FEAR OF A BLANK PLANET

I usually try to take a bit of time before I review a CD. Four to six careful listens where I'm completely alone, doing little else other than listening to the music. I try to listen on my car stereo, my home audiophile system and through headphones with either the CD player or MP3.

I REALLY tried to like this record; but it didn't strike the same chord with me as with other reviewers/fans/listeners who think that FOABP is a prog masterpiece. Some have gone as far as to say that this is THE BEST prog recording of the past [x] years. I definitely do not agree with those reviewers.

I break down this review in the following way. I don't use the same criteria for all recordings, but since this one had such a "serious" storyline that everyone was ranting about I decided to include the "Emotional Factor" into my review:

(1) Production quality: 5 stars (2) Musicianship: 3 stars (3) Originality: 2 stars (4) Progressiveness: 2 star (5) Emotional factor: 2 stars (6) Replay factor: 1 star

1. Production quality: For all of those naysayers who say that artists shouldn't try to master their own music, well here is proof that it CAN be done; and quite OUTSTANDINGLY! Per the liner notes Steve Wilson mixed and mastered this recording and he did a masterful(no pun intended) job. He created an extremely tight recording that is somewhat mechanical, because of its precision, but overall a very easy listening experience that places each instrument into the stereo spectrum without falling prey of the stereo widening that is so prevalent these days. With FOABP Steve created a very live-sounding recording. I MUCH prefer a thicker mix where all of the instruments are in the stereo field rather than the overly abused left-right, wide panning technique where instruments are in complete isolation from each other. Arguably, the latter makes for a more enhanced headphone listening experience but it's not a realistic image of how live music sounds. Kudos, SW, you made a fantastic sounding record!

2. Musicianship: The drumming is by far the main attraction on this record. There are some excellent tom thumping parts that are reminiscent of the percussion on Peter Gabriel's Security release. The guitars are extremely well-produced but lack any real virtuosity, progression or emotion. They are simply there to create washes of chorus and sustain; not much else beyond that. The vocals are OK, but a bit too adolescent to garner any serious merit.

3. Originality: It's difficult to decide whether PT are very original or not original at all. I don't understand all of the Pink Floyd comparisons; other than the dark topic matter. If that were the only criteria used to compare this band to PF, then over half the prog bands of the last decade have been influenced by PF. But realistically, this band does not sound like PF at all. The guitars have nowhere near the emotion that Gilmour pumps out of his Strats and the keys don't create the psychedelic vibe that made PF what they are/were. If any comparison should be drawn it should be with Radiohead.

4. Progressiveness: That's where this album falls on its face. I had VERY HIGH hopes that these guys where doing something completely unique and moving the genre forward; but they didn't get it done. The music is insipid, having little to no inventiveness and quite monotone. Interestingly, I had FOABP on my MP3 player sandwiched in between records like Gentle Giant's Glass House, Parliament Funkadelic's Tear The Roof Off, Steve Vai's Fire Garden and Queensryche Operation Mindcrime and honestly, FOABP sounded pretty weak along those other records.

5. Emotional Factor: Here's where I expected this record to show its teeth, but again it let me down. There is no story line, per se. Wilson simply chose to relate the world from the perspective of a young, troubled person(s) but didn't go deep enough to provide any satisfying answers. Any artist can observe but the best story tellers provide answers or even opinions on what they observe. Wilson simply states facts(several times he sings about kids "getting high and walking the malls") but doesn't expand to provide his opinion as to whether doing so is good or bad , if it's inevitable, avoidable, warranted, inexcusable or if he's indifferent to it...etc. I walked away believing that the lyrics justify what kids are doing as if though there is NO HOPE! Wilson may tell me different, but that's the message that I get from his record; namely HOPELESSNESS. Since I don't share that hopeless philosophy I find this record completely harmful to young people. I can just see stoned teenagers, cutting school and walking the mall while bopping their heads to this record; an anthem of sorts to that crowd.

6. Replay factor: I played this recording four or five times in order to see/hear what everyone else is hyping about. I'm in my mid forties and don't want to fall too far behind the current groove and like to keep abreast of the current trends. I hate to admit that I wasted time listening to FOABP beyond a second listen. The record sounded the same the first and fifth times and that alone tells me that there is little there that will make me want to come back; hence this CD will either get traded or will gather dust.

In short, PT is nothing more than a band that shows up on the Leno or Letterman show one evening and the next day I forget who they were. I really wanted to like FOABP, but if this is supposed to be PT's best effort, then I certainly won't be buying any more of their releases.