Track listing
Show track credits
- 1 Angel Gets Caught in the Beauty Trap 9:56
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fretless bass
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drums, percussion
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solo, loops
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soprano, saxophone
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trumpet
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violin
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- 2 You Grow More Beautiful 5:37
- 3 Animal Ghost 6:09
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percussion
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lead guitar
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flute
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violin
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- 4 Soft Shoulders 3:57
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violin, arrangements
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- 5 Shell of a Fighter 7:48
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loops, guitar
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electronics
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- 6 Teardrop Fall 4:37
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guitar
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flute
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violin
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- 7 Watching Over Me 4:48
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violin
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percussion
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- 8 Simple 7:03
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loops, guitar
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vocals
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- 9 Things Change 7:31
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vocals
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loops
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electric violin
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- Total length: 57:26
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6 Issues
- Release view [combined information for all issues]
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Flowermouth [p]
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Flowermouth Remastered
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Flowermouth Bonus Tracks, Remixes
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Flowermouth Bonus Tracks
13 Reviews
flawless victory
Published
What to say about this beauty? A little to the left and down to the... out of phase right.. between your ambient crossed eyes, but with a sharp bite from a porcupine tree fruit. I love it. Experimental without losing form or interest, in fact interest builds and all hangs together in one cohesive whole. It's mellow and sad sometimes, especially with 'Things Change' but hopeful with 'You Grow More Beautiful'. The melodies suit the lyrics like a well fitted glove on this journey 'No Man' orchestrates with tinkling pianos, violins of longing and searing guitars sandwiched between soft vocals and controlled restraint, passion ever wanting to bust forth, which it does at times..only to fall softly as snow onto a silent ground of wondering and release. That's what you get when tracks are allowed to go beyond four minutes and hit the rarefied heights of twelve minutes, (bonus tracks).
Published
SDPCD195 CD (2005)
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No-Man's last major release on OLI saw the band sufficiently demoralised by record company mandates that they decided to simply ignore what the company wanted entirely and just follow their own muse. As a result, they branch out of the narrow trip-hop lane they had occupied for their earlier OLI releases and explored a broader dream pop/progressive pop universe.
A seismic shift occurred here in the band lineup, with Ben Coleman departing the group, credited here in only a guest capacity. As well as simply wanting to find better-paying work, Coleman was finding that he was becoming more peripheral to the group, and multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson has admitted since that things had reached a point where No-Man's music needed a broader range of instrumental textures and crowbarring a violin solo into every song had becomes burdensome.
The benefits of a wider range of guests become apparent here, including Ian Carr of Nucleus fame, several future full-time members of Porcupine Tree (Richard Barbieri and Colin Maitland), Dead Can Dance's Lisa Gerrard, and King Crimson luminaries Mel Collins and Robert Fripp. With its centre of gravity in the artier, more laid-back end of downtempo, the album manages to show a progressive ethos without working in the more classically psych-prog/space rock notes that Wilson was reserving for Porcupine Tree.
The wake of this album would see further changes for No-Man; they would depart the OLI label, continue to evolve their sound, and put their live appearances on hiatus, not performing onstage again until 2006. With Porcupine Tree beginning to seriously gather steam at this point, it's perhaps understandable that No-Man activities were scaled back at this point. In the intervening years a new No-Man album has been a comparatively rare treat whilst Porcupine Tree has given us an embarrassment of riches (five new studio albums from No-Man, nine from Porcupine Tree, and way more live releases from the latter at that) and Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness have both put out a plethora of solo albums and collaborations along the way.
In other words, a case can certainly be made that Flowermouth represents the last point when No-Man was the central motivating force of Steven Wilson's musical endeavours - the main project which was given top priority out of all his activities at the time. On Flowermouth, we can hear why he considered this music worth committing to.
A seismic shift occurred here in the band lineup, with Ben Coleman departing the group, credited here in only a guest capacity. As well as simply wanting to find better-paying work, Coleman was finding that he was becoming more peripheral to the group, and multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson has admitted since that things had reached a point where No-Man's music needed a broader range of instrumental textures and crowbarring a violin solo into every song had becomes burdensome.
The benefits of a wider range of guests become apparent here, including Ian Carr of Nucleus fame, several future full-time members of Porcupine Tree (Richard Barbieri and Colin Maitland), Dead Can Dance's Lisa Gerrard, and King Crimson luminaries Mel Collins and Robert Fripp. With its centre of gravity in the artier, more laid-back end of downtempo, the album manages to show a progressive ethos without working in the more classically psych-prog/space rock notes that Wilson was reserving for Porcupine Tree.
