Let's Talk Steven Wilson
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Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
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URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=97447
Printed Date: November 30 2024 at 18:49
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Topic: Let's Talk Steven Wilson
Posted By: ProgVanWinkle
Subject: Let's Talk Steven Wilson
Date Posted: March 08 2014 at 10:51
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A modern day prog (and other genres) superhero! This interview inspired me to pursue this thread. Along with, of course, his amazing solo album and body of work(s). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOvo_nESkCI |
Replies:
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: March 08 2014 at 10:57
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Again? Don't get me wrong, I happen to adore the guy, but a simple search of the forums will show you just how much he's been talked about: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/search_results_topics.asp?SearchID=20140308105423&KW=wilson" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/search_results_topics.asp?SearchID=20140308105423&KW=wilson Edit: Whoops, I didn't see you were new to the forum, sorry about that
 Please carry on.------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: ProgVanWinkle
Date Posted: March 08 2014 at 10:59
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Being a newbie, I can delete if it's possible. No problem, is it doable? I didn't see a thread actually titled for him...but it is a vast place! |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: March 08 2014 at 11:01
No no no, and I'm sorry for my initial reaction. Let's see what happens - who knows maybe we'll get to talking about something new here
------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: March 08 2014 at 11:03
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Let me start out by saying that I am just about the biggest fan of his first solo album. The dark ambient electronics, the post-punk flourishes, the angular dark motifs - as well as that ever so thrilling red thread that runs through it's entirety - all of that makes it into one of my favourite modern Prog Rock releases. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: ProgVanWinkle
Date Posted: March 08 2014 at 11:08
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That's awesome and the certainly not the one I would have picked. I do love Harmony Korine though! But really, that's what makes this guy so amazing, he versatility. That's why the interview I posted REALLY grabbed me. The interviewer really asked good questions about all of his projects. His answer basically, is that everything he's done is on hold. And that his solo career is a situation where he feels able to take all of those elements he expressed in those past projects and integrate them into one place with the amazing musicians he now works with. His observations on the 70s were fascinating to me. He dedicates a considerable amount of time in the interview speculating what his music and career would have been like in the context of the 70s. Interesting how he comments that many younger fans (of all things) have come to him because of his work with those 70s classic album re-dos. Loved the whole interview, my best look yet into what drives Steven and a great update on him in general. I think that interview along opens up all kinds of talking points about him, and prog in general. |
Posted By: Kotro
Date Posted: March 08 2014 at 12:13
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First one's my favourite of the three solo albums as well. But I still prefer pre-2000 Porcupine Tree to the remaider of his output. ------------- Bigger on the inside. |
Posted By: Argor
Date Posted: March 08 2014 at 18:11
| For me, best of his last works is what he did in Storm Corrosion's first album... It's masterpiece that leaves me speechles :D So emotional and yet played with such simplicity and minimalism. Although i'm not listening to it more often then twice a week as it's so sad and full of fear... Am i the only one loving this album so much? On PA it's very underrated imo :/ |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: March 09 2014 at 04:13
| I love all of his 3 albums and most of his PT output (Deadwing was their peak imo). Other projects like Blackfield I have tended to avoid so that's something I would like to know more about. |
Posted By: musitron
Date Posted: March 10 2014 at 14:52
| I just love his two last solo albums. |
Posted By: The T
Date Posted: March 10 2014 at 16:04
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Let's talk Phil Collins ------------- 
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Posted By: musitron
Date Posted: March 10 2014 at 16:16
((( Nooooo...))) ------------- “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” Dark Side Radio - Best new Prog 2015 mixed with good old stuff. - www.live365.com/stations/young_gun |
The T wrote:Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: March 10 2014 at 21:40
| I have come to like Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson quiet a bit, though I'm a latecomer (barely since last year). From Porcupine Tree, so far, I have liked "Coma Divine" best, and from his solo career, I didn't think he would be able to top Grace for Drowning, and I thought he was rushing to release a new album. But Raven ended up being even better for me, and I think better than most Porcupine Tree too. And the concert was also simply excellent. |
Posted By: silverpot
Date Posted: March 11 2014 at 19:51
I absolutely agree.  |
Posted By: LinusW
Date Posted: March 12 2014 at 08:17
Absolutely. I'm late to the party where Wilson is concerned and have never been able to really warm up to Porcupine Tree, but I simply love Insurgentes. Even brought out the full five stars for that one. Not very impressed with The Raven, though, and Grace For Drowning sits somewhere in between the other two. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/LinusW88" rel="nofollow - Blargh |
Posted By: infandous
Date Posted: March 12 2014 at 11:38
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Strangely enough, I don't care for Insurgentes at all. I love Grace For Drowning and The Raven albums though, and would say I probably prefer the former, for it's off the wall jazzy flavor and more interesting compositions. The Raven is very concise and well crafted, but because of that seems a bit cold. There is no denying the brilliance of it though. I also love Porcupine Tree, mostly the early albums, but In Absentia and Deadwing are great albums as well. Didn't care for the last two PTree albums, though The Incident was not bad, just not up to their usual standards (and Fear Of A Blank Planet just doesn't do much of anything for me). I have not heard any of Wilson's other projects though, aside from a couple Blackfield songs which were okay, but nothing that made me want to listen any further. Oh, I do have the Storm Corrosion album and really enjoy that one, as it seems a nice blend of Grace For Drowning and Harvest. |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: March 12 2014 at 13:21
Really like the early PT albums better and everything up to and including Deadwing is very good but I thought Fear was boring. Incident was just ok. Insurgentes didn't do much for me and Grace For Drowning was decent but Storm Corrosion I find a little boring at times. Haven't yet picked up Raven but I will eventually.
