Porcupine Tree

Check out Steven Wilson's solo material if you're not already familiar with that. I like Porcupine Tree but Wilson's couple latest solo albums are just something. Hand Cannot Erase would be a good place to start.

I've got all his solo stuff - haven't listened to all of it, but I agree that it's good.  I remember hearing Luminol a couple of years ago and thinking, "This is good!".  I'm trying to put together a drum kit in Addictive Drums that emulates Gavin Harrison's kit...that's a project by itself.  

For a few years folks were telling me they thought I would like PT, and I kept meaning to check them out, but just didn't get around to it. Then I managed to somehow hear a preview of "Time Flies" just before "The Incident" came out. So I grabbed a copy as soon as it hit the shelves, really liked it, then went out & got a bunch of earlier albums, and I like them all. I still don't have the really early stuff, nor do I have all of Steven's solo stuff, but I'll keep chipping away at it.
 
This somehow led me to reading up on Gavin Harrison, which in turn led me to OSI, who I also like a lot. I started with the first album Gavin played on (Blood) and worked backwards with them, too. Both of these bands inspired me to move beyond the all-instrumental direction I had been going, and while my singing is very minimalist, it has given me a slightly wider fan base. (I had 3, now I'm up to 5, I think. )
 
Anyway, I like the way PT manages to incorporate long, interesting instrumental passages with lots of texture, voicings, & dynamics into so many of their tunes. Lots of cool counterpoint with both vocals & instruments, good lyrics, & more, there is just so much to like. When I'm feeling non-creative I will pop on a PT album as inspiration. Usually, it helps.

Hi,
 
I think that PT is done, since Steven seems to be doing fairly well barefoot on the stage and looking cool in his glasses, and giving Snoopy a run for his money!
 
The latest album, has a lot of moments that sound like PT, but as I listen to the things he did in HCE and the latest album, I am inclined to think that he does not want to go back to PT ... which was his band from the start anyway ... remember it was all cassettes in the garage that he made that started the band.
 
He's still doing that, is my way of looking at it ... but I'm not sure he is wanting to share the space with the others right now ... Richard's last two solos are really fine, and I have not listened to Colin's and Gavin has been way too busy with King Crimson.
 
Steven's show here in Portland ... what ... 6 months ago? Can't even remember ... was very good, but the real star of the show was the bass player Nick Beggs ... and what massive sound and power and quality ... it kinda made SW seem like just another rock'n'roller ... and I think that if it were me, I would not let go of Nick's addition to the band, and the quality of the work. And that's not to say that Colin is not good enough, but what Nick brings to the table is probably more useful to SW's work, in general, I seem to think. Ohhhh  ... btw, the lead guitar? Mr. Killmeister ... that had been doing his Gilmour homework thing with Roger's The Wall! So, at the very least, two other musicians were top knotch quality ... but, I do miss Richard's atmospheric keyboards ... they were/are way too nice.
 
It's a shame that "The Incident" was not thought of as a good album, it was very good, but not a preferred one compared to the earlier trippy stuff ... this one was much too much rock/metal defined, and I think that some fans were not turned on. SW on his own, is more about SONGS and not necessarily any trippy stuff ... but the latest album had bits and pieces of PT in it, and I thought it might bring him back to the others, but I am not sure it will happen ... Gavin is still tied up with KC, and the last thing SW wants to do is not let RF play out his heart the last few years of his life before he retires!
 
PT/SW will still have 20 years after that, I'm sure!

electrodome1
I do the same thing.  The early PT stuff is really good, but I think Deadwing is their best.  Just my opinion.

I typically rotate my opinion on which one is best, lol. Must be tied into my moods or something. I kind of do the same thing with most artists. Maybe I'm just fickle?

I still haven't heard probably 50% of their material because I've bought the LP's only.  I will do more checking.  What really impresses me is the level of professionalism all along the signal chain, from the instruments up to the mastering.  That seems to be one of the band's best features.
In the end, it's all about the proficiency of the musicians...It helps me to understand songwriting and my own limitations there, but it also provides me with a model of excellence to try and emulate.  My guess is that there are a lot of us who wonder what's happening in the field of prog (because there aren't that many bands I know of who have really pushed the envelope), but we will all be better off after Porcupine Tree.  IMHO.

Hey Paulo, try this out:
 

(NOT Prog!)

paulo

craigb
Hey Paulo, try this out:
 

(NOT Prog!)

Hmmm......quite like that on quick first listen. Have bookmarked for closer listening when time permits. 
 
What's the PT connection ?

Maybe "Paulo Try?" 
 
The connection is to see if it's something you like (based on various comments I've seen from you) compared to PT which you find a bit boring.

paulo
I've tried to like them, I really have. People who know far more than I ever will about music keep telling me how good they are.
 
Mostly I get bored after three tracks.

This perfectly sums up my own reaction to PT.
 
And yet I think SW's Hand.Cannot.Erase is a masterpiece that I use as a mastering reference and haven't gotten tired of it after many listens.
 
But I'm willing to give PT another chance. What album would fans suggest to a skeptic?

Mind.Cannot.Tell.The.Difference

I looked up Deadwing on Amazon. Is this a rare out-of-print album? One seller is asking $50 for the CD, another is asking $120. WTF? I prefer to buy CDs and rip them as FLACs for my portable player, but I'm used to paying ten bucks for them.
 
At least I'm not looking for vinyl, they want $1,400 for that!

That's insane. I purchased Deadwing a few years ago from Amazon.ca for $16-18ish Cdn. This morning it's $60. 
Looks like it's consistently priced high everywhere - 
Porcupine Tree compilations are all over the place - the band has not been together in years but there are still newer releases and compilations. Oh to be Steven Wilson.

Hi bit,
 
I can vouch for Burning Shed and I've bought CD's off them before.
 
One of the founders of that label is Tim Bowness who is a friend of Steve Wilson. They also act as a store front for bands like King Crimson... And there is another connection there in that Steve Wilson is a massive fan of Fripp.
 
So, yeah, Burning Shed, despite the strange name, can be trusted.
 
cheers
 
andy 
 
 

Yes, Burning Shed are legit.