Steven Wilson - Grace for Drowning

I just bought it today, the 'regular' version.

As someone who has never really loved Porcupine Tree, I enjoyed this album.

Not having been impressed by anything I've heard with mr. Wilson at the steering wheel, I must say I really liked this album. 

Borrowed my brother's copy of this album, and it sounded great.  Probably more impressed by this compared to my first listen to Insurgentes.  Who knows what that will mean in the long run.

This arrived:

I thought I had ordered the vinyl release instead when I saw the box it came in.  Well, one listen to the CDs and no blu ray view yet.  It's a really nice box set.  And of course the music is good.  Lots of interesting guests.


Edited by Slartibartfast - September 30 2011 at 16:47

Three listens so far for me, all the way through each time and I'm loving it more the more I listen to it. I've been playing a lot of Fallout lately, so I just let this play on through while I'm at it. It's definitely the progiest work he's done in a while.

I must say that I had been critical of Mr. Wilson in the past few years, the last PT record, and the 3rd Blackkfield.... both almost forgettable in reference to their other works.  I think the record is brilliant.  I was not expecting to like it, but it is nearly perfect in too many ways.  It is the album I think SW has been wanting to make all along, it just took this journey to get to it.  Bravo effort.  5 stars.

My one lament is that he gave the extra tracks to folks that invested in the Blu Ray edition of it.  As it was, I purchased the vinyl, as I have on all of Mr. Wilson's projects.  With Insurgentes, Wilson awarded the vinyl purchasers with extra tracks, which I applaud.  After all, it is all about vinyl and ANTI Ipod, right?  Well, you can get the bonus tracks to the new record another way without getting Blu Ray edition, that is, via iTunes.  Really?  You want me to download some inferior quality 320kbp file to listen to on my tube amps?  Oh really? 

That is my only gripe, and I would wager SW would agree.  It is pathetic but true, and surely driven by markets... oh well.

Great record none the less.  Bravo.

TheClosing wrote: For anyone with the deluxe edition, how's the third disc entitled "The Map"? I tried asking someone earlier, but apparently they're far too cool to answer... ; P  For some reason Steve left off some of the best tracks from the Insurgentes sessions. The 78 & Puncture Wound especially were much better than all the tracks on the actual album besides the self titled one, imo at least.

After the first listen I was not sure what to think of Grace for Drowning. I absolutely adored a few tracks, but many of the tracks were far more standard SW than I was expecting. However, after the second listen, I can safely that this album is really awesome. 

Tony R wrote: Definitely Spring 2012 at the earliest. Based on Caravan and BU2B, CA is unlikely to even be the best album released in Spring never mind that or any year. Opeth, PT/SW, Anathema North Atlantic Oscillation and even DT are embracing Prog. Rush are running away from it, or Geddy Lee is. Peart and Lifeson seem to have similar tastes (Tool PT for sure) whereas Lee's into bands like Arcade Fire and Fleet Foxes. Nothing wrong with that of course but it doesn't bode well...