Steven Wilson v. To. The. Bone.

[lonestar]

 

[Rob801]

Mine still hasn't arrived  ... If it doesn't come today I might not have it till Monday since we don't get packages on Saturdays  .

I did find out through BS's FAQ that it could take up to 7 working days, right after I sent them an inquiry of course. I got a fast response from a friendly person that reassured me that it should be here any time... Tracking numbers only come with insured packages btw (which I considered at the time because of it being a limited edition but I have NEVER had anything go missing in the mail in over 15+ years of net shopping).

If it doesn't come to day I may have to resort to ITunes since I really don't think I can wait any longer but at the same time I really want the whole experience  of opening the deluxe package and listening for the first time with it in my hands...

Edit: And yet another day with a no show.  Now I'm starting to really get a sinking feeling in my stomach that it is lost or stolen as uncommon/unlikely as that may be (although out where I live it would be such an unknown niche product that I have a hard time thinking it could disappear locally). The worst part is without insurance or tracking it doesn't look like I have any recourse if it is really gone :-(.

[bout to crash]

I like to take my time when taking all of Steven in.

Yes, but how does he compare to Lonestar?

I CANNOT ANSWER THAT QUESTION

[Heretic]

Does anyone else absolutely love the "it's only the start, it's only the start" part of Transcience? I don't see much talk about that song but for a short interlude type song it is really, really good.

[PixelDream]

Does anyone else absolutely love the "it's only the start, it's only the start" part of Transcience? I don't see much talk about that song but for a short interlude type song it is really, really good.

I mentioned exactly that part a few pages back. It's a great song by itself and it bridges Regret no. 9 nicely to Ancestral.

[?]

Routine/Home Invasion/Regret #9 must be one of the best three-song runs on any SW album

Does anyone else absolutely love the "it's only the start, it's only the start" part of Transcience? I don't see much talk about that song but for a short interlude type song it is really, really good.

Oh yeah, I like how the "aaah" melody reminds me of Lips of Ashes and the song itself sounds like Storm Corrosion.

[Onno]

This album is just amazing. Wow.

[BRGM]

Routine/Home Invasion/Regret #9 must be one of the best three-song runs on any SW album

Does anyone else absolutely love the "it's only the start, it's only the start" part of Transcience? I don't see much talk about that song but for a short interlude type song it is really, really good.

Oh yeah, I like how the "aaah" melody reminds me of Lips of Ashes and the song itself sounds like Storm Corrosion.

Indeed! I aldo get a Stupid Dream vibe from the harmonies in the "chorus"

[Mebert78]

I just realized that the woman dies at the end of "Happy Returns."  Steven's final words on that song, and the entire album itself, are: "I'm feeling kinda drowsy now, so I'll finish this tomorrow..."  However, as we know from the real-life inspiration for the album, she never did wake up.  She died surrounded by Christmas gifts she was wrapping.  Steven really did a great job conveying that, I feel.

There's just so much to discover on this album musically, lyrically and artistically.  I see myself still listening to, and appreciating, this album decades from now.   

[PixelDream]

There's just so much to discover on this album musically, lyrically and artistically.  I see myself still listening to, and appreciating, this album decades from now.

Everything about it just screams 'classic' to me.

[RoeDent]

I think Ancestral is going to turn out like Raider II did for me. A grower, that requires several listens to get it. It's starting to click now.

[bout to crash]

Yeah, Ancestral has become my favorite at this point 

I just realized that the woman dies at the end of "Happy Returns."  Steven's final words on that song, and the entire album itself, are: "I'm feeling kinda drowsy now, so I'll finish this tomorrow..."  However, as we know from the real-life inspiration for the album, she never did wake up.  She died surrounded by Christmas gifts she was wrapping.  Steven really did a great job conveying that, I feel.

I think people are taking the Joyce Vincent thing a bit too seriously- it's not supposed to be exactly about that scenario, just inspired by it. Sure those are the last lyrics on the album, but if you read through the deluxe book and blog entries (though I realize not everybody has access to all of this) you will see there's no way she could die at that point, because she makes several entries after that. I suppose maybe the album and book are supposed to be considered two separate pieces of art with two different endings, but I dunno.

[BRGM]

As Steven says in album documentary, "she disappears", he never states how or that she dies.

[lonestar]

For me, and I don't have access to the booklet yet, just press tracks, the thing he really succeeds in conveying as the album progresses is how someone can disappear unnoticed from society, and that last line does a great job of representing her final step into isolation. Just brilliant.

[Nick]

Are. You. Fucking. Kidding. Me.

At this point I wish I could say fuck you to Burning Shed, refuse delivery, get my money back, and just go out to Best Buy. This is ridiculous.

