Arriving Somewhere...A Steven Wilson Thread
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Topic: Arriving Somewhere...A Steven Wilson Thread
Posted By: Mirror Image
Subject: Arriving Somewhere...A Steven Wilson Thread
Date Posted: August 15 2012 at 22:54
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I turned up nothing about a topic devoted to Porcupine Tree or Steven Wilson that wasn't a poll in PA's search engine, so here's a thread we all can use to appreciate the music of PT/Steven Wilson. Those that don't like the music please move along. This page is for discussing the music and not used as a pedestal for negative commentary. Now, let's get chatting... I'll get the ball rolling here: what do think is the most successful album of Steven Wilson's career thus far?------------- “Music is enough for a lifetime but a lifetime is not enough for music.” - Sergei Rachmaninov |
Replies:
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: August 15 2012 at 23:35
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I think In Absentia is PT at their peak. There's a couple of tunes in the middle I sometimes skip, but the rest of it is flawless, and endlessly exciting. I also really like Lightbulb Sun, probably a very close 2nd. Honorable mention for SW's solo album Grace for Drowning, too. I think it's one of the best things he's done, though I still don't feel like I've got a firm handle on the album yet. ------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: Mirror Image
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 00:08
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I hope to get more familiar with SW's music. I bought most of PT's albums today along with SW's Grace For Drowning and his collaboration with Akerfeldt, Storm Corrosion. I've heard nothing but great things about Fear For A Blank Planet and I loved the song Aesthetize. ------------- “Music is enough for a lifetime but a lifetime is not enough for music.” - Sergei Rachmaninov |
Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 00:29
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A personal favorite from their masterpiece album, Recordings, ironically made-up of B-Sides from the Lightbulb Sun and Stupid Dream era. I think you may like this one if you haven't heard it yet. I have troubles ranking albums for favorite bands, seeing it changes so often. But i find Insurgentes to be in the underrated company with Recordings. ------------- Crushed like a rose in the riverflow. |
Posted By: Mirror Image
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 00:42
That was a really cool song, Horizons. Thanks for sharing. I have ran across the Recordings album many times. I'll probably be buying it next. By the way, I just bought Up the Downstair. The Wilson album Insurgentes is another album I will add once I've gotten the hang of their music once again. I have a lot coming right now and not just all of those PT/SW recordings: PFM, two Can albums, still have all of those Flower Kings albums on the way, two National Health albums, the 2-CD live Marillion album The Thieving Magpie. and the first two Anglagard albums. So, yeah, a lot coming... ------------- “Music is enough for a lifetime but a lifetime is not enough for music.” - Sergei Rachmaninov |
Horizons wrote:Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 01:14
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Deadwing is my favourite PT album. Its a bit more metal sounding than the others. Fear Of A Blank Planet gets load of plaudits understandably and has the required intricacy to please the average prog fan. In Absentia has perhaps the best songs while of the nineties albums I prefer Up The Downstair over The Sky Moves Sideways. Signify was the transition album as Wilson created a proper band to move forwards with. That and Stupid Dream solidfied the style and approach that we now recognise. Solo wise Grace For Drowning was the album of 2011 by my reckoning. Good to see SW expressing himself fully. The Incident was perhaps an indication that the band was getting a bit stale. Will be interesting to see what the future brings for SW. Maybe he might dip his toe a bit in the 'retro' scene? |
Posted By: Morsenator
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 01:39
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I'd say The Sky Moves Sideways. It has certain atmospheres and feelings that I appreciate, which I haven't really heard in SW's other works (except some other earlier songs, perhaps. )It also flows on very naturally throughout the whole album. I don't appreciate much negativeness in music anymore (nothing to do with how heavy it is, just the overall feeling you get when listening to it), so I haven't listened to PT for a while. I'll probably still have to get myself around Grace For Drowning, though, since it has had so many great reviews. ------------- You love the music, the music loves you! http://moonsofjupiter.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - http://moonsofjupiter.bandcamp.com/ |
Posted By: Fox On The Rocks
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 02:11
