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General => General Music Discussion => Topic started by: The Letter M on October 01, 2012, 10:16:06 AM

Title: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: The Letter M on October 01, 2012, 10:16:06 AM
So I had this idea last night for this poll. These 3 gentlemen have been around since the mid-to-late 80's as working musicians in various stages of being known, but it wasn't until the early 90's that they gained more fame through their bands: Neal Morse with Spock's Beard, Roine Stolt with The Flower Kings, and Steven Wilson with Porcupine Tree. Not all three of them are the same type of musicians or person, but there are a lot of similarities between any two of them, but all three are 3 of my favorite musicians and people in progressive rock right now.

Currently, Steven Wilson is putting Porcupine Tree on hold, and has been since 2009, while working on side-projects and solo work, much in the same way Roine Stolt was when he put TFK on ice for about 5 years after releasing their 10th studio album. Like TFK, Steven Wilson had released PT's 10th studio album and has since decided to work on various other projects involving a ton of other people not quite related to Porcupine Tree. While Roine worked with Transatlantic, 3rd World Electric and Agents Of Mercy, Steven had No-Man, Bass Communion, Blackfield, Storm Corrosion and his solo work. Both artists are also the leading contributors for their main bands, as well as guitarists and vocalists.

Neal and Roine are quite well acquainted having been in Transatlantic together, and because of that, also recorded on each other's solo albums (Roine on Neal's ? and Neal on Roine's Wall Street Voodoo). Their music is uplifting and tinged with Christian values, offering lyrics that are positive and spiritual, sometimes deliberately blunt, other times being incredibly subtle. Both can play multiple instruments and sing while being the main contributors for their first main bands in the 90's. They both share many influences, such as classic 70's prog bands Yes and Genesis, while Steven Wilson seems to prefer the other side of the 70's Prog Coin with King Crimson and Pink Floyd (band's with colored names, rather than single word names? lol).

And while it remains to be seen whether or not Steven will return to Porcupine Tree, if he does not, he and Neal will have left their band's in order to pursue a solo career with musicians not from their former bands. Like Neal, Steven has recorded with many guest musicians, but has also put together a large touring ensemble that allows him to work with a band that can perform the music he writes (in Neal's case, he had string and wind players on stage, along with extra guitar and key players; for Steven, just about the same, minus the string players). Both have taken a solo career that is tangent to their work in their bands, while still sounding a bit similar, has become something quite different. Both are in-touch with their fans, as Neal has the Inner Circle Fanclub and Racket Records, while Steven has ties with KScope and Burning Shed and other labels/record companies/stores that allow him to release his own special/limited editions. They both know what their fans want and often give it to them, albeit at a price.

TL:DR?
All three are very prolific writers and amazing musicians, but I want to know, which TWO out of these THREE do you like the most, or do you prefer? This includes their ENTIRE discographies, with their main bands, their solo output, and their side-projects, but only things they have written and/or recorded on as a major member of the recording (so minor guest spots won't count).

-Marc.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Nekov on October 01, 2012, 10:20:11 AM
Roine and Neal. I'd much rather listen to Transatlantic, SB, The flower Kings or any other thing these guys have done than listening to PT. I still like PT a lot, just not as much
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: KevShmev on October 01, 2012, 10:22:21 AM
Wow, this is almost impossible to leave one out, seeing how these are three of my four favorite individual songwriters of the last 20 years (Devin Townsend being the other). 

Of the three, Wilson is probably 1 for me, but Morse and Stolt are a close 2a and 2b.  I'll have to mull this...
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: The Letter M on October 01, 2012, 10:24:13 AM
Wow, this is almost impossible to leave one out, seeing how these are three of my four favorite individual songwriters of the last 20 years (Devin Townsend being the other). 

Of the three, Wilson is probably 1 for me, but Morse and Stolt are a close 2a and 2b.  I'll have to mull this...

Glad I can make things difficult! :lol

Really, though, this was the point - I wanted to see how fans on here would react to this question, especially since they are three of the most well-known and well-loved individual musicians/songwriters of the last 20 years of prog music.

-Marc.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: FlyingBIZKIT on October 01, 2012, 10:26:38 AM
Steven Wilson for sure, then it's a toss-up.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: bosk1 on October 01, 2012, 10:30:55 AM
Morse is easily my favorite.  I don't dislike Stolt, but never heard much outside of Transatlantic that really grabbed me.  That said, his contributions in Transatlantic are some of my favorite musical things ever.  So...maybe I really should check out some of his work.  :)

Wilson, on the other hand...I have heard a sum total of zero pieces of music from him that I actually like. 
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Dr. DTVT on October 01, 2012, 10:37:08 AM
Neal and Roine was as easy as a decision as I'll make all week.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: wkiml on October 01, 2012, 10:53:07 AM
Wilson and Morse

Flower Kings never did anything for me (transatlantic either) whereas with Wilson and Morse I could listen too with no problem
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Elite on October 01, 2012, 11:27:57 AM
Neal and Roine was as easy as a decision as I'll make all week.

Yeah, well this, but with Steven instead of Roine. And that it wasn't that easy.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Ħ on October 01, 2012, 12:01:39 PM
Wilson, on the other hand...I have heard a sum total of zero pieces of music from him that I actually like. 
That is so weird. Everyone loves his stuff.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Scorpion on October 01, 2012, 12:10:51 PM
I don't.