When I play him I usually pull out Stupid Dream, Significance, Lightbulb Sun, and Absentia.
------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: March 12 2014 at 22:35
You should really check out Raven then. For me it's much better than everything else you said, and in some ways I kind of agree with you about the other albums. I do like most up to a certain degree, specially "Grace for Drowning", which I feel is a very special album... but it can get a bit slow at times, you must be in the mood to listen to it. However, The Raven is great all around, more energetic, more prog, etc. For me the best album he has released, including the ones I know from Porcupine Tree. You should at least listen to it so you may know if you would like it. |
Posted By: geekfreak
Date Posted: March 31 2014 at 12:08
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yes let talk all things Steven Wilson. apart from his work with......
PT/SW/NM/BF add his remastering there his work on Fish Sunsets On Empires..........its a  album. ------------- Friedrich Nietzsche: "Without music, life would be a mistake." Music Is Live Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. Keep Calm And Listen To The Music… < |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: March 31 2014 at 15:36
Let's talk about Steven doing that Cousin It thing with his hair when he performs live.... 
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: March 31 2014 at 16:00
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His attention to sound quality as a music engineer is excellent, pretty much everything in the PT and SW catalog is very well mixed and mastered. Which is a big reason for his success in remixing for King Crimson and others, including some of the reissued PT material like Lightbulb Sun. One of my best sounding CDs is Deadwing, and I am not a big CD fan, his vinyl work is outstanding IMO. Like many here, I am wondering when/if there will be new PT material as I don't see him topping The Raven anytime soon from a solo perspective. I do like Blackfield, although apperantly he is done with that project now...could be a sign that he is trying to free up time for Porcupine Tree. A five year hiatus from The Incident last release seems like sufficient time to charge the batteries. -------------   
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Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: April 01 2014 at 13:19
^I sure hope so I'd love to see Porcupine Tree do something new. 5 years though - has it really been that long?  Wow, I remember pre-ordering The Incident and then being somewhat under whelmed, when I popped it in my stereo. I did like a few tracks off it, but it didn't 'reveal' itself to me, before I went and saw them live on the subsequent tour. Afterwards I started playing the album again and something clicked. It's no Sky Moves Sideways or Metanoia sure, but it's an album I listen to on regular basis (if I'm in the vicinity of my collection) and the one that most of my female friends can get with. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: M27Barney
Date Posted: April 01 2014 at 13:24
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Mr Wilson has within him the genius to give us Raven....I hope that he decides that his next release will be even more OTT and bombastic ! but then again I'm biased coz I can remember him showing me & Roj some licks with the echo-box that his dad had made him.....Nostalgia !!! ------------- Play me my song.....Here it comes again....... |
Posted By: Vincent Carr's SUMIC
Date Posted: April 01 2014 at 15:51
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As a fan of 'older' prog music (like most folks around here I'm guessing!) I was curious when there was lots of noise in 2011 around 'Grace for Drowning', so I checked it out and like what I heard enough to buy the album.
