. There is a circus feel to them, yet
he manages to expose them by the end of each song.
Three excellent musicians, including Richard on drums,
Frank on bass and the ever-excellent Chris Reid on
guitar accompany him. They always put on a solid
performance, although they varied the set list in this
outing. Wilton featured a few older songs this time,
such as ‘Sin’ from the ‘World Up My Ass’ album, as
well as ‘All For You’ and ‘The Telling’. He finished
up with ‘In My Dreams’, a wonderful ode to the joyous
world of sexual intercourse. Being a bit of a prude,
I found myself being a bit embarrassed by it all. But
that’s just me!

    The final act of the day was another three-piece act
headlined by Rick Lazaroff. They took a long time to
set up, and by the time they went on it was past one
in the morning. They used the same set-up as Lorne
Hind, played instrumentals like Lorne Hind, but they
were far different. Rick is an outstanding bass
player, and leads the band doing thundering bass licks
that the drummer and guitarist tried to keep pace
with. At times they succeeded, at others time I kept
hearing the line “If you could all do it together we’d
be in great shape!” in my head.
Perhaps it was the lateness of the hour; perhaps it
was Lorne’s powerful set that kept intruding on my
brain, but I simply could not get into them. They
thumped and played well, but the only thing I could
compare them to is a monochromatic rainbow. There
should be lots of colours there, but I simply couldn’t
see them. The guitarist made the same guitar sounds
all the way through the set. At times they played
well together, but at other times they almost seemed
to be playing against each other.
The comparison between Lorne Hind and Rick Lazaroff
is an interesting one. The effect between them was
like seeing the classic movie ‘The Wizard of Oz’.
Rick’s set was like seeing the movie on a black and
white television, which is the way I first saw it.
Yes, the songs are there, and it is an enjoyable
movie. But once you’ve seen the full colour version,
it’s really hard to go back to the way it was before.
The trouble is that I came across Lorne Hind’s 360
before hearing Rick’s band. Had it happened the other
way around, I’m sure that I would have been able to
appreciate Rick Lazaroff’s music more.
Still, he is an excellent player, and his band is
certainly talented. I intend to give then another
listen at another time, and see if I feel the same
way.
Doug LeBlanc.

Doug LeBlanc
Canadian Progressive Music Society
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/canprog/
Read my writing at:
http://writing.com/authors/starlake

Posted by Doug LeBlanc at 17:38   ·   0 comment

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Wilton Said... Newsletter #51

Hey ho!

    Hope everyone is finally enjoying the cooler weather.  For a while I thought global warming was in full effect as we were still getting some pretty nice temperatures for an October.  But I guess alas, nature has slowly taken the correct path and blessed us with full on Fall/Autumn weather and the temperatures to go with it.  I guess it’s time for me to break out my cool Marillion hat which my wife bought me last March.

    As many of you know I’ve been organizing NUANCE events around the city to help promote independent progressive/art rock as well as my own band.  For those of you that missed the NUANCE Festival this past Sept, you can enjoy some great Art/Progressive Rock at the upcoming showcase in Nov.  Artists to perform are yours truly, Wilton Said..., both with full band and later on in a solo acoustic set.  Guitar wizz Lorne Hind will dazzle you with his soaring melodies and frenzy of notes while being backed up by a solid rhythm section of guitar and bass.  Bassist Rick Lazaroff (ex of Santers, and Lee Aaron) and band will be jazzing things up with their style of fusion rock.
More details below...

NUANCE Showcase
Date - Sat Nov 3rd 2007
Venue - THE BLACK SWAN TAVERN,154 Danforth Ave just east of Broadview, Toronto Ontario
Website - http://www.imagin.ca/blackswan
Door Cover - $8.00
NUANCE Website - http://www.myspace.com/nuancegta

Doors open at 9pm

Hope to see everyone out to support Indie prog here in Southern Ontario

Thanks
Wilton Said...
http://www.wiltonsaid.com

Posted by Wilton at 09:04   ·   0 comment

Friday, October 12, 2007

NUANCE REVIEWS - WILTON SAID...

NUANCE REVIEWS - WILTON SAID...
The Tranzac Theater - Sat Sept 29th 2007.

The third act of the NUANCE show was organizer Wilton
Said. This was my third time of seeing him perform
live, and each time he has been better. He is an
energetic performer, and quite a character on stage!
His music has elements of humour in it, as well as
being a well-told story. Playing such songs as
'Pretty', the tale of a man who goes to a place to
dress up as a woman, he can really bring the songs to
life! The story is funny, but he does not make it
into a pathetic work. Indeed, he manages to
delicately dance around giving any opinion at all on
the matter, he simply tells you about it in a song.
However, his opus work is 'The Empty Sky', a
magnificent work in three parts. His performance here
excelled, as always! His band were three players,
bass, guitar and drums. Wilton played keyboards and
often stood up front to sing.
Of them all, my favourite was Chris Reid, a
top-flight guitarist, never stepping out to showcase,
but always providing perfect support for Wilton's
ideas. When you do notice him, he is nothing short of
brilliant. He looks more like an accountant than a
guitarist in a prog rock band, but on stage he is
wonderful to listen to!
All in all another strong performance by Wilton Said
and his excellent band. If I had a complaint, it was,
as usual with NUANCE shows, that he set was too short.
That's not a criticism, really, as all the bands and
artists suffer from not having enough time! That
certainly didn't stop them from putting on a great
show, though. Doug.


Doug LeBlanc
Canadian Progressive Music Society
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/canprog/
Read my writing at:
http://Writing.Com/authors/starlake

Posted by Doug LeBlanc - Canadian Progressive Music Society at 14:00   ·   0 comment

Sunday, September 30, 2007

NUANCE Festival on Sept 29th 2007

NUANCE Festival on Sept 29th 2007

The festival on Sat Sept 29th 2007 was another success. Everyone involved had a great time. Once again MC Stan Hilbourn did a fantastic job with his on the spot witty introductions and outroductions. i really don't know where he gets his comments from, but he always manages to tie in his comments with something relevant to the bands.

We also had Mike from Records on Wheels in Dundas helping to scratch the prog rock itch with his table of CD's, DVD's and T-Shirts.

Sound tech Collin Puffer once again did a fantastic job with the sound mixing.

Thanks to all who came out, and hope to see you all at the NUANCE Showcase which takes place on Nov 3rd at The Black Swan. Details on the "gig" page.

Wilton

 

Below is a brief right up by Doug Leblanc, moderater of Canprog.

Posted by: "Doug LeBlanc

Sat Sep 29, 2007 9:19 pm (PST)

Well, I've just arrived home from the second Day of
Live Art Rock. All I can say is, WOW! A fantastic
time, five bands that were nothing short of
magnificent, great people, great music, what more can
you ask? Five superb bands and artists, all for the
admission price of twenty bucks. Without question the
musical deal of the year!
You know, years ago there was a wonderful movie
called 'The Neverending Story'. In it there was a
young boy who found a book that was not safe. The man
in the bookshop told him it was not like other books,
but that you can escape other books. But if you read
the Neverending Story, you became a part of it.
The same goes for progressive music. It's not like
other types of music, where you can simply turn it
off, and it goes away. No, prog gets right down
inside your soul, it makes you feel alive. It may
take various ways of doing it, but it does touch the
soul.
I had heard three of the five acts in the past, if
only on CD. The other two, Greedyfeedr and Half Past
Four, were totally new to me, and both were a delight!
And, of course, Spaceman Stan was there to MC the
affair, and add his own delightful sense of humour to
the proceedings.
I plan to do reviews of each indiviual band later,
but for now I just want to give a HUGE vote of thanks
to everyone who made this remarkable event possible.
Of course, the biggest vote of thanks has to go to man
who made it work, Wilton Said. If prog can be said to
be alive and well today, then Wilton is the doctor who
keeps it running.
I can't wait to see the next festival, coming soon,
this November, to be precise. Stay turned for further
info! Well done, folks, a magnificent testament to
the spirit of progressive music! Doug.

