Steven Wilson catch-all thread (Porcupine Tree, No-Man, Blackfield, Bass Communion)

[onthewall2983]

I think each record has been a natural evolution from the next so that wouldn't surprise me at all.

If him and Mikael can get on the same page musically, I'd definitely welcome a new Storm Corrosion album.

[eversonpoe]

That shouldn't be a slight to Barbieri either. Richard is a mad scientist when it comes to incredible soundscapes and atmosphere effects. He doesn't exactly suck with melody in piano and keyboards either. I just don't think he likes noodling with heavy solos. The ironic thing is that I believe there was talk, even by Steven's own mouth that a member of the band did not like playing jazz. But Barbieri loves jazz. Richard incorporates jazz elements on his solo albums and even has Travis Theo and several other fine jazz musicians. The man has worked with virtuosos like Karn, Takemura and Jansen. But Barbieri himself likes to create a rich tapestry of sound which Porcupine Tree would just not sound like Porcupine Tree without. Can you imagine any of the 2000s albums without Barbieri? But Steven is capable and I suspect that perhaps he wished to handle that on his own on stage while having a very proficient player like Holzman. Still, to me, the sound of PT as a band remains seperate from Steven's own solo work. Barbieri, Gavin and Colin had a great vibe together and I miss their element in Steven's music. Not that I wouldn't want Steven to continue making music with all these great musicians. I just miss Porcupine Tree. I suppose you just have to be thankful of the body of work that already exists and move on much to my chagrin of not ever getting to see them perform live again.

Edit: lol...Tapatalk.

i always assumed that the comment about "one of the members doesn't like jazz" was in reference to colin

[henryeatscereal]

To me, his best "solo lineup" has been the one that played at "The Raven that Refused to Sing"...

Marco is the best drummer he has worked with (besides Gavin Harrison), but it would've been a waste to use him in "To the bone", since the style on that album is more mainstream and less "virtuoso".
As for his guitar players: i've always liked Guthrie Govan but it seems he's a real busy guy; Niko Tsonev also does a good work but something is missing from him...

Nick Beggs and Adam Holzman are the only two guys that i see as his "main lineup", i like them both and i hope Steven keeps working with them.

[onthewall2983]

I think the main thing I miss about that line-up is Theo Travis. Having space for a 6th instrument like the reeds gave the music on Get All You Deserve and Raven a bit more space to keep itself apart from what Porcupine Tree did.

Speaking of, Niko has done a record recently with Theo, Adam Holzman and Craig Blundell. It smacks a little of the jazzier stuff SW was doing around that time.

[henryeatscereal]

Gonna check that album, thanks!

[pulse]

i always assumed that the comment about "one of the members doesn't like jazz" was in reference to colin

Colin Edwin and Gavin Harrison both come from jazz backgrounds and have jazz-influenced projects. No need to delve into Gavin as he's among the better-known players on the planet. But Colin has his project Ex-Wise Heads which is essentially a Jazz-Rock band and he works with other jazz musicians as well. Granted, that doesn't mean Colin wanted Porcupine Tree sounding like Larks in Tongues Aspic era King Crimson. So it could have been him or anyone really.

It just makes more sense Steven Wilson's comment was directed at Richard Barbieri because he doesn't noodle on into long "virtuoso" solos that is typical from a jazz pianist or keyboard player, even if Richard loves jazz, makes music with those style musicians or incorporates those elements into some of his own solo work.

It's pretty simple to me. Steven went through a stage where he wanted to make early 70s King Crimson and Genesis-inspired music that heavily incorporated those elements and did not think Porcupine Tree was the vehicle to do this. Perhaps there was actual objection from Richard or all members or perhaps Steven was just speaking from a realistic standpoint that PT doesn't that genre of progressive music. Either way, once Steven realized his solo project could be just as successful, if not more so, and that he had freedom without being in the confines of a "band", he moved on from Porcupine Tree.

Porcupine Tree's sound is very progressive but is much more structured on mood and atmosphere. That's got a lot to do with Richard. And perhaps they all agreed it shouldn't take on heavy-inspired jazz or those elements just didn't fit. I completely agree with that and it was a good decision. What I find tremendously sucking, however, is how all this lead to the eventual death of Porcupine Tree, even if indirectly.

[wizfan]

he moved on from Porcupine Tree.

hesmovedon*

[onthewall2983]

One sad yet practical reality, is that the world isn't exactly clamoring for a reunion either. On top of Steven maybe feeling it would be a step back if he reformed the band, there is that for him to consider as well.

And again, I feel not only that he's making the best music of his career now, but that his work as a solo artist will eventually eclipse the band's legacy. Fortunately the other guys are in other bands and not starving because of this either. Namely Gavin, who was already an in-demand drummer before he even joined the band. Colin has his projects, and Richard does too, as well as the records he has made with Steve Hogarth from Marillion.

[wizfan]

One sad yet practical reality, is that the world isn't exactly clamoring for a reunion either. On top of Steven maybe feeling it would be a step back if he reformed the band, there is that for him to consider as well.

And again, I feel not only that he's making the best music of his career now, but that his work as a solo artist will eventually eclipse the band's legacy. Fortunately the other guys are in other bands and not starving because of this either. Namely Gavin, who was already an in-demand drummer before he even joined the band. Colin has his projects, and Richard does too, as well as the records he has made with Steve Hogarth from Marillion.