A couple of full listens later and that was it for me - hooked! So then I acquired 'Insurgentes', 'Storm Corrosion' and the 'Get All You Deserve' DVD. I do love 'Insurgentes' but not as much as 'Grace for Drowning', for me 'Grace for Drowning' is a big step forward, and watching the DVD just really made me want to see that band live, which I did. 'Storm Corrosion' is also something I put on a par with 'Grace for Drowning', it's a really subtle and moving soundscape for me. 'The Raven' was my album of the year last year, no question! |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: April 01 2014 at 16:03
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^ The GFD Tour was amazing...we are lucky here in Seattle that he likes our city, tons of used vinyl record stores for him to browse before a show. Reports said he was spotted at a few before his show here in 2012... -------------
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Posted By: AmbianceMan
Date Posted: April 02 2014 at 20:17
| I was a latecomer to PT (FOABP and The Incident). I was already a longtime classic prog listener, albeit more mainstream like Pink Floyd, Yes, Jethro Tull. I'm also an avid metalhead and jazz fan. I join the camp that appreciates him more with each album, although I seemed to like Insurgentes as a whole compared to GFD. Raven was easily my favorite album to date, even going on a trip just to see the Raven tour live. I've only seen him go up in my appreciation of what he does with each release. |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: April 02 2014 at 22:14
I didn't get to see the GFD tour... didn't make up my mind about it, and kind of regreted it because it was such a good album, and I have come to understand that the best time to se a concert is when the artist is touring a great album. However, next year he came up with an even better album, and it seems to me, an even better show, which I went to see and really enjoyed a lot. By the way, the place where I saw Steven Wilson's concert was the same place where the GFD DVD was filmed... so if I had made my mind to see them the year before I would have attended that very show. |
Posted By: Rihanna
Date Posted: April 10 2014 at 01:34
| He is the best! |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: April 10 2014 at 17:26
 ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: Roj
Date Posted: April 11 2014 at 08:10
^ |
Posted By: M27Barney
Date Posted: April 16 2014 at 12:24
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I think that Mr Wilson has had some input in the new Opeth release - Been told that it's an atheistic themed release....is this in response to Transatlantic?? ------------- Play me my song.....Here it comes again....... |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: April 16 2014 at 13:46
Transatlantic Genesis Neal Morse Spock's Beard Ulver John Coltrane ...the list could be endless -------------
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Posted By: M27Barney
Date Posted: April 16 2014 at 13:56
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When was the last Genesis release? I distinctly feel that Akerfeldt's enmity to religion will be further explored in this latest release. S. Wilson has said that one track is the best thing that Opeth has produced! - Something special then..... ------------- Play me my song.....Here it comes again....... |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: April 16 2014 at 14:03
Just in general since there is influence by Genesis.....I could careless of Akerfeldt's religious feelings, as long as he does not get indignant about it towards one group or another. Just make good music..I too have read where SW said it was a great pc, time will tell. -------------
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Posted By: M27Barney
Date Posted: April 16 2014 at 14:21
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Opeth is ALWAYS good music!!!
Akerfeldt is perhaps the most gifted guitarist on the earth at the present......but again lots of people units would disagree  ------------- Play me my song.....Here it comes again....... |
Posted By: UMUR
Date Posted: April 16 2014 at 14:57
I assume you went to the Copenhagen concert in Store Vega right? I was there with my wife too and it was an amazing show. Even my wife who had never heard Porcupine Tree before loved the show and still enjoy when I put Porcupine Tree on the stereo. ------------- http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/" rel="nofollow - Metal Music Archives https://rateyourmusic.com/~UMUR" rel="nofollow - UMUR on RYM |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: April 16 2014 at 15:08
Yup Large Vega Speaking of women - I was very surprised to see so many at the gig. Not only elderly school teachers in Icelandic sweaters but chicks with mascara and small bags you can't fit anything into. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: UMUR
Date Posted: April 16 2014 at 17:02
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Yep prog is trendy these days ------------- http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/" rel="nofollow - Metal Music Archives https://rateyourmusic.com/~UMUR" rel="nofollow - UMUR on RYM |
Posted By: geekfreak
Date Posted: April 17 2014 at 09:49
its not here where I live `n` that's  ------------- Friedrich Nietzsche: "Without music, life would be a mistake." Music Is Live Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. Keep Calm And Listen To The Music… < |
Posted By: Hnrz
Date Posted: July 04 2014 at 06:29
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I think Raven was good, but I prefer Insurgentes, Storm Corrosion, and some No Man and PT releases. Also I'm another that really enjoys storm corrosion. For me it is an example of minimal and experimental music that just works so well. The last track has such sparse instrumentation but it is still captivating and emotionally effective, the same with the title track. As for PT I have a strong affection for Stupid Dream and In Absentia, as I feel the PT formula was most prominent and succesful on these albums.Furthermore I would completely recommend Together we're Stranger by No-Man as one of the more intimate and emotional SW albums.