The wake of this album would see further changes for No-Man; they would depart the OLI label, continue to evolve their sound, and put their live appearances on hiatus, not performing onstage again until 2006. With Porcupine Tree beginning to seriously gather steam at this point, it's perhaps understandable that No-Man activities were scaled back at this point. In the intervening years a new No-Man album has been a comparatively rare treat whilst Porcupine Tree has given us an embarrassment of riches (five new studio albums from No-Man, nine from Porcupine Tree, and way more live releases from the latter at that) and Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness have both put out a plethora of solo albums and collaborations along the way.
In other words, a case can certainly be made that Flowermouth represents the last point when No-Man was the central motivating force of Steven Wilson's musical endeavours - the main project which was given top priority out of all his activities at the time. On Flowermouth, we can hear why he considered this music worth committing to.
Published
This album is so easy to love that it also feels like a guilty pleasure. With the back to back wonderful combo of Soft Shoulders and Shell of a Fighter I have to surrender to the craftmanship of Steven and the unashamed romantic confessions of Tim. Everything works here. Play a violin to my heart and I momentarily get back my faith in humanity.
Published
KSCOPE111X CD (2005)
There was a small party somewhere in the 90s London, one of those recluse's parties for which no-one cares much, a private one, but breathing with vibrant colours that cast their light into the future, from where these colours shine even more beautifully, stripped off their kitchen sink surroundings, off the stench of failure. The colours of this essentially British and essentially 90s alternative record that is Flowermouth, mopingly dancing in their flamboyant delight.
In a few month after the flop of Loveblows & Lovecries - A Confession Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness could clearly see what was wrong about it. Since the little spark of popularity that was 'Days in the Trees' single their popularity was stably decreasing, and One Little Indian in their turn were losing any interest in No-Man. That's why when the band demanded full creative freedom over their second album, those were met with no protests from the cabinets.
Well, maybe their debut album wasn't such a flop after all. Because Robert Fripp liked it and offered his help for any future record, and when Wilson and Bowness were told about that, they were happy to agree on such collaboration. Fripp eventually came into No-Man's home studio in Hemel Hempstead, and the band's first impression from working with the legendary guitarist was the insane amount of gear for generating soundscapes that he brought with himself.
When Fripp heard a demo with a sample of flute from King Crimson's 'Lady of the Dancing Water', he in turn offered to invite Mel Collins to play himself, and that was it: another legendary player joined the sessions. Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri were there to help once again, and moreover, Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance loved the use of her sample so much she offered to include herself as a participant to the sessions too.
But there were not only gains, there were losses too. Wilson and Bowness felt that the presence of a violinist in the band was limiting their songwriting, and Ben Coleman himself felt there was not much place for him left in No-Man, so mid-sessions he left the band. Still, he left some recordings for several songs on Flowermouth, and honestly, even if they were used in a rather subdued way, they look much more tasteful and organic than any violin part on the debut album.
Flowermouth became the first triumph for Steven Wilson as a producer. It would be a crime to compare the delicately layered production of No-Man's second LP with any pre-1999 Porcupine Tree release. By the way, in 1999 Wilson will partly remix the album, adding more transparency to the textures, and every reissue would contain this slightly improved version, but the original issue already was as fascinating as it could possibly get in 1994.
There are liquid guitar soundscapes gradually filling the background, some of the glossiest soundscapes Robert Fripp ever recorded. There are frisky sequencer lines of the same kind that Wilson would start using again since To the Bone. On 'You Grow More Beautiful' there are some urban, heated funk rock guitars. Percussion, acoustic and electric, is varied enough in every song, and whenever there is flute, it blows as if from some other dimension like it does in 'Animal Ghost', where it meets with soft wooden-like percussion and an inspired piano line. Sometimes the songs explode with saxophone or guitar solos, and such moments provide a necessary divergence from the prevalently languid mood.
Everything is levelled perfectly to create a deep space with enough air to breathe, but where each instrument adds something to the palette, making this air phosphoresce with many colours. This is exactly how alternative dance needs to be produced, and it's hard to find something that could compete with Flowermouth on production field.
And in terms of songwriting, it's solid enough to be a highlight of the British alternative dance scene as well. There are some letdown moments on it (ironically it's 'Simple' featuring Lisa Gerrard which is one of the most imperfect moments here), but overall it proves to be one of the most enjoyable collection of songs released by No-Man.
And yes, Flowermouth could have been a massive hit, but it went unnoticed for its refined otherness alone. 'Teardrop Fall', for instance, probably makes the best radio-friendly song No-Man ever crafted: moving, melodic and danceable, yet Robert Fripp's angular guitar solo rendered it unrotatable for the radio, and without it the song loses too much character. That's a good idea what free, boundless songwriting really means.
