Steven Wilson

[zxlkho]

When I think of pretentious artists...I think of artists that seem to desperately avoid using any musical or lyrical cliches just because they are cliches.  That's the easiest way I can simplify my thoughts into words.  Steven Wilson and Daniel Gildenlow fit into that description, I think.  Wilson is not musically pretentious...but lyrically so, a bit....Gildenlow is, in my opinion, is as pretentious as you can go both musically and lyrically.  Everything has to be as far away from the norm as possible.
 
EDIT: And Ryan, feel free to replace the word "pretentious" with any of the following words:
 
affected, arty, assuming, aureate, big*, bombastic, chichi*, conspicuous, euphuistic, exaggerated, extravagant, feigned, flamboyant, flashy, flaunting, flowery, gaudy, grandiloquent, grandiose, high-flown, high-sounding, highfaluting, hollow, imposing, inflated, jazzy, la-di-da, lofty, magniloquent, mincing, ornate, ostentatious, overambitious, overblown, pompous, puffed up, put-on, rhetorical, showy, specious, splashy, stilted, swank, too-too, tumid, turgid, utopian, vainglorious

You can't just take that word out and replace it with something from thesaurus.com. The reason I hate the word is people use it as a catch for all things that they don't like, and that's basically what you just did.

[Ħ]

When I think of pretentious artists...I think of artists that seem to desperately avoid using any musical or lyrical cliches just because they are cliches.  That's the easiest way I can simplify my thoughts into words.  Steven Wilson and Daniel Gildenlow fit into that description, I think.  Wilson is not musically pretentious...but lyrically so, a bit....Gildenlow is, in my opinion, is as pretentious as you can go both musically and lyrically.  Everything has to be as far away from the norm as possible.
 
EDIT: And Ryan, feel free to replace the word "pretentious" with any of the following words:
 
affected, arty, assuming, aureate, big*, bombastic, chichi*, conspicuous, euphuistic, exaggerated, extravagant, feigned, flamboyant, flashy, flaunting, flowery, gaudy, grandiloquent, grandiose, high-flown, high-sounding, highfaluting, hollow, imposing, inflated, jazzy, la-di-da, lofty, magniloquent, mincing, ornate, ostentatious, overambitious, overblown, pompous, puffed up, put-on, rhetorical, showy, specious, splashy, stilted, swank, too-too, tumid, turgid, utopian, vainglorious

You can't just take that word out and replace it with something from thesaurus.com. The reason I hate the word is people use it as a catch for all things that they don't like, and that's basically what you just did.

I don't like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Tallest Man on Earth, or Lady Gaga, but I don't think they are pretentious.  And there are things I like that are pretentious, like lots of SW's stuff.

[petrucci07]

When I think of pretentious artists...I think of artists that seem to desperately avoid using any musical or lyrical cliches just because they are cliches.  That's the easiest way I can simplify my thoughts into words.  Steven Wilson and Daniel Gildenlow fit into that description, I think.  Wilson is not musically pretentious...but lyrically so, a bit....Gildenlow is, in my opinion, is as pretentious as you can go both musically and lyrically.  Everything has to be as far away from the norm as possible.

...isn't that innovation? Creating things that are new?

(repost - got last-post-on-the-page-syndrome)

[Ħ]

When I think of pretentious artists...I think of artists that seem to desperately avoid using any musical or lyrical cliches just because they are cliches.  That's the easiest way I can simplify my thoughts into words.  Steven Wilson and Daniel Gildenlow fit into that description, I think.  Wilson is not musically pretentious...but lyrically so, a bit....Gildenlow is, in my opinion, is as pretentious as you can go both musically and lyrically.  Everything has to be as far away from the norm as possible.

...isn't that innovation? Creating things that are new?

(repost - got last-post-on-the-page-syndrome)

Well, sure, but innovation =/= good.  Most new ideas are pretty terrible.

