The Next Best Thing is the second studio album by Ray Wilson

Ray Wilson (musician)

Ray Wilson is a Scottish musician, best known as vocalist in the post-grunge band Stiltskin, and in Genesis between 1996 and 1998.Wilson started off in a band called Guaranteed Pure in the early 1990s...

. The album gained small commercial success both in Europe and in the United States, following on from his success with Change

Change (Ray Wilson album)

Change is the first studio outing by Ray Wilson in 5 years. He started to gain success after a series of sold-out gigs during the 2001 Edinburgh Festival. The album achieved a new form of success and did a series of tour dates throughout Europe.- Theme :...

and the recent tour dates in Europe.

Theme

The album deals with personal experiences from Ray's perspective including "The Actor" where he sings about his time with the rock band Genesis

Genesis (band)

Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...

.

Track listing

1. "These Are The Changes"
2. "Inside" Written by Lawlor.
3. "How High" Written by Scott Spence and Ray Wilson.
4. "The Fool In Me"
5. "Adolescent Breakdown"
6. "Sometimes"
7. "Alone"
8. "Magic Train"
9. "The Actor"
10. "Ever The Reason" Written by Scott Spence and Ray Wilson.
11. "Pumpkinhead"
12. "The Next Best Thing"

Personnel

• Ray Wilson
  Ray Wilson (musician)
  Ray Wilson is a Scottish musician, best known as vocalist in the post-grunge band Stiltskin, and in Genesis between 1996 and 1998.Wilson started off in a band called Guaranteed Pure in the early 1990s...
  
  : Vocals, Guitars, Bass
• Irvin Duguid
  Irvin Duguid
  Irvin Duguid is a Scottish musician and composer.He studied piano and violin at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow before going on to become keyboard player in the live line-up of Stiltskin, a rock band with the number 1 hit single "Inside" in the UK in 1994.Duguid went on to...
  
  : Keyboards
• Nir Z
  Nir Zidkyahu
  Nir Zidkyahu is a well-established studio-session drummer, and the brother of Blackfield's drummer Tomer Z. He played the drums for eight songs on Genesis' 1997 album, Calling All Stations, and subsequently joined the band for their 1998 tour.In 2001, he drummed on John Mayer's breakthrough album,...
  
   & Ashley MacMillan: Drums
• Brian McAlpine: Piano, organ, accordion
• Scott Spence: Lead guitar
• Amanda Lyon: Backing Vocals
• Colin Steele
  Colin Steele
  Colin Steele is a jazz trumpeter from Scotland.He played pop music with Hue and Cry during the 1980s but he became dissatisfied with that.After two years in France he studied jazz at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama before returning to Scotland...
  
  : Trumpet

Singles

• These Are The Changes (cd single) (June 2004)
  • These Are The Changes
  • Ghost (live)
  • Gypsy (live)

• These Are The Changes (radio promo) (June 2004)
  • These Are The Changes (Benztown Mixdown)
  • These Are The Changes (Album Edit)
  • Gouranga (Live)