CATALOGUE/PRESERVE/AMASS

The first live album from Steven Wilson is a masterful exercise in re-interpreting boldly several of his best cuts, with the 2012 release 'Catalogue / Preserve / Amass' recorded during the European tour in promotion of the highly-acclaimed 'Grace for Drowning'. The single-disc live set features songs from both of Wilson's first two solo albums, with a particular highlight on the aforementioned 2011 double album, songs from which occupy five of the seven slots of the setlist. Alongside the then-former Porcupine Tree leader we find longtime collaborators Adam Holzman and Nick Beggs, together with drummer Marco Minnemann, woodwinds player Theo Travis, known from his work with Soft Machine and The Tangent, and experience guitar player Aziz Ibrahim, whom some might recognize from the H Band fronted by Steven Hogarth of Marillion. An all-around impressive lineup of musicians tackling a complex and demanding setlist, replete with classic Steven Wilson compositions, all part of his early and most experimental period, with lots of "fusion outbreaks" and improvisation going on around.

In the opening notes we hear the Bass Communion piece 'Citadel' playing in the background, over which Marco Minnemann swiftly builds a choppy rhythm that gives way to 'No Twilight within the Courts of the Sun', an 11-minute piece that sees the six-piece band setting up a fiery performance that approaches a sonic cavalcade at its loudest. Originally from the album 'Insurgentes', this live interpretation really brings out all the wicked qualities of this blooming and experimental piece. Next up on the setlist is the ghastly 'Index', as the live playthrough delivers that gloomy and claustrophobic feel in a dazzling way - there is a vivacity to this recording that one might not always get from the studio version. 'Deform to Form a Star' is the third track on the album, a beautiful performance that mostly stays faithful to the album version. The instrumental 'Sectarian' is an interesting entry here; this 7-minute piece allows the band to really "let themselves loose", the performance is manic and explosive, followed by the cathartic 'No Part of Me', with the live version expanding upon the melodramatic feel of the original recording. 'Veneno Para Las Hadas' from 'Insurgentes' also appears on this excellent live album, which is concluded with the centerpiece of 'Grace for Drowning', the 24-minute psychedelic fusion opus 'Raider II'. An outstanding performance of this closing piece, absolutely masterful, precise and breathtaking, and a grandiose finale to an otherwise-perfect set.

This live album from Steven Wilson might seem slightly overlooked, but it is a fantastic recording that shows the unmatched force that is his live band - every single nuance of this gorgeous album is perceptible and enjoyable, and every single minute of the album is an enriching sonic journey, making 'Catalogue / Preserve / Amass' one of the true masterpieces of Wilson's career.

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