Porcupine Tree v. Glarung is a Lightbulb

[Ultimetalhead]

Lightbulb Sun drags a bit at the beginning, where as Stupid Dream drags a bit in the middle. Overall, I'd say I prefer LBS by a hair, mainly because Russia On Ice is one of the best songs ever.

[Ħ]

What are some of the high highs of LBS? I can only think of a few really great moments, and those tend to be quieter ones.

[KevShmev]

LBS is nothing but highs, IMO, but the highest highs are:

Lightbulb Sun
Shesmovedon
Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled
Hatesong
Feel So Low

[Ħ]

As in, the whole song is a high? Or are you referring to high moments in the song?

I'm a little confused as to what people mean by "high", I guess. Is it synonymous with "really good", or is it more in line with "climactic"?


Because if you mean "really good", then Stupid Dream beats it...because every song on Stupid Dream is really good. 

[The King in Crimson]

Because if you mean "really good", then Stupid Dream beats it...because every song on Stupid Dream is really good. 

No, Stupid Dream has Don't Hate Me and that song kinda sucks.

By highs I mean, whole songs that are just killer good, as in:
Lightbulb Sun
Shesmovedon
Last Chance...
Rest Will Flow
Hatesong
Russia On Ice

[Ħ]

Rest Will Flow

Isn't that one the more lousy songs on LBS?

Anyway,, the other songs are dope.

[The King in Crimson]

Rest Will Flow

Isn't that one the more lousy songs on LBS?

All in the eye (ear) of the beholder.  I love that song.

But I also like Four Chords, so what do I know?

[Ħ]

Ya I don't know either. I just thought that RWF was universally just regarded as one of LBS's "sellout" songs (like WWWB)

[jammindude]

Hatesong beats out all the songs on either album.   But I still think SD is a better album.

[Mladen]

Rest will flow and Where we would be are both adorable, why are they sellout songs? They might be commercial sounding (and even that's a stretch), but so are Piano lessons and This is no rehearsal.

Though it's usual that the shorter songs get more hate, so to speak, but that's just because the epics on Lightbulb sun are breathtaking, and the title track is an indisputable classic. And then there's Feel so low, a classic Wilson album closer, in the vein of closers that would follow on the next couple of albums, as well as Like dust I have cleared from my eye. I pretty much like the shorter ones as much as I like Russia on ice.

Stupid dream is great, but I'm still having trouble with the last two songs. They just won't stick with me. That's why I would rank it below its follow up, which is memorable start to finish.

[King Postwhore]

I laugh when I read someone type that PT sold out on a song.  RWF is a great tune.

[SomeoneLikeHim]

I just wanted to say that I got In Absentia and Deadwing recently. It was my first exposure to these guys and JESUS FUCKING CHRIST Steven Wilson is a genius! Sorry, just had to get it out there, carry on

Nice!  Enjoy delving in beyond IA and Deadwing - there's a lot there.

Oh I will! I think FOABP is next.

[skydivingninja]

Both are amazingly consistent and great. Fact. 

This.  I see Lightbulb Sun as nothing but a consistent album of incredible highs.  Stupid Dream is great too, but LBS really hits me in a way Stupid Dream doesn't. 

[Metro]

A friend of mine gave me a flash drive with PT's whole discog on it.
I'm quite a happy camper right now. 

[KevShmev]

As in, the whole song is a high? Or are you referring to high moments in the song?

I'm a little confused as to what people mean by "high", I guess. Is it synonymous with "really good", or is it more in line with "climactic"?


Because if you mean "really good", then Stupid Dream beats it...because every song on Stupid Dream is really good. 

The whole song.

Great.

Every song on both albums are, at worst, really good.

Stupid Dream has Don't Hate Me and that song kinda sucks.
 

 

Does. Not. Compute.

Rest Will Flow

Isn't that one the more lousy songs on LBS?

Nope.

I laugh when I read someone type that PT sold out on a song.

You and me both.

I see Lightbulb Sun as nothing but a consistent album of incredible highs.

Yep.  Even a song like Four Chords That Made a Million sounds great in the context of the album, even if many wouldn't call it a great standalone song.

[The King in Crimson]

Stupid Dream has Don't Hate Me and that song kinda sucks.
 

 

Does. Not. Compute.

Make it an instrumental and I'd love it.  Steven's lyrics and vocals drag it down for me.

[glaurung]

I laugh when I read someone type that PT sold out on a song.

You and me both.

The best part is that he's accusing Four Chords of being a sellout song when it's about not selling out.

[Ħ]

I never said FCTMAM was a sellout.

