Porcupine Tree v. Glarung is a Lightbulb

[Super Dude]

It just always struck me as a really solid album with songs that are as great individually as together.

[Jaq]

Am I the only guy who loves Deadwing to pieces and thinks Fear of a Blank Planet is kind of boring?

Willing to bet I am. 

[Zantera]

Am I the only guy who loves Deadwing to pieces

No, considering it's one of their most popular albums.

and thinks Fear of a Blank Planet is kind of boring?

Maybe, the album has it's haters, personally I think it's their best by quite a bit.

[namgalsipsclar]

Anybody else just love pretty much every song they've ever written? I mean, I like some more than others obviously, but I don't think there are any songs I would even consider average, theyre all so good

[Ħ]

Deadwing is cool, but it's missing that necessary "one song" that blows you away. It is supposed to be Arriving Somewhere but I'm not a fan of that one.

[?]

Deadwing is pretty overrated, it has way too much filler to be in the same league with IA and FOABP - I don't find Shallow, Halo, Open Car and Glass Arm Shattering particularly strong, and even Arriving Somewhere... and TSOSB get much more praise than I would give them.

[Man-Erg]

Anybody else just love pretty much every song they've ever written? I mean, I like some more than others obviously, but I don't think there are any songs I would even consider average, theyre all so good

Have you listened to On the Sunday of Life?

[Nick]

Anybody else just love pretty much every song they've ever written? I mean, I like some more than others obviously, but I don't think there are any songs I would even consider average, theyre all so good

Have you listened to On the Sunday of Life?

my thoughts exactly.

[TioJorge]

 

OTSOL gets so much shit it's ridiculous. It's a beautifully insane album with so many different aspects and faces to it. I think it's the most underrated piece of artwork on the planet. I think I feel the same way about TI that you do about OTSOL, Nick. It's laughable to me. I'm not sure how you feel about TI, but I understand where you're coming from.

[Zantera]

OTSOL is not awful, but it isn't THAT good. I think Nostalgia Factory, Nine Cats and Radioactive Toy are all 3 fantastic songs I would love to see in any PT-setlist, but the rest of the album is between good/average. The album as a whole would be 2.5 out of 5 at tops for me.

[Mladen]

I'm about to hear On the Sunday of life for the first time. I've been delaying it for months and months, but it's high time I gave it a chance. Also, I wanted to ask you guys if Voyage 34, Metanoia, Yellow hedgerow dreamscape or any of their early obscure EPs and compilations are worth checking out, what should I give a listen to?

[Zantera]

Voyage 34 - Part 1 is pretty cool. I kinda like Part 2 as well, Part 3 and 4 are just sorta "there". I've listened to it several times and neither of them have stuck with me I guess. If you like Pink Floyd or PT's more PF-sounding stuff it's worth it.

Metanoia - Sounds pretty much like Signify/The Sky Moves Sideways, most of it is instrumental. Maybe even all of it, haven't listened in ages. Lots of improvisational sounding-stuff, cool for background music I guess. Pretty good if you enjoy Signify/TSMS.

Yellow Hedgerow Dreamscape - More Psychedelic and "out there". Some pretty interesting stuff on it, and seeing as it will soon be released again, it might be worth checking out if you're into more older PT, OTSOL and UTD.

[Ħ]

OTSOL is not awful, but it isn't THAT good. I think Nostalgia Factory, Nine Cats and Radioactive Toy are all 3 fantastic songs I would love to see in any PT-setlist, but the rest of the album is between good/average. The album as a whole would be 2.5 out of 5 at tops for me.

I mean....it's pretty awful.

[Zantera]

I'm not arguing that it's pretty bad, but it has a few redeeming songs. Also, opinions how do they work!?

[TioJorge]

Gotta love those factual opinions.

I love the hell out of it and think most of the songs are top-notch incredible. Kicks the shit out of anything on TI.

[Zantera]

Linton Samuel Dawson > Time Flies right? 

[namgalsipsclar]

Anybody else just love pretty much every song they've ever written? I mean, I like some more than others obviously, but I don't think there are any songs I would even consider average, theyre all so good

Have you listened to On the Sunday of Life?