But this freedom sadly put No-Man in a bad situation. One Little Indian withdrew the money for Flowermouth promotion, so Wilson and Bowness could not release singles, film promo videos or go touring. The band's previously extensive touring career came to an end: besides making scarce appearances on BBC Radio, they played just one gig in 1994 that became No-Man's last performance for 12 long years. With Porcupine Tree becoming more organized as a live band, the shift for Wilson in favour of the other project began long before Porcupine Tree could offer anything to compete with No-Man seriously as a studio act.
Flowermouth marks both the beginning of creative peak and dissolution for No-Man at the same time: creative peak for No-Man as songwriters, which would continue for two more albums, but a dissolution for a band that was losing their contract and failing to fit into the industry, a collision that was solved only by colossal shifts in style, sound and the ways of distribution by the start of the new century.
In a few month after the flop of Loveblows & Lovecries - A Confession Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness could clearly see what was wrong about it. Since the little spark of popularity that was 'Days in the Trees' single their popularity was stably decreasing, and One Little Indian in their turn were losing any interest in No-Man. That's why when the band demanded full creative freedom over their second album, those were met with no protests from the cabinets.
Well, maybe their debut album wasn't such a flop after all. Because Robert Fripp liked it and offered his help for any future record, and when Wilson and Bowness were told about that, they were happy to agree on such collaboration. Fripp eventually came into No-Man's home studio in Hemel Hempstead, and the band's first impression from working with the legendary guitarist was the insane amount of gear for generating soundscapes that he brought with himself.
When Fripp heard a demo with a sample of flute from King Crimson's 'Lady of the Dancing Water', he in turn offered to invite Mel Collins to play himself, and that was it: another legendary player joined the sessions. Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri were there to help once again, and moreover, Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance loved the use of her sample so much she offered to include herself as a participant to the sessions too.
But there were not only gains, there were losses too. Wilson and Bowness felt that the presence of a violinist in the band was limiting their songwriting, and Ben Coleman himself felt there was not much place for him left in No-Man, so mid-sessions he left the band. Still, he left some recordings for several songs on Flowermouth, and honestly, even if they were used in a rather subdued way, they look much more tasteful and organic than any violin part on the debut album.
Flowermouth became the first triumph for Steven Wilson as a producer. It would be a crime to compare the delicately layered production of No-Man's second LP with any pre-1999 Porcupine Tree release. By the way, in 1999 Wilson will partly remix the album, adding more transparency to the textures, and every reissue would contain this slightly improved version, but the original issue already was as fascinating as it could possibly get in 1994.
There are liquid guitar soundscapes gradually filling the background, some of the glossiest soundscapes Robert Fripp ever recorded. There are frisky sequencer lines of the same kind that Wilson would start using again since To the Bone. On 'You Grow More Beautiful' there are some urban, heated funk rock guitars. Percussion, acoustic and electric, is varied enough in every song, and whenever there is flute, it blows as if from some other dimension like it does in 'Animal Ghost', where it meets with soft wooden-like percussion and an inspired piano line. Sometimes the songs explode with saxophone or guitar solos, and such moments provide a necessary divergence from the prevalently languid mood.
Everything is levelled perfectly to create a deep space with enough air to breathe, but where each instrument adds something to the palette, making this air phosphoresce with many colours. This is exactly how alternative dance needs to be produced, and it's hard to find something that could compete with Flowermouth on production field.
And in terms of songwriting, it's solid enough to be a highlight of the British alternative dance scene as well. There are some letdown moments on it (ironically it's 'Simple' featuring Lisa Gerrard which is one of the most imperfect moments here), but overall it proves to be one of the most enjoyable collection of songs released by No-Man.
And yes, Flowermouth could have been a massive hit, but it went unnoticed for its refined otherness alone. 'Teardrop Fall', for instance, probably makes the best radio-friendly song No-Man ever crafted: moving, melodic and danceable, yet Robert Fripp's angular guitar solo rendered it unrotatable for the radio, and without it the song loses too much character. That's a good idea what free, boundless songwriting really means.
But this freedom sadly put No-Man in a bad situation. One Little Indian withdrew the money for Flowermouth promotion, so Wilson and Bowness could not release singles, film promo videos or go touring. The band's previously extensive touring career came to an end: besides making scarce appearances on BBC Radio, they played just one gig in 1994 that became No-Man's last performance for 12 long years. With Porcupine Tree becoming more organized as a live band, the shift for Wilson in favour of the other project began long before Porcupine Tree could offer anything to compete with No-Man seriously as a studio act.