Doug LeBlanc
Canadian Progressive Music Society
http://launch. groups.yahoo. com/group/ canprog/
Read my writing at:
http://Writing. Com/authors/ starlake

 

Posted by Wilton at 04:53   ·   0 comment

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Wilton Said... Newsletter #50

Hey to all.

    Well, it looks like I’m going to be busy busy busy till the New Year.  Not only do the band and I got some more shows lined up, but I’m also organizing them as they’re all NUANCE related.  Of course, the first one is the NUANCE Festival on Sat Sept 29th at the Tranzac Theater.  After that, two more showcases, one in Nov and the other in Dec.  Details to follow later on.  Please visit http://www.myspace.com/nuancegta for info.

Festival details as below...

NUANCE - Toronto Prog/Art Rock Festival
Date - Sat Sept 29th 2007.
Venue - The Tranzac Theater, 292 Brunswick Ave. Toronto, 3 Streets west of Spadina South off of Bloor.
http://www.tranzac.org
Time – Doors open at 2:30pm, 1st Artist plays at 3:00pm.  Last Artist plays at 9:00pm.
Door Cover - $20.00
Website - http://www.myspace.com/nuancegta

2:30 - Doors Open
3:00- greedyfeedr
4:15 - Steve Cochrane
5:30 - Wilton Said...
6:15 – Dinner Break
7:45 - Ken Baird
9:00 - Half Past Four

In addition, we once again have DJ Stan Hilborn from FM 98.5, CKWR "Adventures In Plasticland" MCing the event.  Check out http://www.hamiltonparanormal.com/stan/index.html for info on his show.
You can also check him out via the NUANCE Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/nuancegta.

And what is a Prog/Art Rock Festival without a place to buy some music.  Mike from Records on Wheels in Dundas will be on hand again selling the performing artists CD's as well as other well know and not so well known prog artists.

Hope to see everyone out to support Indie prog here in Southern Ontario


    To help promote the festival show, myself, Wilton Said... guitarist Chris Reid, Steve Cochrane, and members of greedyfeedr will be appearing on Spaceman Stan’s radio show this Sat Sept 8th 2007 11:59pm.  Please check out http://www.hamiltonparanormal.com/stan/index.html to listen live.

Additionally, I’ve resumed musical work on the Rock Opera with the demo’s just about finished.  Hopefully recording will start in Nov.

Until next time
Bye bye
Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton Said... at 20:54   ·   0 comment

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Wilton Said... Newsletter #49

Hey to all.

I hope everyone is enjoying this mostly cooler summer and saved themselves some money by opening windows instead of turning on the AC.  Over the past few weeks, my wife and I have been cleaning up the filth and mess left in the basement by the previous tenants as we’ll be taking over the whole house.  This means my wife can finally get my noisy music studio into the basement where she doesn’t have to see it or hear it.  (At least not quite as loud as before).

Wilton Said...,
The band and I have been taking a break during the summer.  Drummer Richard Rizzo got himself married to his long time girlfriend.  (sucker).  Bassist Frank Heisler moved residences to a nicer apt.  Guitarist Chris Reid has been busy modifying PC video cards to run in Macs at a faster rate, ... or something like that.  He’s also been slowly renovating his bathroom, and tending to his nice little garden.  I know this because he tells me.  I know this because he thinks I care.  :  )  However, we will be hard at work rehearsing in Sept for the upcoming NUANCE festival which takes place on Sat Sept 29th at the Tranzac Theater in Toronto.
Please visit http://www.myspace.com/nuancegta for more info.

Other news...
The Wilton Said... Track “Merry go Round” will be included on a compilation CD being put out by Metal Queen Management.  The release date will be on Sat Aug 18th.  Please check out http://www.metalqueenmgmt.ca/ for further info.

I’ll be once again making the trip out to Cambridge Ontario for an appearance on Spaceman Stan’s radio show “Adventures in Plasticland” airing on Sat Sept 8th 11:59pm.
Check out http://www.hamiltonparanormal.com/stan/index.html to listen live on that evening.

That’s all for now.

Thanks
Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton at 20:44   ·   0 comment

Friday, July 20, 2007

Wilton Said... Newsletter #48

Hey hey hey to all.

It’s a beautiful day and my wife and I have spent the day getting our apt back in order now that the smoking downstairs tenants have left.  During their stay, we were sleeping in the living room where the air was a little fresher.  In addition, it was rumoured that they were petty thieves which resulted in us moving all of our belongings which were stored on our back landing, into our bedroom and my music room.  But now, our place has started to resemble what it looked like before.  Now that I’ve got my music room back to being a music room, I can begin to finish writing for the rock opera, practice my keys and vocals, resume teaching guitar lessons.  A very good day indeed.

On to music info...
September is looking like it’s going to be a great month for Progressive Rock.  There’s the Genesis reunion show which a friend has so kindly offered to take me to, the Rush show, a Classic Albums Live show which will feature the music of Yes, a possible Slipperman show (Genesis tribute act), and of course, the NUANCE prog rock festival which the band and I will be playing at.  It takes place on Sat Sept 29th 2007 at the Tranzac Theater.
Please visit www.myspace.com/nuancegta for more information

Thanks
Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton Said... at 02:00   ·   0 comment

Sunday, June 03, 2007

Music and stuff

Hey there. As you can see from the "shows section", I've put together another NUANCE Festival for Sat Sept 29th 2007. For any of you really into prog rock, you'll know that Sept will be a great month for prog due to all the shows in Ontario. You've got the Genesis reunion show, Rush, Genesis tribute band Slippermen, Montreal Prog festival, and now NUANCE. It should be a great finish to a great month. Please check out the site at www.myspace.com/nuancegta for more info.

In other new, my wife and I have are still putting up with our smoking downstairs neighbours. Just as they were about to be evicted by the Sheriff, they got an appeal and the eviction is now pending an appeal hearing which takes place this Wed June 6th. Seeing as how the info on thier appeal request was mostly lies, my wife, I and our landlord along with his lawyer are confident that we'll win.

Fingers crossed.

Thanks

Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton at 19:10   ·   0 comment

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Wilton Said... Newsletter #47

Hey to all.

    Just wanted to let everyone know what’s been happening in the world of Wilton Said...  As some of you know my wife and I have been a bit stressed these past few months due to our downstairs smoking neighbours.  We’ve got nothing against smokers as long as we don’t have to breath in their 2nd hand smoke.  I think that’s fair.  Well, it looks like they will be out in the next week or so as our landlord has been taking the necessary legal steps.  Can’t wait.

    In musical news, we’ll be playing a show on Saturday April 28th at Hal’s Ballroom (244 Adalaide st West.  Between University and Spadina) as part of the NUANCE Showcase. Other on the bill are Lorne Hind and Nor Reason.  Come on out and support independent Progressive/Art Rock.
Doors open at 9pm.
Door cover is a mere $6.00
    For those that missed the show in March, this is a great and fun opportunity to see some excellent bands in the genre.  For those that were at the last show, come on out and relive the musical experience.  Please visit the NUANCE site for more information.

    Some of you may remember reading something about a Rock Opera which I have been working on with a lyricist named Barry Brown.  Well, it’s still being worked on, just not at this moment in time as both of us have had to deal with more personal issues.  As soon as the fog has cleared for both of us, we will continue with this musical.  Stay tuned.

Thanks
Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton at 19:44   ·   0 comment

Monday, March 26, 2007

Great Night of Art Rock on Sat March 24th./Progscape Review

Just wanted to say thanks to all those who showed up for the NUANCE festival on Sat March 24th. While the crowd was a little on the smaller side, the enthusiasm was huge and all the artists were very well recieved.

Once again thanks to Birdy for The Records on Wheels sales table, Stan Hilborn for Mcing the show, and the artists.

Please note, that the Cameron House showcase on Tue May 8th has been cancelled and replaced with a NUANCE showcase at Hal's Ballroom on Sat April 21st.

Please keep checking the NUANCE site for info regarding NUANCE showcases and the next NUANCE festival date.

Thanks
Wilton Said...

Also, progscape has posted a great review of "The View" on their site here.

For those that are lazy, here is the review...

