Eclipse Review

Ray Wilson is diligent. After "Change" and the last Live-Unplugged CD now already a new album is released which in all is more rocky. The album starts with folky songs with nearly after early Genesis sounding guitar-sounds and faded in speeches-cuttings of the bad US-President-guys George W. Bush, Nixon and Ronald Reagan ("These Are The Changes"). Absolutely superb. After that follows a new version of Ray´s Levis´ hit "Inside". At all the faster pieces have again this eruptive Grunge-touch. It´s evident that Ray is still busy to clear of his past and putting all the puzzles together.
The title song "The Next Best Thing" is telling of his feelings after the finish of the last Genesis tour as also the curtain fell for him. His new record is all in all a very successful, put in a nutshell Rockalbum with a tendency to Folk - his masterpiece so far. "How High" could be one of these inspired Led Zeppelin Fokrocksongs. The ballads "Adolescent Breakdown" and "Ever The Reason" could come from a Genesis-succession-album of "Calling All Stations". Now and then there is some of Gabriel´s theatrical in his melodic voice. Also at "Alone" goosepimples are guaranteed. "The Actor" is some kind of Artrock and the last- and titlesong sounds pretty chilly.