Flowermouth marks both the beginning of creative peak and dissolution for No-Man at the same time: creative peak for No-Man as songwriters, which would continue for two more albums, but a dissolution for a band that was losing their contract and failing to fit into the industry, a collision that was solved only by colossal shifts in style, sound and the ways of distribution by the start of the new century.
Published
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A hidden gem indeed. I've had it since 2012, but never got to it, and yes this is No-man heaven. Considered one of their best releases I can see now why it is a fan favorite. Has the typical ambient, multi-layer, slow buildup, rhythmic approach and beautifully sung by Bowness.
The first four songs are almost flawless, and the best song is the last track "Things Change" - what a buildup and one of the best guitar solo in the end
Highlights: Things Change; Angel; You grow more beautiful; Animal Ghost; Soft Shoulders; Teardrop fall; watching over me
The first four songs are almost flawless, and the best song is the last track "Things Change" - what a buildup and one of the best guitar solo in the end
Highlights: Things Change; Angel; You grow more beautiful; Animal Ghost; Soft Shoulders; Teardrop fall; watching over me
Published
"Flowermouth" is the second full-length studio album by UK music act No-Man. The album was released through One Little Indian Records in June 1994. No-Man is a duo consisting of lead vocalist/lyricist Tim Bowness and Porcupine Tree frontman and multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson. "Flowermouth" features guest performances by prolific names such as Richard Barbieri, Chris Maitland, Mel Collins, Robert Fripp and Ben Coleman.
Stylistically the material on the album is ambient and slightly experimental pop music. The atmosphere is of the music is predominantly dreamy and melancholic. All 9 tracks are quality compositions and even when the band flirts with dance music it sounds pretty great. This is a big improvement over their rather forgettable debut album "Loveblows & Lovecries - A Confession" (1993). The sound production is warm, organic, and detailed and provide exactly the right environment for the material to shine. Don´t expect this to sound anything like Porcupine Tree just because Steven Wilson is involved. His presence is strongly felt but No-Man is an entirely different beast.
The musicianship is strong on the album, but that´s no surprise if you´re familiar with the talents of Steven Wilson and the guest musicians who play on the album. I assume that most drums on the album are programmed as Chris Maitland only plays drums on a couple of tracks. I wouldn´t call Tim Bowness a particularly distinct sounding vocalist but his calm, subdued, and melancholic sounding vocals suit the music well. The addition of violin parts courtesy of Ben Coleman is a really great asset to the sound of the album.
"Flowermouth" is arguably a step up on quality for No-Man compared to the previous releases and fans of dreay melancholic pop music should give this one a listen. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.
Stylistically the material on the album is ambient and slightly experimental pop music. The atmosphere is of the music is predominantly dreamy and melancholic. All 9 tracks are quality compositions and even when the band flirts with dance music it sounds pretty great. This is a big improvement over their rather forgettable debut album "Loveblows & Lovecries - A Confession" (1993). The sound production is warm, organic, and detailed and provide exactly the right environment for the material to shine. Don´t expect this to sound anything like Porcupine Tree just because Steven Wilson is involved. His presence is strongly felt but No-Man is an entirely different beast.
The musicianship is strong on the album, but that´s no surprise if you´re familiar with the talents of Steven Wilson and the guest musicians who play on the album. I assume that most drums on the album are programmed as Chris Maitland only plays drums on a couple of tracks. I wouldn´t call Tim Bowness a particularly distinct sounding vocalist but his calm, subdued, and melancholic sounding vocals suit the music well. The addition of violin parts courtesy of Ben Coleman is a really great asset to the sound of the album.
"Flowermouth" is arguably a step up on quality for No-Man compared to the previous releases and fans of dreay melancholic pop music should give this one a listen. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.
Published
2005 Snapper digipak reissue with expanded linear notes and two bonus tracks; Angledust and Born Simple. For its time (early nineteens) this album is quite something - the bold statement made on the album cover is fair warning of the beautifully crafted art / progressive rock which makes up this wonderful album. Smooth, drawn out vocals from Bowness (this unique style would become his trademark) combine with layered drifting instrumentations to create unique soundscapes which really highlight the album.
Published
SDPCD195 CD (2005)
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Catalog
1 Jun 2024
30 May 2024
24 May 2024
6 May 2024
3 May 2024
-
1
Angel Gets Caught in the Beauty Trap
-
2
You Grow More Beautiful
-
3
Animal Ghost
-
4
Soft Shoulders
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5
Shell of a Fighter
-
6
Teardrop Fall
-
7
Watching Over Me
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8
Simple
-
9
Things Change
3 May 2024
3 May 2024
29 Apr 2024
19 Apr 2024
11 Apr 2024
18 Mar 2024
4 Mar 2024
29 Feb 2024
26 Feb 2024
23 Feb 2024
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