[Dark Castle]

Are. You. Fucking. Kidding. Me.

At this point I wish I could say fuck you to Burning Shed, refuse delivery, get my money back, and just go out to Best Buy. This is ridiculous.

Hate the USPS, they're the real dicks behind this.

[Mebert78]

Yeah, Ancestral has become my favorite at this point 

I just realized that the woman dies at the end of "Happy Returns."  Steven's final words on that song, and the entire album itself, are: "I'm feeling kinda drowsy now, so I'll finish this tomorrow..."  However, as we know from the real-life inspiration for the album, she never did wake up.  She died surrounded by Christmas gifts she was wrapping.  Steven really did a great job conveying that, I feel.

I think people are taking the Joyce Vincent thing a bit too seriously- it's not supposed to be exactly about that scenario, just inspired by it. Sure those are the last lyrics on the album, but if you read through the deluxe book and blog entries (though I realize not everybody has access to all of this) you will see there's no way she could die at that point, because she makes several entries after that. I suppose maybe the album and book are supposed to be considered two separate pieces of art with two different endings, but I dunno.

I'll definitely have to read through the blog this weekend.  Thanks for suggesting that.  I didn't get the book, unfortunately.  I love all these extra features that SW creates to enhance the experience.

Just knowing how Joyce ended up, I get chills every time I listen to "Happy Returns" where SW mentions the gifts -- and then more chills when I hear "Ascendant Here On."     

[ariich]

Great album. First two listens I liked it a lot but it didn't really standout.

Third listen and it really clicked!

[bout to crash]

Yeah, Ancestral has become my favorite at this point 

I just realized that the woman dies at the end of "Happy Returns."  Steven's final words on that song, and the entire album itself, are: "I'm feeling kinda drowsy now, so I'll finish this tomorrow..."  However, as we know from the real-life inspiration for the album, she never did wake up.  She died surrounded by Christmas gifts she was wrapping.  Steven really did a great job conveying that, I feel.

I think people are taking the Joyce Vincent thing a bit too seriously- it's not supposed to be exactly about that scenario, just inspired by it. Sure those are the last lyrics on the album, but if you read through the deluxe book and blog entries (though I realize not everybody has access to all of this) you will see there's no way she could die at that point, because she makes several entries after that. I suppose maybe the album and book are supposed to be considered two separate pieces of art with two different endings, but I dunno.

I'll definitely have to read through the blog this weekend.  Thanks for suggesting that.  I didn't get the book, unfortunately.  I love all these extra features that SW creates to enhance the experience.

I know! The blog actually has lots of entries the book doesn't (and there is a lot of weird, unexplained shit going on) so let me know what you think when you go through it. It's not that long of a read.

[Ben_Jamin]

Got this at Best Buy after searching other places.

It's a really fantastic album. I enjoy everything about it, the atmosphere, story, lyrics. It's finding beauty in the dark.

[Buddyhunter1]

Three listens in, and I'm liking it a lot. Lots of atmosphere and emotion, and I like how modern it sounds compared to GFD and TRTRTS.

The only real complaints I have so far is that, like Zantera said, while the whole album is very consistent I can't really see any of the songs being my absolute favorites of SW's solo work. In addition, some of the songwriting in the longer songs feels a bit incohesive. 3 Years Older goes from soft to loud and back again a bit too much in my opinion, Routine has a couple weird transitions but otherwise it's fine, and as others have pointed out, Ancestral kinda feels like two different songs, which is a bit annoying because the first half is so damn good.

[King Postwhore]

I love that the song go right into a different dynamics (Soft to loud).  How many bands do that.  There's purpose in his songwriting and SW is on top of that mountain.

I've cried for years now that dynamics have been lost in a large amount of music, specially in rock and metal.  No doubt Steven get this.

[KevShmev]

I think people are taking the Joyce Vincent thing a bit too seriously- it's not supposed to be exactly about that scenario, just inspired by it. Sure those are the last lyrics on the album, but if you read through the deluxe book and blog entries (though I realize not everybody has access to all of this) you will see there's no way she could die at that point, because she makes several entries after that. I suppose maybe the album and book are supposed to be considered two separate pieces of art with two different endings, but I dunno.

Agreed.  To me, SW kind of leaves it open-ended where you can interpret it however you like.

[Buddyhunter1]

I love that the song go right into a different dynamics (Soft to loud).  How many bands do that.  There's purpose in his songwriting and SW is on top of that mountain.

I've cried for years now that dynamics have been lost in a large amount of music, specially in rock and metal.  No doubt Steven get this.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that having dynamics and transitioning from soft to loud / vice versa is a bad thing, I love it. I'm just saying some songs do it better than others.