I'm going go out on a limb here and say that Deadwing is a sleeper. Really, I just can't get into that album at all. Arriving Somewhere just goes on for way too long, despite it being a great track nonetheless - the atmosphere that is created is incredible. The title track is rather good, except I'm not too keen on the Mike Portnoy esque vocals in the verses.  Lazarus is probably my most played song from the album - very beautiful, warm. Everything else though, especially the singles (i.e. Halo), loses my interest. I know I'll probably get a lot of flack for this.  That being said though, I love PT and Steven Wilson solo material. The guy is one of my favorite songwriters on the past century. He has a very unique approach to crafting his songs and an eclectic, musical mindset - one of a kind. The Sky Moves Sideways and Fear Of A Blank Planet are my two favourite PT albums. The concept of FOABP is something I can relate to and reflect upon. ------------- 
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Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 02:19
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Hmm...I'd probably say Grace For Drowning. Though my personal favorite is either Stupid Dream or Lightbulb Sun. ------------- 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. |
Posted By: Terra Australis
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 04:22
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Fear of a Blank Planet is my favorite, it has a great mixture of moods. Also it is accessible and interesting at the same time. Great drumming as well! ------------- Allomerus. Music with progressive intent. http://allomerus.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow - http://allomerus.bandcamp.com |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 05:23
http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=67533&KW=porcupine&PN=54" rel="nofollow - The official Prog Archives Porcupine Tree Thread! |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 05:33
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I was gonna ask why he needed two threads./ ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: kole
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 07:00
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Porcupine Tree =/= Steven Wilson. Peter Gabriel has the Genesis thread, and yet... My favourite album is, surprisingly, Insurgentes. Grace for Drowning is awesome, with that Steven Wilson touch, but leans too heavily on the 70's prog. Insurgentes is fresh, new, innovative music that combines numerous styles and genres and comes out as totally cutting-edge. |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 07:11
He doesn't need two threads. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 07:44
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We don't have a Steven Wilson dedicated thread then? This one should include IEM, Bass Communion, and no-man then since he only has two self-titled ones.
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: The Jester
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 10:25
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What do you mean by most succesfull? In sales? In fame? Or which one is our favorite? In any case I will write my opinion and we'll see... I believe both in sales and fame are 'Lightbulb Sun' and 'In Absentia' Mine most beloved ones are 'The sky moves sideways', 'Lightbulb Sun' and a liiitle behind comes 'In Absentia' ------------- If anybody wants please visit: http://www.gfreedomathina.blogspot.com/ This is my Blog mostly about Rock music, but also a few other things as well. You are most welcome! Thank you. :) |
Posted By: Mirror Image
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 10:41
I mean successful in an artistic sense. What album do you feel to be PT's greatest artistic statement to date? ------------- “Music is enough for a lifetime but a lifetime is not enough for music.” - Sergei Rachmaninov |
Posted By: The Jester
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 10:49
ah, ok. Thank you!  Then I'll go for 'In Absentia' I think... Although I'm not familiar with their latest 1-2 releases... ------------- If anybody wants please visit: http://www.gfreedomathina.blogspot.com/ This is my Blog mostly about Rock music, but also a few other things as well. You are most welcome! Thank you. :) |
Posted By: Jbird
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 14:06
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I bought 'Deadwing' when it came out, never having heard Porcupine Tree before, but having heard good things about them. My initial reaction, and indeed my reaction for about a year was 'bleh'! I didn't care for it one bit, except maybe the song Shallow. I was coming from the metal side of things though, If I was listening to prog generally it was Dream Theater, King's X, Rush, Queensryche, etc. (even though I got hooked on prog in '76 with Kansas - Leftoverture). I tried listening to Deadwing several times, it just didn't take. Then one night at work I had my mp3 player on shuffle, and Arriving Somewhere came on....and I finally 'got' it. I've been loving Porcupine Tree ever since, and Deadwing is one of my favorite albums. I never thought I'd like the spacier early albums, so I never picked them up. But just a couple of weeks ago I finally broke down and bought The Sky Moves Sideways, and it's incredible. I should have gotten it long ago, but the spacey stuff on Signify kinda turned me off a bit on trying earlier stuff (Signify is probably my least fav, so far).
