Wise After the Event

Last updated

Wise After the Event
Wisecover.jpg
Studio album by
Anthony Phillips
ReleasedMay 1978
RecordedOctober–December 1977
StudioEssex Studios
(London, England)
The Manor Mobile at The Farmyard
(Buckinghamshire, England)
CBS Studios
(London, England)
Genre Progressive rock
Length55:27
Label Arista
Producer Rupert Hine
Anthony Phillips chronology
The Geese & the Ghost
(1977)		Wise After the Event
(1978)		 Private Parts & Pieces
(1978)

Wise After the Event is the second studio album by English musician and composer Anthony Phillips, released in May 1978 on Arista Records in the United Kingdom and in June 1978 on Passport Records in the United States. After promoting his previous album The Geese & the Ghost (1977), Phillips began to prepare material for a new album. It remains his only album that features himself on lead vocals on each track.

Contents

Production

In March 1977, Phillips released his debut solo album, The Geese & the Ghost . Around the time it was put out, Phillips did consider furthering his education and return to music college but the album "did enough" for him to continue with making albums. [1] Phillips recalled that the rise in punk rock in England at the time of The Geese & the Ghost increased the pressure for him to write more commercial songs and deliver hit singles. He had started an instrumental album based on Tarka the Otter , but the project was put on hold due to his difficulty in securing a recording deal. [2] Within such a climate, Phillips found himself "forced" to make a new studio album of "mainstream pop songs" which he never felt completely comfortable doing, [3] and lacked enough confidence in the material he had written by himself. He began with putting ideas down at his home studio using a TEAC 4-track tape machine and a 2-track Revox recorder. [4]

After preparing a collection of ideas Phillips presented them to producer Rupert Hine and session musicians Michael Giles on drums and John G. Perry on bass, the three rehearsed them for one week at Giles's home studio in Dorset, [5] and recorded the developed tracks onto 4-track tape. [4] After Phillips secured a deal with Arista Records, [6] the original plan was for Wise After the Event to be released as an album with an accompanying EP of extra material. [7] Artist Peter Cross began to design the cover art when the decision was made, but when the decision was made to scrap the EP Cross had moved onto other projects and there was insufficient time to correct his design, resulting in discrepancies with the running order of the tracks. This was corrected on the 1990 CD reissue.

The unreleased music was released in 1980 on Phillips's next album Private Parts & Pieces II: Back to the Pavilion , the second in his series of "generic" albums that showcase ideas, demos, and outtakes of recordings. These included three short sections of tracks that were planned and sequenced for the earlier album: "Chinaman" is based on the introduction to "Paperchase"; "Romany's Aria" is a piece from "We're All as We Lie" played backwards; "Von Runkel's Yorker Music" was previously titled "Sitars and Nebulous". Back to the Pavilion includes two additional songs, "Tremulous" and "Magic Garden", that date from the Wise After the Event sessions.

Recording

Wise After the Event was recorded from October to December 1977. [6] The first sessions took place across two weeks in October at Essex Studios in London, using a 16-track machine with added Dolby noise reduction. [4] These were followed by sessions in November and December on the Manor Mobile studio and The Farmyard, a facility in Buckinghamshire. Here, the final takes of the backing tracks were recorded and transferred onto 24-track for the recording of the overdubs. [4] The final sessions took place in December 1977 at CBS Studios in London. [6] After recording finished, the album was mixed in December 1977 and January 1978 at Trident Studios in London. [6] Minor overdubs were recorded at the studio, including the guitar solo on "Birdsong". [4] The orchestra session for "Regrets" took place on 6 December 1977, and recorded onto 24-track. [4]

"Wise After the Event" features Phillips playing a 12-string Rickenbacker guitar that he purchased at Manny's Music in New York City. [8] For the guitar effects he used a BOSS Chorus Ensemble pedal and a Dyna Comp compressor for chord-based arrangements. [8] He said it took some effort for Giles to "let himself go" on the drums as he was used to playing in a tight and precise style, and Phillips wanted more of his fast drum fills. [9] Phillips caused problems during the recording as he found himself gradually speeding up as he played. Giles advised him to practise at home for a weekend and play to a metronome to improve his timing. [10]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]

Wise After the Event was released in May 1978 on Arista Records in the United Kingdom and in June 1978 on Passport Records in the United States. "We're All as We Lie" was released as a single with "Squirrel" and "Sitars and Nebulous" coupled on the B-side. "Squirrel" was later reunited with the album as a bonus track on the 1990 reissue.

