Steven Wilson solo career thread - v. The Harmony Codex in 2023!

[jammindude]

I own Tightly Unwound and I think that album is just brilliant from start to finish. So I decided to go backwards and picked up Variations of a Dream and I was really lukewarm on it. And the single songs I’ve heard since Gavin joined I wanted to like more than I actually did.

[The Letter M]

Recently spun The Raven in my car during my commutes this past week and I've got to say, that album has aged like a fine wine. It never gets old and is probably my favorite SW solo album. I just popped in HCE and over-all, while it doesn't top TRTRTS, it's probably my second favorite of his six solo albums.

With that in mind...

The Raven The Refused To Sing
Hand. Cannot. Erase.
Grace For Drowning
Insurgentes / To The Bone (not sure which I like more than the other, both are fairly good IMO, for different reasons)
.
.
.
.
The Future Bites

Gotta love a good ranking, eh? I haven't really listened to solo SW much in awhile, so as I gear up for new PT, I may mix them in a bit with other PT listening this month. I'm sure some of his solo work will resonate in the new PT given that the music has been written over the past decade during the creation and release of many of those solo albums.

-Marc.

[emtee]

Good idea. It's been a few years since I pulled the solo albums off the shelf.

[devieira73]

Excellent interview with Steven:
https://superdeluxeedition.com/news/steven-wilson-on-the-return-of-porcupine-tree/?fbclid=IwAR3NdjWKI5PwFrngquyD359fqud2anzLho0LWo4xgfGT9-ZPqRhWI7z0sNk&fs=e&s=cl

[Kram]

Recently spun The Raven in my car during my commutes this past week and I've got to say, that album has aged like a fine wine. It never gets old and is probably my favorite SW solo album. I just popped in HCE and over-all, while it doesn't top TRTRTS, it's probably my second favorite of his six solo albums.

With that in mind...

The Raven The Refused To Sing
Hand. Cannot. Erase.
Grace For Drowning
Insurgentes / To The Bone (not sure which I like more than the other, both are fairly good IMO, for different reasons)
.
.
.
.
The Future Bites

Gotta love a good ranking, eh? I haven't really listened to solo SW much in awhile, so as I gear up for new PT, I may mix them in a bit with other PT listening this month. I'm sure some of his solo work will resonate in the new PT given that the music has been written over the past decade during the creation and release of many of those solo albums.

-Marc.

My ranking is exactly the same as yours.  I would just add that while the Raven is my favorite, I can make a case for H.C.E. being his best (and I believe SW himself considers this his best solo effort).  I say that based on stylistically it's a bit more diverse, and I think the production is a bit "crisper", for lack of a better word.  I consider both albums perfect 10 out of 10 absolute masterpieces though, and they're two of my favorite albums of the 2010's -  hell, two of my favorite albums of all time.  I also agree with the rest of your rankings.

[Metro]

1. Hand Cannot Erase
2. Raven
3. Grace for Drowning
4. To the Bone
5. The Future Bites
6. Insurgentes

I actually quite like TFB, but I get why people might not like it. Insurgentes isn’t terrible but it’s the one I come back to the least.
HCE is the undisputed champ. I recently put together my own “director’s cut” version of the album, featuring the alternate versions of Routine and Perfect Life, Last Regret, and most of the tracks from 4 1/2.
I wouldn’t say it’s better than the regular version, but it’s a different experience and makes the album feel more cinematic.

[Mladen]

Good ranking, Metropolaris. I would just switch To the bone and The Future bites. Both are good, but I prefer the latter.

[KevShmev]

The Raven and Grace for Drowning are still 1a and 1b for me.

As good as HCE is, I don't think it's quite on the level of my top 2.  Routine is still one of my favorite SW songs ever though (from any of his bands/projects).

To the Bone is very underrated and is aging really well. I could see me moving that up over HCE one day.

Insurgentes is very good, but I am in that camp of I just don't revisit it a lot these days. 