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Posted By: M27Barney
Date Posted: July 04 2014 at 06:39
I find it strange that possibly one of the most emotionally responsive CD's I have in my collection can be considered 'Cold'.....The title track is so atmospheric it makes the hairs stand up on my neck and arms, all this track needs is an extension out to 20 mins and a Stolt style hair-raising guitar solo in an extended reprise of the main themes and you would have a top 10 tracks of all time contender..... ------------- Play me my song.....Here it comes again....... |
Posted By: Hnrz
Date Posted: July 04 2014 at 09:06
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Just for anyone who likes Insurgentes, the bonus tracks from the special edition can be downloaded from Steven wilson's soundcloud page. 'Collecting Space' and 'The 78' as as good as the album tracks. https://soundcloud.com/steven-wilson
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Posted By: adenauer
Date Posted: July 04 2014 at 11:06
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Last couple of months I've been almost obssessing about SW, that's how hard The Raven hit me, and I've considered myself a massive fan of his work for many years now, mind you. There's just this one thing that I can't really get comfortable with: WHAT'S WITH THE FLUTE, STEVEN? I mean really, I love me some flute but this is definitely too much, I know he was aiming for a folk-murder-ballad atmosphere but all I get is images of leprechauns dancing around pots full of gold. Anyone back me up on this? P.s. Also hello everyone, this is my first post here and apparently I've started with some very elegant whining.
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Posted By: musitron
Date Posted: July 04 2014 at 12:07
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Hi Adenauer, Well I can understand your point. There is a contrast in between his music (really dark) and the flute. ------------- “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” Dark Side Radio - Best new Prog 2015 mixed with good old stuff. - www.live365.com/stations/young_gun |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: July 04 2014 at 20:38
I really like the flutes and winds he uses, and I feel I wouldn't like the album as much without them. |
Posted By: adenauer
Date Posted: July 05 2014 at 05:51
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I've heard numerous people say he's a bad lyricist, 'remember me lover' having the worst lines ever supposedly. It was quite a shock to me, because I've always connected instantly with his words and always thought of him as a good wordsmith. Also 'remember me lover' was the only song on Incident that I actually liked for a long time before the album grew on me (took three years  ) Then this thing comes out, he's now also doing short stories. I can see in the comments section that people love it but to me that's just bad writing. Epica is clearly not his destiny https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LLmTZuWcRI" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LLmTZuWcRI What do you guys think?
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Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: July 06 2014 at 12:36
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Hi,
I keep thinking that he should go back to doing a nice PT album! ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: Mirror Image
Date Posted: July 06 2014 at 13:46
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I wish Wilson would record another Porcupine Tree album. I didn't like The Incident much at all. One problem I have with Porcupine Tree is the lack of a real soloist. Wilson is a capable guitarist, but he's just not in the realm of Hackett, Gilmour, Rothery, Howe, etc. ------------- “Music is enough for a lifetime but a lifetime is not enough for music.” - Sergei Rachmaninov |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 07 2014 at 01:12
The general negative reaction to The Incident seemed to force Wilson's hand on PT. Basically you are saying that he decided to go in a direction that you don't like and wish he would go back to FOABP style music? For me I like to see artists at least try to grow and expand their horizons. I know its a matter of opinion and taste but I do like all his solo albums very much and more so than the last two PT albums. Deadwing was and will probably remain my favourite PT album. PT was perhaps stalling from an artistic point of view and I suspect Wilson wanted to keep the band intact so he could return to it a later stage while working with different musicians who themselves would bring a different dynamic. What's wrong with this?