Reviewer: Bill Knispel

"Wilton Said (the band) AND Wilton Said (the musician) hail from Toronto Ontario. Said’s quirky mix of art rock influences (Queen, Bowie, Kate Bush battle with Sarah Slean and A Perfect Circle for prominence) is on full display on The View, his newest release.

Said holds a degree in Musical Composition from York University, and his contributions on vocals/piano/keyboards are joined by those of Andrew Buntain (bass), Richard Rizzo (drums) and Chris Reid (guitars). Sonically the band has forged a sound that focuses heavily on rock, with buzzing guitars, a punchy rhythm section, and Said’s dramatic, inflected vocals flitting in and out of the mix. The tracks on The View are pretty immediately accessible, but with enough quirk and twisted arrangement to move the band out of the mainstream. Art rock is quite possibly the best categorisation for their music, as it seems in many ways the logical extension of the direction bands such as Roxy Music or the Spiders From Mars took in the 1970’s.

“Carnival?” opens the album with found sound; children laughing in a sonic collage with calliope music and loops of undiscernable whispers and a strange vocal line. This shifts into “Heavy Motion,” which starts with a thick, rolling bass line and processed vocals. Wilton Said’s vocals are extremely flexible here, bending notes in a way that sounds extremely close to falling off the melodic line, before snapping back. The song itself goes through a number of changes, with heavy strummed guitar at 2:00 moving into a syncopated and brief bridge before a warped synth solo takes center stage.

“A Family Affair” opens like a restrained track, with dream like slide guitar and precious, fragile vocals, before said vocals are run through what sounds like ring modulation, moving the dream into nightmare territory. The song is an exercise in contrast, with alternating heavy sections adding tension to what is otherwise a pretty straightforward song.

Prog fans will likely go gaga over “The Empty Sky,” a 3-part mini-epic which closes out the album. The opening movement, “The View,” is a keyboard lover’s dream come true, with layers of organ, synth and piano battling over a pounding rhythm and thick rhythm guitar before the track shifts gears, bringing the speed down a notch while keeping the sonic richness as high as possible. An organ fanfare leads to clean, chorused, picked guitar reminiscent of 1980’s Alex Lifeson. “Goodbye,” the second movement, features laser beam sustained guitar lines, starting clean before adding fuzz and overdrive in ever drenching layers, over an orchestral synth foundation and militaristic drumming. The final section of this suite, “Fallen,” starts by picking up the pace with quick drumming and a propulsive organ line, before downshifting to a somber semi-dirge, with emotionally saturated guitar line and rich, mellotron-like synth textures. Said’s lyrics are sullen and somewhat distressing; a number of potential interpretations likely exist, all of which reek with finality. His vocal delivery on the three tracks that comprise this epic is the most dramatic and emotional on the album.

The View is an album packed with a variety of musical twists and turns. All the more amazing is that this is done in just over 34 minutes. In a modern musical environment where quantity is held as having far more importance than quality, it is a joy to listen to an album that hits hard and fast, with no throwaway tracks. The View is just that sort of album, and positions Wilton Said (the band) AND Wilton Said (the musician) as voices to keep an eye (and ear) open to."

Posted by Wilton at 14:46   ·   0 comment

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

NUANCE Show this Weekend

Hey everyone.

Just a reminder that the NUANCE Progressive/Art Rock music festival is this Sat March 24th 2007.  Support live music by coming on out and experiencing five bands that will open your mind!

Featuring
The Last Placid Days of Plenty
Hunter Eves
Wilton Said...
Lorne Hind 360
Dream Aria

Doors open at 2:30pm.
Join us and see what it feels like to live inside a song!

The Tranzac Theater
292 Brunswick Ave. Toronto.
3 Streets west of Spadina, South off of Bloor.
www.tranzac.org

For more info, please visit http://www.myspace.com/nuancegta

Thanks
Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton Said... at 15:44   ·   0 comment

Saturday, March 03, 2007

CJSW FM U of Calgary Attention Surplus Disorder interview canceled.

Hi there.

Just wanted to let everyone know that the radio interview with CJSW FM U of Calgary "Attention Surplus Disorder" at 2am has been canceled tonight.  But fear not, you can hear me being interviewed by Spaceman Stan on Sat March 17th 11:59pm via http://www.hamiltonparanormal.com/stan/index.html or http://www.ckwr.com/.

Thanks
Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton at 08:49   ·   0 comment

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Wilton Said... Newsletter #46

Wilton Said... Newsletter #46

Hello to everyone.

The past month has been spent rehearsing with our new yet old bass player Frank Heisler which has been going very well. These rehearsals have also given a chance for Richard (drums), Chris (guitar) and myself to become even more familiar with the material off "The View". We're all looking forward to our show at the NUANCE music festival on Saturday March 24th at the Tranzac and we’d like to do a good job. Please check out http://www.myspace.com/nuancegta for artists and performance times.

In other news, I’ll be doing some radio interviews in support of the show. Read below for info...

• Sun March 4th 2am - "Attention Surplus Disorder" at CJSW FM U of Calgary with DJ Richard Zywotkiewicz. Please check either http://www.ras.ucalgary.ca/%7Edouglas/asd.html or http://www.cjsw.com/home.html for online broadcast

• Sat March 17th 11:59pm - “Adventures in Plastic Land” at CKWR 98.5FM with DJ Stan Hilborn. Please check out http://www.hamiltonparanormal.com/stan/index.html for online broadcast.

That’s it for now.
Thanks
Wilton Said...
http://www.wiltonsaid.com

Posted by Wilton Said... at 16:51   ·   0 comment

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Wilton Said... Newsletter #45/NUANCE Schedule

Hey there to everyone.

    I hope everyone's holidays were great and filled with lots of fun and excitement.  A little beverage drinking also helps to lighten the mood of any in-laws which might be down for the holidays.  (This only applies to those of you which may have in-laws which have a different..., how do you say it,... view on life then you might.)  Even so, a little wine during the holidays, or anytime for that matter is always a welcome treat.  Me, I'm a Shiraz and Cabernet/Merlot fan myself.  Add a little spice and I'm well on my way to a great evening.
    Anyways, enough wine talk, time for great the news.  A whole lotta news regarding the NUANCE Show on Sat March 24th in Toronto at The Tranzac Theater.   See below...

The artist performance times have been confirmed.
2:30 - Doors open
3:00 - Dream Aria
4:00 - Lorne Hind 360
5:00 - Wilton Said...
5:45 – Dinner Break
7:30 - Hunter Eves
8:30 - The Last Placid Days of Plenty

DJ Stan Hilborn from FM 98.5, CKWR "Adventures In Plasticland" will be MCing the event.  Check out http://www.hamiltonparanormal.com/stan/index.html for info on his show.

Mike from "Records on Wheels" located in Dundas Ontario (Hamilton area) will have a table set up in which to sell the performing artists CD's. In addition, CD's of other Prog/Art Rock artists will also be available for purchase.

Door cover is $20.  Not bad for 5 bands if I may say so myself.

Please visit http://www.myspace.com/nuancegta for additional info or questions.

Hope to see you there.

Thanks
Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton himself at 18:20   ·   0 comment

Friday, December 22, 2006

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

I'd like to take the time to wish everyone Very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays (for those of you that don't celebrate Christmas, how PC of me). I hope this holiday season brings peace and joy to everyone, in addition to a bit of CCK (Christmas Carnal Knowledge).

Stay tuned until the New Year for additional information regarding the NUANCE Prog/Art Rock Festival on Sat March 24th 2007.

Thanks
Wilton Said...

 

 

 

Posted by Wilton at 16:34   ·   0 comment

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Wilton Said... Newsletter #44

Hi to everyone.

It's been a little quiet since our successful CD Release show last Sept 30th. We did however get a few great reviews from various sources which can all be read at www.wiltonsaid.com

As some of you might know, time was spent looking for a bass player to replace the dearly departed Andrew Buntain who left to concentrate on a solo project. Good luck is wished on him by the band and myself. Looking for a bass player was difficult until I decided to personally email a Mr. Frank Heisler and ask him. Thankfully he said yes. Some of you might recall that Frank was the bass player in the band previous to Andrew. So ironically he's back.

