Let's talk 'To the bone' by Steven Wilson

M27Barney wrote: BBC Breakfast eh? I reckon Mr Wilson - would be capable of producing a long symphonic prog concept that would replicate and rival those of the mid 70's - But i'm sure that such a suggestion might frighten him more than if I had just suggested that he'd ingested Ricin.... He tried to distance himself from symphonic prog - even though he utilised its renewed popularity to sell Raven and Hand...cannot. I wonder who could be considered the king of prog rock? Any suggestions?

I'm not sure, but it wouldn't be anyone contemporary.

I have a lot of respect for Steve Wilson. He's a talented and prolific musician, I just lost interest in PT and his other work some time ago. I need to revisit. I actually didn't realis he was quite so popular beyond the prog community. The BBC were saying his album could top the charts. I would never have guessed he was that popular or well known.

I passed over this album at the record store last week.  I've barely even listened to his last one.  Maybe I'll pick it up in a few years...

Man With Hat wrote: Please for the love of all that is holy and beautiful let this album not win the collab poll at the end of the year

well Big Big Train then? Motorpsycho? Mastodon? some obscure avant band?

Man With Hat wrote: Has the Motorpsycho album come out yet?

Which? :p

dr wu23 wrote: Hmmm.....I like the old PT albums especially Signify, Dream , Lightbulb, Absentia, ....and Raven and Hand....in the solo area....to me the new one is simply not as interesting and the songs just aren't as good. Just a thought...but could these be songs he's written  over  the past few years that really didn't fit on his other albums so he has  now  released them...? I don't think it's all that 'poppy' but it is less 'proggy'.

As far as I understand, that was the idea of 4 1/2, to get out the material that hadn't found it's way into the previous albums.

It's weird. A new Steven Wilson release used to spark excitement in me but this is the first time ever where I find myself feeling somewhat indifferent. I don't blame Steven, he's a cool chap, I have just found so many other new artists that I dig plus the ever growing avalanche of new stuff to check out.
Then again maybe I just got enough PT and Wilson in my collection already. Fact of the matter is that while I mildly enjoyed it the few times I span Bone, I don't see myself reaching for it anytime soon.
I'd love to see what Steven would come up with after say a 2 year hiatus - spending his time on a beach somewhere with a couple of cool chaps (possibly musicians/zookeepers/magicians/experimental chefs) drinking wine and smoking reefer with the local sirens.
Sure I think Neil has a point when he says 'it's better to burn out than to fade away' but sometimes you do need some fuel to get the fire going.

I think it may be one of the first times where Wilson doesn't steal the top spot.
His one shot will be all those folks who haven't heard more than 8 new albums...yet somehow they've always managed to pick up Steven's newest release

Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote: The more I've listened to it, the more I'm convinced that it's not very special at all. Despite two or three great tracks, it's just a bunch of reliable alt-rock pieces that have occasionally poppier moments, but it's faaaaar away from the `pop' description it was being sold as. There's nothing outright bad on it, and it's certainly an easy surface listen, but....not much more than that. In fact, I'd have been more excited for it if it genuinely was a PROPER pop album that actually had Steven step out of his comfort zone....because for all the press release hype and comparisons, `comfortable' describes the album perfectly.

Agree with your views. I bought the album on vinyl expecting something a bit different but was left rather disappointed. It's an ok album which I have played quite a few times in case it was a grower but I doubt it will make my top 10 for the year while Prog magazine has it at No.1!