Steven Wilson vs. Devin Townsend - Who do you love more? The epic showdown.

[WebRaider]

Justin, a few problems with your justification:

1. You can't compare them objectively.  I thought we established you can't talk about music that way
2. In trying to compare them objectively, you say that Devy's ability to shred puts him above SW in that category.  Now I understand that's important to you but you can't say that criteria is necessary for determining whether an artist is objectively better than the other.  Not to mention that you can't objectively judge creative riff writing either. 

But enough of that before we get another subjectivity vs. objectivity thread.

Now as for differences of OPINION, I'd say that Devy's style is actually quite recognizable throughout his projects.  With the exception of Punky Bruster, Devlab/Hummer, Ki, and Ghost.  There are just a lot of musical tricks he uses that show up in almost everything he does.  I don't think he's that much more versatile compared to SW.  SW's style is mostly seen in PT, BF, and his solo work, but No Man, Bass Communion, and IEM are all completely out there for him, IMO. 

Now for my actual vote instead of responding to UMH.    For me, Devin gives me more "fun" music to listen to with a few songs that really get me emotionally.  Now there's nothing wrong with fun music.  Bad Devil and Addicted are two of my favorite songs by him, but "Deadhead" is my favorite.  SYL also sorta gets me emotionally, but its mostly when I want to listen to heavy music to scream at something or for fun.  But I still don't really connect with it, if that makes sense.  I don't have any unbreakable bonds with any SYL songs. 

The more ways an artist can really connect with me emotionally, the better.  Steven Wilson does that consistently with most of the songs he writes.  So, while both are absolute amazing musicians, Steven Wilson gets my vote.

I do like Devin more as a singer though.  When I first heard Addicted it reminded me of hearing James LaBrie for the first time.  That same sense of "holy shit this guy is awesome!"

That's the thing that's kind of of disappointing for me with Wilson and PT. His vocals seem so cold for me and it really leaves me emotionally detached. I don't know what it is. I know he and PT are very talented musically so I'll continue to try. It's like I know they are worth the effort to listen to but its left me flat in the past.

[JRundquist]

Steven Wilson is in my top 5 favorite musicians.
Devin Townsend is in my top 1 favorite musicians.

 

[Ultimetalhead]

I guess I didn't make that clear enough. I tried to say that they can't be judged objectively, but I was going to because I was bored. Though, I'm not sure how you can argue that Devin isn't more versatile than SW. As soon as Steve starts writing 90s pop-punk, we can talk.

[glaurung]

I didn't take your essay to mean you were judging this objectively. I thought it was just the reasoning behind your opinions.

[KevShmev]

  Though, I'm not sure how you can argue that Devin isn't more versatile than SW. 

Funny, I think it is the other way around.

But to answer the question, SW is probably my 2nd favorite musician, while Devin is number 3, so Wilson gets the very slight edge.

[bout to crash]

SW, without having to think about it.

Some opinions in response to what I've read so far.

1. I don't see the big deal about Devin's voice. Sorry.

2. Devin's style is extremely recognizable, to the point where I get bored with him. Often repetitive as hell. I've really tried to get into him and just haven't been able to. Don't get me wrong, I like a lot of the stuff I've heard... and I've tried listening to it many times, etc. but it just does not stick with me. I'm still open to it, though. Adami played some stuff for me that I liked.

3. As for SW's vocals being "cold", I get the opposite feeling from them actually. I love his voice and it evokes a lot of emotion from me. Also, when he breathes/sighs (like Russia on Ice or Raider II for example), that shit chills me.

4. Similarly, I don't see how SW's music in general is thought to have no emotion. Dude has made me cry my eyes out on numerous occasions and gotten me through a lot of shit because of the level of emotion in his music.

4. SW's lyrics are awesome!

5. I also disagree on the solo thing. SW's solos, although they may rarely display the mindless wanking people here seem to love so much, tend to have a shitload of soul. That is my preference when it comes to solos (which, as a side note, is why I can't fucking listen to John Petrucci anymore).

6. I don't really get the pretentious vibe from SW much, tbh. I dig his personality.

That's it for now 

[Kosmo]

Oh for fuck sake.






I don't know what else to answer

[Dark Castle]

1.  I played the album Addicted for my friend and he said he highly doubted he could pull them off live.  Saw Devy(my nickname for him uguu~) live, note for note, and I was almost brought to tears when he played Super Crush!.  It was simply just amazing.
3.  Ghost or Addicted, Devin's voice evokes so much emotion, it just wraps around your head and is so inviting.  His growls or screams as some call em, are forceful and strong.
4b. So are Devins'.
5.  Devin's aren't even close to wanking, and he can still be very emotional on solos, he just gets more technical.

Just my counterpoints

[Fluffy Lothario]

I don't think I could go so far as saying I even remotely like either artist.

[lateralus88]

I have touched Devin Townsend. I have not touched Steven Wilson. Therefore Devin Townsend is the better musician and you are all fake and gay.