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Posted By: Argonaught
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 18:36
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I suspect I may be not a hard-core PT admirer, because I don't care much for their pre-Harrison output. The earlier PT were profound and inspired, but a little too experimental and not sufficiently mature (to my ears). Speaking of the lyrics, the weirdness sometimes outweighed the wit, I'm afraid. Therefore, I think In Absentia and Deadwing were in a way what Rubber Soul and Revolver had been for the Beatles, a spectacular transition from a "curiosity" into a "unique phenomenon". Thus, FOABP became their Sgt Pepper and beyond. There is simply no other album that could be compared to FOABP in terms of contents, execution, exquisite musicianship and extraordinary engineering. In my book, FOABP is worth as much as all of the Pink Floyd, King Crimson and Yes output in the early 1970's. . The Incident, while an excellent album in its own right, wasn't as fundamental and majestic as FOABP ('Let It Be?') I also think that Wilson's recent solo albums again shifted towards more experimental contents (the absence of Gavin Harrison?), and I have no place in my heart for IEM, No-Man, Bass Communion, let alone Blackfield and Storm Corrosion. |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 19:08
| I'm just getting into Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree. First I got the live album "Coma Divine", and indeed it is a great album. Then I got "Grace for Drowning", and really loved it too. Now I got "In Absentia" and "Fear of a Blank Planet", and I'm still loving what he's done, but somehow I think I want to get some more pre-Harrison albums next... that spacier atmosphere from "Coma Divine" was somwhat special and I kind of want some more of it. |
Posted By: Mirror Image
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 22:03
Interesting perspective, Argonaught. I think The Beatles comparison was a little off though. We must remember that The Beatles started off very much a pop band whereas PT were always an experimental band first and foremost. PT was a way for Wilson to take a lot of risks in the studio. Signify was an obvious step forward and the first "official" band album. Anyway, your compliments about Fear For A Blank Planet are getting me really excited to hear it. I've already listened to Anesthetize from the album and it's one of the best PT songs I've heard so far. I think this particular song was a my gateway into the band, because not long after I heard I did some serious re-evaluation of Wilson's music.
------------- “Music is enough for a lifetime but a lifetime is not enough for music.” - Sergei Rachmaninov |
Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 22:33
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FoaBP has my favorite PT song. Way Out Of Here, it's the perfect hybridization of the band's talents. Great vocals, flawless drums, eerie keys, emergent bass, the metal climax - all superb. Love the song so much - though when i think of it, i should like other songs more. Hmm ------------- Crushed like a rose in the riverflow. |
Posted By: Mirror Image
Date Posted: August 16 2012 at 22:51
I would say Anesthetize has those ingredients as well. Wouldn't you?------------- “Music is enough for a lifetime but a lifetime is not enough for music.” - Sergei Rachmaninov |
Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: August 17 2012 at 00:22
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I don't enjoy Anesthetize as much for some reason. Steven doesn't do epics as well. ------------- Crushed like a rose in the riverflow. |
Posted By: Mirror Image
Date Posted: August 17 2012 at 00:30
I mean what's not to like about this song? I mean I respect that it's not your cup of tea, but I find it surprising that you don't connect with the song in some way or another. Anyway, I'm really looking forward to hearing Grace In Drowning and Storm Corrosion. What do you think about these? I heard they're quite different not only from PT albums but from each other as well. ------------- “Music is enough for a lifetime but a lifetime is not enough for music.” - Sergei Rachmaninov |
Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: August 17 2012 at 00:40
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I still like Anesthetize, just Way Out Of Here clicks much better. After Lifeson's solo it gets boring and dragged out to keep my attention until the first chorus. Even then, Way Out Of Here has a better chorus. ------------- Crushed like a rose in the riverflow. |
Posted By: Mirror Image
Date Posted: August 17 2012 at 00:45
Wow, you and me are definitely on a different page when it comes to Porcupine Tree! But this is a good thing. I found Anesthetize outstanding from start to finish. ------------- “Music is enough for a lifetime but a lifetime is not enough for music.” - Sergei Rachmaninov |
Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: August 17 2012 at 00:49
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Just that mid section of the song, possisbly the worst part of the song to be the least interested. 1. Sky Moves Sideways Phase 1 2. Buying New Soul 3. Even Less (Extended) 4. Anesthetize 5. Burning Sky Is prolly how my list would go for favorite songs over 10 minutes. ------------- Crushed like a rose in the riverflow. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: August 17 2012 at 01:35
| The best thing about Anesthetize is thats its very original. It doesn't really have the structure of a traditional prog epic because it isn't a prog epic. It displays how the band had evolved and the importance of Gavin Harrison to PT is stamped on this track especially. |
Posted By: Kotro
Date Posted: August 17 2012 at 04:06
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1983 -> 2000: Good to brilliant. 2001 ->Today: Meh (honourable exception: Insurgentes). ------------- Bigger on the inside. |
Posted By: Ambient Hurricanes
Date Posted: August 17 2012 at 16:13
I don't think the song is boring, really (I like repetition) but I have to say, Lifeson's solo is the best part of the song by a whole lot. ------------- I love dogs, I've always loved dogs |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: August 17 2012 at 17:43
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My favorite tunes Shesmovedon Arriving Somewhere But Not Here The Sky Moves Sideways Fear of a Blank Planet Blackest Eyes so I'm a pretty vanilla PT fan. ------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: Terra Australis
Date Posted: August 17 2012 at 19:37
Not all of the song is repetitive. Listen to the drumming! Excellent. ------------- Allomerus. Music with progressive intent. http://allomerus.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow - http://allomerus.bandcamp.com |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: August 18 2012 at 22:49
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I like Porcupine Tree....all of their albums.
