Mid period Porcupine Tree albums - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Author

Message

Topic Search

Topic Options

PhideauxFan View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: August 14 2007
Location: France
Status: Offline
Points: 4574

Posted: October 20 2017 at 06:09

Stupid Dream because I discovered PT with that album. Wink

AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: October 02 2016
Location: Philly burbs
Status: Offline
Points: 16119

Posted: October 20 2017 at 06:14

Well consider me one of the outliers here in that I voted for Lightbulb Sun. A big part of it is I have fond memories of that tour and album and it occupies a special albeit somewhat sentimental place for me.

AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: October 02 2016
Location: Philly burbs
Status: Offline
Points: 16119

Posted: October 20 2017 at 06:18

Meltdowner wrote:

AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

The Incident (this is one of the few I haven't actually heard but it seems they moved away from metal at this point. Sadly this was their last release.)

It's not that sad once you hear the album.

I'm giving some love for Lightbulb Sun, there are quite a few favourites on that one.

So, the Incident is not a very good album? I'm not sure I understand your comment.

digdug

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 13 2005
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 4707

Posted: October 20 2017 at 09:04

Originally posted by Upbeat Tango Monday

Upbeat Tango Monday wrote:

Stupid Dream, I guess.
In Absentia is hard rocking prog by the numbers. Massively overrated album by a massively overrated band.

So massively overrated that nobody in North America has ever heard of them

except for the odd proghead

Prog On!

AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: October 02 2016
Location: Philly burbs
Status: Offline
Points: 16119

Posted: October 20 2017 at 11:38

digdug wrote:

Upbeat Tango Monday wrote:

Stupid Dream, I guess.
In Absentia is hard rocking prog by the numbers. Massively overrated album by a massively overrated band.

So massively overrated that nobody in North America has ever heard of them

except for the odd proghead

That's not true at all. In fact most people who are into music know who Steven Wilson and PT are these days and not just prog heads.

digdug

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 13 2005
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 4707

Posted: October 20 2017 at 11:50

I guess I am hanging out with the wrong people!

I have never heard PTree on the radio before, so I have trouble believing they are widely known, but I am in Canada. May be different in other places.

Prog On!

Barbu

Forum Senior Member

Joined: October 09 2005
Location: infinity
Status: Offline
Points: 30845

Posted: October 20 2017 at 12:49

Signify/Stupid Dream
Lightbulb Sun

In Absentia

AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: October 02 2016
Location: Philly burbs
Status: Offline
Points: 16119

Posted: October 20 2017 at 13:31

digdug wrote:

I guess I am hanging out with the wrong people!

I have never heard PTree on the radio before, so I have trouble believing they are widely known, but I am in Canada. May be different in other places.

I honestly don't think being Canadian has much to do with it. I admit that PT are probably one of those rare bands that became rather big without the radio. I did hear one PT song on the radio once and that was even before they had an album on the charts(but just before; it was "blackest eyes" from In Absentia). But I remember growing up in the eighties Iron Maiden and Metallica were very popular and they didn't get any time on the radio either so it is possible.

addictedtoprog View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: July 16 2014
Location: india
Status: Offline
Points: 1422

Posted: October 20 2017 at 19:28

Very close between Stupid Dream & Lightbulb Sun.. .. On any given day I might pick one over the other.. ..
Giving it to Lightbulb Sun today.

AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: October 02 2016
Location: Philly burbs
Status: Offline
Points: 16119

Posted: October 20 2017 at 20:15

^ My feeling as well. It's basically a toss up. However, for personal(and sentimental) reasons(having met SW in person and seeing them twice in 01 on that tour)I chose Lightbulb Sun.

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - October 20 2017 at 20:15

Dellinger

Forum Senior Member

VIP Member

Joined: June 18 2009
Location: Mexico
Status: Offline
Points: 12581

Posted: October 20 2017 at 21:30

ColonelClaypool wrote:

Lightbulb Sun for me, it has ...Evacuate Planet Earth which is one of my favourite tracks on any PT album. Vote could just as easily have gone to Signify or Stupid Dream, however.