I win forever.









smd

[Kosmo]

I have touched Devin Townsend. I have not touched Steven Wilson. Therefore Devin Townsend is the better musician and you are all fake and gay.


I win forever.









smd

[Ultimetalhead]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0Os3EPr_Ig&feature=related

That is the big deal with Devin's voice. Follow that up with listening to Shitstorm and it should be pretty evident.

[Zeraphex]

bob hope is better than all those doods. he sings better too.

[Edan the Man]

Best examples of Devin's voice imo:
The Death of Music
Deadhead
Storm
The Way Home!
The Death of Music (again)
New York New York (weird Sinatra cover for some collab record thing, its silly as hell but he really sings his ass off )

And the softer stuff:
Lady Helen
Feather
Terminal
Coast

I get it's just opinions and all, but I just really can't understand not thinking this man has an incredible voice with these songs considered

I love Steven Wilson's vocals too, don't get me wrong... but I don't think he can hold a candle to Dev in that department.

[Gadough]

I voted for SW myself, but even I'll admit that Devin Townsend has a better voice.

[Zantera]

Well, there's better and there's favorite.
Devin Townsend has a wider register and is able to pull off more different types of singing, so in that sense I would say that he's better, but I prefer SW's singing anyways.

[antigoon]

Also I know this technically isn't supposed to be a factor but Devin just seems way nicer

[Gadough]

A top comment on a Youtube video:

"Love the music. However I met him once after a gig in a nearby pub, he was disinterested and had a slack handshake.............was more interested in chatting to a 19 year old bird. And the moral of this story is "Don't meet your heroes"

lol

[bout to crash]

 

Wait, which one?

Well, there's better and there's favorite.
Devin Townsend has a wider register and is able to pull off more different types of singing, so in that sense I would say that he's better, but I prefer SW's singing anyways.

Exactly. You can link me to as many stretches of long dramatic notes as you want (btw, totally not impressed with that video ), but that's not going to make me like his voice any more. I've heard it plenty; just don't dig it that much. I wasn't saying he's not talented, but that's not the issue here because we both know both artists are extremely talented.

Just my counterpoints

Well I wasn't comparing the two of them on most of my points. I was responding to stuff people said about SW's voice being cold, music not having emotion, etc.... completely independent of Devin's stuff.
As for the solo thing again, I've just become less and less impressed with "technical" these days so that doesn't really matter to me as much as it used to... but SW can still play some badass shit.

[KevShmev]

Wait, people are saying that SW's music has no emotion?

[Dark Castle]

Wait, people are saying that SW's music has no emotion?

From what I've listened to yeah :I Not completely emotionless, it just doesn't move me one single bit.

[skydivingninja]

Wait, people are saying that SW's music has no emotion?

I know, right?

[lateralus88]

Wait, people are saying that SW's music has no emotion?

From what I've listened to yeah :I Not completely emotionless, it just doesn't move me one single bit.

To argue on Steven Wilson's side, no song has ever punched me harder to the ground (emotionally speaking) than Way out of Here has (and still does).


Now to argue against SW, personality speaking, I must reference a story Sonatafanica once told. He was standing outside a venue during Porcupine Tree's support tour with Coheed and Cambria. As he was waiting, Steven Wilson walked towards the venue, saw Chris, dude a 180 degree turn and just walked around the other side of the venue to get into the same door he was aiming for originally. We obviously don't know the REAL reason he did this (maybe he just hates comic artists, or was having a bad day on the tour), but it just seemed very much like "God damn it another fan, really?".


However, Devin takes a much more humble approach with this fans it seems. He seems a lot more...grateful to have the fanbase he has accumulated over the years. While waiting outside the venue to see him this past October (I was the 3rd person there, waited for a good several hours), Devy approached us multiple times just to simply say hi, thank us for coming and start some small talk before the meet and greet.


My boner was fuckin' HUGE at that moment in time.

[antigoon]

I think we're all forgetting the most important aspect of this debate. Devin made this.

[MetalManiac666]

power metal bullshit

[lateralus88]

I think we're all forgetting the most important aspect of this debate. Devin made this.

Fix'd your link for you bro.

[WebRaider]

  seems some of my comments have been kind of taken the wrong way. Just to clarify, what I've said about my current feelings on Wilson and PT are not to knock them as I'm trying to get into them more still (so please by all means help me!). I suppose more or less I'm trying to explain what I'm having a hard time with in their music and see where I'm missing it.

The only real issue I have is they certainly have some emotional musical pieces, but the vocals while not bad by any means seem a little monotone (not sure that's the right word I'm looking for trying to explain it) and they're over this great atmospheric and sometimes crushing music. I'm sure it's just me. Maybe I'm expecting a little more range or something for the music itself?

As I said before please try not to take offense to what I've commented about. I'm not trying to attack SW or PT at all. I'm trying to sell myself on them more cause I know they're exceptional artists.


