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addictedtoprog 
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 Topic: Steven Wilson the 'Guitarist'
Posted: September 20 2014 at 08:36 |
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Mr. Steven Wilson is very well known and respected all over the progressive rock community.
- among very best of the producers
- band leader
- singer
- song-writer
But then he's also a multi-instrumentalist. The guitar being his primary instrument.. Yet i hav barely read anything in praise of his guitar playing..
Quite under-rated.
He considers himself to b not much gud at guitar playing technically( of what i hv read in his interviews and its true maybe)...but he likes to experiment a lot wid his guitar.
To me he plays wid lots of emotion..and he always seems to b playing for the sake of the song both in studio and on-stage...
I was once very much in love wid his guitar playing..specially the tone of his guitar...and i still very much like it.
Whats ur take then?
Edited by addictedtoprog - September 20 2014 at 08:54
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ole-the-first
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Posted: September 20 2014 at 10:34 |
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He's a hell of a composer (for me, he's the best songwriter and sound producer nowadays) but not an extraordinary musician or a singer. Much of his most emotive guitar work is more of a result of superb production. I just want to say that Steven Wilson really knows how to present his abilities to the audience to make them sound that strong.
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This night wounds time.
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Wanorak
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Posted: September 20 2014 at 11:45 |
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I consider him to be a strong 7. He's not a technical virtuoso, but he plays with feeling and heart. He also knows how to use effects very well.
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A GREAT YEAR FOR PROG!!!
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Horizons
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Posted: September 20 2014 at 11:55 |
Not sure why you didn't just do 1 choice for each number.
I feel like he's a strong 6/weakest 7. Never completely blew me away, and in the prog circles i guess he's a little underwhelming - in general though likable.
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Crushed like a rose in the riverflow.
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Billy Pilgrim
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Posted: September 20 2014 at 14:07 |
His creativity covers up for his slightly above average playing ability. That said I would much rather listen to Wilson solo than John Petrucci. I'll agree with everyone else and go 6-8
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Prog_Traveller
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Posted: September 20 2014 at 14:14 |
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I don't pay that close attention to his guitar playing. I would put him in the same league as David Gilmour though.
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Horizons
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Posted: September 20 2014 at 14:32 |
 Prog_Traveller wrote:
I don't pay that close attention to his guitar playing. I would put him in the same league as David Gilmour though.
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What.
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Crushed like a rose in the riverflow.
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addictedtoprog
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Joined: July 16 2014
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Posted: September 20 2014 at 15:10 |
Horizons wrote:
Prog_Traveller wrote:
I don't pay that close attention to his guitar playing. I would put him in the same league as David Gilmour though.
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What. |
Wilson plays guitar in Gilmourish kind of way with a Gimourish tone and emotion..thats wht he means i guess.
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Man With Hat
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Posted: September 20 2014 at 15:34 |
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6-8 sounds good to me.
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Dig me...But don't...Bury me
I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive
Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect.
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dr wu23
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Posted: September 20 2014 at 19:42 |
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6-8 for me also....a good guitarist but not a great one....though there are a few leads here and there where he does a really nice job. He does a superb lead on the live version of Dark Matter from one of his European shows...it's up on you tube.
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin
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Tom Ozric
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Posted: September 21 2014 at 02:21 |
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I rate him in the 6-8 category, with emphasis on the 8. His performances on the Coma Divine extravaganza are scorching. He plays like a real mo-fo through Dislocated Day especially.
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addictedtoprog
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Posted: September 21 2014 at 02:32 |
dr wu23 wrote:
6-8 for me also....a good guitarist but not a great one....though there are a few leads here and there where he does a really nice job. He does a superb lead on the live version of Dark Matter from one of his European shows...it's up on you tube. |
And the ending of 'Arriving Somewhere But Not Here' in Arriving Somewhere....DVD Very intense 
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Aussie-Byrd-Brother
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Posted: September 21 2014 at 02:34 |
You kind of have to look at the early days of Porcupine Tree, when Wilson wasn't afraid to solo his heart out in the grandest and proggiest manner! He had a tremendous space-rock sound. Nowadays, and in pretty much the second half of the Porcupine Tree catalogue, he seemed to really move away from the extended grand soloing, almost as if he's somewhat embarrassed of it now. He also often covers his solos in heaps of distortion now, etc. I'm with Tom, I would also rate him at about 6-8, but damn, it's a freaking BIG 8 for him on those early Delirium label releases! 
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King Crimson776
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Posted: September 21 2014 at 04:07 |
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He's not a virtuoso, but his playing is perfect. He's in my top 10 guitarists.
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Xonty
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Posted: September 21 2014 at 04:11 |
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Just about in the 6-8 I guess (depends on what kind of scale it is though)
Edited by Xonty - September 21 2014 at 04:11
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fudgenuts64
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Posted: September 21 2014 at 04:18 |
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8-10, I forgot how much I appreciated him for his playing. Go listen to Up the Downstair, it's a standout for it.
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sleeper
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Posted: September 21 2014 at 05:45 |
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4 for me since he's of middling ability.
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Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
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Argonaught
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Posted: September 21 2014 at 08:57 |
Prog_Traveller wrote:
I don't pay that close attention to his guitar playing. I would put him in the same league as David Gilmour though. |
I would agree, but you are going to ruffle some feathers here  .
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tboyd1802
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Posted: September 21 2014 at 09:10 |
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Hard to believe, something most of seem to agree with. I too, go with the 6 to 8 category...
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Argonaught
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Posted: September 21 2014 at 09:45 |
On the scale of 1 to 7:Sound Mastery - Wizardly (7)Band Leadership - Grand (6)Lyrics - Good (5) .. I personally do not like his lyrics, but recognize the high level of complexity and depth of his spiritual world. Composer Skills - Average (4). Not to worry: PF and KC in their heyday weren't known for intricate melody-making either. Musicianship - Below Average (3). It's prog here, not punk rock. High standards apply.
Innovation/Originality - Poor (2). Maybe it's only me, but when I listen to Wilson I very often hear what sounds like recomposed passages and soundscapes from the early Yes, KC, PF and Genesis
Singing - Terrible! (1). On his early albums it wasn't as distracting and irritating as on the latter, more mature ones. I perfectly understand that it's very important for Wilson's ego to imprint his vocal seal on almost every piece they make, but I am secretly hoping one day they will roll out a fully instrumental EP in the Nil Recurring vein.
Edited by Argonaught - September 21 2014 at 09:46
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Steven Wilson the 'Guitarist'