The Future Bites is good, but it admittedly did not have a long shelf life for me.  It's good, but it just doesn't compare to most of the album he has done as a solo artist and with Porcupine Tree.

[emtee]

Started the solo journey last night. I grabbed the headphones and spun HCE. What a beautiful, melancholic journey! Why have I waited this many years to hear it again?

Maybe the best thing about a new release from an artist I love is that it prompts me to revisit the discography.

[Kram]

Maybe the best thing about a new release from an artist I love is that it prompts me to revisit the discography.

I usually do the same.  But in this case, I've been binging on PT lately, not SW solo.

[Mladen]

Maybe the best thing about a new release from an artist I love is that it prompts me to revisit the discography.

I usually do the same.  But in this case, I've been binging on PT lately, not SW solo.

Same here. I haven't listened to so much Porcupine Tree in years.

[KevShmev]

Maybe the best thing about a new release from an artist I love is that it prompts me to revisit the discography.

Agreed!

I think that is one reason I refer to some of my favorites are "retired favorites," because I don't get those new studio albums anymore to prompt me to give the older stuff a go as much, thus those bands/artists find less time in my CD player than they used to.

[The Letter M]

Steven Wilson takes aim at shredders: “That’s not music. That’s sport”

“I love that people can play like that, but the fact is they feel the need to remind everyone they can play like that constantly – to me, that’s not music. That’s sport.”

I wonder how he feels about prog metal players, like John Petrucci, or even his friend Jordan Rudess, with whom he's shared a stage with before.

-Marc.

[Mladen]

That has to be a quote from 15 years ago. 

[KevShmev]

His take should not surprise anyone.  He has always been on record as not being a fan of shredders.  Even when working with guys like Jordan Rudess and Guthrie Govan, he usually kept their playing pretty restrained (relative to their skills).  I remember the story about the making of one of the solo albums Govan played on where Wilson directly him several times to slow down.   To me, this is not a matter of right or wrong, but a matter of taste.  He is not a fan of shredding in general.  Some are.  Not a big deal.

[Lonk]

Everytime I hear someone complaining about shredders it reminds be of Dave Mustaine at the Drew Carey Show 

https://youtu.be/BJTqvNLQlG0?t=102

But yeah, Wilson has been vocal before about not liking the style. Nothing wrong with that

[Kram]

I wonder how he feels about prog metal players, like John Petrucci, or even his friend Jordan Rudess, with whom he's shared a stage with before.

-Marc.

I'm sure he absolutely respects their ability, but not a fan of their style of music in general.  Same with Guthrie Govan I'm sure.

[WilliamMunny]

Started the solo journey last night. I grabbed the headphones and spun HCE. What a beautiful, melancholic journey! Why have I waited this many years to hear it again?

Maybe the best thing about a new release from an artist I love is that it prompts me to revisit the discography.

This. Been on a huge PT/SW kick for the past few weeks and have totally 'rediscovered' a love for a handful of records I'd gone years without listening to.

[WilliamMunny]

His take should not surprise anyone.  He has always been on record as not being a fan of shredders.  Even when working with guys like Jordan Rudess and Guthrie Govan, he usually kept their playing pretty restrained (relative to their skills).  I remember the story about the making of one of the solo albums Govan played on where Wilson directly him several times to slow down.   To me, this is not a matter of right or wrong, but a matter of taste.  He is not a fan of shredding in general.  Some are.  Not a big deal.

Def not a big deal.

I love Steven, but he totally cracks me up.

The dude spent two decades churning out one massive, bloated, prog-indebted masterpiece after another, but dislikes the word 'prog.'

The dude has numerous tracks with minutes of 'shredding' in his catalog, but he dosen't like shredding.

That all said, I am totally with him.

When it comes to music, I've long embraced the fact that I am essentially a walking contradiction.

I'll rail against Malmsteen, but totally embrace Petrucci. I'll dismiss a band the second I hear 'growling,' and then I'll get in my car and blast Opeth all the way home from work. I have no use for bands that wear masks on stage, but I freaking love KISS.