But it's hard for me, 'cause I'm not really crazy about the other guys either.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Ħ on October 01, 2012, 12:13:02 PM
It would be interesting to throw Townsend and Gildenlow up there, too. All alpha types.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: kirksnosehair on October 01, 2012, 12:20:22 PM
I'm not into Porcupine Tree at all.  Neal and Roine for me
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: bosk1 on October 01, 2012, 12:22:26 PM
Wilson, on the other hand...I have heard a sum total of zero pieces of music from him that I actually like. 
That is so weird. Everyone loves his stuff.

No, they really don't.  I would definitely rank him as the number one most overrated musician on this forum.  Yes, he's talented.  But he has yet to write a single good piece of music, IMO.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Nekov on October 01, 2012, 12:27:09 PM
SW is one of those guys that people either love or think is totally overrated. If I'm not mistaken he had the most votes in the most overrated bands thread.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Mladen on October 01, 2012, 12:28:18 PM
Neal and Steven. They are both genius. I didn't listen to a lot of The Flower kings, but I seriously doubt Ronie will impress me as much as the other two guys.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Ryzee on October 01, 2012, 12:33:45 PM
All three are cool, but I went with Stolt & Wilson.  Morse is great too, he has his style and he sticks with it but his music doesn't have as much variety as the other two imo.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Ħ on October 01, 2012, 12:37:34 PM
Wilson, on the other hand...I have heard a sum total of zero pieces of music from him that I actually like. 
That is so weird. Everyone loves his stuff.

No, they really don't.  I would definitely rank him as the number one most overrated musician on this forum.  Yes, he's talented.  But he has yet to write a single good piece of music, IMO.
Like, if you were to listen to Blackest Eyes right now for example, one of their more palatable songs, you would think it's bad music? That's crazy!
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: glaurung on October 01, 2012, 12:43:51 PM
I like all three but Steven is the only one that I actually love so I only voted for him.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: KevShmev on October 01, 2012, 12:48:17 PM
Wilson, on the other hand...I have heard a sum total of zero pieces of music from him that I actually like. 
That is so weird. Everyone loves his stuff.

No, they really don't.  I would definitely rank him as the number one most overrated musician on this forum.  Yes, he's talented.  But he has yet to write a single good piece of music, IMO.
Like, if you were to listen to Blackest Eyes right now for example, one of their more palatable songs, you would think it's bad music? That's crazy!

There is no accounting for musical taste, of lack thereof. :biggrin:
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: King Postwhore on October 01, 2012, 12:50:21 PM
Wilson by a nose hair.  I love all three though.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: adace on October 01, 2012, 02:21:19 PM
SW by far.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Ben_Jamin on October 01, 2012, 02:26:43 PM
Roine and Neal. I'm more into uplifting stuff and they both do it well. I do enjoy SW and his music, just not as much as these two.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: The Letter M on October 01, 2012, 02:31:37 PM
Hmmmm... 7 out of 25 people only voted for one. Was it because you just didn't want to vote for more than one, or that you just don't like more than one of these 3 listed? Or did you just simply not read the post/rules?  :lol

-Marc.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Unlegit on October 01, 2012, 02:35:39 PM
Neal Morse and Steven Wilson, but Neal Morse is my favorite by far.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: bosk1 on October 01, 2012, 02:37:33 PM
Hmmmm... 7 out of 25 people only voted for one. Was it because you just didn't want to vote for more than one, or that you just don't like more than one of these 3 listed? Or did you just simply not read the post/rules?  :lol

-Marc.

I voted for 2, but I will say the initial post was incredibly vague as to what you were looking for.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: The Letter M on October 01, 2012, 02:40:47 PM
Hmmmm... 7 out of 25 people only voted for one. Was it because you just didn't want to vote for more than one, or that you just don't like more than one of these 3 listed? Or did you just simply not read the post/rules?  :lol

-Marc.

I voted for 2, but I will say the initial post was incredibly vague as to what you were looking for.

Fair enough, but in the subject title, I did include "Which two do YOU like", hopefully implying that you (the reader of the post) would vote for two of the three options.

-Marc.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: ColdFireYYZ on October 01, 2012, 02:52:44 PM
I love all 3 but Wilson is easily my favorite. He's one of my favorite musicians/songwriters of all time and I love almost all of his work. Second place is incredibly tough but I'm going with Morse just on the strength of his work with SB even though Stolt is a more diverse musician.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: pogoowner on October 01, 2012, 03:48:57 PM
Wilson and Morse. Stolt is cool and all, but most of his music doesn't really grab me.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Mosh on October 01, 2012, 04:20:18 PM
Neal and Roine was as easy as a decision as I'll make all week.
This
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Pols Voice on October 01, 2012, 05:39:04 PM
1. Neal
2. Roine

















3. Steven
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Mladen on October 02, 2012, 12:24:58 AM
Wow, I thought this would be a landslide for Steven Wilson. Man, was I proved wrong.  :lol
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Fluffy Lothario on October 02, 2012, 01:25:43 AM
It would be interesting to throw Townsend and Gildenlow up there, too. All alpha types.
Even with those five options, there still wouldn't be a musician I actually liked.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Kwyjibo on October 02, 2012, 04:02:15 AM
Wilson and Morse. Stolt is cool and all, but most of his music doesn't really grab me.
This
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Zantera on October 02, 2012, 04:29:35 AM
Wilson, I really don't care for the others.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: kirksnosehair on October 02, 2012, 07:29:52 AM
Wilson by a nose hair.  I love all three though.