[glaurung]

Sorry, I misremembered.

[bout to crash]

A friend of mine gave me a flash drive with PT's whole discog on it.
I'm quite a happy camper right now. 

Steven will be even more thrilled than you!

[Adami]

So after I listened to Deadwing a bunch of times in my car, I found a great new way to listen to PT.


So what I did was downloaded all of their songs on Itunes, put them on my Ipod and then played the whole thing on shuffle, making sure none of the songs flowed into the next song on their respective albums. I call it the Steven Wilson is Crying setlist.



I didn't really do any of those things, except listen to Deadwing, please don't kill me Steven Wilson.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Because if you mean "really good", then Stupid Dream beats it...because every song on Stupid Dream is really good. 

Stupid Dream has Don't Hate Me and that song is kinda one of their top 5 songs.

FTFY

[MoraWintersoul]

So what I did was downloaded all of their songs on Itunes, put them on my Ipod and then played the whole thing on shuffle, making sure none of the songs flowed into the next song on their respective albums. I call it the Steven Wilson is Crying setlist.

I so want to do this now.

[bout to crash]

the Steven Wilson is Crying setlist.

Actually, that's the combo of the two albums everyone is talking about above 

[SomeoneLikeHim]

So what I did was downloaded all of their songs on Itunes, put them on my Ipod and then played the whole thing on shuffle, making sure none of the songs flowed into the next song on their respective albums. I call it the Steven Wilson is Crying setlist.

[TioJorge]

the Steven Wilson is Crying setlist.

Actually, that's the combo of the two albums everyone is talking about above 

 

And it's oh so beautimus, that whimpering Brit.

[seasonsinthesky]

Lightbulb Sun drags a bit at the beginning, where as Stupid Dream drags a bit in the middle. Overall, I'd say I prefer LBS by a hair, mainly because Russia On Ice is one of the best songs ever.

this! exactement! it takes three songs for LBS to really take off (and then it stays 'up'), but SD just kinda dies until "Baby Dream in Cellophane" starts the awesome ending (with addendum 1: "Don't Hate Me" is a highlight in the middle for me, and addendum 2: i hate "Stranger by the Minute").

[DebraKadabra]

Oh I will! I think FOABP is next.

I so wish I could rediscover Fear again - when it finally hit for me, it hit HARD.

[jammindude]

Never got the love for Russia On Ice.   The only two moments in the modern PT catalog that I could really do without are the first half of Russia On Ice, and the second half of Strip the Soul.   They are the very definition of "plodding".   

The "other halves" of these songs are both quite good...I've often thought of mixing them together to get one really great epic song.   The beginning of Strip the Soul, blending into part 2 of Russia on Ice.   THAT would be cool.    As it is, the only way I can listen to Strip the Soul, is the live version on Anesthetize (which cuts the offending portion of the song and inserts the FAR superior .3)

[glaurung]

I think Russia on Ice is a great song but if I ranked the songs it would probably be somewhere in the middle of the pack. It says a lot about LBS that I think a song as good as that isn't even close to the best song.

[KevShmev]

the Steven Wilson is Crying setlist.

Actually, that's the combo of the two albums everyone is talking about above 

 

 

I think Russia on Ice is a great song but if I ranked the songs it would probably be somewhere in the middle of the pack. It says a lot about LBS that I think a song as good as that isn't even close to the best song.

Agreed.  I love it, but I like probably five or six of the songs on LBS more than it.

[angelusredgrove]

Never got the love for Russia On Ice.   The only two moments in the modern PT catalog that I could really do without are the first half of Russia On Ice, and the second half of Strip the Soul.   They are the very definition of "plodding". 

But, but - those strings! and with those soaring harmonies! It's those beautiful melodies and the slow build up of suspense that that makes that 2nd half of RoI so tasty.

[?]

Am I the only one who likes the ending of Strip the Soul (or the whole song, for that matter)? It's just so crushingly heavy and I love the doomy vibe it has As much as I love .3, I was slightly disappointed when I watched Anesthetize for the first time and they skipped the STS outro.

[Mladen]

I think Russia on Ice is a great song but if I ranked the songs it would probably be somewhere in the middle of the pack. It says a lot about LBS that I think a song as good as that isn't even close to the best song.

Agreed.  I love it, but I like probably five or six of the songs on LBS more than it.

Gotta agree with all of this. In fact, I tried to rank the songs, but it turned out to be kinda painful.

[wasteland]

Everyone is talking about Russia On Ice. I gave it a spin (I am not familiar with the 1999-2000 albums) and wasn't really impressed. Especially if compared with the earlier and some of the later material.