4½ Explained

Type:	ep
Artist:	Steven Wilson
Cover:	Steven Wilson 4 and a half cover.jpg
Recorded:	October 2012 – October 2015
Genre:	Progressive rock^[1]
Length:	36:54
Label:	Kscope
Producer:	Steven Wilson
Prev Title:	Transience
Prev Year:	2015
Next Title:	To the Bone
Next Year:	2017

is an EP by British musician Steven Wilson. It was released on 22 January 2016. It collects songs that were written during the sessions for Wilson's previous two studio albums, The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories) and Hand. Cannot. Erase.. The closing track is a new version of "Don't Hate Me", originally recorded by Porcupine Tree on the album Stupid Dream, sung as a duet with Israeli singer Ninet Tayeb. The title indicates the EP serves as an interim release between Wilson's fourth solo album Hand. Cannot. Erase. and his fifth full-length studio album To the Bone.^[2]

Recording

• "My Book of Regrets" was written in late 2013 and finished in June 2015. Main recording took place from 28 June 2015 in Montreal, with additional recording at No Man's Land.
• "Year of the Plague" was written and recorded during sessions of The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories) in 2012–2013.
• "Happiness III" was written in 2003 and recorded during the Hand. Cannot. Erase. sessions at Air Studio in September 2014.
• "Sunday Rain Sets In" was recorded during the Hand. Cannot. Erase. sessions at Air Studios, East West and Spin Studios in 2014.
• "Vermillioncore" was partly written in late 2013, finished in June 2015 and recorded in October 2015.
• "Don't Hate Me" was written in 1998 and originally released by Wilson's band, Porcupine Tree, on their 1999 album Stupid Dream. This version of the track was taken from a live concert in Europe in September 2015, with additional recording at No Man's Land.

Personnel

• Steven Wilson – lead vocals, guitars, autoharp, Mellotron, piano, percussion, virtual instruments

Guitarists

• Dave Kilminster (tracks 1 and 6)
• Guthrie Govan (track 3)

Drummers

• Craig Blundell (tracks 1, 5, and 6)
• Marco Minnemann (track 3)
• Chad Wackerman (track 4)

Additional personnel

• Nick Beggs – bass guitar, Chapman Stick, backing vocals
• Adam Holzman – Wurlitzer, Hammond organ, Minimoog, Rhodes piano
• Theo Travis – reed (tracks 4 and 6)
• Ninet Tayeb – co-vocals (track 6)

Charts

Chart (2016)	Peak position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)	17
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[3]	33
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)	47
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)	9
French Albums (SNEP)	55
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)	7
Italian Albums (FIMI)	22
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)	20
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)	32
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)	14

Notes and References

1. Web site: Steven Wilson - 4 1/2 (Album Review). 11 January 2016.
2. Web site: November 5, 2015 . New Steven Wilson album "4 ½" coming in January 2016 . Steven Wilson . en-US.
3. Web site: ultratop.be - Steven Wilson - 4½. Ultratop. Hung Medien. 30 January 2016.