Some of you may have noticed that there have been some updates to the wiltonsaid.com site. The main update is that there is a music player on all the pages thereby eliminating the need to stream music via a music player program. I've uploaded a song called "Stitch" from the Butterfly Plague so you can all listen and test out this new feature.

Wilton Said... music has been uploaded for radio play at Aural Moon. http://www.auralmoon.com/.
Check it out as it features Progressive Art Rock music by both established and independent artists.

In other news, the first ever "NUANCE, a day of Live Art Rock Music" will take place in Toronto at the artsy fartsy Tranzac Theater on Saturday March 24th 2007. The show will run from about 2:30pm through till about 9:30pm with a 90 min break for dinner.

Artists scheduled to perform are as follows...
Wilton Said...

Dream Aria

Hunter Eves

Lorne Hind 360

The Last Placid Days of Plenty

Please visit the NUANCE site for additional info.


Thanks
Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton at 15:51   ·   0 comment

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Wilton Said... welcomes bassist Frank Heisler

Chris, Richard and myself would like to take the oportunity to welcome bassist Frank Heisler into the band.  Some of you may remember Frank as he was the bass player previous to Andrew joining the band.  Well, now he's back and ready to prog.  The three of us look forward to working with Frank and to hearing his interpretation of the songs.

 

Wilton 

Posted by Wilton at 20:21   ·   0 comment

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Review at Prognaut.com

Here's another great review of "The View".  Link is below and for those of you that are too lazy to go there, here it is right here.

Wilton Said returns in 2006 with the release of The View. This release contains some of most eclectic styles ranging from hard rocking to some dissonant singing to symphonic & art rock. On The View, the band explores several themes which makes up humanity and the way we view ourselves. All songs are sung with a flare that still reminds me of a blend of Geoff Mann and Freddie Mercury.

I enjoy each and every track on this album but to me the highlight is the 3 part of The Empty Sky. This one will surely lure in the symphonic and neo prog fans. Wilton Said has always, to my ears, has always thrown out the rule book on progressive rock and re-written it to suite their musical ideals. While, they stay within the song-based format, they stretch it out to include things that make up progressive rock.

With each release, Wilton Said refines themselves and while I enjoy their other releases, The View seems to be their defining moment to date. Wilton Said really brings back the fun and adventure in both the music and vocal aspects. Joining Wilton’s madness are Guitarist Chris Reid, Bassist Andrew Buntain and Drummer Richard Rizzo.

In closing, I would definitely say The View is highly recommended independent or otherwise release for 2006!

Reviewed by Ron Fuchs on October 17th, 2006

Prognaut.com

Posted by Wilton at 06:37   ·   0 comment

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Canprog review of The View

You know, part of the problem in doing a review of a progressive rock CD is that as a prog fan, you’re almost certain to like at least parts of it before you even give it a fair hearing. It’s like asking a child what part of a chocolate bar he or she likes best. So, in doing a review of ‘The View’ by Toronto’s Wilton Said..., I must admit to a certain prejudice before I even gave it the customary three listenings.

The temptation is to roll out the usual list of superlatives in describing this work. Instead, I will list the faults with it. To start with, those who do not like progressive music are gonna HATE this. It drips progressive music, strange time signatures, lyrics that evoke feeling, music that is not at all easy to get into. If Mantovani and Lawrence Welk light up your day, give it a pass. If you’re looking for top ten material, songs that would sell soda pop, er, no.
But if you’re looking for musical challenge, this album is for you. If Peter Gabriel and Fish are in your catalogue of prog, then add this one, and quickly. The music is powerful and evocative, the lyrics are startling in their clarity, the concepts challenging. ‘The View’ literally gives you a different view of different aspects of life. The album opens with ‘Carnival?’ with its carnival music, and the note ‘the wrong side of me’. An excellent opening, and it only gets better. “Heavy Motion’ gets things moving with a thundering bass line, followed by Wilton’s singing, changing from the heavier tone set earlier. The song is difficult with the time changes, but the band is more than equal to the task.

Which brings up an interesting point. Why is it that prog artists seem so much more talented, more capable, than there rock counterparts? Is it the music that brings out their abilities, or is it that the more talented musicians are drawn to the more demanding art form? Or is it various combinations thereof? At any rate, this work is a prog fan’s delight. Wilton himself is a master at stage presence, presenting different aspects of the music like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. The songs presented on ‘The View’ capture that same quality. Again, you have to wonder why a band with this much talent, presence and entertainment can be so overlooked.
Incidentally, you might not want to listen to this if you’re nursing a hangover. I think you’ll find it can be quite disorienting. For those who like musical kaleidoscopes, it’s a trip not to be missed!

Doug LeBlanc
Canadian Progressive Music Society
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/canprog/

Posted by Wilton at 09:48   ·   0 comment

Friday, October 06, 2006

The View on Itunes Music Store

Just to let evryone know that you can now purchace tracks off "The View" via Itunes music here.

Thanks

Wilton

 

Posted by Wilton at 15:49   ·   0 comment

Sunday, October 01, 2006

CD Release Show and Review

Wow!

What can I say except that the CD Release show last Sat Sept 30th was a great success and a lot of fun. We played well, had a really great turn out and everyone said they enjoyed the show. In fact, after playing our two sets, after playing our encore, they wanted us to continue, but unfortunately we couldn't as we had played everything we had rehearsed. Plus, they always say, leave them with wanting more and that's just what we did.

Thanks to the venue Artists Play Theater for having us. Everyone said it was a nice little theater with great sound. I highly recommend this venue as a place to see events. Check out their site at either http://www.myspace.com/artistsplay or at http://www.artistsplay.com.

Thanks to the band, Chris Reid - Guitars, Andrew Buntain - Bass, and Richard Rizzo - Drums for the great playing. Also, thanks to Andrew Prior for doing our sound and to my Wife for doing the door.

Of course, thanks to all who came out and enjoyed the show.

Below is a review we received from Doug Leblanc who runs the Yahoo Canprog Message Board.

“The place was called the Artist’s Play Theater, on
Carlaw Avenue in East Toronto. A small place, with
lots of room for everyone. The band was Wilton
Said..., a Toronto based prog band. This was a CD
release party, for their newest venture entitled ‘The
View’. Those are the bare facts about what went on.
For those who were there, though, there was much, much
more.

This was a progressive music performance. The real
thing. Genuine prog, not an imitation, not a
pretence. Not a tribute to excellence of days gone
by, but genuine progressive music in all its glory.
The music is multi-faceted, like a diamond. Every
song hit from a different angle, and presented a new
outlook. I felt an excitement watching them perform;
like I was seeing Yes again for the first time. Like
experiencing Genesis in their youth. There was a
brilliance, a fire about what they can do. They loved
it, and we loved it.

The band is made up of four members, all of them
accomplished musicians. Wilton Said is the leader; he
played keyboards and sang lead vocals. Chris Reid
played guitars with the wizardry of Steve Hackett, and
the polish of Mike Oldfield. He provided back-up
vocals, and did so well. But it was his virtuoso on
the guitar that made him so powerful.
The power of the drum and bass set were magnificent!
Andrew Buntain on bass is a big man playing a big
sound. He played a solo effort that blew the crowd
away with a style I found very original. The drummer
was the colourful Richard Rizzo, the man from Malta.
When he needed to be, he kept the band in the strict
timing that is essential to good prog. At such times
he was in the background, subtle and driving. But
when he came to the foreground, he was delightfully
entertaining to watch! I’ve seen literally hundreds,
if not thousands of drum solos in my life. I usually
find them boring, but Richard made it exciting and
interesting. As a good drummer should.
Yet there was more. So much more. That would have
been enough for good prog, but this was something
more. For the essence of good prog is that it is an
art form, art that reveals, art that demonstrates, art
the laughs at human foibles and cries at its follies.
This is the heart of what is Wilton Said. This is
music that cries out to be listened to, to be seen in
all its kaleidoscopic glory.

As the band played I could easily imagine a Muse
stepping onto the dance floor. Her face was the face
of Satan, but her body was the body of God. Her face
was the face of pain, but her body was the body of
joy. Her face was one of tears, but her body was one
of laughter. She danced for joy, but her movements
were of sorrow.