I am now a unit of measure  :P
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: King Postwhore on October 02, 2012, 07:35:04 AM
Wilson by a nose hair.  I love all three though.


I am now a unit of measure  :P

Wilson by a Kirk :lol  Even more confusing.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: YtseJamittaja on October 03, 2012, 12:30:06 AM
Neal and Steven, I don't listen to Flower Kings or Transatlantic.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: wasteland on October 03, 2012, 01:34:35 PM
I really love Neal, and am very appreciative of Roine's work in Transatlantic, while I never truly got into his other works (TFK mostly, I never listened to Kaipa).

As for Steven Wilson... it's complicated. I really really love much of his early production (I go through Staircase Infinities or The Sky Moves Sideways almost daily), and some of his work in PT in the 00s (Blank Planet, parts of Deadwing and In Absentia). I recently bought GFD and was not really satisfied with it. It just felt too pretentious, too much trying to be like "Look at me, I'm being minimalistic, I'm sooo experimental, I'm breaking new grounds here! By the way, did you notice that reference to the classic 70s prog age 1 minute ago? Or was it 3? Maybe both." (don't take this as an educated critique, it's just the feeling I get over and over again listening to GFD, and that happened more than once). That being said, there some parts of the album I thoroughly enjoy (mostly the first 15 minutes), but I can't really say that at the present state of things, I like SW more than Neal Morse or Roine. But due to his past works, he earns the second position.

Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: skydivingninja on October 03, 2012, 04:03:28 PM
Just Steven Wilson.  Don't care for Neal Morse outside some Spock's Beard, Flying Colors, and some Transatlantic, don't care for Roine Stolt outside of some Transatlantic, do care for Steven Wilson and want to caress his face and sing him lullabies.

So yeah, just voted for Steven.  Why are these three artists together in the first place?  I'd say Mike Portnoy or JP would be a better choice than Stolt. 
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: KevShmev on October 03, 2012, 05:04:10 PM
Just Steven Wilson.  Don't care for Neal Morse outside some Spock's Beard, Flying Colors, and some Transatlantic, don't care for Roine Stolt outside of some Transatlantic, do care for Steven Wilson and want to caress his face and sing him lullabies.

So yeah, just voted for Steven. Why are these three artists together in the first place? I'd say Mike Portnoy or JP would be a better choice than Stolt.

Because they are all dominant songwriters.  Portnoy is not, and while JP is DT's most prolific songwriter over the years, he has never dominated the writing in a band the way Wilson, Stolt and Morse all have.  Plus, there's the "most would vote for the DT guys, because this is a DT site" factor.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Lucidity on October 03, 2012, 05:58:02 PM
Roine and Neal. Interesting thread, by the way.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: The Letter M on October 27, 2012, 01:37:15 PM
Just as a comparison of their near constant and consistent amount of releases, here's what each of them released by year, over the last twenty years, starting with this year and going backwards-

2012:
NM - Flying Colors (debut album), Cover2Cover, Momentum, A Proggy Christmas
RS - Banks Of Eden (The Flower Kings)
SW - Love And Endings (No-Man), Storm Corrosion (debut album), Catalog/Preserve/Amass, Get All You Deserve

2011:
NM - Testimony 2, One More Night In NYC (YMC), Testimony 2 Live In LA, More Never Is Enough (Transatlantic)
RS - The Black Forest (Agents Of Mercy), Tour Kaputt (The Flower Kings)
SW - Welcome To My DNA (Blackfield), Cenotaph (Bass Communion), Grace For Drowning

2010:
NM - Whirld Tour 2010: Live In London (Transatlantic)
RS - Dramarama (Agents Of Mercy), Whirld Tour 2010: Live In London (Transatlantic)
SW - Anesthetize (Porcupine Tree), Atlanta (Porcupine Tree)

2009:
NM - The Whirlwind (Transatlantic), So Many Roads: Live In Europe
RS - The Whirlwind (Transatlantic), The Fading Ghosts Of Twilight (Agents Of Mercy), Kilimanjaro Secret Brew (3rd World Electric),
SW - The Incident (Porcupine Tree), Ilosaarirock (Porcupine Tree), Mixtaped (No-Man), Chiaroscuro (Bass Communion)

2008:
NM - Lifeline, Sola Scriptura & Beyond
RS - Carpe Diem - Live In USA 2006 (The Flower Kings)
SW - Insurgentes, Schoolyard Ghosts (No-Man), We Lost The Skyline (Porcupine Tree), Pacific Codex (Bass Communion), Molotov and Haze (Bass Communion)

2007:
NM - Sola Scriptura, ? Live, Sing It High: A Collection Of Singles
RS - The Sum Of No Evil (The Flower Kings), The Road Back Home (The Flower Kings)
SW - Blackfield II (Blackfield), Fear Of A Blank Planet (Porcupine Tree), Nil Recurring (Porcupine Tree)