Ok so I haven't actually heard that one yet........
I know Nine Cats though, from the acoustic version, which is really good

[seasonsinthesky]

Voyage 34 - Part 1 is pretty cool. I kinda like Part 2 as well, Part 3 and 4 are just sorta "there". I've listened to it several times and neither of them have stuck with me I guess. If you like Pink Floyd or PT's more PF-sounding stuff it's worth it.

Metanoia - Sounds pretty much like Signify/The Sky Moves Sideways, most of it is instrumental. Maybe even all of it, haven't listened in ages. Lots of improvisational sounding-stuff, cool for background music I guess. Pretty good if you enjoy Signify/TSMS.

Yellow Hedgerow Dreamscape - More Psychedelic and "out there". Some pretty interesting stuff on it, and seeing as it will soon be released again, it might be worth checking out if you're into more older PT, OTSOL and UTD.

V34 Phase II is part of the original (they were one continuous track!) and, imo, just as awesome — i think it's less approachable than Phase I because it has fewer dynamic changes. however, once you get through the ambient section with the Leary samples, the return guitar solo is basically as epic or more than the one in Phase I. huge payoff!

all of Metanoia is instrumental and improv. good background music but it was a collector/fan club release (originally) for a reason.

i really love stuff on OTSOL and YHD myself, but they obviously have glaringly bad skip-tracks. however, the band never made anything even close to touching "Mute," "No Reason to Live, No Reason to Die," "And the Swallows Dance Above the Sun," "Daughters in Excess," "Yellow Hedgerow Dreamscape," etc. one could easily make an LP matching the quality of UTD by compiling select tracks from OTSOL and YHD.

i wish SW had made an ambient track using just the opening and closing sitar-based sections of "The Nostalgia Factory." really lovely stuff.

[TioJorge]

About to pop in Arriving Somewhere... DVD for the first time. I mean, I've seen clips of it but never in a proper setting or the entirety of it. I am excite. I think I'm gonna watch this blazed out of my mind since these songs will no doubt drudge up some memories if I don't. Pretty lights. Pretty Wilson.

[Ultimetalhead]

About to pop in Arriving Somewhere... DVD for the first time. I mean, I've seen clips of it but never in a proper setting or the entirety of it. I am excite. I think I'm gonna watch this blazed out of my mind since these songs will no doubt drudge up some memories if I don't. Pretty lights. Pretty Wilson.

I like everything about that DVD except the editing. Sure, it gives it some interesting flavor, and it never gets as bad as Metropolis 2000, but I much prefer the aesthetic of Anesthetize.

[TioJorge]

Funny you say that, I just watched Metropolis 2000 last night and thought that same thing; I don't remember it being so bad but it really is. Quite...cheesy. I don't know if that's the word I'm looking for but it sounds right. I plan on watching Anesthetize later as well but I've seen that; granted, it was a while back and it was once so I'll probably catch things I missed.

[jammindude]

About to pop in Arriving Somewhere... DVD for the first time. I mean, I've seen clips of it but never in a proper setting or the entirety of it. I am excite. I think I'm gonna watch this blazed out of my mind since these songs will no doubt drudge up some memories if I don't. Pretty lights. Pretty Wilson.

Best live DVD ever done, IMO.   I thought everything about the presentation of Arriving Somewhere made it feel more like and old school "concert film", and not just a concert released for home video.   I find Anesthetize very boring by comparison. 

[TioJorge]

Innnteresting... I'll have to keep that in mind whilst watching.

Welp, time to:



and then popping it in. I shall give my very important, vital opinions of this DVD viewing experience whence I returneth! (Actually I'll probably forget and pull an H and this thread won't be seen again for a long time)

[jammindude]

Time to drink a white Russian?   

[TioJorge]

Shmeohkaboo

[Vahvahenki]

Is there any SW project that explores the territory that songs like 'Sleep Together', 'The Incident' or the ending of 'Octane Twisted' flirt with? If not, new PT material in that vein would be amazing.