No need to trash or attack either SW or DT. Peace, Love and Good Happiness stuff!

[Nihil-Morari]

Very tough call for me.

I've just started exploring Devin, I love his production, really enjoy both Ki and Ghost, but apart from that, I've only been able to listen to Ziltoid more than once. Explored SYL once, some time ago, not for me (apart from the production) and his solo albums are mostly too hard for me too. I listened to Terria and that's supposed to be his softest.
Oh and I really, really like Devlab, but didn't enjoy The Hummer.

Steven Wilson, yeah, well, where can I start...
I know I'm pretty much alone on this, but I can't really enjoy PT's latest albums anymore. I used to love In Absentia, but it's not for me anymore. I really do like Sky Moves Sideways, and (really?) Voyage 34, Signify and Metanoia. But in my opnion PT is some of the weakest works SW has done.

Bass Communion - I can't get enough of all of their material, I love the Continuum albums, Ghosts on Magnetic Tape, I, II and Loss.
No-Man - much underpraised band. From their breakbeat-laden early works, up until Schoolyard Ghost, nearly all of their albums are wonderful.
IEM - I like the way they let their songs evolve in a jammy kinda way. Own only one album, but they don't seem to have much more.
Solo work - I've just started to 'understand' his solo work, but I just can't seem to really get past his voice (I'm sorry Jackie).

Oh, and Blackfield is really not for me either. I totally lost interest in them after listening to the first album a couple of times.


Vote goes to SW.

[KevShmev]

Now to argue against SW, personality speaking, I must reference a story Sonatafanica once told. He was standing outside a venue during Porcupine Tree's support tour with Coheed and Cambria. As he was waiting, Steven Wilson walked towards the venue, saw Chris, dude a 180 degree turn and just walked around the other side of the venue to get into the same door he was aiming for originally. We obviously don't know the REAL reason he did this (maybe he just hates comic artists, or was having a bad day on the tour), but it just seemed very much like "God damn it another fan, really?".

You said it: you don't know the REAL reason he did that.  To speculate it being the worst possible scenario (that he was trying to avoid a fan) seems a bit unfair.  And if he was, maybe he had had enough of the fans for one day.  You never know.  I remember hearing a story once about a celebrity (who it was is irrelevant) who spent 15 minutes signing autographs for kids before getting on his plane, but eventually had to stop or else miss his flight.  Naturally, a woman and her kid who came running up a tad too late to get an autograph chalked it up to him being one of those arrogant celebrities who didn't have time to stop and sign an autograph for a kid who was a fan.  Never mind that he had just spent 15 minutes doing that.  See what I mean?  As a celebrity - whether you are a musician, actor, etc. - you can't always be "up" when it comes to dealing with fans.

[Aramatheis]

^ this

I would also think that if his reason to avoid Chris was that he was "just another fan" might have to do with avoiding a lengthy conversation as well
I mean, half the stories I read on this site about users meeting members of DT, or Porcupine or [insert band name here] involve them being outside the venue the show was at, or in a bar next door or something, where they end up having a lengthy 1 on 1 conversation with whoever the celebrity/musician was

so there's definitely the issue of SW either not having enough time or enough patience to deal with that (which he had probably already done multiple times at that point), so I wouldn't blame him
Sure, I'd be disappointed he didn't stop to talk, but I mean c'mon, he probably has the same musician-to-fan conversation hundreds of times


edit: plus, if SW had stopped and talked to Chris, more fans might have shown up to talk as well, and then SW would have had no way of backing out without disappointing a lot more people

[Heretic]

Steven Wilson hands down. I didn't like a lot of his stuff for a long time, but it eventually all grew on me and struck me on an emotional level, which helped me connect to the music like I never had before. I'm not a huge fan of Devin's voice, though it's not bad music.

[ReaperKK]

I've only recently started checking out DT's work and I like what I hear but none of it grabs me as much as SW's work, he does have a few misses in my book (like GfD and Sky Moves Sideways (which isn't all bad)) and I do get a pretentious vibe from him at times but so much of is music is just damn incredible.

[Ultimetalhead]

Devin is probably the nicest guy I've ever met. I was being a complete and total fanboi, asking him to read shit on-stage for me and tons of extra stuff that SW (or any other musician for that matter) would ignore me and say, "That's nice, kid. Fuck off." Meeting Devy outside of the little concert club in Cleveland was one of the best 20 seconds of my life.

[Edan the Man]

Devin is probably the nicest guy I've ever met. I was being a complete and total fanboi, asking him to read shit on-stage for me and tons of extra stuff that SW (or any other musician for that matter) would ignore me and say, "That's nice, kid. Fuck off." Meeting Devy outside of the little concert club in Cleveland was one of the best 20 seconds of my life.

Why haven't you done a Meet and Greet yet? It's really worth the extra money for him.

[Ultimetalhead]

I don't even need to do the M&Gs. I already make it a point to get there early enough to catch him. Plus, the last one was expensive as hell, and there was no acoustic set.