The British magazine Hi-Fi News & Record Review wrote: "Soft strums, songs and keyboard waves typify" the album which has "a mild Mike Oldfield touch to it" which "augurs well for its chances". [12] One reviewer for Beat magazine in 1979 put the record on as it was "the perfect soother of frazzled nerves". [13] Rob Patterson for The Bismarck Tribune gave a short positive review, noting the album is "a soft, subtle, but very tasteful slice of that-now-famous [Genesis] sound", and concludes with: "A heartening return". [14] Chris Carson for the Press & Sun-Bulletin thought the album was not as successful as The Geese & the Ghost where Phillips "had the right idea" to play the instruments himself and leave the vocals to others. Carson compared the album's sound to early Genesis when Phillips was a member, but disliked his singing which failed to reach the quality of the album's production guitar work. "The result is a very tedious album, and a real struggle for even the devout Genesis fan to get through". [15] Jane Seigendall for The Morning Call opened her review that the album is "an extraordinary example of music that's hard to just listen to", and requires the listener to "enter it" to appreciate the "haunting" music with his "erudite and often surrealistic" words that she found difficult to understand. She recognises his classical influences which is simultaneously "futuristic and ageless" and cites "We're All as We Lie" as the best example of his unconventional style, and suggested the album will appeal to esoteric music fans. She ended by praising Cross's artwork. [16] The Times of Munster, Indiana rated the album as one of the best progressive rock albums of 1978 and is "most worthy of your listening time". It praised the contributions of Giles and Collins, and concludes: "The album simply shimmers with Phillips's delicate tunes". [17] In a retrospective review, AllMusic's Dave Thompson recognised that the album was made during "an invigorating period" for Phillips and noted his increased confidence "oozes out of every groove". Thompson rated Wise After the Event as more cohesive than The Geese & the Ghost but lacks the experimental nature of its predecessor and considered it to have too many ballads and "samey" music. He praises "We're All as We Lie" and the "multi-textured" title track as "career-enhancing classics". [11]

Reissues

In 1990, Wise After the Event was released on CD by Virgin Records, with "Squirrel" as a bonus track. [18] This was followed by a 2-CD remastered edition released in July 2007 in Japan by Arcangelo Records with a limited edition mini-vinyl sleeve. Included is "Squirrel" and a disc of 14 previously unreleased tracks of demos and out-takes. [19] A standard CD jewel case version was released in the UK by Voiceprint Records in May 2008. [20]

In February 2016, Esoteric Recordings released a 4-disc Deluxe Edition of the album with a new stereo mix completed in 2016, a second CD containing the same bonus material as the 2008 Voiceprint release, and a third CD with a remastered version of the original stereo mix. The fourth disc is a DVD containing a new 5.1 surround sound. All mixes were completed using the original multi-track master tapes. [21] Also included is a poster and a 20-page booklet with photos and extensive liner notes. [22] Phillips did consider going back to the original concept and present it with an accompanying EP and with the originally planned track order, but decided against it as people had got used to how the album was released. [21]

Track listing

All songs written by Anthony Phillips, except where indicated. [6]

