Porcupine Tree v. Glarung is a Lightbulb

[ThatOneGuy2112]

FoaBP >>> FoaBP

[Sacul]

FoaBP >>> FoaBP

Fixed

[El Barto]

After 4½ years this thread title still makes me laugh when I see it.

[bout to crash]

That's so funny, I was thinking the same thing as I clicked to see what you had posted

[?]

John Wesley released his new solo album last Friday and I reviewed it. Not a spectacular album, but there's plenty of ear candy for guitar players.

[?]

Great interview with Richard Barbieri: https://www.innerviews.org/inner/richard-barbieri

He also touches upon the topic of PT, saying he doesn't expect a reunion, and he thinks they should've had the hiatus after FOABP. Apparently the Incident tour was a rough time for many of them, with family members passing away and stuff.

[KevShmev]

Interesting interview.

It's still a bit sobering to see PT talked about in past tense, but it's been eight years since The Incident.

[The Letter M]

Interesting interview.

It's still a bit sobering to see PT talked about in past tense, but it's been eight years since The Incident.

Wow...8 years til September. That kind of blows my mind that it has been THAT long since the last PT album. 

That was a weird time for me for bands that I liked - Transatlantic had just broken their 8 years hiatus with a new album, and little did I know, PT was putting out their last album. The Flower Kings were in the middle of what would eventually be a 5-year hiatus (though Roine never really acknowledged that they were on hiatus...we just kind of had to find that out until it took them 5 years to release a new album), and then less than a year later, Mike Portnoy would leave Dream Theater, after not having his way of DT going on a hiatus themselves. Lots of bands that I liked were going into or coming out of hiatuses, though I would've lost it if DT had at that point.

Either way, back to PT - I cannot fathom that it's been that long since The Incident. I still remember when it was new, and spinning it with a sense of "ehh, it's pretty alright". In retrospect, I agree with Richard in that FOABP would've been a far better album to go out on (or more technically, the Nil Recurring EP, both it and FOABP are some of the best material that band had ever written). Looking back, it almost feels like The Incident was a sort of unnecessary coda to an otherwise climactic ending to the band's career together. The build-up of In Absentia, through riding that wave with Deadwing, then FOABP's stellar albums, everything just seemed to get better and better, but TI has always felt like a step back to me. Part of me also wishes they had done just ONE MORE album, but ending at 10 satisfies me in a "that's a good round number" sense.

-Marc.

[TioJorge]

Couldn't agree more M. I still really don't like TI much at all, even though I'm not as gung-ho against it as I once was, I think that's just the indifference of time rather than me actually mellowing out on it. I haven't listened to it once in years though even though I still listen to PT fairly often, if that says anything (which it does).

Yeah, FoABP would have been an amazing closer. Really somber and of course the usual shit of "TIME MARCHES ON/AGING" shtick. Even though I'm 28 (or rather about to be this month), it still feels like I'm older than I am when I think of how long ago TI was and how insane the perception of time is.

[Nel]

Eight years. Good god. I had gotten into modern prog music in 2007 with Dream Theater and was exploring various bands (new and old) for the next two years. PT was always on my radar but I never got around to it until 2009 when The Incident came out. That was my jumping-on point and I loved that album for the most part. Scooped up all of their albums over the next year and the Recordings reissue when that came out. And then I waited and waited. And I picked up Wilson's solo stuff but it never did much for me. And finally a year or so back when Wilson was doing interviews and referring to PT in the past tense did I realize that I had hopped on to a band on its final album.  As the song title goes, time does indeed fly.

Recently picked up all the Blackfield albums except II though, so as soon as I get that last one I'll be giving those a go.

[KevShmev]

I loved The Incident to death when it came out, and still think it is pretty great and better than most think, but I will definitely concede that most of their other albums are better.  The 5-album run of Stupid Dream through Fear of a Blank Planet (not even counting the EPs, Recording, etc.) is just crazy good, and that is not even counting how great stuff like Signify and The Sky Moves Sideways was. 

If PT never does anything ever again, the only tragic thing for me will be that their last song ever was one of the few bland songs they ever did (Remember Me Lover).

[ReaperKK]

Incredible that so much time has passed. I actually really enjoyed TI, none of SW work has clicked with me as much as PT did.

[Phoenix87x]

Its been a chill and laid back evening with Up the downstair. So damn good

[KevShmev]

Good stuff. I don't revisit that CD nearly enough.  The original is still far superior to that mess of a remaster.

[RoeDent]

Good stuff. I don't revisit that CD nearly enough.  The original is still far superior to that mess of a remaster.

Really? The drums on the original are so tacky. I much prefer it with proper drums in the remaster.

[KevShmev]

The fake drums are part of the charm.  And not only did Harrison did not play some of the coolest fills from the original correctly, he overplayed some of the parts.  A CD in the style of Up the Downstair does not need "busy" drum parts.

Plus, Wilson re-recorded the main riff in Burning Sky and completely sucked the life out of it.

[ReaperKK]

I love the Gavin Harrison remasters, maybe it's because that's what I heard first. There is a charm to the originals but I prefer the drums

[The Letter M]

Good stuff. I don't revisit that CD nearly enough.  The original is still far superior to that mess of a remaster.

Really? The drums on the original are so tacky. I much prefer it with proper drums in the remaster.

