Steven Wilson - Insurgentes
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
Forum Description: Discuss specific prog bands and their members or a specific sub-genre
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=53759
Printed Date: February 22 2025 at 07:04
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Topic: Steven Wilson - Insurgentes
Posted By: Zeadwing
Subject: Steven Wilson - Insurgentes
Date Posted: December 01 2008 at 10:09
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Has anybody else heard this album yet? :) If so, what are your thoughts? ------------- "A drop in the ocean, A significant motion." -Shaun- |
Replies:
Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: December 01 2008 at 10:22
I listened to it a couple of times already. I like the ideas Wilson put and how it sounds, so there is some great music in it. The second half drags a bit the mood and everything, so that's not quite as good as the rest and it doesn't make the album perfect (btw, can we please not make every prog-rock year's top album a PT or PT-related one?  ).
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Posted By: Lionheart
Date Posted: December 01 2008 at 10:36
| I actually like what I've heard. I've only checked it out 2 times, but it sounds like a very mature and well rounded record so far. |
Posted By: Zeadwing
Date Posted: December 01 2008 at 10:37
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Haha! Yeah I think the album is really strange! It's not what I was expecting at all. Not sure whether Im blown away or let down by it yet! The drone influence comes through a lot more than I thought it would... And I don't think PT are getting too much limelight, I just recently saw a post saying that there's no PT album in PA's top 100!  So don't worry about that.  Thanks for the post. ------------- "A drop in the ocean, A significant motion." -Shaun- |
Posted By: ProgBagel
Date Posted: December 01 2008 at 11:03
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I think it's pretty good. It was more of just a mix of all of his projects...rather than 'the most experimental song based music he has ever made'.
I was definately satisfied though. |
Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: December 01 2008 at 11:04
That's the general top 100, I was mentioning that, when Deadwing and FOTBP were released in 2005 and 2007, they were crowned #1 prog album of that year.  So, if PT release something new in 2009, we can be sure that it will be the best thing prog-rock had to offer in 2009.  (...or  )-------------
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Zeadwing wrote:Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: December 01 2008 at 11:54
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I'm thinking it will please the average PT fan. I was expecting something completely different, but I still like it.
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: JulioSouth
Date Posted: December 01 2008 at 13:25
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I am (or used to be?) a massive PT and SW fan. From "Signify" ('96) through "Blackfield" ('04) it seemed like the guy literally could do no wrong (and that included his brilliant production work with Opeth and the very cool Cover Version singles). A modern day music genious, no less.
However, I feel in recent years his star has maybe begun to dim. The couple of tracks I heard on MySpace from "Insurgentes" are nothing special (noise production and mechanical drumming) and his latest Cover Version CD is truly bad.
However, PT classic albums like "Stupid Dream" ('99) and/or the fantastic "In Absentia" ('02) should be in any prog-rock top list
 ------------- "I'll be right there, I'll never leave; All I ask from you is Believe" |
Posted By: Lionheart
Date Posted: December 01 2008 at 18:34
You make some good points - but I think Steven Wilson's greatest strengths are in arrangement and production. He proves it on In Absentia alone. His songwriting is above average, but in the scheme of "prog" in general, I don't think he has done anything that I would consider to be "groundbreaking". *But*, he is excellent at what he does. His ideas are very clear before anything gets put on tape. Definitely one of the best prog artists in the scene, but not on the level of the real groundbreakers from the 70's. Just my 2 cents.
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Posted By: JulioSouth
Date Posted: December 01 2008 at 18:54
Agreed. A fantastic arranger and producer. His mixing (both in stereo and multi channel surround fields) is astounding.
And he has a way of blending influences (i.e. classic Floyd, modern Radiohead style rock, Krautrock, metal, folk, you name it) into great songs. I love him to death, but I gotta admit his latest stuff (Nil Recurring, etc) is just not as inspired.
Still, I await "Insurgentes" eagerly - if only to find that hidden gem he usually offers us with every release.
