Porcupine Tree v. No comeback by now :(

[King Postwhore]

And not that FOABP is bad, it's great but I gravitate to the other albums in the 2000's more.

[KevShmev]

I probably like The Incident and Fear about the same now, although the Fear tracks are easier on their own, while The Incident definitely has that "it has to be listened to it from start to finish" feel to it, especially in regards to the song cycle. 

[Nick]

and there are the few fans like myself who enjoyed The Incident for the most part, yet find the constant praise of Fear of a Blank Planet, nauseating. And actually think the Nil Recurring EP is a lot better.

I second this.

Thirded.

[Kotowboy]

I prefer The Incident to FOABP. Nil Recurring is so awesome though.

Fear Of A Blank Planet + Nil Recurring > > The Incident.

[PixelDream]

Porcupine Tree.. It seems so long ago all of a sudden, with all the Hand. Cannot. Erase. hype that's going on right now, in 2015.

I discovered them with Lightbulb Sun / In Absentia around 2003 or something. In 2005, Deadwing was the first album I anticipated and I clearly remember being totally underwhelmed by it, especially Arriving Somewhere but not Here. I guess I expected the pristine sonic quality of In Absentia. But soon Deadwing would prove to be the ultimate alternative to In Absentia, and Arriving.. became one of my top 10 songs ever. I still think the album covers - and the colours chosen - are perfect. Yes, In Absentia sounds blue to me, and Deadwing brown/yellow. It's perfect, it's meant to be. Two albums that will always remind me of my adolescence. I was around 19 years old at that time.

I remember going to my first PT concert in Paradiso, Amsterdam. It wasn't even sold out, I was right in front of the stage and they kicked off with the song Deadwing. The rest of the show is a complete haze to me - I went to see PT for 6/7 times after that - but I can remember that exact moment so vividly. That moment when they blasted into it after the 'mind the gap'.

2006/7 (can't remember) I went to see them again. This time, we got the entire FOABP album in its entirety - with none of the music even recorded yet. We heard - aside from older songs - the entire album from front to back. Still with 'Cheating the Polygraph' instead of 'Way Out of Here'. I can't even begin to tell you how awesome it was to experience a live performance of a PT album I'd never heard before. It was amazing.

2008 I was at one of the two shows that were filmed in Tilburg for Anesthetize. Easily the weakest PT gig I've been at, but the blu-ray turned out excellent.

2009/10 I saw PT for the last two times. I saw The Incident being performed entirely in Amsterdam, and a year after that I went to Germany to see them one last time. I can clearly remember them opening with the full version of Even Less, and closing off with my favorite PT song ever: Arriving Somewhere but Not Here.

I had to drive for hours for this show, but I'm so glad I did it, especially now that they've 'quit'. And closing off with Arriving.. can't be better than that.

That's it for nostalgia. Eagerly awaiting the 24th to see SW and his excellent band again. Things are different in 2015, but they've rarely been more exciting. Every subsequent SW release and tour have been great, but my expectations are through the roof this time. Long live PT, long live SW's solo career. But I just CANNOT HELP getting nostalgic now and then about PT. Those times will never come back, but they will never be forgotten.

EDIT: Wow, it really was one of their last gigs: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/porcupine-tree/2010/ruhrcongress-bochum-germany-bd5252a.html
And I found the setlist of my first PT show in 2005: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/porcupine-tree/2005/paradiso-amsterdam-netherlands-63d6d65b.html

[KevShmev]

Great post!

Deadwing, and Lazarus in particular, will always have a soft spot in my heart, not only because it was the first new PT album after I became a fan, but it came out literally weeks after an emotional breakup with a girlfriend I had had for a year.  That album helped me through those rough months.

[Ben_Jamin]

Well, I like both.

Also, isn't it funny how PT is considered his "Main" band, yet it was started as a Side Project.

[ariich]

Also, isn't it funny how PT is considered his "Main" band, yet it was started as a Side Project.

And has now returned to side project status. Maybe it always was.

[?]

Fear Of A Blank Planet + Nil Recurring > > The Incident.

Also, isn't it funny how PT is considered his "Main" band, yet it was started as a Side Project.

Yeah, No-Man was his main project at first, then PT took over and now he focuses on his solo career. I guess at some point down the line doing remix/production work (or perhaps soundtracks, which he's interested in) will be his main priority.

[PixelDream]

Great post!

Deadwing, and Lazarus in particular, will always have a soft spot in my heart, not only because it was the first new PT album after I became a fan, but it came out literally weeks after an emotional breakup with a girlfriend I had had for a year.  That album helped me through those rough months.

That album also allows that kind of connection to it. I have quite the same thing with In Rainbows. It's still hard to listen to because of the memories.

[dparrott]

SW definitely has some good songs, esp on HCE, but I don't like his solo stuff as much as PT. 

[KevShmev]

Random opinion:

The back-to-back of Small Fish and Burning Sky is so freaking amazing.

And I am talking the original, not the bastardized remaster/re-recording. 

"And time stopped in the silence
To watch the burning sky.."