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Posted By: ole-the-first
Date Posted: July 07 2014 at 01:45
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'The Incident' was great album, I prefer it over 'Fear of a Blank Planet'. All the hatred I've ever heard about 'The Incident' seems lacking any ground at all. ------------- This night wounds time. |
Posted By: adenauer
Date Posted: July 07 2014 at 04:17
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The problem with The Incident was purely aesthetical for me. I'm not a musican (except maybe some xylophone in the kindergarten) so I don't focus on the technical side of the tracks, I've listened to the album now and then and for a long time it just seemed... boring. I couldn't find anything interesting to stick with, no tune no lyric line, nothing. It felt like it didn't stand out and I was dissapointed because that was never the case with earlier PT albums. And then one day I woke up with 'Blind House' stuck in my head, so I gave it one more try, hit shuffle and guess what. So I'm thinking maybe he went too far with the idea of an album as one piece of music? Instead of a sense of integrity I got the sense of thesameness. That being said I grew to like The Incident very much, but it still remains my least favourite PT album. As for Fear Of A Blank Planet, it had a stronger idea behind it and that gave it more emotional impact. I mean, dude, Anesthetize! I liked what the other guys brought into PT, and am also hoping for them to get back together but as recommended by SW, I don't hold my breath. He's now embracing his new career path as a 'music director', going back to being a member of a democratic band seems like a step back to him and I guess I can understand that. I wish one day he'll stop thinking of it as a regress but even I can't find any reasons in my head apart from sentimental ones
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Posted By: Kotro
Date Posted: July 07 2014 at 04:32
Not gonna happen, they stopped doing nice PT albums in 2001. ------------- Bigger on the inside. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 07 2014 at 14:05
I'm interested in this idea that his solo music is less democratic in its process compared to PT. How true is that? Any solid proof? My thinking was that he wanted other musicians to contribute more to his music whereas PT was an old idea getting stale. If other members were contributing more than doesn't that suggest PT was never quite happening as a band in the first place because so many prefer the earlier albums when supposedly SW had an iron like grip on the artistic direction. His 3 solo albums suggest much great diversity than can come from just one guy making it all happen.
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Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: July 07 2014 at 14:23
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Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: July 07 2014 at 14:29
| ^Afraid I'm not with you on this on R,(and I usually am on posts) but TRTRTS seemed to me to have a deliberate 'post PT' vibe as if Wilson was trying to force a marked difference in tone from PT's work and his own. The album left me cold but I'm certainly in the minority on this one. |
Posted By: M27Barney
Date Posted: July 07 2014 at 14:44
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TRTRTS is an absolute peach and his best work by a country mile.....I suppose that we may have a polarisation of opinion here.... ------------- Play me my song.....Here it comes again....... |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: July 07 2014 at 15:04
I think Wilson is a fantastic psych guitarist, and I don't think PT were ever in need of a great soloist. They were not about that - even if you find some pretty cool guitar ones on Dark Matter and Shesmovedon and well a lot of other ones now that I think about it I actually think he's more skilled than Gilmour, but he may lack the emotional depth (then again who has Gilmour's feel?). ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: July 07 2014 at 15:07
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Posted By: Mirror Image
Date Posted: July 07 2014 at 15:37
Nothing is wrong with it. I suppose one reason I have never fully connected with PT or Wilson's output stems from the fact that the music doesn't really resonate that strongly with me. The music is interesting but it lacks that last ounce of depth and genuine emotion to keep me coming back. I keep telling myself that I should be enjoying the music, but I just never made that connection.
------------- “Music is enough for a lifetime but a lifetime is not enough for music.” - Sergei Rachmaninov |
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: July 07 2014 at 15:42
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Posted By: Mirror Image
Date Posted: July 07 2014 at 15:43
We'll just agree to disagree here. ------------- “Music is enough for a lifetime but a lifetime is not enough for music.” - Sergei Rachmaninov |
Posted By: adenauer
Date Posted: July 07 2014 at 17:25
That's something I heard him say in numerous interviews. Funny how he actually has a rehearsed answer for all the questions about another PT album, he always says the same thing, with the same dramatic pause and a condescending smile at the end :) all of his 3 solo albums are written totally solo, he formed the current band when he was looking for someone to tour GFD with and liked the guys so much he wrote The Raven with them in mind. He takes much pride in the fact that he does no longer listen to other people (sometimes against his better judgement, as implied) and just does what he feels like doing.
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 08 2014 at 00:41
We can only go round in endless circles with this but i think my point was more -what makes you think that Porcupine Tree was a democracy and also if The Incident was not that good or as good as earlier albums then presumably the 'open to all ideas' approach was obviously failing (IMO)
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Posted By: Aussie-Byrd-Brother
Date Posted: July 08 2014 at 04:34
Wilson WAS a fantastic psych guitarist during those early Delirium era days of Porcupine Tree (and I know you dug them, Dave!), an instantly recognizable sound with plenty of feeling and variety....it's just that as he changed his mind on the direction of Porcupine Tree, especially once the `Stupid Dream/Lightblub Sun' period kicked in, suddenly soloing and extended instrumental passages became much less of a priority for him. He also then seemed more determined to tear down his past guitar sound and cover everything in fuzz, distortion, noise and feedback, a real reaction against his earlier work.... What a shame (as much as I still enjoy the later PT discs and his solo work)...just listening to his gentle guitar licks during something like `Cloud Zero' off `Staircase Infinities' is magical to me!