I like Steven Wilson solo efforts. It took me seeing him live last April to fully appreciate GFD, I always liked Insurgentes.
I like Blackfield a lot....I cannot sit and listen to Storm Corrosion, its background music for me.
I like that Steven Wilson is an analog guy too, all the PT, SW vinyl I have is musically better than any CD or Digital I have. -------------   
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Posted By: Gerinski
Date Posted: August 19 2012 at 05:57
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I have all the PT studio albums from Up The Downstair to In Absentia plus Coma Divine, but none of the later ones and, believe it or not I haven't heard Grace For Drowning yet, so my judgement is limited.
Of the ones I have In Absentia is my favourite but I'm getting increasingly curious about Grace For Drowning with all its praise, it's just that I could not buy much new music recently and somehow I put other albums higher in the priority list, but I guess that some day Grace will make it to the shopping cart, probably sooner rather than later.
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Posted By: Argonaught
Date Posted: August 19 2012 at 06:55
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Amen, amen and once again amen. It winds down, though, with (what appears to me) a Dark Side of the Moon-inspired texture in the 3rd section. Otherwise, Anesthetize is unlike anything else. An extra amen to Mr. Harrison's role. |
Posted By: CCVP
Date Posted: August 19 2012 at 09:09
WTF? Even http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=1455" rel="nofollow - the very first studio album ?  -------------   
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Posted By: kole
Date Posted: August 19 2012 at 09:41
| Tarquin's Seaweed Farm is awesome. |
Posted By: Argonaught
Date Posted: August 19 2012 at 09:57
Well, some (in face, many) people value Wilson's "experi-mentality" over the quality of musicianship and songwriting; obviously, you - and I - prefer to see both. If you listen and compare to Shemovedon on Deadwing vs. on Lightbulb Sun, the difference is almost unbelievable. On Lightbulb Sun is sounds thinnish, bleak and lightweight. On Deadwing, only 4-5 years later, it's a mighty symphonic ballad... huge difference. |
Posted By: Kashmir75
Date Posted: August 19 2012 at 18:55
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Huge PT/Steven Wilson nutcase reporting for duty! Have loved the band ever since I discovered them about four, five years ago. I've collected all their albums, and have got most of SW's other material too (Blackfield, No Man, IEM, Bass Communion, Storm Corrosion, and solo). Fear of a Blank Planet is my favourite PT album, though I love them all. GfD is my favourite solo album, though Insurgentes is good too My favourite SW related tracks are hard to classify, he's got so many good songs Arriving Somewhere Anesthetize Time Flies Russia on Ice Raider II Harmony Korine ------------- Hello, mirror. So glad to see you, my friend. It's been a while... |
Posted By: CCVP
Date Posted: August 19 2012 at 20:11
The only thing I disagree with you here is considering Lightbulb Sun their peak in the 90's, I believe that was Sky Moves Sideways, followed by Signify (and in Up the Downstairs' case, the bonus disk on the rerelease is, IMHO, better than most of the original album); their britpop phase isn't really that much to my liking, even though it's some decent pop prog. -------------
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Posted By: Morsenator
Date Posted: August 20 2012 at 03:15
I really liked some of the tracks on On the Sunday of Life  ------------- You love the music, the music loves you! http://moonsofjupiter.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - http://moonsofjupiter.bandcamp.com/ |
Posted By: Argonaught
Date Posted: August 20 2012 at 17:01
WADR, I don't see how the latest albums of PT would have anything to do with Britpop (as in Oasis, Blur, Pulp and the rest of it), but I wouldn't care if they did. Music doesn't have to be pedigree prog to be great. I don't have a prog fetish. I will listen to any kind of music, provided it's imaginative (but not too weird!), professionally executed and carefully recorded/mixed. I can't listen to more than 10-15 minutes of pre-Lighbulb Sun PT ... I do have 120 minutes of this stuff on Stars Die, but I don't even have a favorite song on it. We have been asked not to criticize PT in this thread, so I'll blame myself for this lack of chemistry:)
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: August 20 2012 at 17:07
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^ I think Caio meant (only) Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun were "Brit Pop" (ie alt rock) albums. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Mirror Image