Those who left the theatre last night were very
impressed with the performance. There were, sadly,
far too few of us to have experienced true progressive
rock in all its power and its glory. But all of us
left with something special. All of us had the gift
of music that is so important to us. And that’s what
Wilton Said...”

Doug LeBlanc
Canadian Progressive Music Society
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/canprog/

For those that care, here’s the setlist we played.

1st Set
In a People Bar
Merry-Go-Round
Heavy Motion
Holiday People
A Journey
Outside
Close
A Family Affair
Pretty
Gender Bender
Bass Solo
Shopping Asia
/Drum Solo
Why Don’t We Do It In The Road
The Telling

2nd Set
The Empty Sky
i) The View
ii) Goodbye
iii) Fallen
All for You (pt1)
In My Dreams

(ENCORE)
Halos/Shopping Asia (reprise)

Please stay tuned for info and gigs
Thanks
Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton and Doug Leblanc at 13:32   ·   0 comment

Monday, September 18, 2006

Bye bye Andrew

It's with great sadness and regret to inform everyone that the Sept 30th CD Release Show will be the last to feature bassist Andrew Buntain. Andrew has been with Wilton Said... for the past 4 years playing on recordings "The Butterfly Plague" and "The View", as well as live shows. In addition to adding some great bass lines and groove to the music, he also brought a great sense of humour to the band. However, many great things come to an end and Andrew has decided to pursue other musical/bass playing avenues. Richard, Chris and myself wish Andrew all the best and will continue to remain in contact.

Thanks

Wilton Said...

Please continue to visit Andrew at his site www.firstbassmusic.com

Posted by Wilton Said... at 17:18   ·   0 comment

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Wilton Said... On the Radio/CD Release Show Sept 30th 2006.

Hey there.

Just a quick note to let you all know that once again I will be interviewed live on air by Spaceman Stan on his radio show “Adventures in Plastic Land.”
Radio Station - FM 98.5 CKWR – Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Date and Time – Sat Sept 16th 2006, 11:59pm.
Live Web link - http://www.hamiltonparanormal.com/stan/index.html or http://www.ckwr.com/

Stan is a great supporter of Progressive/Art rock in the GTA, which is reflected in his radio show. I hope you can all grab your self a drink and tune in for the show.

Also, don’t forget, the official Wilton Said... CD Release show for "The View" takes place on Sat Sept 30th at Artists Play Theatre located at 290 Carlaw Ave. Unit 101 (Just south of Dundas). Doors open at 7:45pm with our set beginning at 8:15pm.
There are 3 options for cover charge.
1) a good deal - $5 cover just gets you entrance.
2) A BETTER DEAL - $10 gets you entrance and a copy of "The View".
3) The BEST DEAL - $8 Advance ticket gets you entrance to the show and a copy of “The View”. Please see either Chris, Richard, Andrew or myself for advance tickets.

See you there.
Thanks
Wilton Said...

P.S. Due to the fact that the theatre space is also used for ballet dancing, outside footwear is not permitted in the venue. Indoor slippers, socks and bare feet are permitted. Shoes may be left in cubbies provided at the venue.

Visit the official Wilton Said... website to find info, listen to music, read lyrics, view photos, and buy CD's.
http://www.wiltonsaid.com

Posted by Wilton at 14:50   ·   0 comment

Friday, September 08, 2006

Html Test

My website host has recently put up new tool bar editing functions. So here is a childish game to test if these new funtions work.  See if you can find all the links.

Arail Black 14pt Center Can you guess the link.

 

Comic Sans 12pt The email address link which still needs to be added with html code. added via code. Can you guess the email address.

Thanks

This test has been brought to you by the links of This band this band and this guy Eddie

For everything else see This

Posted by Wilton at 20:10   ·   0 comment

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Danforth Music Festival Rain Location

Hello.

Just a quick note to let you know that if it rains during the weekend, the Danforth Music Festival will take place indoors at the Masonic Temple located at 13 Chisholm Ave.  It’s one street west of Main st. just a little north behind the KFC.

Thanks
Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton at 15:50   ·   0 comment

Monday, August 28, 2006

Wilton Said... Newsletter #43

Hey Ya.

I hope everyone's summer has been a good one. Mine has been pretty good as I have had a chance to get out and do some bike riding, sitting on the porch, check out our polluted beach, go to Italy, it's been good. I've also been busy practicing keys and vocals for the two Wilton Said... shows coming up.
The first one is at The Danforth Music Festival. The band and I will be playing a set at 4pm on Sunday Sept 3rd on the Main Stage located at the southeast corner of Main and Danforth. Come on out and hear a preview of some new material off of "The View" as well as some older crowd favorites. This event is free and open to all ages.
The second show is the official Wilton Said... CD Release show for "The View". This takes place on Sat Sept 30th at Artists First Theater located at 290 Carlaw Ave. Unit 101 (Just south of Dundas). Cover charge is $10 and gets you entrance and a copy of "The View", or $5 cover just gets you entrance.
For those of you that have been keeping track of the band members, Chris Reid is still featured on Guitars and Backing Vocals. Andrew Buntain(http://www.firstbassmusic.com) is again booming down low with the Bass and now also Backing Vocals. Richard Rizzo continues to pound his skins, uhhhh, play drums, and has informed us that it's probably a good idea not to let him sing anything ever. Thses guys also performed on "The View" and the previous Wilton Said... CD "The Butterfly Plague".

Additional news, for those of you that just can't can't can't wait till the CD release show to get your copy of "The View", it's up for purchase at CD Baby (http://www.cdbaby.com/all/wiltonsaid). Anyone who purchases a CD copy of "The View" before hand and shows up at the CD release show with a copy of "The View" will get in for free. Great deal huh?

That's all for now, hope to see you all out at The Danforth Music Festival on Sept 3rd.

Thanks
Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton Said... at 22:19   ·   0 comment

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Interview with Space Junkies Magazine

Below is an online interview with Space Junkies Magazine which you can access through their website at www.spacejunkies.net

Wednesday Elektra [Wednesday]: Hi Wilton, please introduce yourself to the readers of Space Junkies Magazine and tell us how you became involved in music.
Wilton Said [Wilton]: Hello Space Junkies. I've always had music in my life. My mom used to play piano and sing. I then took piano lessons, then viola lessons during high school all the while teaching myself guitar. After high school I studied music composition at York University and started forming bands to play around the Toronto area. At this time I was mainly a guitarist and songwriter. Some years later I came across the music of Kate Bush and realized that guitar playing wasn't enough for me. I took up vocal lessons, developed my style, increased my piano/keyboard ability and started my own project Wilton Said...

Wednesday: How will your upcoming release “The View” compare or differ from your previous releases like “The Butterfly Plague”?
Wilton Said [Wilton]: Stylistically, The "Butterfly Plague" is a full-length Progressive Rock concept CD where as "The View" is a more eclectic E.P. To me "The View" has a wider range of musical influences such as Prog, Rock, Alternative, Fusion, and even a little Groove Pop. I don't think any one would say that the songs on this EP all sound the same.
I also expanded my song writing in terms of harmonic structure. Rather then using chords that were harmonically correct within a given key, I experimented using dissonant chords; I think this gave the material a bit of a Jazzy sound.
With regards to my vocals, again I experimented by composing melodies which were more jazz inspired, lots of 7ths, and 9ths instead of the basic root, 3rds and 5ths.