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Posted By: adenauer
Date Posted: July 08 2014 at 06:06
My bad, sorry :) What makes me think that way is - again - his own words. Maybe he understands 'democracy in a band' differently than most people do, or maybe PT was actually more of a group project in the later years, than we thought? Constantly making new albums while being involved in, what seems to be every other project in the world, I could understand him welcoming others into the process of decision-making. We shall never know. And I agree that something must have been failing in that system but not from the very beginning. Now I'm totally thinking he let others do more work around PT so he had time for his little 'side activities' - so much for democracy, that's just neglect. Do I sound like I don't appreciate the other PT members? GOD I'M SO CONFUSED
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Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: July 08 2014 at 09:30
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Posted By: Stereolab
Date Posted: September 01 2014 at 14:09
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I cannot get enough of Raven lately, been playing it over and over. This is truly Steven's masterpiece, there is not a note out of place. It's right up there with other giants of the genre in my book. I think Wilson fancies himself an eclectic, but it's clear that he's most inspired when making reasonably recognizable prog rock. The one thing that's constant across all his work, though, is a sense of melancholy, and I'm surprised it's not mentioned more often. It is theoretically impossible to be cheered-up by a listen to a Wilson album, which must be something that serves to limit his appeal. |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: September 01 2014 at 15:15
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^ That can be said of a lot of progressive rock music, its far from "happy, cheerful" music. Very cerebral and yes melancholy and at times depressing....
Not something the main stream audience wants to hear. You watch a prog rock concert on DVD or cable and the audience is usually calm.....Watch an Iron Maiden concert and the crowd is screaming from the first note till the last encore....I know I do! -------------
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Posted By: ole-the-first
Date Posted: September 01 2014 at 15:44
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Wilson recorded a few happy &/or optimistic songs actually, like Peter Hammill (also, the strig section of this song deserves a mention itself) ------------- This night wounds time. |
Posted By: GentleJonny
Date Posted: September 04 2014 at 01:48
| They guys deserves what he's got now, but his talent waned around Deadwing imho |
Posted By: Senti-mental
Date Posted: September 04 2014 at 19:09
| He's cute :D |
Posted By: Meltdowner
Date Posted: October 05 2014 at 05:23
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A preview of the next album. What do you think about it? It sounds to me very Transatlantic/Flower Kings in some parts
 |
Posted By: Zitro
Date Posted: October 05 2014 at 06:43
| The parts around 3:00 and 5:00-end sound spectacular (especially the latter with whoever that female singer is). I'm not sure what to think of the very poppy vocals around 4:10 |
Posted By: LakeGlade12
Date Posted: March 15 2015 at 11:27
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Well now that Hand. Cannot. Erase has been out long enough for people to make their mind up on the album it would be nice to revive this thread. HCE seems like its going to be his most financially successful record, beating even The Raven. https://twitter.com/StevenWilsonHQ/status/576792193769304064/photo/1 Not only that but this new album is getting more praise from the official music critics than the Raven. Virtually every site on the entire internet is giving it 4-5 stars with very very few giving it 3. The album is doing well here too which is somewhat surprising considering its not pure Prog like The Raven was and it does have a fair amount of Pop. While I think The Raven was SW's best album ever HCE has a great blend of classic and modern Prog along with other pop and electronic influences. This has helped people who thought The Raven as a rip-off of 70s Prog (which it isn't IMO) to enjoy the new album more. It looks like the SW train is only gaining in speed and its now making a serious impact on mainstream. When you start out selling well established pop bands like Maroon 5 then you know you are doing well. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/bestsellers/music/694244/ref=sr_bs_1 So do you guys think his success with HCE is well deserved? And do you think its worth the near universal "masterpiece" status that it has been getting from all but the SW haters (who has given it 3). I think the praise is deserved although I do still love The Raven and FOABP more. And how would we feel if the title track became a radio hit?