[Metro]

Been listening to Grace for Drowning all weekend.
If it's possible to be sexually attracted to an album, than I am.

[zxlkho]

When I think of pretentious artists...I think of artists that seem to desperately avoid using any musical or lyrical cliches just because they are cliches.  That's the easiest way I can simplify my thoughts into words.  Steven Wilson and Daniel Gildenlow fit into that description, I think.  Wilson is not musically pretentious...but lyrically so, a bit....Gildenlow is, in my opinion, is as pretentious as you can go both musically and lyrically.  Everything has to be as far away from the norm as possible.
 
EDIT: And Ryan, feel free to replace the word "pretentious" with any of the following words:
 
affected, arty, assuming, aureate, big*, bombastic, chichi*, conspicuous, euphuistic, exaggerated, extravagant, feigned, flamboyant, flashy, flaunting, flowery, gaudy, grandiloquent, grandiose, high-flown, high-sounding, highfaluting, hollow, imposing, inflated, jazzy, la-di-da, lofty, magniloquent, mincing, ornate, ostentatious, overambitious, overblown, pompous, puffed up, put-on, rhetorical, showy, specious, splashy, stilted, swank, too-too, tumid, turgid, utopian, vainglorious

You can't just take that word out and replace it with something from thesaurus.com. The reason I hate the word is people use it as a catch for all things that they don't like, and that's basically what you just did.

I don't like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Tallest Man on Earth, or Lady Gaga, but I don't think they are pretentious.  And there are things I like that are pretentious, like lots of SW's stuff.

I'm not saying it's the only reason that people dislike something...

[The King in Crimson]

I've listened to Disc 1 of Grace For Drowning a couple of times so far.

It's... alright I suppose. The heavy King Crimson and jazz influences are kinda cool, but overall, aside from Postcard, it's not grabbing me much.

I liked Insurgentes pretty much right away, but I'm gonna definitely give this some more time. SW is usually worth it.

[ZBomber]

The KC influences are really heavy through out this album, so if you aren't a fan of KC you probably won't like a big chunk of this record. But, personally I love it. The instrumental bit in Remainder is crazy, and I love those chord changes! 

I was listening to this album on the backroads... in the middle of nowhere... in a convertible with the roof off yesterday. It was an awesome experience. 

[SystematicThought]

The KC influences are really heavy through out this album, so if you aren't a fan of KC you probably won't like a big chunk of this record. But, personally I love it. The instrumental bit in Remainder is crazy, and I love those chord changes! 

I was listening to this album on the backroads... in the middle of nowhere... in a convertible with the roof off yesterday. It was an awesome experience. 

Hmmm, does that mean that your hair was blown in an open car?

[Gorille85]

I hate the word pretentious in music as well.

[KevShmev]

  Sectarian is really boring

*smacks forehead*

I'd like Raider II much more it was trimmed down.

I can see that, but as is, it is a helluva journey, and I think its charm is how it flows and weaves in and out of sections, often teasing you into thinking the song is over, and then carrying on some more.

[Zantera]

I don't really care for King Crimson at all, but I still love Grace For Drowning. 

[PixelDream]

I only own ITCOTCK by KC and I have heard Power to Believe and Construkction of Light (which is a pretty good album, really). Not a big fan at all, but I recognize the KC'ness of this album and it fits really well.

[Pirate]

I love KC, and recently I've been listening to some of the albums from the Adrian Belew era a lot. Albums like Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair can be pure genius at times. Thing is, that's not the KC that's influencing SW, so that's too bad. Whatever it is, though, it's working excellently.

[mizzl]

Wow.


I really couldn't get into Insurgentes for a reason, but GfD i loved from the get-go and is still growing on me


Nothing but love 

[ZBomber]

Insurgentes was all about taking a song and breaking it down. Grace For Drowning is about taking a song and building it up.

[Sintheros]

BUILD
ME
UP

BREAK
ME
DOWN

[Ħ]

Insurgentes was all about taking a song and breaking it down. Grace For Drowning is about taking a song and building it up.