Wednesday: Take us through your writing and recording process from beginning to end.
Wilton Said [Wilton]: Writing songs for "The View" took part in two different ways. For songs such as "Heavy Motion", "Merry Go Round", "Gender Bender", and "The Empty Sky", I sat down with my acoustic guitar and worked out the chords, tempos, arrangements and feel. For the songs, "Pretty" and "A Family Affair" I tried something different. I sat down with a piece of paper and jotted down a bunch of chords, choosing ones which had very little harmonic relation to one another. It's these two songs which to me have the more jazzier sound to them. I then worked out the arrangements for them.
Once I'd got the arrangements worked out, I start thinking lyrically. Quite often, the lyrics to a song start with half a verse of a stream of conscience. From there, a subject or theme seems to arise and I continue to develop it from there.
Next step is for me to make a demo for the band members. For "The View" and "The Butterfly Plague", the demos included drum rhythms and patterns, bass lines and ideas, guitar parts and textures, keys and vocals. Overall a pretty complete picture of how I like the song to sound. For the "Butterfly Plague", we then rehearsed for about three months before recording. For "The View", we didn't rehearse; I had the guys learn their parts and ideas on their own and then had them record separately.
Recording for "The View" was an experiment in itself, as I stated we didn't rehearse as a band. Drummer Richard Rizzo was the first to record his parts. Since I was using a portable all in one 16 track Korg recorder, I was able to go to his house to record. It was just him and me. For most of the songs, he recorded along to the demo and a click track. For most of the song "The Empty Sky", he recorded with just me supplying a live guide guitar. Once that was done, I went to Bassist Andrew Buntains place (www.firstbassmusic.com) where he laid down his parts to what Richard had already done. Guitarist Chris Reid then put down his parts onto what the other two had done. All through the process of working with these guys, I was giving direction, feedback, and taking suggestions from the guys. Over all it worked well. As to whether I'd record using this process again, I don't know.
The last steps all included me and me alone. I recorded the keys at my house and recorded the vocals in a friend's studio room (www.skylightstudios.ca). The reason for recording in a studio room is that there's tenants in the basement of the house where I live. So rather then risk having them annoyed at me for the constant singing, I went somewhere where I could feel comfortable and inhibited. Mixing was the next step which again was an experiment as I mixed on a pair of flat frequency response headphones. I checked the mix on a few speaker systems and tweaked a little bit. Then I was off to Guitarists Chris Reid's place to master on his Protools.
Over all a really good experience with the recording, mixing and mastering.

Wednesday: I took a quick listen to your tracks on your MySpace profile, what inspires you to compose music in the more theatrical “art” rock sense?
Wilton Said [Wilton]: I've always been into more dramatic music. When I was between 10 and 15 years old, I went through a period of listening to orchestral music and sound tracks. I suppose this also had to do with my interest in the Viola at the time. The thing I like about orchestral music is, the way themes are woven in and out throughout a piece, the way a piece flows and builds, and the dynamics of a piece, it's not all at the same volume or intensity. The rock music I listen to also reflects this interest, bands like Genesis, Queen, Kate Bush, Jethro Tull, ELP, Dream Theater, use similar composition techniques, and textures.

Wednesday: How is music art in your eyes?
Wilton Said [Wilton]: Well I don't think ALL music is art. There are many songs and artists which I feel are developed without any thought towards art. In many cases it's financial. What song, what genre, what sound, what image can make so and so the biggest bucks. And there are many artists who are willing to go along with that, and in many cases, they have no artistic or musical ability at all. Sort of goes hand in hand. Don't get me wrong, in the popular music genre which includes Pop, Rock, Country, Rap, RnB, I don't think you can rely on artistic ability alone. Popular music is also entertainment, and if there's an artist which can be artistic and entertain, that's fantastic.
Back to your original question, for me, music is artistic when it seems that the artist has tried to strive for something different beyond the average. That can include, unusually song structure, experimental song textures, above average ability at ones instrument or voice, unusual rhythms, and/or blending or inclusion of non-pop styles. Even if a song or artist uses some of these techniques, I may not necessarily like it, but I'll respect it and appreciate it.

Wednesday: Since you have a degree in musical composition, what are your opinions on young up-starts who pick up an instrument on their own, record a track and instantly think they're the best thing on the planet without having any formal training, knowledge, experience or an ear for music?
Wilton Said [Wilton]: Oh boy! Do you want my long or longer opinion of this? I'll try to keep it basic as I could go on for hours, pages, days on this topic. Blah Blah Blah.
I don't think formal knowledge is necessary to write or play good music. Experience, practice and a good ear are. The thing is that technology has made it really really easy and cheap for anyone without experience, practice or a good ear to record a technically good sounding recording, especially with over compression, pitch shifters, and copy and paste. Anyone can sound half decent, and that's what the public is being fed now a days and that's what they're used to and that's what they're comparing other music against. Today's pop audience has been dumbed down thanks to the grunge movement in the early 90's. (Yes Nirvana, I'm talking about you). Previous to this, at the very least, one had to be able to play their instrument (maybe with the exception of some of the punk movement). Hell Duran Duran were huge in the early 80's, but they could play and write. Culture Club, huge, could play, and wrote some great songs. Billy Idol, some great rock n roll and man he has a great voice. Later on, bands like Metallica and Guns and Roses were huge and all could play. With regards to songwriting, most people can only write as good as their ability to play their chosen instrument, so the better players had the ability and options to write more artistic material verses some who knows their 5 basic chords who is limited to those 5 basic chords. What I'm getting at is that there were plenty of bands that were image based but also had the musical chops and songs to back them up. Now image is much more important then musicianship, and it shows.

Wednesday: What advice would you give to someone looking to start up a band or even a solo music project?
Wilton Said [Wilton]: If you're looking to make loads of money, become a Business person, Lawyer, Doctor, Stripper, or Prostitute, it'll probably take you less time, less effort and chances are you'll end up with your millions. However, if you're sleeping with the son or daughter of the head of Universal recording, you might have a shot, even if you suck. O.K., O.K., I'm just trying to be a smart ass.
The first thing is to be really picky, even anal about the people you have in your band. Make sure everyone is on the same wavelength and has the same goals and expectations. It's no good getting an offer to play a well known well paying festival gig if you can't do it because the bass player's too busy studying for a school exam. Learn all you can about the music industry, that way you have an idea of what you're in for. Network as much as you can, because like any business, it's largely who you know. Be polite, that's the best way to get to know people. It doesn't matter how good or bad you are, if you're an asshole, no one will want to work with you. And personally, I'd like to see new artists and bands become more concerned with their musical ability instead of settling to be as good as the 3 chord alternative band they hear on the radio.

Wednesday: What's on Wilton Said...'s palate for the remainder of the 2006 year and when is your “The View” CD expected to be released by?
Wilton Said [Wilton]: In Sept, the band and I will be part of a musical street festival here in Toronto called the Danforth Music Festival, and then we'll be having our CD release show a few weeks later. I'm also in the process of organizing a Prog rock show here in Toronto for sometime in Oct 2006. From there we'll continue to play shows in support of "The View".

Wednesday: Where can our readers go online to hear your music and contact you for more information?
Wilton Said [Wilton]: A few places, but I'll mention the two main ones. http://www.wiltonsaid.com and http://www.myspace.com/wiltonsaid

Wednesday: Thanks Wilton for the interview and I wish you the best of luck in the future. Do you have any final words for this interview?
Wilton Said [Wilton]: Thank you. I can't think of anything else, I think I've blabbed a lot. For anyone who wants to read more info or blabs about myself and my music, check out the sites above.

 

Thanks

Wilton Said...

Posted by Wednesday Elektra at 11:19   ·   0 comment

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Wilton Said... Newsletter #42

Wilton Said... Newsletter #42

Hello.

Good news and more good news. First off, the CD copies of The View arrived by stork the other day. After a listen to every single copy, a check of every single insert, and a careful rewrap of the shrink wrap, I'm proud to say that all copies sound and look exactly the same. They are Great! Fantastic! Bombastic! But wait, they won't be available until the Sept CD Release show on Sat Sept 30th. (For more info regarding venue, time etc, please check out http://www.wiltonsaid.com)

Speaking of the website, it has a new look to it, new layout, new colour scheme, and some new photos. Take a stroll down to http://www.wiltonsaid.com and check it out. Also, feel free to listen to Merry go Round, and Gender Bender, two new tunes off of 'The View.

Back to the first paragraph. I know I mentioned that the CD's won't be available until Sat Sept 30th at the CD Release show, however the first 2 people who can respond back to me (at the email address listed at wiltonsaid.com) with the correct answer to this skill testing question, will receive a free copy of The View and be put on the guest list at the CD release show.

Here it is.....
The brain crunching question...
Who are the 11 musical artists that are listed on wiltonsaid.com under the OTHER ARTISTS WE LIKE section?