And John Wesley seems to be doing great as a solo artist, too: http://www.john-wesley.com/

[henryeatscereal]

Wilson will release the soundtrack for the videogame "Last Day of June" on December 1...

[onthewall2983]

[onthewall2983]

The recent re-issue of No-Man's Returning Jesus arrived my way today. It's a fantastic set, of what might be one of Steven's best albums. No new 5.1 mix but a ton of substantial and interesting pieces from the period. His work in Porcupine Tree is essential to his artistic development, but No-Man is in some ways of equal importance. It's where he began in the record industry, and the trials and tribulations of their early work defined some of the characteristics of his artistry that has carried him ever since.

[onthewall2983]

His New Year's update, includes some new and interesting details of his next tour.

[armogi]

hummm, IA and deadwig reissues... that's about time!

[henryeatscereal]

I need both of those in my life!

[eversonpoe]

hummm, IA and deadwig reissues... that's about time!

I need both of those in my life!

they've been available for pre-order for a while from burning shed (prices have changed a couple times for some reason) but shipping to the US for the two records is like $25 (on top of each record being around $25) so i have held off. hoping they show up on amazon later (the previous reissues have, eventually).

wow, sorry for all the parentheticals!

i got the recent reissues of both Signify & Coma Divine for x-mas/b-day and i'm really excited to listen to them.

[eversonpoe]

played yesterday & today, respectively



porcupine tree - signify
2017 steven wilson remaster 180g 2xLP
x-mas gift from my parents



porcupine tree - coma divine
2012 steven wilson remaster (2017 pressing) 180g 3xLP
b-day gift from my parents

[onthewall2983]

[onthewall2983]

[onthewall2983]

[pulse]

I would love to see the Deadwing film get made, but I would also like to see Steven do film scores and soundtracks. He seems very inclined to doing them and a capable practitioner of the artform.

[onthewall2983]

KScope releasing PT's Arriving Somewhere as a Blu-ray/2CD package next month, as opposed to the 4 disc box set as previously announced. No new special features, but you get everything on the one Blu which is nice.

[pulse]

KScope releasing PT's Arriving Somewhere as a Blu-ray/2CD package next month, as opposed to the 4 disc box set as previously announced. No new special features, but you get everything on the one Blu which is nice.

I'm getting this for the 24 bit uncompressed mixes. It's nice to have everything on a Blu-ray vs the previous multi-DVDs. It's also surprisingly inexpensive. But I am still disappointed their live recording of the song Deadwing remains absent.

[Boots]

He makes good music. I don't know why he's not more popular. He is to Britain what Gord Downie was to Canada. Essential listening for sure.

[henryeatscereal]

I think it has to do with the "Prog" tag he's mostly associated with, but in the latest interview i heard "To the Bone" is his best selling album ever, wonder if his status will change in the next several years...

[onthewall2983]

Weirdly enough in America on the Billboard Album chart it only reached nearly 20 spots below what Hand. Cannot. Erase. did. I don't know what that means in terms of overall sales, but that's not exactly an improvement on the face of it.

I've moved beyond that indignant feeling that his work isn't more well-known. Now that he's on a record label that's overseen by such a huge company like Universal that is allowing him the artistic comfort (coupled with the lessons surely learned from when Porcupine Tree were on Lava) he had before is a relief because it means he can just do what he's been doing but with more solid support behind him.

Somehow, it will all come around and in at least his home territory it's starting to look that way for him. The mere fact he can tour and sell out in places like Mexico, India and other far-flung locations tells me that his work has resonated on an international level.

[onthewall2983]

This is cool, the recent vinyl reissue of Deadwing entered in at number 1 on the UK Rock album charts this week nearly 13 years after it's original release..

[Mr. Blaileen]

Just bought my ticket for the May 3rd show. I've heard amazing things about SW live, so I'm super excited.

[eversonpoe]

This is cool, the recent vinyl reissue of Deadwing entered in at number 1 on the UK Rock album charts this week nearly 13 years after it's original release..

it sounds so good. my wife and i listened to it yesterday.

[dvdglss]

The thing I had heard is that Barbieri doesn't prefer the approach to keyboards that Adam Holzman does, which is way more virtuosic and not as much about textures and soundscapes. Steven is just as good on his own with that, and wanted someone with more instrumental skill to play his music. By his own admission the only virtuoso in PT was Gavin Harrison who is of course a beast on the kit. For awhile with his solo records it seemed like he wanted to put what he can do on his own just fine in the hands of players more skilled than he is for once.

I say it time and again whenever this comes up, but the opportunity he seized to make solo albums is probably the best thing he could have ever done. I got into what he was doing just a couple years before Insurgentes came out but I immediately wondered if he would take that path for himself. That if playing in a band was too limiting for him, even if he wrote and arranged and sang on everything.

It's kind of funny to me that there's online drama concerning who is and isn't in his band, treating it as if it were a band. It isn't, it's just him. And as sad as I am that the line-up on Raven didn't last I understand why. He's in a phase of reducing what he might see as clutter, to get to the core of what he does. Be it musically or lyrically, the last two albums have been much more direct than where he started. The deeper he goes, the more interesting it'll be. Frankly I hope on the next record he does everything short of string arrangements and female vocalists, with the right drummer.

yeah....... https://instagram.com/p/Bf9LRTUnOxY/