Wow, that sums those albums up perfectly.  Nice, man!

[seasonsinthesky]

finally got the Newbury Comics deluxe preorder in the mail yesterday: what an amazing piece of art. the photography and concepts are absolutely stunning. i love how the imagery gradually gets creepier and creepier as you move forward through the pages, and those bizarre white "tendrils" of fabric that pop up everywhere (also gradually in creepier ways). the handwritten stuff fits as well, somehow — anyone catch the notes for his mixes of We're Here Because We're Here on one of the pages?

i'd love to see all his notes for an album. he's used bits in liner notes before (besides this one, i'm specifically thinking of the liner for Staircase Infinities, which consists solely of handwritten notes, lyrics and track sheets, etc.) but never in full. i want more than take sheets for the choirs and chord sequences, dammit

musically, even the b-sides grew on me (save the "Raider II" demo, which is far more boring than the final version, especially the psychedelic riff section without Theo Travis' solos that drones on forever without adding anything — i suppose that's why SW changed it in the final song). for instance, "The Map" would fit well on the Deform to Form a Star disc, i think, and "Fluid Tap" on Like Dust I Have Cleared From My Eye.

i disliked "Remainder" greatly when they initially released the video (in the minority, i realize), but it grew on me greatly once i heard it on the album and focused on the sax solo. truly a beast, that song. as well, "Sectarian" took a while to grow on me.

my favourite tracks are, by far, "No Part of Me" and "Index," though there's nothing on the main discs that i dislike at all.

[Pirate]

Received my copy of the BluRay audio version of GfD today. Pretty pissed that my main BluRay player (the one that's hooked up to my surround sound) isn't compatible, so I listened to it in stereo using my PS3. Great stuff.

[Heretic]

Deform to Form a Star = the greatest thing ever

[TioJorge]

Fluid Tap gives me redwood.

[faemir]

Received my copy of the BluRay audio version of GfD today. Pretty pissed that my main BluRay player (the one that's hooked up to my surround sound) isn't compatible, so I listened to it in stereo using my PS3. Great stuff.

Not compatible? wat

[Pirate]

Well SW said that the BluRay audio would work on most players, did he not?

[petrucci07]

Received my copy of the BluRay audio version of GfD today. Pretty pissed that my main BluRay player (the one that's hooked up to my surround sound) isn't compatible, so I listened to it in stereo using my PS3. Great stuff.

Sounds like your Bluray player needs a firmware update. Do that and it should be fine

[ACID_FOX]

If SW and Kevin Moore did an album together, it would probably be so incredible and depressing that it tear the fabric of space-time.

[Pirate]

But, it would probably also be the greatest album of all time. And MP would shit brix

Imagine if Kevin Moore was brought in to work on Storm Corrosion lol

[ACID_FOX]

I honestly think a SW/KM album would be the pinnacle of music. Something like Grace for Drowning or Insurgentes mixed with Graveyard Mountain Home...fuck.

[Pirate]

Is there a way for it to go terribly wrong?

[ACID_FOX]

Honestly? No.

[Pirate]

Even the most logical potential failure, an album entirely composed of white noise and japanese employment training samples would turn out fantastic.

BTW I know this is off topic, but I was told that I should update my BluRay players firmware if I want to listen to GfD. I'm having problems with my samsung... it seems to connect to the internet and even says 'Ready for download' and 'Preparing for upgrade' but returns to the main menu before anything starts downloading. Any tips?

[glaurung]

Wilson/Moore/Akerfeldt

[bout to crash]

Imagine being stuck in an elevator with all three of them...

[ZBomber]

 


Also I am SO glad Portnoy is not part of Storm Corrosion. I am extremely excited for that record to come out!

[zxlkho]

Also I am SO glad Portnoy is not part of Storm Corrosion. I am extremely excited for that record to come out!

bant.