2006:
NM - Cover To Cover
RS - Paradox Hotel, Instant Delivery (The Flower Kings)
SW - Rockpalast (Porcupine Tree), Futile EP (Porcupine Tree), Arriving Somewhere... (Porcupine Tree), Loss (Bass Communion)

2005:
NM - ?
RS - Wallstreet Voodoo, Pyramids And Stars (The Tangent), Mindrevolutions (Kaipa), Brimstoned In Europe (Circus Brimstone)
SW - Deadwing, Indicates Void (Bass Communion)

2004:
NM - One, Testimony Live
RS - Adam & Eve (The Flower Kings), BetchaWannaDanceStoopid!!! (The Flower Kings), The World That We Drive Through (The Tangent)
SW - Warszawa (Porcupine Tree), Ghosts on Magnetic Tape (Bass Communion), Blackfield (debut album)

2003:
NM - Testimony, Live In Europe (Transatlantic), , One Night In NYC (YMC)
RS - Keyholder (Kaipa), Meet The Flower Kings (The Flower Kings), The Music That Died Alone (The Tangent), Live In Europe (Transatlantic)
SW - Together We're Stranger (No-Man)

2002:
NM - Snow (Spock's Beard), It's Not Too Late
RS - Notes From The Past (Kaipa), Unfold The Future (The Flower Kings), Live In New York - Official Bootleg (The Flower Kings)
SW - In Absentia (Porcupine Tree)

2001:
NM - Live In America (Transatlantic), Bridge Across Forever (Transatlantic),
RS - Live In America (Transatlantic), Bridge Across Forever (Transatlantic), The Rainmaker (The Flower Kings)
SW - Recordings (Porcupine Tree), Returning Jesus (No-Man), III (Bass Communion)

2000:
NM - SMPT:e (Transatlantic), V (Spock's Beard), Don't Try This At Home (Spock's Beard), There And Here (Spock's Beard), Nick And Neal: Two Separate Gorillas
RS - SMPT:e (Transatlantic), Alive On Planet Earth (The Flower Kings), Space Revolver (The Flower Kings)
SW - Lightbulb Sun (Porcupine Tree), Voyage 34: The Complete Trip (Porcupine Tree)

1999:
NM - Neal Morse (solo debut), Live at the Whisky and NEARfest (Spock's Beard), Day For Night (Spock's Beard)
RS - Flower Power (The Flower Kings)
SW - Stupid Dream (Porcupine Tree), Speak (No-Man), II (Bass Communion), Atmospherics (Bass Communion)

1998:
NM - The Kindness Of Strangers (Spock's Beard)
RS - Hydrophonia, Édition Limitée Québec (The Flower Kings), Scanning The Greenhouse (The Flower Kings)
SW - I (Bass Communion), Metanoia (Porcupine Tree)

1997:
NM - From The Vault (Spock's Beard)
RS - Stardust We Are (The Flower Kings)
SW - Dry Cleaning Ray (No-Man), Coma Divine - Recorded Live in Rome (Porcupine Tree), Insignificance (Porcupine Tree)

1996:
NM - Beware Of Darkness (Spock's Beard), Official Live Bootleg/The Beard is Out There (Spock's Beard)
RS - Retropolis (The Flower Kings)
SW - Signify (Porcupine Tree), Wild Opera (No-Man)

1995:
NM - The Light (Spock's Beard)
RS - Back In The World Of Adventures (The Flower Kings)
SW - The Sky Moves Sideways (Porcupine Tree), Heaven Taste (No-Man), Flowermix (No-Man)

1994:
NM -
RS - The Flower King
SW - Flowermouth (No-Man), Yellow Hedgerow Dreamscape (Porcupine Tree), Spiral Circus Live (Porcupine Tree), Staircase Infinities (Porcupine Tree), Moonloop (Porcupine Tree)

1993:
NM -
RS -
SW - Up The Downstair (Porcupine Tree), Loveblows & Lovecries - A Confession (No-Man)

As you can see, since 1995, each of them have released at least ONE album a year, whether it's a studio recording, a live recording, or even a compilation. Either way, these men are pretty busy and prolific! Looking at these, it's amazing how much stuff they've released, and this isn't including stuff they've just appeared on for some tracks or as a guest!

So my question for THIS post is - which of these years includes your favorites?! Looking above, I'd say my 3 favorite years would be 1996, 2000 and 2002 - each man's release in those years is pretty consistent and great!

-Marc
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: The Letter M on September 30, 2013, 05:52:23 PM
So it has been nearly 11 months since I last posted in this thread. I was wondering if anyone had any more thoughts regarding these three prolific writers!

Since then, Neal has released (or will release) a couple of live albums, from his main band with Mike and Randy, and also with Flying Colors. Roine is set to release the next TFK album next month. And Steven has been working on the Drive Home EP, helped with Blackfield IV and of course, released TRTRTS earlier this year.

Coming down the pipeline for Roine and Neal is the next TA album, due sometime early next year, and as for Steven...I'm not entirely sure what he is up to this coming year.