That transition into Burning Sky from that lyric is .

 

[FlyingBIZKIT]

I'm probably the only one that likes The Incident better than Fear of a Blank Planet, In Absentia, and Stupid Dream.

[sfam2112]

I'm probably the only one that likes The Incident better than Fear of a Blank Planet, In Absentia, and Stupid Dream.

I don't go that far with it. However, I definitely prefer The Incident over Deadwing. I may be in another minority there.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

I don't know what it is, but The Incident has become one of my favorites of theirs, probably under Lightbulb Sun, Signify, and maybe Deadwing.

[faizoff]

In the Gavin era PT my most favorite release is Fear of a Blank Planet and least is Deadwing. I don't find any of them bad to be honest, I'd rank them from the Gavin era as
1. FOABP
2. In Absentia
3. The Incident
4. Deadwing
and In Absentia is the best sounding album among them for me.

My overall favorite PT album is Lightbulb Sun though.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

His arrangements are brilliant! 

https://www.yahoo.com/music/see-it-first-porcupine-trees-gavin-harrison-115954381471.html

[Sacul]

and In Absentia is the best sounding album among them for me.

Although it's great, I think it could sound better, like FOABP. And even Deadwing - I use both albums for testing headphones/speakers.

[ariich]

His arrangements are brilliant! 

https://www.yahoo.com/music/see-it-first-porcupine-trees-gavin-harrison-115954381471.html

This is really damn good.

My interest is seriously elevated in this album now.

[rumborak]

I've heard snippets here and there, and I'm considering buying it when it comes out.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

and In Absentia is the best sounding album among them for me.

Although it's great, I think it could sound better, like FOABP. And even Deadwing - I use both albums for testing headphones/speakers.

Although FOABP and Deadwing sound amazing, they do not come close to IA's production. Absolutely flawless.

[Sacul]

I always thought that vocals could be a bit more upfront, and sometimes, when there's lots of things going on, it can sound a bit muddy or blurred, something which doesn't happen with Deadwing onwards. It seems that Steven was planning a 10th anniversary remix of IA, and although I think it really doesn't need it, it'd be curious to see how the it dens up sounding. I hope he includes Drown with Me in the tracklist if he ever does it,

[seasonsinthesky]

and In Absentia is the best sounding album among them for me.

Although it's great, I think it could sound better, like FOABP. And even Deadwing - I use both albums for testing headphones/speakers.

Although FOABP and Deadwing sound amazing, they do not come close to IA's production. Absolutely flawless.

especially the drums. i am okay with the sound Gavin gets at his home studio (that's every post-IA record he did with SW, which is why his kit sounds so consistent) but Tim Palmer did wonders with IA's drum sound.

SW almost matched it with Insurgentes' mix – that one's about halfway between the IA and Deadwing mixes.

[bout to crash]

His arrangements are brilliant! 

https://www.yahoo.com/music/see-it-first-porcupine-trees-gavin-harrison-115954381471.html

Is there supposed to be a video here? Nothing is loading, just the article

[YtseJamittaja]

His arrangements are brilliant! 

https://www.yahoo.com/music/see-it-first-porcupine-trees-gavin-harrison-115954381471.html

That Halo section is blowing my mind!

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

His arrangements are brilliant! 

https://www.yahoo.com/music/see-it-first-porcupine-trees-gavin-harrison-115954381471.html

Is there supposed to be a video here? Nothing is loading, just the article

Yep there's a video. Try this instead: https://youtu.be/rst2B_ubUZ0

Edit: Dammit thought that was the video.

Not the video but atleast a montage of the album:

https://youtu.be/NJCPiNby-DY

[Xanthul]

Is there supposed to be a video here? Nothing is loading, just the article

Try refreshing a couple of times, worked for me.

BTW, weird stuff. Can't tell if I like it yet.

[Zantera]

I'm really excited for that Gavin album. Been getting into Jazz and I really like the snippets so far. Would not be surprised at all if I end up liking this more than Hand Cannot Erase to be honest.

[?]

His arrangements are brilliant! 

https://www.yahoo.com/music/see-it-first-porcupine-trees-gavin-harrison-115954381471.html

I'm not a jazz fan, but I thought that was really awesome, especially the Halo part!

[bout to crash]

Yeah, that was fucking awesome. I pre-ordered.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

I still think Lightbulb Sun has the best production of any PT album.

[Sacul]

Well, the 2008 remix surely makes it shine.

[seasonsinthesky]

the LBS mix is extremely Chris Maitland-heavy – i love his drumming, but the overhead mics don't need to cover up all the guitars. the start of "Shesmovedon" is one of the better examples of (what i consider) the problem.

which is weird, since the balance was way better on Stupid Dream (both the original and 2006 mixes).

[rumborak]

I bought Gavin Harrison's album, and I actually quite enjoy it! At the beginning you simply try to recognize the songs of course, but after a while they stand up as theor own entities. Very cool.

[Zantera]

It's really good. Maybe even better than HCE. I hope SW hears it and it gets him excited about the possibility of making another PT album.