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Posted By: Zeadwing
Date Posted: December 02 2008 at 08:39
Haha! From what I can tell "Phideaux - Doomsday Afternoon" got PA's album of 2007. But yeah point taken, I can understand how somebody who's not a devout fan of PT would be annoyed by all the attention they're getting. Like everything else, it just comes down to opinion in the end.  ------------- "A drop in the ocean, A significant motion." -Shaun- |
Posted By: N Ellingworth
Date Posted: December 02 2008 at 08:54
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I've got both of the limited edition copies of Insurgentes so that proves I'm not going to have a very impartial opinion as I will buy practically anything SW releases, including the strange Bass Communion EPs that appear every so often as a companion to a regular album. I've been giving Insurgentes a lot of play time since I got it last week and I get the impression that it's the culmination of everything SW has been doing to date I can hear elements of all his various projects all rolled into one, be it the spacey stuff of early PT, the noise and guitar drones of the recent Bass Communion releases or the great melodies of Blackfield. Overall I would say that the first half of the album is the strongest however SW did save the best 'til last, the title track which closes the album is in my opinion one of the most beautiful pieces of music SW has recorded. For me the only downside of the Insurgentes release is that the cover for my vinyl copy is damaged, I'm still waiting for Burning Shed to get back to me about it as there may be a few that suffered similar damage from being stepped on at the factory. Still the CD version is fine so even if I do have to return the vinyl I will still have one copy. |
Posted By: Art Rock
Date Posted: December 05 2008 at 13:49
| It's been on replay for at least 20 times already. Have not come to a final verdict yet. For me Steven Wilson is the most important musician of the last decades, and perhaps I expected even more from this album, great as it is. |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: December 05 2008 at 14:17
Even Bass Communion v Muslimgauze? ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: JulioSouth
Date Posted: December 05 2008 at 14:34
Similar feelings here. I devised a new twin-mode rating just for this album:
SW-fanboy Rating => 4 1/2 stars
Non-fanboy Rating => 3 1/2 stars
 ------------- "I'll be right there, I'll never leave; All I ask from you is Believe" |
Posted By: N Ellingworth
Date Posted: December 06 2008 at 09:49
I've not got that yet but I intend to. I do however own stuff like the Bass Communion/Fear Falls Burning 7" split that was released recently and the Bass Communion/Freiband mini CD that was released as a companion piece to Molotov and Haze. Oh one final thing I mentioned in my previous post that the book/cover of my vinyl version of Insurgentes was damaged, I received a replacement book/cover today from Burning Shed.  |
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: December 07 2008 at 02:08
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Wow, I haven't posted in here yet. Let it be known, I think Steven Wilson has made some epic win with Insurgentes. ------------- 
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Posted By: Avantgardehead
Date Posted: December 07 2008 at 17:15
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And now the album will shoot through the ranks and have 1500 topics...
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Avantgardian |
Posted By: Kotro
Date Posted: December 08 2008 at 03:58
And it will all be deserved...  ------------- Bigger on the inside. |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: December 08 2008 at 06:58
| So why does this month's Classic Rock say that the release of this album has been delayed until March of next year? |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: December 08 2008 at 07:16
It's actually quite a bit different than the rest of the Bass Communion I've heard. Hard to get a hold of though. I found part available used and part available as an I-tune download. Don't know if it's still available there. By the way, I see Wilson and Insurgentes has been officially added to PA.  ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: JulioSouth
Date Posted: December 08 2008 at 09:28
Well, it has and it hasn't!
The album was first made available through a dedicated website (insurgentes.org) in a special expanded edition on November and now BurningShed.com has started taking preorders for the regular retail release. And along the preorder you can download the full album on MP3 right ahead.
So, technically, "Insurgentes" has already been (kinda) released, albeit on a limited basis, with full non-limited retail version coming in late February (or early March?).