I've read a ton of interviews over the years and Steven is, without a doubt, a quirky guy...I suspect we'd get along swimmingly

[Mr.Mister]

Steven Wilson takes aim at shredders: “That’s not music. That’s sport”

“I love that people can play like that, but the fact is they feel the need to remind everyone they can play like that constantly – to me, that’s not music. That’s sport.”

I wonder how he feels about prog metal players, like John Petrucci, or even his friend Jordan Rudess, with whom he's shared a stage with before.

-Marc.

I wonder if this is more in reference to YouTubers who go ahead and memorize a fast song in less than 24h rather than at compossers like JP who shred as part of their way of playing. Not a dig at those YT players by any mean - that's absolute talent and dedication. It also comes across as speed-runners to me though.

In general SW is probably guilty of having a rather self-righteus approach in his younger days. For a guy guy who used to smash iPods for fun and wrote a song titled "4 chords that made a million" he also as been enamored with streaming and writing pop songs in recent years. I wonder if he cringes at some of the things he used to say.

   

[KevShmev]

Wilson likes talking out both sides of his mouth depending on where he's at in his career and what he is promoting.

And yes, I am going to use an example involving Taylor Swift (because I love to talk about her ).

Early last year, when SW was in full "promote The Future Bites" mode, which was more of a pop album than normal for him, he talked about how Swift's Folklore was his favorite album of 2020, an album that had gone to number 1. 

Fast forward to last month when a Kate Bush song reappeared back in the charts and went to number 1 thanks to being featured on Stranger Things, and Wilson spouts off on social media about how she is the first artist in decades to hit number 1 who deserved it.

So wait, your favorite album of 2020, that went to number 1, didn't deserve to go to number 1? Oh, right, you are in hard rock/prog mode now with promoting the new Porcupine Tree record, so time to talk out of the other side. 

[cramx3]

I don't really have an issue with his take here, but SW often comes off as an ass IMO

[Zantera]

I don't really have an issue with his take here, but SW often comes off as an ass IMO

It's a combination of his bluntness with saying what is on his mind but also he seems to have no ability to relate to other people having other opinions than his own. 

[WilliamMunny]

I don't really have an issue with his take here, but SW often comes off as an ass IMO

It's a combination of his bluntness with saying what is on his mind but also he seems to have no ability to relate to other people having other opinions than his own. 

The whole thing with his comments following EVH's death felt really tone deaf. I mean, he's entitled to his opinion, but whether asked or not, I'd keep comments to myself if asked about someone a few weeks after their death.

[Kram]

I don't really have an issue with his take here, but SW often comes off as an ass IMO

It's a combination of his bluntness with saying what is on his mind but also he seems to have no ability to relate to other people having other opinions than his own. 

The whole thing with his comments following EVH's death felt really tone deaf. I mean, he's entitled to his opinion, but whether asked or not, I'd keep comments to myself if asked about someone a few weeks after their death.

Yeah, that was in pretty bad taste if you ask me. That's a situation where if you have nothing nice to say about him, say nothing at all

[senecadawg2]

I love what he does 95% of the time at least, but I don't even trust SW's takes on his own music anymore. I don't remember the exact context, but a few months or maybe a year ago I remember an interview in which he suggested that, in hindsight, Raven was let down by the fact that he'd gone too hard on the classic prog influences. Fuck you, Steven—I love that album!

[Buddyhunter1]

I don't remember the exact context, but a few months or maybe a year ago I remember an interview in which he suggested that, in hindsight, Raven was let down by the fact that he'd gone too hard on the classic prog influences.

I agree with this.

[jammindude]

I love what he does 95% of the time at least, but I don't even trust SW's takes on his own music anymore. I don't remember the exact context, but a few months or maybe a year ago I remember an interview in which he suggested that, in hindsight, Raven was let down by the fact that he'd gone too hard on the classic prog influences. Fuck you, Steven—I love that album!