Date Posted: August 20 2012 at 17:13
No, no, no, you've got the idea all wrong here. This thread welcomes criticism, but it doesn't welcome people who obviously don't like Wilson or any of his projects and they use this thread as a platform for their unwarranted negativity. ------------- “Music is enough for a lifetime but a lifetime is not enough for music.” - Sergei Rachmaninov |
Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: August 20 2012 at 17:59
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I remember liking 'stupid dream' when it aired on a metal (yes, metal) radio broadcast. But I don't really like Wilson's "less is more" way of singing and having once bought 'lightbulb sun' I was so disappointed that I sold it. ------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: August 20 2012 at 18:57
A lot of it yes.......but only after appreciating later albums first. -------------
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Posted By: zeqexes
Date Posted: September 19 2012 at 16:19
| I think Deadwing and Grace for Drowning are his best... I like In Absentia, but I can skip a few tracks when I listen to it... Deadwing is one of those few albums where I absolutely love every single song off it. |
Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: September 30 2012 at 08:08
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The AllAboutJazz website is offering a free download of Steven Wilson's song Sectarian off of his live album Catalog/Preserve/Amass. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/jazzdownload.php?id=7972" rel="nofollow - http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/jazzdownload.php?id=7972
------------- 
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Posted By: Earthmover
Date Posted: September 30 2012 at 08:30
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Fear of the Blank Planet is one of the best modern (90s++) albums, in my opinion (haven't heard much of these, to be honest). -------------  |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: September 30 2012 at 09:03
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I'm considering getting the new Wilson DVD. I got the PT "Anesthetize" one, but I get kind of frustrated (as I do with a lot of modern concert films) with all the weird grainy visual effects, "artsy" camera angles, rapid jump-cuts, and overall resistance to the idea of just letting me see what the band looks like on stage playing the songs. Is the Wilson DVD similar, or is it more traditionally shot? ------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: September 30 2012 at 10:39
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It's prolly going to be the same. I'm not sure what you're referencing to about the grain effects though. ------------- Crushed like a rose in the riverflow. |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: September 30 2012 at 10:44
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My mistake - I went back and checked and the "grainy effects" were on a different DVD I've seen recently. I guess it's the jump cuts, not staying on one image for more than 1-2 seconds, that bugged me. ------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: September 30 2012 at 10:47
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Also on that subject, one time we set up a single camera to film a performance of my band, and when I was watching it with the other guys, one of them commented that we are too boring and static on stage. But I replied that's just because we don't have a zillion camera angles jumping out and in all the time, creating the illusion of motion, like most live DVDs have. The cameras try to inject more excitement into the stage activity than there probably really is. I think it kind of detracts from the experience, but that's just the way it is.
------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: September 30 2012 at 10:55
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^ I think that's more a question of opportunity - often stages at smaller venues are too small to move more than a few steps before you do an impromptu stage-dive into the mosh pit (or at least the area where a mosh pit would be if enough people turn up). ------------- What? |
Posted By: tamijo
Date Posted: October 12 2012 at 16:01
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After a while, where my music have been drifting in quite diffrent directions, think I was a bit fed up with Grace... after the live show. It was great but i just had too much. Anyway im listning to Deadwing right now, and its just a fantistic album. ------------- Prog is whatevey you want it to be. So dont diss other peoples prog, and they wont diss yours |