[TioJorge]

Not really. I really wish there were more brooding, electronic-based songs ala Sleep Together, but if I never heard another sound off The Incident again I would be all too pleased.

Oh and Arriving Somewhere... is absolutely incredible. I loved every second of it and I'd say it's 'one of my favorite concerts' if I had been there. Alas, I'll have to settle for a digital experience, but it was a wonderful performance. The title piece really pitched me a pants tent.

[?]

I know we've discussed this a million times before, but today I read an interview with Steven in a Finnish magazine, and one thing that struck me was when he talked about PT and used the expression "when I quit Porcupine Tree". I guess I'll finally have to face it that there won't be a new album anytime soon...

He also talked about prog, as usual, and he said that no progressive music is being created anymore and everything has been done already. His definition of that word seems to change quite often!

[TioJorge]

There will be a new PT album. Wilson is far too self-aware and conscience of his work to let TI be the last album. Regardless of anyone else's opinion, Wilson views that album as sub-par (see: his theory on "every other album" being good, with TI being on the bad side) and there's no way he's going to let PT go out with a 'bad' album. I think this is a wonderful thing, not only because I really dislike TI, but also because it's almost a sure thing they will get back together and create some really epic shit circa psychedelic days.

That said, I wouldn't expect any news from PT at all till at least 2014. I just can't see Wilson going 'cold turkey' on his solo career after such amazing success along with the fact that he's still riding that high. Hell, we might get another solo album before PT. But I know we will get another one, no doubt about it. Granted, this is all out of my ass, but my ass foretells the future, you know.

[?]

I do believe PT will get together at some point - that's what Steven himself has said he wants to do -, but looks like "at some point" will be even further down the line than I've expected. As a lot of people have pointed out, he seems to be happy recording and touring with his solo band, so I think there'll be at least one, maybe even a couple of more SW albums before the next PT record.

[Zantera]

I think it's pretty much useless to speculate or guarantee that there will be a new PT-album, or there won't be. SW is one of those musicians who does pretty much whatever he wants to do at the moment. Right now PT is at the bottom of the barrel, but that doesn't necessarily mean he will feel the same in 10 years. And on the contrary, despite PT being his main project for all these years, he really doesn't have anything to prove to anyone by making a new PT-album. He would only do it if he really wants to, or has amazing ideas for where to go next.

[Man-Erg]

If Steven goes back to his noise/ambient + pop style (a la Insurgentes), I would be ok with him not returning to PT since I'm not able to imagine them doing something much better than FoaBP. If, however, we get a dozen of modern symph/jazz prog albums..

[PixelDream]

Cool to hear people are still watching the Arriving Somewhere... DVD. I have it in my collection, as well as Anesthetize.

I was present in Tilburg when Anesthetize was filmed, and to be honest the DVD turned out being much better than how I remember the concert. It was filmed over two nights, and I went to the first. The band was really stale on stage, and the music even suffered sometimes. That said, the DVD is pretty much awesome nonetheless. I remember hearing they were much more on fire during the second night.

I still prefer the Arriving Somewhere.. DVD and I even like the editing. I also think it sounds better. Nothing like the super-low bass in the verses of Hatesong.

[Nick]

The actual video quality of Anesthetize clearly blows away that of Arriving Somewhere, but otherwise AS is easily the better of the two live sets.

[jammindude]

The actual video quality of Anesthetize clearly blows away that of Arriving Somewhere, but otherwise AS is easily the better of the two live sets.

Well....it's technically clearer.   But that's exactly what makes it more sterile to me.   The video for Arriving Somewhere is much more entertaining to watch because it just has more of an artistic feel to it...as opposed to just being an exact and clear representation of four guys standing on a stage, which I tend to find fairly boring. 

I often find that I don't like watching live DVD's because nothing interesting ever happens.   I find AS to be a much more visually entertaining DVD....and probably the only live DVD I ever watch *BECAUSE* of the visuals.

(one exception....in Anesthetize there is one camera shot from directly beneath the toms...that one shot just kicked all kinds of ass, but it was the only visually entertaining shot in the entire video to my eyes)