[bout to crash]

I think people are taking the Joyce Vincent thing a bit too seriously- it's not supposed to be exactly about that scenario, just inspired by it. Sure those are the last lyrics on the album, but if you read through the deluxe book and blog entries (though I realize not everybody has access to all of this) you will see there's no way she could die at that point, because she makes several entries after that. I suppose maybe the album and book are supposed to be considered two separate pieces of art with two different endings, but I dunno.

Agreed.  To me, SW kind of leaves it open-ended where you can interpret it however you like.

Yeah, and to me it's fucking aliens!

[JayOctavarium]

I like to think that she died.

Not suicide... just.... bam. Dead.


I don't think too much about the "visitors" or anything


But that's just me and my sick mind.

[Nearmyth]

Three listens in, and I'm liking it a lot. Lots of atmosphere and emotion, and I like how modern it sounds compared to GFD and TRTRTS.

The only real complaints I have so far is that, like Zantera said, while the whole album is very consistent I can't really see any of the songs being my absolute favorites of SW's solo work. In addition, some of the songwriting in the longer songs feels a bit incohesive. 3 Years Older goes from soft to loud and back again a bit too much in my opinion, Routine has a couple weird transitions but otherwise it's fine, and as others have pointed out, Ancestral kinda feels like two different songs, which is a bit annoying because the first half is so damn good.

Weird because I was actually thinking that this album features some of his best and most sensible songwriting compared to his other works, especially Routine. I had a problem with 3 years older's songwriting at first but it's starting to grow on me and really come together the more I listen.

Also, I really like the modern city vibe the album gives. SW is really good at creating atmospheres without changing his musical sound drastically (comparing GFD and The Raven to this album)

[Jarlaxle]

My first listen through the album I was...underwhelmed. This is my first anticipated album of SW's career since I got into PT and his solo right before Raven was released. I was expecting the same melancholic feels that I love about his work, but it didn't happen. Now, a couple listens later and I think it is a brilliant album. The way SW can write whatever the hell he wants and do it PERFECTLY amazes me to know end. It's defiitely a grower album for me, so I can't say it's the best ever, but it has impressed me a lot.

[Rob801]

Are. You. Fucking. Kidding. Me.

At this point I wish I could say fuck you to Burning Shed, refuse delivery, get my money back, and just go out to Best Buy. This is ridiculous.

Hate the USPS, they're the real dicks behind this.

It could be something that happened with the Royal Mail in the UK... I'm in Denmark and mine hasn't arrived yet either and our postal service is generally pretty damn reliable (like I said earlier I have never had anything go missing ever through mail order).

I'm not sure which version Nick ordered but if mine doesn't show up I'm just fucked since the Deluxe Box is sold out. Another thing is after reading Burning Sheds FAQ they seem to put all the responsibility on the buyer and the postal service in the country of destination but that seemed off to me so with a quick google search I found this (pertaining to EU residents at least, but can't imagine it's any different if you live in the US):

"I ordered a CD that I never received. I contacted the seller, who says it is the postal service that is responsible, not him. Is he right? 

NO - The seller is responsible for the delivery of your purchase. It is the seller who must contact the delivery service and prove that the product was delivered. If the seller cannot prove this, they must send you the product again or give you a refund."

So optional insurance or not (never had to ensure or have ever been asked to ensure at my expense, anything I bought from Amazon or anywhere else for that matter) it looks like Burning Shed is responsible for safe delivery of my product (I stopped in the local shop where parcels are to be picked up if undeliverable yesterday anyway just to be sure that a delivery notice didn't get lost and they didn't have it).

All that being said, I'm not going to judge them before I see how they handle it if I doesn't show up today or Monday (then we'll be past the 7 working days they say to give it)... in the one mail correspondence I had with them so far they were fast and courteous  with their response.

Unfortunately no matter what the reason is, this has kind of put a damper on the whole experience for me... not that I'll like the album any less because of it (of course) but being let down day after day when it hasn't shown up has been frustrating to say the least.

[Nick]

I ordered the Blu-Ray. Friday was the 7th business day for me, 8th working day (as USPS delivers Saturday), and so I'm past the point of understanding. Be it Burning Shed, Royal Mail, or USPS I just want blood from someone.

[King Postwhore]

I'm cleaning the house so I guess I'll put in my Blu Ray 5.1 in honor of you not driving to a store Nick.

[Nick]

I would have driven to a store on Tuesday if it didn't mean having two copies of the same damned thing.

[millahh]

So this is all to say that Nick does not have The Perfect Life?

 

[bout to crash]

[Nick]

So this is all to say that Nick does not have The Perfect Life?

 

Maybe I'll pass the time by listening to some Fates Warning, and hoping once the postman comes, this will be another perfect day.

But likely I'll end up huddled in the corner, full fetal.