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Posted By: LearsFool
Date Posted: March 15 2015 at 11:52
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Past the one-two punch of the opening sequence, things get boring, samey, and uninspired right quick. It's missing the kick that all his great works have. That even several of the tracks on The Incident have. If the three star reviewers are right in that there are later high points, then the sloggy nature of most of the album subverts that. The praise and sales are hardly deserved. He's lucky I'm still considering seeing one of his Manhattan shows this May. At this point, it's the older material he's promising that's drawing me in, nothing more. -------------  
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Posted By: wrax
Date Posted: March 15 2015 at 12:01
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I went to see Mr Wilson on Friday 13 March 2015 in Cardiff. No spoilers. I managed to miss his last three solo tours due to work commitments but I was determined not to miss this. The show was excellent. The sound was superb; the video was immersive if not a little too distracting from time to time. Having only had the Hand. Cannot. Erase for less than two weeks I really haven't had the time to fully immerse myself into the music, but this wasn't necessary for the show. A lot has been said about SW being the saviour of prog, the beacon, the MVP of prog, etc. I don't know about that. His remixes of other people's work has been impressive in terms of the scale but in most cases he was already polishing cut diamonds (The Power and The Glory, Relayer etc) so what could he add apart from some clever 21st century technology enabled separation. The sheer scale of his work with Porcupine Tree, No-Man, Blackfield, IEM, Bass Communion (which doesn't float my boat) as well as solo is indicative of a man who loves his work. You would think quality would suffer with the scale of his output but not at all. If anything, each solo record is better than the previous release. Up until The Incident, the same could be said for Porcupine Tree. I would like to see a Porcupine Tree reunion but if it doesn't happen and he continues to add PT songs to his live shows, then frankly I will be a happy bunny. Keep on progging, Mr Wilson!
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Posted By: infocat
Date Posted: March 15 2015 at 13:54
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Have not heard it yet. ------------- -- Frank Swarbrick Belief is not Truth. |
Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: March 15 2015 at 14:32
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Posted By: micky
Date Posted: March 15 2015 at 15:53
be careful.. you are talking about the soon to be crowned PA's 2015 album of the year. It is Steve Wilson.. it doesn't have to be special.. it never has been. I'd bet my paycheck he could do a cover album of Willie Nelson tunes and prog fan would lap it up and ask for a joint and a lone star afterward. ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: infandous
Date Posted: March 15 2015 at 16:17
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I say it's a damn fine album. Certainly nothing new from Wilson, but it's almost like he's come full circle back to Ptree in some ways. It's as slick as everything else he's done, so I can understand that may turn some people off......and it's certainly far from groundbreaking.......but it sounds excellent to me despite all that (or maybe because of it?). This is what I'm hearing anyway. I've never listened to Wilson do any covers, so I wouldn't have the least bit of interest in him doing Willie Nelson tunes. If he did them WITH Willie, I might check it out just out of sheer morbid curiosity |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: March 15 2015 at 18:34
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Of the past 10yrs, he is pretty close to being a musical genius IMO. From writing music, producing music, engineering/mastering music....There is not much that has been better done as a cohesive effort. Is there good/great music being issued by other bands..certainly!!! But SW is about as consistent as it gets lately. I for one like that he is not recording another Insurgentes or GFD, love those albums and music and not sure anything will dethrone The Raven as his best effort ever. HCE is more accessible, but if you are a person locked into the prog of yore or some prog script then I can see how the album will not resonate with you. I have a hard time even calling this album prog.....but I don't care, it's another great album by Steven Wilson. Can't wait to see him live. -------------
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Posted By: Imperial Zeppelin
Date Posted: March 16 2015 at 00:23
I agree. Routine is pretty much the only reason I kept returning to the album. The female vocals sure add a lot to the song. ------------- "Hey there, Dog Man, now I drink from your bowl." |
Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: March 16 2015 at 04:04
Steve Wilson did do an album of covers, including Abba - you didn't hear yet?!  |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: March 16 2015 at 04:51
so what if he did a cover of an ABBA song? It's so uncool, not the right thing to do, right? Many other bands did as well. In fact there is a metal tribute to ABBA which to me it's a lot of fun to listen to. |
Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: March 16 2015 at 05:38
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Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: March 16 2015 at 05:47
I'm not nervous Then I must have misread/misunderstood what you said there and your "shocked" emoticon mislead me. I thought you were shocked and disliked the fact Steven did an ABBA cover. Oh well... |
Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: March 16 2015 at 06:19
| ^ You can't be "misleading" by *shock* emoticon at all, because it's so clearly that I posted that emoticon due to the post where Infandous said that he never heard (listened) any cover made by SW. Anyway. Please read other people's posts more carefully before you started to moan. |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: March 16 2015 at 06:43
I've admitted my mistake, you don't have to school me (LOL). I'm not "moaning". I say be careful with your choice of words. |
Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: March 16 2015 at 07:01