Thanks
Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton at 20:59   ·   0 comment

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Mixing and mastering Finished.

It's all done. I'm of to the packaging and reproduction plant tomorrow. i should get the resale CD's in a few weeks.

Thanks
Wilton

Posted by Me at 00:35   ·   0 comment

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Wilton Said... newsletter #40

Hi Ya.

I've been very busy recording over the last few months. Guitars were finished at Chris's place around the end of Feb and he's done a fantastic job. His unique style has put a different slant on my songs. As a guitar player myself, I can really hear the difference in our styles. With solos, I'm more pentatonic blues scale based where as Chris is more freer with his ideas. Also, his rhythm playing is a little rawer then mine which results in a more live, energetic feel. Again, he's done a great job.

After that, I ventured to the land of the plastic ivories to do my keyboard parts. It was a bit of a hellish experience. Even though I can play keyboards, I don't consider myself a keyboard player. I can play basic stuff, a few solos here and there, but nothing even close to what Rick Wakeman of Yes can play. However, it seems that a few of these newer songs demanded a little more keyboard ability then what I was used to playing. So, I dove in, I learned, I played, I felt, and I feel comfortable now in saying that I am closer to being a keyboard player then I was before. All in all, I think they turned out great and I'm extremely happy with my progress.

April saw me recording vocals at Skylight Studios owned in part by my friend Dean Allen. Really all I needed was a broom closet as I was using my own recorder and I just needed a place where I could sing loudly without disturbing the neighbours. But he let me use the actual sound proof and padded room to record in. Again much appreciated. Special thanks goes out to a Mike Rosnick for the offer of studio space at his studio. http://www.rmwmusic.com.

Oh yes, the vocals. Of course, they sound fantastic, they sound bombastic, they sound dramatic, they sound great! There's also a bit of jazzy inflections thrown in. (Love those 7ths, 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths). What more can I say?

Next up is mixing. This is my wife's least favorite part as she gets to hear me replay the same 10 seconds of music over and over and over again while I ask her honey what sounds better, the reverb at .05 or at .06?

Until next time...
Thanks
Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton at 15:34   ·   0 comment

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Keybaords and More Keyboards

I'm in the proccess of finishing up the Keys to the next CD titled The View. Wow! What a learning experiance.

Anyone that actually know me or has played live with me will know while I can play a bit of piano and keys, I don't consider myself a keyboard or piano player. The difference (IMHO) is that someone who knows how to play a certain instrument, knows the basics, maybe a little more, but when it comes to all the nuances which makes one a really good instrument player, no way. That's me on piano and keyboards, or at least it was until I started recording. It seems the very songs and arrangements I wrote required something more then I had played in the past. As a result, I found myself pounding endless takes until I got the appropriate phrasing, feel and mood just right. The end result is something I am very happy with, and while I still don't consider myself a Keith Emerson, or Rick Wakeman, I'm greatful that I've had the chance (through much cursing and swearing) to grow. And to me, that's what being an artist is all about.

Next up the vocals.

Thanks
Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton Said... at 20:51   ·   0 comment

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Interview at CKWR 98.5, Ghosts and recording.

Hi ya all. This past Sat/Sun March 4th/5th saw my wife and I travelling to Cambridge Ontario to take part in a radio interview with Stan Hilborn. Before heading to off to meet Stan, my wife and I took a detour through the small but interesting town of Dundas and stopped off at Records on Wheels. A great CD store, the only one I'm aware of which actually has a Progressive Rock section. I picked up a Porcupine Tree CD which we listened to in the car on the way to Cambridge.

After relaxing at the Hotel for a while, I was off to Waterloo to CKWR for the interview. I had a great time on and off air with DJ host Spaceman Stan Hilborn. Not only did we talk about music, I also learned about hauntings and ghosts in and around the Hamilton area. Very interesting. I'm going to have to go one evening and take part in one of the ghost walks. Check it all out at this link. http://www.hamiltonparanormal.com/

All in all, as I mentioned above, a great time and he told me the door is always open for me to come down. Which of course, I will take him up on once the new CD is out. Stans link is http://www.hamiltonparanormal.com/stan/index.html

Recording News - Guitarist Chris Reid has completed ALL of his parts. Drummer Richard Rizzo has recorded all his parts. Bassist Andrew Buntain will be coming in next Sun March 12th to redo a few select parts, and then it's all me me me me. Me recording keyboards and me recording vocals, Then me mixing. Stay tuned.

Thanks Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton at 14:36   ·   0 comment

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Wilton Said... Live on air Radio Interview.

Late breaking News Here.

Wilton Said... and members of his band will be interviewed live on air by Spaceman Stan on Adventures in Plastic Land.
Radio Station - FM 98.5 CKWR – Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Date - March 4th
Time - 11:59pm
Live Weblink - http://www.hamiltonparanormal.com/stan/index.html or http://www.ckwr.com/

Stan is a great supporter of Progressive/Art rock in the GTA, which is reflected in his radio show. I hope you can all grab your self a drink, perhaps a speciality alcoholic coffee and stay up late for the show.

Thanks
Wilton

Posted by Wilton at 18:49   ·   0 comment

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Wilton Said Newsletter #39

Hi

I hope the New Year has been good to everyone. For me it's been music, music and more music. My wife and in-laws bought me a number of Orchestral CD's which I had wanted. Stravinsky, Ravel, Musorgsky, and Prokriev. (Please excuse the spelling of these names, as I'm too lazy to get off my ass and look them up). What makes these CD's and music so great is that there are times when I just don't want to listen to ANY Pop/Rock music. No electric guitars, no drums, no rock screaming vocals, no boom boom bass. Sometimes I need something a little more gentle on my soul. If any of you are fimailliar with Ravel's music, you'll know what I mean. As for Stravinsky, he can be at times just as harsh as a rock band (The Rite of Spring), but at least there's no vocals.

As an aside, are you aware that when Stravinsky's piece The Rite of spring was first performed, it caused such an uproar that the audience booed and tore up the seats of the auditorium.

Guitar recording has been started and Chris Reid has been doing a fantastic job. His unique way of playing and thinking will help make this next Wilton Said… CD the best.

Until next time...
Thanks
Wilton Said...

Posted by Wilton at 18:47   ·   0 comment

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Wilton Said Newsletter #38

Howdy hay to you all.
I hope everyone is planning to have a great Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. For me it's been quite a busy time as I have had 5 projects going on at the same time. I've been dealing with the NUANCE newsletter, working on two recording projects (Wilton Said... and a rock musical), an acoustic Christmas show for children, and a full rock band show for children. Yes, lots of music. What more could anyone ask for. On another note, the basement of the house which my wife and I rent (we rent the main floor) has been empty allowing me to practice and blast music at all hours of the day and night. Again, what more can anyone ask for?

Very recently, I have decided to get with the 21st century and get myself high speed Internet. In addition to being able to view NAUGHTY NAUGHTY web pages (what a naughty boy I am), I'm able to stream and listen to other artists music on their sites. Cool. Which brings us to the other great aspect of high speed, the uploading of songs to the website. Yes that's right, there are now three new songs at www.wiltonsaid.com. They're demo versions of the songs Pretty, The Empty Sky (pt2 Goodbye) and The Empty Sky (pt3 Fallen). Demo versions meaning that these songs were recorded by me so the band could get an idea of how I wanted the songs to sound. Currently, the band, consisting of myself and Guitarist-Chris Reid, Bassist-Andrew Buntain, and Drummer-Richard Rizzo are recording these songs for the new CD which I think will be called The View.

I hope you enjoy them.
That's it for now.
Thanks
Once again, Happy Holidays
Wilton Said…

Posted by By Me at 22:08   ·   0 comment

Monday, September 19, 2005

Wilton Said... Newsletter #37

Howdy hay to you all.

Well the summer is coming to a close, which means I've had my relaxation and my vacation away from any musical stress. (gigs, promo, rehearsals etc) Don't get me wrong, I enjoy doing these things it's just that it was nice to not have to think about these things. Wilton Said… is like a business after all.

