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Steven Wilson - Grace for Drowning CD (album) cover

GRACE FOR DROWNING

Steven Wilson

 

Crossover Prog

4.21 | 1934 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

dtguitarfan
2 stars Let me start this review by saying that I am a Progressive Metal lover, who tries to get outside his comfort zone on a fairly regular basis, and occasionally finds things he really likes in other sub-genres. This is NOT one of them. I am, obviously, a Dream Theater fan, but not so obviously a fan of Porcupine Tree. I had never listened to any of the solo albums by Steven Wilson before this album. But I watched as it hovered at or near 1st place on ProgArchives' list of top 2011 albums, and received 5 star rating after 5 star rating. Then I found out that Jordan Rudess played on the album, and found out that there was quite an impressive list of other artists guest starring on the album. I got excited - very excited after I saw some of the track lengths! Yes, I admit, I'm a sucker for epic-lengthers - I feel that sometimes even the most boring of composers is forced to be interesting when composing a lengthy piece. So I picked up the album, and sat on the edge of my seat as I listened. And as I listened I felt...nothing. I felt completely bored, and it wasn't because I wasn't paying attention. On the contrary, I was looking for something good because I had believed there would be something there! I began to question "what is it that is so special about this album that it was raved about so much?!" Now, please understand this was my first reaction, and I have found many times that with artists or albums that I have had this reaction to, I have later on heard a piece by the same artist that I did like, and gone back to their old works and found that I highly enjoyed them as well. So perhaps there is a happy ending to this story...nope, sorry, not gonna get that here. I have two very good friends who are also big Progressive Rock fans. Our local NPR station does a "DJ For an Hour" promotion in order to raise money, and my two friends and I have started a tradition of doing a Progressive Rock Hour every year on this station. In 2011, we decided to do a show of just songs from albums that were released in 2011. We did this show in early February of 2012, so we had all year to pick from what we felt were the best albums of 2011. One of my two friends suggested that we pick a song from Steven Wilson's album. "Well," I thought, "I didn't like it the first time, but there it is, hovering at the top of ProgArchives' top 100 of the year 2011, and now my friend thinks it is 'radio show worthy'...so maybe I was wrong." So I gave the album a few more listens over the course of a few months, trying desperately to find something I liked. When it came time to pick our setlist for the radio show, I told my friend that I really didn't find this album to be anything special at all, and in fact found it to be completely boring. Our other friend who was involved in the show concurred. Then it came out that even the friend who had suggested we play a song from this album didn't really like it all that much. So...I ask you who are on the internet: WHY is this album worthy of 5 star ratings from so many people? My only theories have to do with the "celebrity appearances" and fan-boyism. THIS. ALBUM. IS. BORING. I believe Progressive Rock is a genre that is by nature supposed to be interesting. This album is not. It sounds like the narcissistic, egotistical musical ramblings of an artsy fartsy college music major, not a collection of well composed musical pieces like a Progressive Rock album should be.
dtguitarfan | 2/5 |

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