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Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: March 16 2015 at 07:12
What are you talking about? What frustrations? Why did you even get all upset because I misunderstood what you said? It happens and I've admitted I was wrong. But i guess it's not enough for you. |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: March 16 2015 at 08:40
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Hi, For all intents and purposes, PT is ... Steven Wilson, and he started it by himself. I'm not even sure that asking for a PT album is a good thing, because if he had any affinity left for the folks that joined him in that band, he would have already done so, instead of another solo album. I'm kinda thinking that he is done with the Rick Wright type of keyboards that PT has had for so long, and he is making a point of doing it very differently on his solo albums ... and honestly, I think he has closed the book on that band. He's probably thinking he doesn't need that band any more anyway ... which is sad ... because it is a very fine band, and one would only have to know about their show in SF in 1999 to know that most bands would not do as well as they did on a night that the 5th Prophet went awol! Faith, care and understanding, was still doing it and doing it well, but I am not sure that Steven appreciated it and even commented on Richard's use of old stuff at one point. But to me, Richard merely showed that he cared about the music and the work ... he was phenomenal all night! PT went on to do some nice things for the next many years, but I think that Steven is simply on his walkabout ... and no one will know if he will return or not. At least we can see that the drummer is just plain out of this world and helping King Crimson sound even better ... but honestly, I miss Richard's keyboards a lot! ut Steven is on his Roger Waters kick ... so that's that! ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: addictedtoprog
Date Posted: March 16 2015 at 08:44
Chill guys...it happens... |
Posted By: addictedtoprog
Date Posted: March 16 2015 at 08:57
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- One of the most sought after and respected producers in prog circles today.. - Most prolific musician since the last 25 years. A vast discography across his many creative outlets. Never trendsetting, but always very consistently gud. - His major creative outlet "PT" being the gateway band to prog for thousands of fans across the world. - A major prog icon. - Has worked wid a bunch of very talented musicians across prog world...and still doin. |
Posted By: addictedtoprog
Date Posted: March 16 2015 at 09:04
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Insurgentes was quite gud and both GFD and TRTRTS were very gud to excellent. Not that much of a fanboy these days to quickly latch on to Hand.Cannot.Erase. But its coming very soon. |
Posted By: addictedtoprog
Date Posted: March 16 2015 at 09:08
Lots of respect for the man...wud b forever indebted to Steven Wilson (thru PTree), Radiohead and Pink Floyd for being my gateway to prog. 
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: March 16 2015 at 10:13
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It's actually better than I expected (for some reason I had low expectations for it). I bought the Blu Ray and then realised quickly I needed the CD version as well as I don't know to get DVD into my cloud player I guess I am a 'fanboy' although this is entirely for the music. He's not exactly a warm cuddly type in truth but he works hard and he tries not to repeat himself too much. He also respects his fellow musicians. I suspect that PT had run its course. The Incident and FOABP for me were not as good as Deadwing and IA.
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Posted By: infandous
Date Posted: March 16 2015 at 15:17
No, I wasn't particularly interested so I never got it. I'm not a fan of everything he does, just PTree and solo. I've heard something from all of his other projects (or mostly all, not sure how many there are exactly) and they didn't interest me much either. I might get around to it sometime, but no matter how good a musician is I just prefer original music over covers any day (though I'm sure Wilson gives them his own special treatment and does just try to copy the original). |
Posted By: infandous
Date Posted: March 16 2015 at 15:20
You know, he's done several interviews, including one very recently, where he has stated that he fully expect PTree to return at some point and do an album. It might be a one off, but he's said this many times now. He didn't want to "break up the band" and prefers to consider it a long hiatus, but seems to think it's inevitable. However, he doesn't want to just crank out a more of the same PTree album and it's likely that if/when it happens, it will be something a bit different than what they had done in the past. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: March 17 2015 at 02:40
It does beg the question though , what can he do different? His solo albums are covering an awfull lot of bases and if was to be truly different then the 'retro prog' base is well and truly covered. He has also explored jazz and electronic music quite extensively with a bit of pop thrown in. I suppose it might be an idea to do an out and out metal album but I'm not sure where Richard Barbieri would fit in. Ambient heavy style prog is what PT is about, so how do you break the mould?
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Posted By: Roj
Date Posted: March 17 2015 at 03:54
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I think those that pine for a new Porcupine Tree album should be happy with Hand Cannot Erase. I find much more PT in this than any of his other solo albums. Some of the melodies are familiar, I'm sure one (can't think which precisely) is lifted from In Absentia. I must check next time I listen . I think the new one is an excellent album though not as good as The Raven. Routine is a simply stellar piece of music, certainly a top 5 SW song for me. The trio Routine-Home Invasion-Regret#9 lifts the album after a fairly middling start (imho), though A Perfect Life is a beautiful piece. With Katharine Jenkins contributing this could be a hit if pushed in the right way. Speaking of vocals, the new lady Ninet Tayeb is amazing. Her performance on the aforementioned Routine is sublime. A great addition, let's hope she is here to stay. |