And in a live setting, he has stated to several audiences while introducing the title track that he thought it was the best thing he had ever written.

But OTOH, I get how tastes, even of your own output, can change. What I thought was the best thing I had ever written when I was 23 now seems fairly puerile.

[KevShmev]

Wilson still speaks very highly of the song The Raven That Refused to Sing.  I remember him specifically calling that one of the songs of which he is the most proud, so while the rest of the album might be too retro for him in retrospect, he still loves that song.

And I don't think the whole album is too retro.  Luminol and The Watchmaker are clear callbacks to 70s prog, but I don't think the rest of the album is at all.

[ReaperKK]

I don't really have an issue with his take here, but SW often comes off as an ass IMO

It's a combination of his bluntness with saying what is on his mind but also he seems to have no ability to relate to other people having other opinions than his own. 

The whole thing with his comments following EVH's death felt really tone deaf. I mean, he's entitled to his opinion, but whether asked or not, I'd keep comments to myself if asked about someone a few weeks after their death.

When Wolfgang was on the Bill Burr podcast he got into this a little bit and how it disappointed him since he was a huge PT fan. I think he mentioned they spoke about it on the phone and squashed it (don't quote me, it's been a while since I heard this podcast)

[King Postwhore]

Karolis is correct. They did talk and worked it out.

[KevShmev]

That was a nice revelation that Wolfgang was a fan of SW's music.  Now, if Wolfie would take a cue from Steven and kick start a project to remix VH's A Different Kind of Truth so we get a cleaner and less modern day loud mix, that would be nice. 

[Sacul]

I've been on a PT and SW kick lately for some reason. It's quite nice to revisit his solo work after so long and see how it's aged. Insurgentes still has got an excellent atmosphere, and although I find it a little inconsistent towards the middle, it's probably his second best solo record. Grace for Drowning I was expecting to love less than I used to but no, it remains his best album for me - just banger after banger. H.C.E. I loved when it came out but didn't revisit it much afterwards, but damn what an album. I was listening to the Unreleased Electronic Music compilation today for the first time, and it's got some pretty interesting ideas - fans of IDM will dig it. I'll give The Raven a go later today.

[cramx3]

I don't really have an issue with his take here, but SW often comes off as an ass IMO

It's a combination of his bluntness with saying what is on his mind but also he seems to have no ability to relate to other people having other opinions than his own. 

The whole thing with his comments following EVH's death felt really tone deaf. I mean, he's entitled to his opinion, but whether asked or not, I'd keep comments to myself if asked about someone a few weeks after their death.

When Wolfgang was on the Bill Burr podcast he got into this a little bit and how it disappointed him since he was a huge PT fan. I think he mentioned they spoke about it on the phone and squashed it (don't quote me, it's been a while since I heard this podcast)

I'm glad they squashed it but Wolfie also gets very defensive and offended when people say anything not positive about his father or him.

[faizoff]

I don't really have an issue with his take here, but SW often comes off as an ass IMO

It's a combination of his bluntness with saying what is on his mind but also he seems to have no ability to relate to other people having other opinions than his own. 

The whole thing with his comments following EVH's death felt really tone deaf. I mean, he's entitled to his opinion, but whether asked or not, I'd keep comments to myself if asked about someone a few weeks after their death.

When Wolfgang was on the Bill Burr podcast he got into this a little bit and how it disappointed him since he was a huge PT fan. I think he mentioned they spoke about it on the phone and squashed it (don't quote me, it's been a while since I heard this podcast)

I'm glad they squashed it but Wolfie also gets very defensive and offended when people say anything not positive about his father or him.

In my hunt for the Bill Burr podcast episode with Wolfgang VH talking about Steven Wilson, I came across one he did last week talking a little bit about Prog metal. In it Bill was praising the new PT album to high skies. Was kinda surprised he was a fan of PT, I know he's spoken about Meshuggah before and in this episode he does mention that he hasn't listened to the new album yet. A fan also recommends him Cynic.