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."We're All as We Lie"4:37
2."Birdsong"6:45
3."Moonshooter"5:58
4."Wise After the Event"10:28 [nb 1]
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Pulling Faces" 4:37
2."Regrets" 6:02
3."Greenhouse"Phillips, Jeremy Gilbert3:03
4."Paperchase" 5:34
5."Now What (Are They Doing to My Little Friends?)" 8:23
1990 and 2008 CD bonus track
No.TitleLength
10."Squirrel"4:30
2008 and 2016 CD bonus tracks – Demos, Out-Takes and Extras
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."We're All as We Lie (Link)" 1:23
2."Sleeping on an Interstellar Plane" ("Greenhouse" Demo)Phillips, Gilbert3:04
3."Paperchase" (Instrumental Demo) 5:31
4."Birdsong" (Instrumental Demo) 5:33
5."Moonshooter" (Cottage Tapes Demo) 5:37
6."We're All as We Lie" (Cottage Tapes Demo) 3:53
7."Pulling Faces" (Cottage Tapes Demo) 4:29
8."Squirrel" (Instrumental Mix) 4:28
9."Wise After the Event" (Instrumental Mix) 8:54
10."Magic Garden" (Solo Piano Mix) 1:55
11."We're All as We Lie" (7" Single Version) 3:49
12."Regrets" (Piano Mix) 6:00
13."Chinaman" (Basic Guitar Mix) 0:44
14."Now What (Are They Doing to My Little Friends?)" (Instrumental Mix) 8:14

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's 1978 and 2015 liner notes. [6]

Music

Production

Notes

  1. ↑ The last part (about 1:45) of this track is a hidden track: an instrumental, "Hunt Link," [23] which is a preview of the album's closing track "Now What (Are They Doing to My Little Friends?)." This was banded as a separate track on the original vinyl.

Related Research Articles

<i>Goodbye</i> (Cream album) 1969 studio album / Live album by Cream

Goodbye is the fourth and final studio album by Cream, with three tracks recorded live, and three recorded in the studio. It was released in Europe by Polydor Records and by Atco Records in the United States, debuting in Billboard on 15 February 1969. It reached number one in the United Kingdom and number two in the United States. A single, "Badge", was subsequently released from the album a month later. The album was released after Cream disbanded in November 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Phillips</span> British musician

Anthony Edwin Phillips is an English musician, songwriter, producer and singer who gained prominence as the original lead guitarist of the rock band Genesis, from 1967 to 1970. He left in July 1970 and learned to play more instruments, before he began a solo career.

<i>Trespass</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Genesis

Trespass is the second studio album by the English rock band Genesis. It was released on 23 October 1970 on Charisma Records, and is their last album with original guitarist Anthony Phillips and their only album with drummer John Mayhew.

<i>Incantations</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Mike Oldfield

Incantations is the fourth studio album by English musician, songwriter, and producer Mike Oldfield, released on 1 December 1978 by Virgin Records. Following the release of his previous album Ommadawn (1975), Oldfield moved into a new home in Bisley, Gloucestershire, where he set up a new recording studio. He started on a follow-up in 1977 which took form as a double album with one, side-long track on each side of the LP record. Oldfield wished to use real incantations in the music, but ended up using folklore as a loose running theme, such as Dianna the Huntress. Though primarily instrumental, lyrical sections are adapted from works by poets Henry Longfellow and Ben Jonson. Oldfield completed the self-awareness seminar Exegesis while recording Incantations.

<i>From Genesis to Revelation</i> 1969 studio album by Genesis

From Genesis to Revelation is the debut studio album by English rock band Genesis, released on 28 March 1969 on Decca Records. The album originated from a collection of demos recorded in 1967 while the members of Genesis were pupils of Charterhouse in Godalming, Surrey. It caught the attention of Jonathan King who named the group, organised deals with his publishing company Jonjo Music and Decca, and studio time at Regent Sound Studios to record a series of singles and a full album. A string section arranged and conducted by Arthur Greenslade was added later on some songs. By the time Genesis had finished recording, John Silver had replaced original drummer Chris Stewart.

<i>Private Parts and Pieces VI: Ivory Moon</i> 1986 studio album by Anthony Phillips

Private Parts and Pieces VI: Ivory Moon is the eleventh studio album by English multi-instrumentalist and composer Anthony Phillips. It was released in January 1986 by Passport Records in the United States and Canada as the sixth instalment in his Private Parts & Pieces album series. Ivory Moon consists entirely of piano pieces written between 1971 and 1985, with all tracks recorded in August 1985. It is Phillips's first album not to feature him as a guitarist.