-Marc.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Outcrier on October 01, 2013, 03:11:53 AM
Morse and Wilson :smiley:
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: CharlesPL on October 01, 2013, 04:15:03 AM
Neal Morse
Roine Stolt
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Lowdz on October 01, 2013, 01:39:58 PM
Voted Morse.
I can't forgive Stolt for singing on Transatlantic albums (shudder).
I know Wilson is a talent but I just don't really do proper prog too often.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Scorpion on October 01, 2013, 05:23:35 PM
Still don't really care for any of these, though I might vote Wilson by the smallest bit. Still, these three are probably the most overrated guys here, along with Rush.

/controversialopinion
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Shadow Ninja 2.0 on October 01, 2013, 07:29:14 PM
Dude, Steven Wilson.

Fear Of A Blank Planet and Grace For Drowning are two of the finest albums I own.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Rhayader on October 03, 2013, 01:24:37 AM
Roine Stolt by far. I don't like Steven Wilson as a person.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: The Letter M on May 31, 2020, 10:40:38 PM
It's been seven years since I last posted in this thread, but in that time, these three have been fairly busy (to varying degrees), and they're all still three of my favorite prolific musicians. For (more) fun, here's a breakdown of their major releases since 2013.


2020:
NM - The Great AdvenTour: Live In  BRNO (NMB), Cov3r To Cov3r (MPG), Live In London (FC), Transatlantic 5, Solo Album
RS - Transatlantic 5
SW - (Nothing?...)

2019:
NM - Jesus Christ: The Exorcist, The Great Adventure (NMB), Third Degree (FC)
RS - Waiting For Miracles (TFK)
SW - Love You To Bits (No-Man)

2018:
NM - TSOAD: Live In Tilburg & Morsefest 2017: Testimony Of A Dream (NMB), Life & Times, Life & Times Live
RS - Manifesto Of An Alchemist (Roine Stolt's The Flower King), The Sea Within
SW - Home Invasion

2017:
NM - Morsefest 2015, Snow Live (SB),
RS - Kaipa Da Capo Live
SW - To The Bone, Last Day Of June (Original Soundtrack), Blackfield V

2016:
NM - Alive Again & The Similitude Of A Dream (NMB)
RS - Darkapens monotoni (Kaipa Da Capo), Invention Of Knowledge (Anderson/Stolt)
SW - 4 1/2

2015:
NM - The Grand Experiment & Morsefest 2014 (NMB), Second Flight: Live At The Z7 (FC), The First Twenty Years (SB)
RS - (Nothing?...)
SW - Hand. Cannot. Erase., Transcience

2014:
NM - Songs From November, Kaleidoscope & KaLIVEoscope (TA), Second Nature (FC)
RS - Kaleidoscope & KaLIVEoscope (TA)
SW - Cover Version

2013:
NM - Live Momentum, Live In Europe (FC)
RS - Desolation Rose (TFK)
SW - The Raven That Refused To Sing, Drive Home, Blackfield IV


Did I miss anything?

Looking at this set of years, it definitely looks like Neal stepped up his output game, while Roine kind of settled down a bit with only one or two releases a year, same with Steven.

For anyone who hasn't voted in this year, who are your favorites? And for those who voted before, do you feel like your votes are still the same, seven years later? Or have you come to appreciate one of the others more since then?

-Marc.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: DTA on June 01, 2020, 06:14:33 AM
This is extremely tough. Neal's output is legendary and it's all high quality stuff but he pretty much releases the same type of album over and over again. This is why I love stuff like Life & Times because it's out of the norm.

Roine's recent output has been spotty and while there's been some good moments, a lot of it just came and went for me. But historically, nothing SW or NM has written hits me like Stardust We Are, Garden of Dreams, or I Am The Sun (and countless other FK songs). In their golden-age from 1994-2000, no prog band in history could touch them imo.

Steven Wilson's obsession with branching out and doing new things is everything I want in a musician and even though I'm not overly fond of each direction, I really respect his willingness to not keep releasing the same album over and over. At 53, The Future Bites looks to be his most ambitious release yet.

Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Train of Naught on June 01, 2020, 07:29:27 AM
Only voted for Steven Wilson, the other two haven't released anything I liked from what I heard
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: goo-goo on June 01, 2020, 07:58:05 AM
Steven Wilson's obsession with branching out and doing new things is everything I want in a musician and even though I'm not overly fond of each direction, I really respect his willingness to not keep releasing the same album over and over. At 53, The Future Bites looks to be his most ambitious release yet.

This.

Roine Stolt's material sounds fresher but TFK and his solo stuff are relatively new (about 5 yrs since I discovered them).

Neal Morse doesn't do it for me anymore. There's a lot of formulaic writing for him right now which has become very predictable. In fact, I have a a couple of NMB releases for sale in my Discogs page (see link below in my signature if anyone is interested) and I'll be adding more in the next few weeks.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: HOF on June 01, 2020, 08:11:53 AM
I’d rank them this way:

Morse for the SB and first two Transatlantic albums alone, though I haven’t really cared for anything he’s done since (I do like FC though).

Stolt for the early Flower Kings, Transatlantic, and his 70s band Kaipa (plus a hat tip to his time in The Tangent). His work has become repetitive, but he’s come to be one of my favorite guitarists, and he’s an underrated singer too.