I always felt PT became a poorer band when they replaced Chris Maitland with Gav Harrison, the metal influenced style never really suited them imo. In Absentia is one of my least favourite PT albums overall, the only ones I like less are Deadwing and The Incident.

I only have live albums with Chris Maitland, while I do have all their albums with Gavin Harrison... mostly because those were the albums available at the store when I was getting them. However, I did like Maitland's drumming better... or at least there were more drumming parts that would catch my ear from those albums... perhaps because they were live albums. I do want to get those studio albums I'm missing, though I understand they would be more pop and less atmospheric than what I found on the live ones, I don't think they would top them (Coma Divine and Warzawa, specially Coma Divine would be my favourite PT album, out of the ones I have got).

richardh

Prog Reviewer

Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 26064

Posted: October 21 2017 at 02:41

IA for sure but Stupid Dream is still important to me as it was the first album I bought by them and I still like it. Signify is a really interesting album. All over the place but some great stuff. Never paid enough attention to Lightbulb Sun for some reason.

iluvmarillion View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: February 09 2010
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 3236

Posted: October 22 2017 at 03:01

Well, I voted for Lightbulb Sun just to get the vote up because to me it's not the least best album of the four in this poll. Realistically, though, In Absentia is the best album Porcupine Tree ever made.

AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: October 02 2016
Location: Philly burbs
Status: Offline
Points: 16119

Posted: October 23 2017 at 10:06

iluvmarillion wrote:

Well, I voted for Lightbulb Sun just to get the vote up because to me it's not the least best album of the four in this poll. Realistically, though, In Absentia is the best album Porcupine Tree ever made.

Then that's the one you should have voted for. Wink

I really don't want any skewed poll results.

Meltdowner View Drop Down

Special Collaborator

Honorary Collaborator

Joined: June 25 2013
Location: Portugal
Status: Offline
Points: 10215

Posted: October 23 2017 at 10:42

AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

So, the Incident is not a very good album? I'm not sure I understand your comment.

It's their worst album, in my opinion. I feel the band didn't have much else to say by that point.

Squonk19

Forum Senior Member

Joined: April 03 2015
Location: Darlington, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 4705

Posted: October 23 2017 at 16:49

In Absentia is where Wilson found the sound I finally clicked with - although it was Deadwing that really hit the mark! I've enjoyed the earlier three albums retrospectively - although slightly less consistent at times.

“Living in their pools, they soon forget about the sea.”

AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: October 02 2016
Location: Philly burbs
Status: Offline
Points: 16119

Posted: October 23 2017 at 17:15

[I always felt PT became a poorer band when they replaced Chris Maitland with Gav Harrison, the metal influenced style never really suited them imo. In Absentia is one of my least favourite PT albums overall, the only ones I like less are Deadwing and The Incident.]

I agree. In Absentia(while I still quite like it)was the beginning of the end for me.

I actually never heard the Incident. Was that metal influenced too? Based on what I have heard it seems like they had moved back toward an earlier sound on that and away from metallish music but I don't know for sure since I never heard it. I guess we'll never know what direction they were heading in. Oh well.

iluvmarillion View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: February 09 2010
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 3236

Posted: October 23 2017 at 23:31

AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

I agree. In Absentia(while I still quite like it)was the beginning of the end for me.

In my opinion The Incident is not just strong musically. Musicians lose their inspiration for whatever reason. They can change the band members around, or go solo which is what Steven Wilson did to be inspired again.

AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down

Forum Senior Member

Joined: October 02 2016
Location: Philly burbs
Status: Offline
Points: 16119

Posted: October 30 2017 at 15:53

Based on what he said in interviews it sounds like he felt he hit a wall with PT. He felt limited as to what they could do as a band and thus what he could do with them and felt he could only play music the others liked(one member didn't like jazz while another didn't like classical etc). Since PT was his baby he quietly decided to not go back to his "ex." He might not have used that analogy but it seems appropriate.

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - October 30 2017 at 15:53

Poll Question: Which of these is your favorite?
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
Signify	13	[24.53%]
Stupid Dream	11	[20.75%]
Lightbulb Sun	8	[15.09%]
In Absentia	21	[39.62%]
This topic is closed, no new votes accepted