Cherry Red Records is a British independent record label founded in Malvern, Worcestershire by Iain McNay in 1978. The label has released recordings by Dead Kennedys, Everything but the Girl, The Monochrome Set, and Felt, among others, as well as the compilation album Pillows & Prayers. In addition to releasing new music, Cherry Red also acts as an umbrella for individual imprints and catalogue specialists.

<i>1984</i> (Anthony Phillips album) 1981 studio album by Anthony Phillips

1984 is the sixth studio album by English musician and composer Anthony Phillips, released in June 1981 on RCA Records. The album marks a change in musical style for Phillips as it is synthesiser-oriented compared to most of his previous albums which focused on more folk and acoustic music. After the music had been recorded, Phillips named the album after George Orwell's dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949).

Peter Anthony Giles is a British singer and bassist. He is the brother of drummer Michael Giles.

<i>The Geese & the Ghost</i> 1977 studio album by Anthony Phillips

The Geese & the Ghost is the first studio album by English musician and songwriter Anthony Phillips, released in March 1977 on Hit & Run Music in the United Kingdom and Passport Records in the United States. It was originally intended to be an album by Phillips and his former Genesis bandmate Mike Rutherford, but Rutherford's difficulty in devoting time to the project ended the idea. The album reached number 191 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Sides</i> (album) 1979 studio album by Anthony Phillips

Sides is the fourth studio album by English musician and composer Anthony Phillips. It was released in April 1979 by Arista Records in the United Kingdom and in June 1979 on Passport Records in the United States. After completing Private Parts & Pieces (1978), an album of home recordings that Phillips had recorded years before but remained unreleased, Phillips returned to making a commercial record. The UK release saw the first 5,000 copies of Sides packaged with a Collectors Album edition of Private Parts & Pieces.

<i>Private Parts & Pieces</i> 1978 studio album by Anthony Phillips

Private Parts & Pieces is the third studio album by English musician and composer Anthony Phillips. It was released in November 1978 by Passport Records in the United States, and in April 1979 by Arista Records in the United Kingdom. Unlike his previous two releases, the album is a collection of demos, out-takes, and previously unreleased material rather than an explicit attempt at a commercial album.

<i>Private Parts & Pieces II: Back to the Pavilion</i> 1980 studio album by Anthony Phillips

Private Parts & Pieces II: Back to the Pavilion is the fifth studio album by English musician and composer Anthony Phillips, released in April 1980 on Passport Records in the United States and Canada. It is the second instalment in his Private Parts & Pieces album series of previously recorded pieces that had been parts of or intended for other projects. Back to the Pavilion includes tracks recorded for Wise After the Event (1978), music during his time as a member of Genesis, and those commissioned as part of an aborted project to set Macbeth to music. It features musical contributions from Andy McCulloch and his former Genesis bandmate Mike Rutherford.

<i>Private Parts and Pieces IV: A Catch at the Tables</i> 1984 studio album by Anthony Phillips

Private Parts and Pieces IV: A Catch at the Tables is the ninth studio album by English multi-instrumentalist and composer Anthony Phillips. It was released in April 1984 by Passport Records as the fourth instalment to his generic album series, Private Parts & Pieces. A release in the United Kingdom followed in 1990 by Virgin Records.

<i>Field Day</i> (Anthony Phillips album) 2005 studio album by Anthony Phillips

Field Day is a studio double album by English multi-instrumentalist and composer Anthony Phillips, released in October 2005 by Blueprint Records.

<i>Elvis Golden Records</i> 1958 greatest hits album by Elvis Presley

Elvis' Golden Records is a compilation album by American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley, issued by RCA Victor in March 1958. It compiled his hit singles released in 1956 and 1957, and is widely believed to be the first greatest hits album in rock and roll history. It is the first of five RCA Victor Elvis' Golden/Gold Records compilations, the first four of which were issued during Presley's lifetime. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart and was certified 6× platinum on August 17, 1999, by the Recording Industry Association of America.

<i>Invisible Men</i> 1983 studio album by Anthony Phillips

Invisible Men is the eighth studio album by English multi-instrumentalist and composer Anthony Phillips. It was released in October 1983 by Passport Records in the United States and in April 1984 by Street Tunes in the United Kingdom. After he released his Private Parts & Pieces III: Antiques, the third instalment in his generic album series, Phillips started work on his next full studio album. Phillips was pressured by his US label Passport Records to deliver more radio friendly songs, and produced Invisible Men as a collaborative effort with musician and songwriter Richard Scott.