When I was getting into PT, the remasters for their first four albums were all already out, so those are what I listened to the most, and so with UTD, I never really spun the original version. I don't think I could enjoy it now, though, as I have grown to accustomed to the remaster with the proper drums, and I really do enjoy Gavin's drummer anyway. Besides, it's what Steven wanted on his music anyway, right? It was just he had limitations at the time of release, and to be honest, I like hearing the older PT music with real drums, like hearing "Radioactive Toy" with Chris or Gavin on drums. Then again, I think being a drummer myself, I find their playing to be a bit more appealing to my ears than the drum machine Steven used on those early albums.

-Marc.

[Samsara]

Really fortunate I got to see PT live. I saw them do a show in San Francisco at the tail end of The Incident tour with Karnivool opening, which was amazing.

What sucks is I had tickets twice before to see them (on the tour for Deadwing, and later, Fear of a Blank Planet), and I was sick both times and couldn't make it. 

I got into them with In Absentia in summer 2003. Really sucks that they are for the most part, finished. Reading the comments from Steven Wilson, I get it. A band is a compromise, and PT was a band effort, even if he wrote most of the material -- he wrote it based on those guys, and took their wants into account (nice to hear too). But it's pretty obvious that if he can make a good living as a solo artist, and not have to rely on a band name, it's more to his liking.

Such a bummer. Stupid Dream, In Absentia, Deadwing, Fear of a Blank Planet and The Incident are all incredible records (I am not so much into the pre-Stupid Dream material, but still like it), and for the band to just go away like it did, it really continues to bum me out.

[Architeuthis]

I seen them twice, Deadwing tour being the best. I always thought it kind of strange that SW always performs barefoot, a bit of an artsy fartsy kind of thing.

[seasonsinthesky]

I seen them twice, Deadwing tour being the best. I always thought it kind of strange that SW always performs barefoot, a bit of an artsy fartsy kind of thing.

It's apparently because he finds it easier to work his effects pedals. At this point, obviously, that's a lot less of a concern, so now it's down to the preference. That's how it started, though, according to him.

[axeman90210]

I seen them twice, Deadwing tour being the best. I always thought it kind of strange that SW always performs barefoot, a bit of an artsy fartsy kind of thing.

Pretty sure artsy fartsy was coined as a phrase for the express purpose of describing SW

[Phoenix87x]

I also was lucky enough to see them live. It was the incident tour and SW was pissed. The very first note of the very first song, he breaks a string. There was a whole bunch of sound problems. One the guitars wasn't in tune and he looked very unhappy.

Still one of the best shows I ever saw though. I was so damn happy to hear Anesthetize live. Mother of god, it was awesome

[Architeuthis]

I seen them twice, Deadwing tour being the best. I always thought it kind of strange that SW always performs barefoot, a bit of an artsy fartsy kind of thing.

Pretty sure artsy fartsy was coined as a phrase for the express purpose of describing SW

  . Uhh-hu-hu,, oh yeah.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

and for the band to just go away like it did, it really continues to bum me out.

Yea I miss them too, especially Gavin working with SW. His drumming worked so well in PTs music.

[ReaperKK]

and for the band to just go away like it did, it really continues to bum me out.

Yea I miss them too, especially Gavin working with SW. His drumming worked so well in PTs music.

This is one of the things I miss most.

[Phoenix87x]

I miss PT so much 

[?]

Bumping this because of reissue news, as there's a 4-disc edition of In Absentia coming out later this year, according to SW https://www.instagram.com/p/BwjsmZ4gRIV/

I also found pro-shot footage from the 2007 Cologne gig, including Waiting and The Sky Moves Sideways with Gavin on drums: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrtlC_dEJRI

[KevShmev]

Gavin Harrison often overplayed the crap out of PT material he played on originally, and I fear I would be really annoyed by him overplaying the pre-2002 material (kind of like how he ruined Hatesong live), so I ain't watching that.   He is to drums what JLB is to singing: great in the studio, very hit or miss live.

I will have to check out the details on that In Absentia SE, though. That is intriguing.   

[Fritzinger]

Gavin Harrison often overplayed the crap out of PT material he played on originally, and I fear I would be really annoyed by him overplaying the pre-2002 material (kind of like how he ruined Hatesong live), so I ain't watching that.   He is to drums what JLB is to singing: great in the studio, very hit or miss live.

I will have to check out the details on that In Absentia SE, though. That is intriguing.

Gavin Harrison turned Hatesong into something worth listening.

[Ben_Jamin]

Gavin Harrison often overplayed the crap out of PT material he played on originally, and I fear I would be really annoyed by him overplaying the pre-2002 material (kind of like how he ruined Hatesong live), so I ain't watching that.   He is to drums what JLB is to singing: great in the studio, very hit or miss live.

I will have to check out the details on that In Absentia SE, though. That is intriguing.

Gavin Harrison turned Hatesong into something worth listening.

I agree. Gavin is the best thing about Hatesong live.

[Buddyhunter1]

Gavin Harrison turned Hatesong into something worth listening.

Woah now, I don't have any opinions on the live version since I haven't heard it, but Hatesong is easily top three Porcupine Tree songs material.

[KevShmev]

Gavin Harrison turned Hatesong into something worth listening.

Woah now, I don't have any opinions on the live version since I haven't heard it, but Hatesong is easily top three Porcupine Tree songs material.

Don't waste your time with the live version with Harrison; he ruins it.  He adds a ton of unnecessary fills, and the bad ass groove that is in the original version is non-existent. 

[Zantera]

Hatesong is definitely a top3 PT song.

[ReaperKK]

Hatesong with Gavin Harrison is definitely a top3 PT song.

fixt that