DEADWING

I'll say I am a 2+ on this going in, as I have heard most, if not all, of the tracks on this album. This will be my first time listening to the album as a whole. I'm looking forward to it. This album apparently started life as songs for a proposed movie of which the screenplay was written by Wilson and a collaborator, Mike Bennion. A few of the tracks are essentially SW solo pieces, with Gavin Harrison's drums added. Adrian Belew and Mikael Akerfeldt also make contributions to some of the album's tracks. Let's take a deep dive.

Track 1 - Deadwing

We begin with a pulsating synth note. A quick tempo guitar, bass & drum pattern joins it at around 40 seconds. (I'm familiar with this one as I recognized the riff) Wilson's vocals join in at around 1:30. I like the whisper vocals at around 2:15. There is a new riff at around 3 minutes. The main riff is taken over on acoustic with a guitar solo on top. A revolving speaker effect is added to the guitar at around 4 minutes in. Things drop back down to the pulsating synth at around 5:45 and it gets mellow. Clean guitar with a tremolo effect is featured. There is a cool bass part, which I believe is played by Wilson. A heavy staccato guitar and drum rhythm enters just after 7:05, and the "band" kicks back in at 7:30 with a guitar solo. Vocals come back with the main riff around 8:20. At around 8:45 the rhythm and guitar part changes. The main riff happens once more and then arpeggiated clean guitar chords take us to the ending with some sound effects during the closing seconds. (Note: Some of the solos were played by Adrien Belew, and Akerfeldt sings harmonies.) Excellent track.

Track 2 - Shallow

A heavy guitar riff starts us off to be joined by drums & bass, then vocals. Piano & clean guitar takes over at around 45 seconds. Heavy guitar returns at just after 1 minute. Another cycle of these changes follows. Everything but a guitar riff falls out at 2:34, then the band kicks back in for a guitar solo of sorts (more accurately unusual effects). Following that at 2:55. A processed voice says something I didn't catch. This is a very heavy track overall. I'm surprised it didn't make any impact on rock radio when it came out (at least in the US). Loved it!

Track 3 - Lazarus

I'm very familiar with this one. It begins with gentle piano and other sounds followed by gentle vocals from Wilson. The drums & bass join in on the second verse. This is such a beautiful song. The slide guitar gives it an almost country flavor at times. There is a bridge at 2:15 with a Beatles feel. (Akerfeldt sings harmonies on this one as well). I love the piano part. The chord change at 3:40 gives a bit of a tonality shift. The song fades out with some distant snare drumbeats. Beautiful track. Quintessential PT sound.

Track 4 - This is another one I am very familiar with. Adrian Belew contributes a guitar solo on this one as well. It begins with a funky groove on the bass & drums. The vocals join in with effects on them. The vocal sound opens up just before the 1-minute mark with the chorus. Another cycle follows. The rhythm changes to shifting odd meters at around 2:35. Apparently, it's in 17-16! Then Belew's guitar solo comes in at around 3:20 but it sounds more like a harmonica solo to me. Things chill out slightly at 3:40 with cleaner instrumentation, but effects on the vocals. The beat kicks back in at around 4:00, and it leads us to the ending where it drops back out again with the lyric "Cause I've got a halo 'round my head." Fantastic arrangement!

Track 5 - Arriving Somewhere but Not Here

At around 12 minutes long, it's the longest track on the album. Akerfeldt provides vocal Harmonies and the second guitar solo on this one. I am also quite familiar with this one. It fades in very slowly with "spacey" sound effects. Subtle hints of rhythm start making their way in after the 1-minute mark. An arpeggiated rhythm on clean guitar emerges just before the 2-minute point, joined by vocals with an effect on them. This song is very slow to build up. Acoustic guitar strums and the first hints of cymbals and bass begin to accompany the harmony vocals at around 3:30. The drumbeat kicks in at around 4 minutes with a faster tempo and a guitar solo. Another verse & chorus follows thereafter while the faster tempo continues. Fantastic harmonies are in this section. Things change just after 6 minutes. The beat stops and a distorted guitar establishes a new rhythm. The drums kick back in at 6:30 and we have a big rhythmic sound from the band. Things are really rockin' by 7 minutes. Cool guitar harmony parts around 7:30, followed by an ascending riff at 7:45. By just after 8 minutes it's more of a chord pattern. Things get suddenly quiet at around 8:45. And Akerfeldt's jazzy guitar tone tackles over in a mellow way, with some subtle rhythm behind it. The beat resumes at 9:45 and Wilson sings again. There is so much dimension to the sound; it's wonderful. The song fades out slowly to its conclusion. Great track!

Track 6 - Mellotron Scratch

A quiet guitar & synth pattern begins this one. Then the rhythm comes in with effects on the drums. Clean guitar strums start around the 1-minute mark. I love the vocal arrangement around 2:15. This is a very mellow track, thus far. Heavy guitar chords take over at 4:30 the Harrison kicks in on drums a few seconds later. There is a brief guitar solo and things quiet back down again afterward, but the beat remains steady. This song has beautiful soundscapes. Again, the vocal arrangement is fantastic.

Track 7 - Open Car

A staccato rhythmic guitar pattern opens the song, joined by vocals. Just before 20 seconds in, the rhythm section comes in and makes a killer groove of the riff. Odd meters abound. Just before 1 minute in, things smooth out with sustained clean chords. The chorus has heavier sustained chords. The staccato part returns afterward, and we go through another cycle. I Love it! Just after 3 minutes a strummed acoustic takes over as we approach the end. This track leads directly into the next without pause.

Track 8 - The Start of Something Beautiful

(I'm familiar with this one, too) We begin quietly with synth bass and guitar tomes in a kind of ambient way, with a subtle hi-hat underneath. The drumbeat kicks in just before 1 minute. The bass is playing a nice riff under the first verse, with barely noticeable clean guitar doubling it. Heavy guitar kicks in around 2:15. We quiet back down at around 2:45. There is an eerie guitar solo around 3:20. We come back to the heavy part around 3:50. Around 4:20 we have some unusual percussion sounds over the synth bed. By 4:50 we have a clean instrumental section, with beautiful piano, by Barbieri. This is another great example of how Wilson creates beautiful sounding arrangements. Everything sounds warm and full. Fantastic track.

Track 9 - Glass Arm Shattering

This one is familiar as well. Sound effects and a quiet processed guitar part starts us off here, Harrison and Edwin join in with a rhythm and Barbieri creates lovely synth textures. It is a very dreamy sound. The vocals begin after 1:40 in octaves. This one has a slow build, as Wilson does so well. Just before the 4-minute mark the band begins an ascending part with an incredible vocal arrangement. An instrumental section follows on the same progression. Things return to the original riff around 5:15 with piano featured. Then there are great harmonies as the song reaches its conclusion.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

What a great album! The production is impeccable as one would expect. There is a reason that Steven Wilson is so in demand to produce and/or remix so many other proggers back catalogs; he is simply one of the best in the business. This one is right up there with its predecessor In Absentia as my favorite PT album. The only reason it doesn't get a 5 is that there are other things I like more. 4.75 out of 5 stars for me.

Clicking 5, but really 4.75!