Hope that clears it... ------------- "I'll be right there, I'll never leave; All I ask from you is Believe" |
Posted By: Kotro
Date Posted: December 08 2008 at 12:05
It's all a carefully though plan to make Insurgentes PA Album of the Year... twice. A new record for Mr. Wilson.  ------------- Bigger on the inside. |
Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: December 08 2008 at 13:22
If Porcupine Tree come up with something new, everything else will be in the dust. Not even Wilson can, single-handedly, do something about that. -------------
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Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: December 08 2008 at 14:49
It does, thanks. There was me thinking everyone was reviewing advance leaked versions. |
Posted By: N Ellingworth
Date Posted: December 08 2008 at 15:25
Yeah there was an album and then and EP those releases are rare, however there is also a compilation of the two similar to the IEM 1996-1999 collection that's still readily available that's the version I intend to get. |
Posted By: Tony R
Date Posted: December 08 2008 at 16:17
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Porcupine Tree will have a new album out towards the end of the year. It is the greatest album ever. |
Posted By: valravennz
Date Posted: December 08 2008 at 16:41
Yeah - it is sure to be
 Seriously though - because of the eclectic nature, musically, of Insurgentes, I would like to see a more specific direction taken by SW eg: more experimental. I suppose Insurgentes is "experimental" but there are touches of so many other genres contained on each track, it is hard to see where SW is going with his music. I think perhaps he should steer away from the dark and brooding nature that seems to have pervaded his work over recent years and lighten things up. Just a suggestion mind you
.All in all a stand-out talent.  ------------- 
"Music is the Wine that fills the cup of Silence" - Robert Fripp |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: December 08 2008 at 17:26
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My first impression is what I expected it to be: solid, diverse music, but nothing as singular and impactful as a Porcupine Tree album. The stand-out for me is "No Twilight" and the correspinding "Twilight Coda." That soft instrumental section is just amazing. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph  
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Posted By: valravennz
Date Posted: December 08 2008 at 18:20
^ Agree - beautiful juxtapositon between those two tracks.  -------------
"Music is the Wine that fills the cup of Silence" - Robert Fripp |
Posted By: michaelwk8
Date Posted: December 09 2008 at 16:08
| You know there are Fan boys and there are Prog Boys! |
Posted By: michaelwk8
Date Posted: December 09 2008 at 16:09
| There are Fan Boys and there are Prog Boys! |
Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: December 11 2008 at 10:22
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I think it´s a good debut album. I do think there is way too much noise, but that isn´t necesarly a bad thing... I just need to listen to it a bit more. Great line up!!! Harrison, Levin, Rudess and Travis... WOW!!!
------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
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Posted By: Ricochet
Date Posted: December 11 2008 at 10:26
Hardly a solo craftmanship, ey? -------------
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Posted By: Floydian42
Date Posted: December 11 2008 at 17:15
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Ok, I got this album on Tuesday and it's been on repeat basically ever since. When I was initially listening to it, for the first half of the album I was pretty disappointed, but about half through for me it started getting better, and by the end something about the title track made me suddenly relize "Wow, this is the greatest thing I've ever heard!" (But that was in the moment, it's not the Best thing ever, but it's damn good!) I really think Wilson has grown to a new level as an artist, matured a bit. I'm anxious to see where he's off too next. It's grown on me since. Though, I still think the second half is the stronger half, but thats just me. Overall highlights: Harmony Korine, No Twilight, and Insurgentes. |
Posted By: lordjim
Date Posted: December 14 2008 at 13:55
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I've listened to it just the once so far. It's impressive, but I do get the feeling that I'll have to listen to it several times to get the full impact - which is no bad thing as far as I'm concerned. Didn't have as big an initial effect as the PT albums though. Cheers Jim |
Posted By: Antennas
Date Posted: December 14 2008 at 14:56
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It hasn't left my CD player since it arrived at my place.
It's the culmination of everything he's done before, and I think it's a fantastic album, certainly among his best work. It does take some time to get into, so those who claim to be disappointed - it needs more time... and at a certain point you'll discover Insurgentes has become glued in your computer's CD player...
But well I'm a fangirl. ------------- 
Jesus never managed to figure out the theremin either |