I have been working on music for a Rock Musical about the government and church sanctioned forcible removal of native children from their parents to be taught in Residential schools which took place in Canada during the mid 1800's through to 1990. The lyrics are being written by a chap by the name of Barry Brown. Writing should be finished by the end of the year and recording hopefully will start in the New Year.

As for Wilton Said…, recording for the CD titled Feeling Pretty should start by mid Oct. We'll start with Richard Rizzo on the drums, with me on guide guitar and guide vocals. Later followed by Andrew Buntain (www.firstbassmusic.com) on Bass, then Chris Reid on guitar, with me again on Keyboards and Vocals. Hopefully we'll be able to wrap up the recording by Jan or Feb 2006.

I'm in the process of resurrecting NUANCE, a newsletter which will feature reviews, articles, bio's and interviews of musical artists of a more artistic nature.

That's it for now.
Thanks
Wilton Said…

Posted by Willy himself at 20:36   ·   0 comment

Monday, July 04, 2005

More Demo news and News about Nothing

Hello. Just got back from camping, great weather, hardley any mosquitos, lovely time sitting on my ass doing nothing at all. But now I'm back, so back to the Demos. Actually, the demos are complete and it turns out that the last song titled The Empty Sky will be in fact about 15min long.
My next step is to finish off the charts for the songs and get them intp the hands of Guitarist Chris, Drummer Richard and Bassist Andrew so they can start working on their parts.
Untill next time, have a great summer.
Wilton

Posted by Wilton Said... at 13:26   ·   0 comment

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Wilton Said... Newsletter #36

Hello, long time no newsletter, I know, I know. I've been busy relaxing, taking it easy, and as I stated in the previous newsletter, writing and recording demos for the next Wilton Said… CD. It looks like the CD will be called Feeling Pretty with a song list which goes like this.
1) Heavy Motion
2) Merry-go-Round
3) Pretty
4) Gender Bender
5) A Family Affair
6) The Empty Sky

As you can see, there's only 6 songs which makes this more of an E.P. I guess, similar to Broken. But fear not for the last song The Empty Sky is looking like it'll be about 10mins long, so your money shall not be wasted on a piddley 15min CD. (Once the finished version is out).

As for when this finished version will be out, well, after recording the demos, I hope to be working on a Rock Musical project which will I'll be writing music for. This'll probably take place throughout the summer. Once the fall hits, I hope to have recorded demos for this. Throughout the winter, I'll probably be busy recording finished versions of Feeling Pretty and possibly the Rock Musical. Most of this depends on who's available to play on either project. Of course I'll be singing on my own Wilton Said… CD, but I hope to involve other singers for the recording of the Rock Musical. As for instrumental players, I'll probably be involved with the Keyboards, and Guitars along with hopefully guitarist Chris Reid, Bassist Andrew Buntain and Drummer Richard Rizzo. We'll have to see what our schedules are.

Oh ya, I almost forgot, here's a new review of the previous two CD's Broken and World up my Ass from Prognaut.com.

The Review:
I had the extreme pleasure to review Wilton Said’s 2004 release Butterfly Plague and was given the opportunity to review his previous works World Up My Ass and Broken. I decided to combine those reviews since Broken is rather short (under 30 minutes). Upon listening to both of these releases, I got a chance to hear how well Wilton Said’s music sounded early on in their career.

Wilton Said’s music is one of the most enjoyable progressive pop-rock bands to come cross my hands in a long while. Their music even has nods to the art and glam rock scene of the 70's like Queen, Roxy Music, Genesis, David Bowie and Be Bop Deluxe. The vocals are rather unique for this style of music, that’s usually plagued by Peter Gabriel and Jon Anderson wannabees. Even on these recordings Wilton voice strongly reminds me of the late Geoff Mann with small hints of Freddie Mercury.

If you’re tired of what the more popular bands are releasing these days, then I’d highly recommend that you explore this band’s albums as soon as you can. Your ears will thank you many times over. This is one of my favorite independent bands of all time.

Reviewed by Ron Fuchs on May 10th, 2005
http://www.geocities.com/prognaut/reviews/wilton-said2.html

Until next time, enjoy the weather.

Thanks
Wilton Said…

Posted by Wilton at 19:49   ·   0 comment

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

New Review at Prognaut.com

Here's a review of my first two CD's World up my Ass and Broken.

I had the extreme pleasure to review Wilton Said’s 2004 release Butterfly Plague and was given the opportunity to review his previous works World Up My Ass and Broken. I decided to combine those reviews since Broken is rather short (under 30 minutes). Upon listening to both of these releases, I got a chance to hear how well Wilton Said’s music sounded early on in their career.

Wilton Said’s music is one of the most enjoyable progressive pop-rock bands to come cross my hands in a long while. Their music even has nods to the art and glam rock scene of the 70's like Queen, Roxy Music, Genesis, David Bowie and Be Bop Deluxe. The vocals are rather unique for this style of music, that’s usually plagued by Peter Gabriel and Jon Anderson wannabees. Even on these recordings Wilton voice strongly reminds me of the late Geoff Mann with small hints of Freddie Mercury.

If you’re tired of what the more popular bands are releasing these days, then I’d highly recommend that you explore this band’s albums as soon as you can. Your ears will thank you many times over. This is one of my favorite independent bands of all time.

Reviewed by Ron Fuchs on May 10th, 2005

Posted by Ron Fuchs at 16:47   ·   0 comment

Monday, March 07, 2005

Soulshine Review

Here's another review from a Canadian ezine. See below for the review. Soulshine Review of The Butterfly Plague

Wilton Said

Album Title: The Butterfly Plague

Release Date: January 18, 2005

Rating: 3.5/5

Genre: Progressive

Brace yerselfs—Toronto indie rocker Wilton Said has just released his third CD “The Butterfly Plague” and throwing caution every which way but loose, Said has fingered the work a concept album. A freakin’ concept album! Typically a stage reserved for such dino-sours as Asia, Yes, and Spiro Agnew, it’s a gutsy move for Said and his street level chuckers but hey, I’ll be the first to admit that “The Butterfly Plague” is an oddly-affecting work. Blending elements of progressive rock, new wave and sub-Floyd poo poo, Said rigs these 13 tunes with layers of synth and sheen, buffering away the edges with belt sander-like guitar riffs and precision bravado. Sure, the level of pretense is practically through the roof, but you’ve got to give Said credit for (A) spitting out this pig on his own dime, and (B) having the guts to be making this kind of music in 2005, when the Fiery Furnaces and the Franz Ferdinand’s of the world are the pacemakers. And the best part about “The Butterfly Plague” is… the concept is utterly un-conceptual. Beats the heck outta me what links songs with titles like “Mom”, “Bar”, and “Close”. Maybe Said charges by the syllable or maybe he’s just hungry? Either way, “The Butterfly Plague” is a compacted slab of post-modern indie prog that’s heavy on heart and light on liver.

Writer: Cameron Gordon

Posted by Wilton at 15:21   ·   0 comment

Sunday, January 23, 2005

Wilton Said... review on Left off the Dial

Here's another reveiw.

Wilton Said: The Butterfly Plague
[self-released]

http://www.leftoffthedial.com/Wilton_Butterfly.htm

Wilton Said returns with a fresh back-to-school style with this LP, The Butterfly Plague. The dizzying rock opera vibe on this record is at full strength in its instrumental parts, as are man rock operas. Initially, Said’s voice does not gel enough with the carnival-esque theme of the record. For fans of Said’s softer acoustic brand of pop, only the recurring raindrop sequences would fit their perception of the musician. Said and his backing band efficiently execute the different genres featured on this record, especially considering the difficulty of playing prog-rock. Then he briefly returns to his softer, subtle form for “Mom,” which is a song about his uncle… or his mom… or himself.

The most difficult part about listening to this record is getting rid of the associations one has with Said’s prior recordings. Comparing this record to his previous work, all that came before seems scattered when trying to identify his influences. With The Butterfly Plague, he hints at the Talking Heads, Frank Zappa and Andrew Lloyd Webber, and they can be heard all at once in “Bar.” Said is accustomed to impressing listeners with his mastery of musical compositions, but the lyrics on this album point to a man who is hurt when he is at his most introspective. A song such as “Outside