Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography
Porcupine Tree - Arriving Somewhere... CD (album) cover

ARRIVING SOMEWHERE...

Porcupine Tree

 

Heavy Prog

4.57 | 579 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Queen By-Tor
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
5 stars Simply stunning

If there's one thing that's always been said about Porcupine Tree by critics and appreciators alike is that these guys are great to watch live. Despite being one of the darkest and most brooding people to watch perform, Steve Wilson and his band of merry men put on quite a show whenever they get the chance, and that's exactly what they do here. Recorded shortly after the release of the acclaimed Deadwing this dvd only release features an excellent setlist ranging over the course of the band's career, including songs that didn't make it onto the actual albums (rarities and b-sides, something I think bands should play live more often) and some excellent special features on a second disc. The actual concert itself is shot wonderfully with grainy cameras giving the concert a very distinct look and feel while the excellently recorded sound pounds away at your mind. This is a must have dvd for Porcupine Tree and general prog fans alike.

The mood and the atmosphere of the entire concert is very dark, and that adds a wonderful touch. With everything mentioned before (the camera, the front man, the songs) and with the lighting effects this concert really does get a very Porcupine Tree feel to it which only lends itself to the replay value of the piece on the whole. This is the kind of dvd you can watch over and over again without being bored by it. It's a good length (about an hour and a half) so you won't find yourself needing to take a break in the middle and every song is interesting as hell with Wilson headbanging and jumping around the stage only to calm down at the end to simply say, ''Thank you...'' to the audience. Excellent choices in the setlist including the particularly difficult to find b-side instrumental Mother And Child Divided which has become a favorite with its heavy riffs and powerful delivery as Wilson tries to suck his audience into the black hole of the performance. Other standouts of the performance include the melancholic Arriving Somewhere... but Not Here, the pretty Trains (with an interesting section near the middle) and the brooding Hatesong.

Of course the second disc is quite the addition as well. Including film clips, music videos, bonus performances and the very fun Cymbal Song this disc is a very good watch for people who want more. And believe me, you'll want more. Radioactive Toy is shortened a touch but that doesn't stop it from being the behemoth masterpiece from the band's ''debut'' that it is, and Futile makes a great live appearance as well. The Cymbal is fun to watch (pity the editor of that one...) with Harrison doing some very interesting noodling and the other films make for good entertainment.

All in all an essential dvd from the band. A great place to get started and a great place to see more if you're already familiar with them. Camera affectionatos will also appreciate the shooting of the performance, because let's face it - it's unique and fun. 4.5 mothers and children divided out of 5, but rounded up for good measure. This is about as good as a dvd is ever going to get, so nab this one if you have the chance - you won't be let down.

Queen By-Tor | 5/5 |

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password

Share this PORCUPINE TREE review

Social review comments () BETA







Review related links

Copyright Prog Archives, All rights reserved. | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Advertise | RSS + syndications

Other sites in the MAC network: JazzMusicArchives.com — jazz music reviews and archives | MetalMusicArchives.com — metal music reviews and archives

Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.