<i>Private Parts & Pieces III: Antiques</i> 1982 studio album by Anthony Phillips

Private Parts & Pieces III: Antiques is the seventh studio album by English multi-instrumentalist and composer Anthony Phillips. It was released in March 1982 by Passport Records in the United States and in October 1982 by RCA International in the United Kingdom as the third instalment to his Private Parts & Pieces album series. After releasing his full studio album 1984 (1981), Phillips entered a collaboration with Argentine musician Enrique Berro Garcia who he first met in 1978.

<i>Slow Dance</i> (Anthony Phillips album) 1990 studio album by Anthony Phillips

Slow Dance is a studio album by English musician and songwriter Anthony Phillips, released in September 1990 on Virgin Records. It is a 50-minute instrumental suite divided into two parts. The music was composed by Phillips and performed by himself with additional musicians.

<i>Private Parts & Pieces VIII: New England</i> 1992 studio album by Anthony Phillips

Private Parts & Pieces VIII: New England is a studio album by English multi-instrumentalist and composer Anthony Phillips. It was released in August 1992 on Venture Records as the eighth edition of his Private Parts & Pieces album series.

References

  1. ↑ Cherry Red Interview 2014, 10:26–10:45.
  2. ↑ Cherry Red Interview 2014, 11:36–11:56.
  3. ↑ Cherry Red Interview 2014, 12:49–13:29.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Projects – Recording Formats" . Retrieved 29 April 2018– via AnthonyPhillips.co.uk.
  5. ↑ Cherry Red Interview 2014, 13:50–14:36.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wise After the Event (Media notes). Anthony Phillips. Charisma Records. 1978. SPART 1063.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ↑ "Interview with Ant - October 2000". 28 October 2000. Retrieved 29 April 2018– via AnthonyPhillips.co.uk.
  8. 1 2 "Interview with Ant - May 2004". 15 May 2004. Retrieved 29 April 2018– via AnthonyPhillips.co.uk.
  9. ↑ Cherry Red Interview 2014, 14:50–15:12.
  10. ↑ Cherry Red Interview 2014, 15:14–15:28.
  11. 1 2 Wise After the Event at AllMusic
  12. ↑ "Hi-Fi News & Record Review". Hi-Fi News & Record Review. Vol. 23. 1978. p. 115.
  13. ↑ "Beat Instrumental & Songwriting & Recording". Beat Instrumental & Songwriting & Recording. 1979. p. 47.
  14. ↑ Patterson, Rob (5 August 1978). "Hot albums to be released during hotter August" . The Bismarck Tribune. Bismarck, North Dakota. p. 7. Retrieved 29 April 2018– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Carson, Chris (13 September 1978). "Former member of Genesis never reaches past height" . Press and Sub-Bulletin. Binghamton, New York. p. 21. Retrieved 29 April 2018– via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Seigendall, Jane (2 September 1978). "Records - Anthony Phillips: Wise After the Event (Passport Records)" . The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. p. 55. Retrieved 29 April 2018– via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "Record Scene – 'Welcome Home' a Fine Rock in Ages" . The Times. Muster, Indiana. 1 October 1978. p. 75. Retrieved 29 April 2018– via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ Wise After the Event [1990 Reissue] (Media notes). Anthony Phillips. Virgin Records. 1978. CDOVD 322.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ↑ Wise After the Event [2007 Reissue] (Media notes). Anthony Phillips. Arcàngelo Records. 1978. ARC-7229/30.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ↑ Wise After the Event [2008 Reissue] (Media notes). Anthony Phillips. Voiceprint Records. 1978. VP433CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. 1 2 Negrin, Dave (22 May 2008). "Taking in the Wildlife: An Interview with Anthony Phillips". World of Genesis. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  22. ↑ Wise After the Event [2015 Deluxe Edition] (Media notes). Anthony Phillips. Esoteric Recordings. 1978. ECLEC 42527.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.