Wilson, I only like a couple PT albums really. His style kind of bores me, and the more he’s tried to branch out the more boring it seems to get. He is an amazing producer/mixer though. I appreciate him more for that than as a writer or performer.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: KevShmev on June 01, 2020, 12:21:30 PM
Reading back through this, I see that Neal and Roine were neck and neck for me in 2nd place back in 2012.  Fast forward and Neal is probably now neck and neck with Steven Wilson for 1st place.  I am still a big Roine fan, but SW and Neal have both lapped him several times in the last eight years.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: ProfessorPeart on June 01, 2020, 12:44:29 PM
Hah, I was reading through the thread and saw a post from kirksnosehair, he who has been banned from every forum I have been a member of. Then I checked the date.  :lol

As for the thread, yeesh. Neal and I'm not sure. I'm leaning Roine because of the consistency of his work. I have found most of it rather enjoyable. The Flower Kings, The Tangent, Kaipa, TA, his solo work. Steven has PT and 2 solo albums going for him. The thing is, I probably like PT more than most of Roine's stuff. Steven has many more misses than the other 2 for me.

I'm going Neal and Roine.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: The Letter M on June 01, 2020, 01:01:44 PM
Hah, I was reading through the thread and saw a post from kirksnosehair, he who has been banned from every forum I have been a member of. Then I checked the date.  :lol

As for the thread, yeesh. Neal and I'm not sure. I'm leaning Roine because of the consistency of his work. I have found most of it rather enjoyable. The Flower Kings, The Tangent, Kaipa, TA, his solo work. Steven has PT and 2 solo albums going for him. The thing is, I probably like PT more than most of Roine's stuff. Steven has many more misses than the other 2 for me.

I'm going Neal and Roine.

Regarding SW, you've not checked out No-Man or Blackfield? SW definitely has quite a more diverse collection of side-projects and bands to his name, more diverse than Roine and Neal. I've never even dived into Bass Communion or IEM, though both of those projects, along with Porcupine Tree, seem to be done with as he moves forward with his solo stuff.


Reading back through this, I see that Neal and Roine were neck and neck for me in 2nd place back in 2012.  Fast forward and Neal is probably now neck and neck with Steven Wilson for 1st place.  I am still a big Roine fan, but SW and Neal have both lapped him several times in the last eight years.

Roine has definitely eased up in terms of original works in the last few years, though he hasn't been completely inactive, as he's been touring with the Steve Hackett band for many years now. I wish he would put out more studio work, though, especially since, about a decade ago, he said he had so much material saved up for various things, like a symphonic project that he has spoken about several times but has never released. I'm hoping he contributed a lot to TA5, I would love to hear more of his influence in Transatlantic.

-Marc.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: HOF on June 01, 2020, 01:10:46 PM
To me, almost everything SW touches comes out sounding about the same. People were up in arms about To The Bone, and I’m like “this sounds like PT or Blackfield.”
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: ProfessorPeart on June 01, 2020, 01:16:29 PM
I have checked out most of SW's other projects. I do have the first 2 Blackfield albums. None of that other stuff grabbed me. I simply forgot about Blackfield.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: RoeDent on June 01, 2020, 01:28:54 PM
To me, almost everything SW touches comes out sounding about the same. People were up in arms about To The Bone, and I’m like “this sounds like PT or Blackfield.”

Oh no no no no no no no. You're not listening hard enough. Every solo album is vastly different. Insurgentes is noise rock. GFD is Crimsonian jazz-rock, dark as hell itself, Raven is classic prog, HCE is an ode to the great concept albums of our time, TTB is 80s sophistipop.

I have checked out most of SW's other projects. I do have the first 2 Blackfield albums. None of that other stuff grabbed me. I simply forgot about Blackfield.

I urge, nay, implore you to give Blackfield V a go. A return to the absolute classic form of what made the first two so good.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: goo-goo on June 01, 2020, 01:32:28 PM
HCE is an ode to the great concept albums of our time

Which one?
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: ProfessorPeart on June 01, 2020, 01:38:56 PM

I urge, nay, implore you to give Blackfield V a go. A return to the absolute classic form of what made the first two so good.

I'll take a look. Big thing for me is that I cannot stand Geffen's vocals. Totally lose interest once he starts 'singing'.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: RoeDent on June 01, 2020, 01:45:56 PM
HCE is an ode to the great concept albums of our time

Which one?

All of them. The very concept of concept albums itself.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: HOF on June 01, 2020, 01:51:09 PM
To me, almost everything SW touches comes out sounding about the same. People were up in arms about To The Bone, and I’m like “this sounds like PT or Blackfield.”

Oh no no no no no no no. You're not listening hard enough. Every solo album is vastly different. Insurgentes is noise rock. GFD is Crimsonian jazz-rock, dark as hell itself, Raven is classic prog, HCE is an ode to the great concept albums of our time, TTB is 80s sophistipop.

I bought To The Bone on the strength of Permanating, but also because Wilson was saying how it was inspired by Talk Talk and Tears for Fears and stuff, but it just sounded like a SW album to me. I actually liked a lot of it, but I find a lot of his stuff sounds good on first listen but doesn’t have a lot of replay value for me. May have to give the other solo albums a try some time though.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Stadler on June 01, 2020, 02:05:11 PM
I do not get the attraction to Steve Wilson.  I really liked his work with Fish, and his remasters of the Crimson material are spot on, but as for his music...   no thanks.  Bo-ring.

I only know Roine from Translatlantic and the Anderson Stolt disk, and he's good, but IN MY CIRCLE he doesn't belong here (Devin does, however).   

This answer is "Neal Morse", that's it. 
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: HOF on June 01, 2020, 02:47:33 PM
I do not get the attraction to Steve Wilson.  I really liked his work with Fish, and his remasters of the Crimson material are spot on, but as for his music...   no thanks.  Bo-ring.

I only know Roine from Translatlantic and the Anderson Stolt disk, and he's good, but IN MY CIRCLE he doesn't belong here (Devin does, however).   

This answer is "Neal Morse", that's it.

I think all 3 of these guys are guilty of pumping out a ton of similar music, so it’s really a matter of whether you like any of that music.

But I will say the more I’ve explored the Flower Kings the more I’ve become fond of Stolt as a guitarist and writer. I think he probably contributed more to the first two TA albums than I previously realized.   At any rate, he’s someone who I think of as one of the great prog guitarists, and there are a ton of really great solos and parts throughout his body of work to be found if you don’t mind wading through a billion releases to find them.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: goo-goo on June 01, 2020, 03:01:31 PM
HCE is an ode to the great concept albums of our time

Which one?

All of them. The very concept of concept albums itself.

Ah, thought you were referring to a specific album. Yes, this one along with Insurgentes would be my favorite SW solo albums. HCE could have been a Porcupine Tree album. But I agree, a great concept album. 

The PT run of albums (In Absentia, Deadwing, Fear of the Blank Planet and Nil Recurring) might be one of the best in history.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: HOF on June 01, 2020, 04:14:00 PM
I like King Crimson, but I listened to most of Grace For Drowning just now, and I don’t know if I can get into the right headspace to enjoy that one. Now listening to Roine’s The Flower King to counteract it!
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: KevShmev on June 01, 2020, 05:26:07 PM

 
I bought To The Bone on the strength of Permanating, but also because Wilson was saying how it was inspired by Talk Talk and Tears for Fears and stuff, but it just sounded like a SW album to me. I actually liked a lot of it, but I find a lot of his stuff sounds good on first listen but doesn’t have a lot of replay value for me. May have to give the other solo albums a try some time though.

Well yeah, the alleged 80's influence on To the Bone is exaggerated big time. Most of the album is not dissimilar to stuff we've heard SW do before.  Permanating and Song of I are really the only 80's-sounding tunes, and even that is a stretch as Permanating is more 70's disco/ABBA influenced.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: RoeDent on June 02, 2020, 01:03:15 AM
To the Bone wasn't inspired by the 80s in terms of sound, but more in terms of the idea of these "pop" albums (Talk Talk, Tears for Fears, Kate Bush etc.) having real depth, real ambition to them, something largely lost in a lot of today's pop music. He wanted to make an album like that, and he succeeded.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Zydar on June 02, 2020, 01:17:57 AM
Neal Morse. I base that on Transatlantic, Spock's Beard, some of his solo stuff, and mainly TNMB which is my favourite of his projects. Don't care for Flying Colors though or his worship stuff.

I've barely listened to The Flower Kings, but there are some great songs spread out over the few albums I've heard. Can't really comment more on Roine. He's a fellow Swede though :P

I listened quite a bit to Porcupine Tree a few years back, but I wouldn't call myself a real fan. His music is more dark and depressing (?) than my tastes. To me his strength lies in his various surround remix projects (XTC, Yes, King Crimson etc.).

Oh crap, I forgot to choose TWO. Ah well.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: SleeperAwake on June 02, 2020, 12:14:44 PM
At this point I'd like to formally request an 'All of the Above' option.  :)


Pun intended.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: KevShmev on June 02, 2020, 07:10:22 PM
At this point I'd like to formally request an 'All of the Above' option.  :)


Pun intended.

I can get on board with this option.  :tup :tup
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: The Letter M on June 02, 2020, 08:02:26 PM
At this point I'd like to formally request an 'All of the Above' option.  :)


Pun intended.

I can get on board with this option.  :tup :tup

 :lol

Well, I wouldn't disagree, but the point of the thread was to see what folks would pick if they could only choose two of the three they liked more (or conversely, which of the three is their least favorite). If it was just a choose-who-you-like, then yeah, I'd definitely pick all three myself!

-Marc.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Fritzinger on June 03, 2020, 05:24:38 AM
100% Neal Morse and Steven Wilson. Roine is a great composer but imo not as great as Neal and Steven, and also he is (don't kill me) a very mediocre guitarist (okay, so is SW, but he doesn't present himself as a lead guitarist.)

I think, the secret to SW is to check out his stuff beyond Porcupine Tree and his solo work. I am currently listening to a LOT of ambient and man his Bass Communion stuff is just utterly beautiful. I know the first two albums only, and they are gorgeous. Also, Storm Corrosion and no-man are amazing. no-man's Together We're Stranger is one of my favourite outputs of Steven's (and it's opening builds on a Bass Communion song, and it's beautiful as to be expected).
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Nekov on June 03, 2020, 07:09:29 AM
Wow, I'm surprised that I voted Roine over Steven back in the day. Don't get me wrong, Roine is great, but I think Steven is on another level.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Indiscipline on June 03, 2020, 07:10:58 AM
100% Neal Morse and Steven Wilson. Roine is a great composer but imo not as great as Neal and Steven, and also he is (don't kill me) a very mediocre guitarist (okay, so is SW, but he doesn't present himself as a lead guitarist.)

I think, the secret to SW is to check out his stuff beyond Porcupine Tree and his solo work. I am currently listening to a LOT of ambient and man his Bass Communion stuff is just utterly beautiful. I know the first two albums only, and they are gorgeous. Also, Storm Corrosion and no-man are amazing. no-man's Together We're Stranger is one of my favourite outputs of Steven's (and it's opening builds on a Bass Communion song, and it's beautiful as to be expected).

Ouch, that seems a bit harsh.

The guy has a good sound, comes up with great melodies, and plays tastefully upon the changes. He surely doesn't run up and down scales at the speed of light, but I'm not sure that equals being very mediocre  :D
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: HOF on June 03, 2020, 07:38:17 AM
100% Neal Morse and Steven Wilson. Roine is a great composer but imo not as great as Neal and Steven, and also he is (don't kill me) a very mediocre guitarist (okay, so is SW, but he doesn't present himself as a lead guitarist.)

I think, the secret to SW is to check out his stuff beyond Porcupine Tree and his solo work. I am currently listening to a LOT of ambient and man his Bass Communion stuff is just utterly beautiful. I know the first two albums only, and they are gorgeous. Also, Storm Corrosion and no-man are amazing. no-man's Together We're Stranger is one of my favourite outputs of Steven's (and it's opening builds on a Bass Communion song, and it's beautiful as to be expected).

Ouch, that seems a bit harsh.

The guy has a good sound, comes up with great melodies, and plays tastefully upon the changes. He surely doesn't run up and down scales at the speed of light, but I'm not sure that equals being very mediocre  :D

Yeah, I don’t know what angle Fritz is coming from there. He’s not a shredder, but’s it’s not as if he lacks technical ability. He also has his stylistic ruts for sure (as both a player and composer). But he’s written some really amazing melodic solos, and in general he’s a very expressive and creative guitarist. Maybe in recent years he’s lost some of his touch (I haven’t heard any TFK past Unfold the Future), but if you go all the way back to his original The Flower Kings album, he was really on fire.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Fritzinger on June 03, 2020, 08:14:39 AM
100% Neal Morse and Steven Wilson. Roine is a great composer but imo not as great as Neal and Steven, and also he is (don't kill me) a very mediocre guitarist (okay, so is SW, but he doesn't present himself as a lead guitarist.)

I think, the secret to SW is to check out his stuff beyond Porcupine Tree and his solo work. I am currently listening to a LOT of ambient and man his Bass Communion stuff is just utterly beautiful. I know the first two albums only, and they are gorgeous. Also, Storm Corrosion and no-man are amazing. no-man's Together We're Stranger is one of my favourite outputs of Steven's (and it's opening builds on a Bass Communion song, and it's beautiful as to be expected).

Ouch, that seems a bit harsh.

The guy has a good sound, comes up with great melodies, and plays tastefully upon the changes. He surely doesn't run up and down scales at the speed of light, but I'm not sure that equals being very mediocre  :D

I thought I'd get criticism for this comment  ;)

I don't think you have to be fast to be a good/great guitarist. But in my opinion, Stolt doesn't do much of the things you've mentioned. I think his sound is whiny (I don't know how a better word in English) and his lines often don't relate much to the changes underneath. But my biggest problem with his playing is his timing, or the lack thereof. Also, I saw him a couple of times on stage with Transatlantic and he always came across quite sloppy to me (and he got a few warning looks by MP).
If I compare his playing to other guitarists who (how should I say this) focus on longer, singing lines, like Steve Rothery, Steve Hackett or David Gilmour, this becomes especially evident.

I'm not saying he is a "bad" guitarist. I still think he is a good rhythm player btw, as audible on A Man Can Feel (Transatlantic) for example. But I never get why his solos get praised so much. I just don't like them.
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: HOF on June 03, 2020, 08:23:40 AM
I can definitely see not liking his tone (I might call it shrill). I’ve also seen what you are saying about him live with TA. I’ve wondered if that was related to a lack of rehearsal time, but I don’t know. He may be a better studio musician than a live performer (haven’t seen him play with TFK or anyone else).
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: KevShmev on June 03, 2020, 09:27:31 AM
Roine Stolt is a mediocre guitarist??

Hot takes!! Get your hot takes!!!!
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: Fritzinger on June 04, 2020, 08:25:00 AM
Roine Stolt is a mediocre guitarist??

Hot takes!! Get your hot takes!!!!

Not quite sure what this means, but I'm still have that opinion ;)
Title: Re: Neal Morse VS. Roine Stolt VS. Steven Wilson - Which two do YOU like?
Post by: ytserush on June 04, 2020, 04:07:36 PM
Neal by a land slide.

Like Roine's work with Transatlantic and have about a half dozen of Flower Kings/solo projects.