Porcupine Tree

detuned wrote:

thejokeriv wrote:

Thinking about picking up one of their CD's - where should I start?

Honestly man, you really can't go wrong with anything in their catalog. Porcupine Tree is now one of my favorite bands of all time, easily...and I've only been listening to them for about a year.

For a beginner, the above suggestions of In Absentia and Deadwing are very good, Lightbulb Sun or Stupid Dream would also be good choices.

Thx - I will add them to my list

thejokeriv wrote:

Thinking about picking up one of their CD's - where should I start?

Detuned is a far better authority on the subject than I, but from what I understand, their latter material is more "metallic" than some of the earlier releases which are more ambient and Pink-Floyd-ish. I guess it depends on what you're looking for. If you start at the beginning, you might dig the progression of the band. However, if you start somewhere in the middle and work backwards, you might be a little put off.

I only have a handful of their discs, but I enjoy Fear of a Blank Planet very much. Be warned though. There is a LOT of Porcupine music out there. Once you're hooked, be prepared to sell a kidney to track down all the releases.

The "Signify" album is the transitional release, that was the first album where Steve assembled an actual band. Before that, PT was more of a Wilson side-project.

The pre-Signify albums are very Floyd-ish, but a little more pop-oriented.

Signify thru In Absentia are very song oriented albums, lovely balance of light and heavy.

Deadwing was where the darkness/heaviness started to really creep in.

FOABP and The Incident are kind of a combination of everything, Steven returning to longer song forms and more "progressive" structures. Those albums really need to be listened to all the way through to appreciate. It also helps to listen to Pink Floyd's Animals right before playing The Incident, because Steve does a beautiful job of de-constructing that album for bits and pieces of The Incident.

There have also been numerous EP's. Nil Recurring is still available and should be purchased by anyone who likes PT, it was recorded at the same time as Fear Of A Blank Planet.

here is a clip from the new concert video:

Killer band, on stage and on vinyl. I have all their records here... I also like the other projects Steven Wislon has like Blackfield and No-Man. His latest solo album iI really think is his best work.

Porcupine Tree will release a 2CD/DVD/Blu-Ray set on November 5th entitled "Octane Twisted".

The concert was filmed on May 2nd, 2010 and features "The Incident" performed in it's entirety in addition to many other songs (I'll add the tracklist when it is published).

Porcupine Tree's live releases are incredible, this will make a great companion to Anesthetize and Arriving Somewhere. They are one of those bands whose live material almost always eclipses their studio work.

It could also quite possibly be the final Porcupine Tree release, rumors are swirling around that the band has called it a day...though no official word on that yet.

Steven Wilson is currently working on his next solo album (coming this winter) and will be touring again after that, so any Porcupine Tree recordings would be pushed into mid-next year sometime if they happen at all.

Steven is also releasing "Get All You Deserve" a live concert film from his Grace For Drowning tour, that will be released on Sep 24th in 2CD/DVD/Blu-Ray formats.

S.D. wrote:

It could also quite possibly be the final Porcupine Tree release, rumors are swirling around that the band has called it a day...though no official word on that yet.

http://rollingstoneindia.com/featured-artist/backstage-with-steven-wilson/

This interview from earlier this summer seems to both confirm and deny the rumor. Wilson acknowledges that he is unsure about the future of Porcupine Tree and that he is just having too much fun with the solo project, but at the very end of the interview he states that he does want to get Porcupine Tree back together at some point.

I'd love to hear new Porcupine Tree, but at the same time this kind of break is allowing me to fully catch up with their back catalog, which is nice.

yeah, I saw that interview. I'm perfectly happy with Steven's solo material and side projects. If Porcupine Tree gets back together in a couple years I'll celebrate, but regardless about 90% of their sound is Steven so it's kind of like they never broke up.

I'm very excited about the upcoming Steven Wilson solo and Porcupine Tree live DVDs, these guys are brilliant live, those will hold me over for awhile until new studio material gets done.

I haven't delved into Steven's solo works yet, not counting Storm Corrosion. I'll miss Porcupine Tree if they are no more though.

I have a feeling they aren't "done", but since Steven already has a good chunk of next year devoted to releasing a solo album and touring, it would be 2014 at the earliest for anything Porcupine Tree related.

S.D. wrote:

I have a feeling they aren't "done", but since Steven already has a good chunk of next year devoted to releasing a solo album and touring, it would be 2014 at the earliest for anything Porcupine Tree related.

Well, of couse I meant "done" in the broadest sense of the term. Just like noone ever stays dead in comic books, no group ever stays "done" either. Just ask Krokus.

Tur-Thalion wrote:

http://rollingstoneindia.com/featured-artist/backstage-with-steven-wilson/

That's a really good interview, Steven talks about how he's looking to move away from having metal elements in his music....

The other part of what you’re talking about is the move away from metal. After Fear of a Blank Planet, the metal thing for me was played out. The Incident began to move a little bit away from metal. Storm Corrosion completely rejects the notion of metal and even rock. Grace for Drowning also rejected the whole metal thing which I had been so sated with from about 2002 to 2007. There is a search for me now, creatively, to find ways to be upbeat and in-your-face without having to rely on metal and “Luminol” was the first attempt at that.

Here is the new track "Luminol" mentioned above, this is from the upcoming concert film "Get All You Deserve" and the studio version will be included on his 3rd solo album scheduled for next spring.



It makes sense really, Porcupine Tree didn't start incorporating any metallic elements in their songs until In Absentia, then it featured prominently in parts of Deadwing and Fear Of A Blank Planet...but with as many styles of music Steven enjoys there is no way he's going to stay put and focus on one direction for more than a few albums.

That's why I'm such a huge fan, because he does many things and does them all brilliantly.

S.D. wrote:

The "Signify" It also helps to listen to Pink Floyd's Animals right before playing The Incident, because Steve does a beautiful job of de-constructing that album for bits and pieces of The Incident.

I knew that the main riff for "Time Flies" was taken directly from Pink Floyd, to the point where some accused him of ripping it off. IMO, those critics had no idea what he was doing. Are there more connections to Animals in that piece? I need to listen to the two back to back sometime.

I hope PT isn't done for good, though what Wilson has done through that group has been quite satisfying. After all, his creation of Porcupine Tree exposed the world to the genius that is Gavin Harrison. I hope that partnership continues.

QuothTheRaven wrote:

I knew that the main riff for "Time Flies" was taken directly from Pink Floyd, to the point where some accused him of ripping it off. IMO, those critics had no idea what he was doing. Are there more connections to Animals in that piece? I need to listen to the two back to back sometime.

The riff at the 3:10 mark is based off the end riff from "Sheep".

S.D. is there any PT that is influenced by the the later years of Floyd? It's what drew me into Riverside and then you realize there is way more going on then ripping off PF. I keep trying to listen to Porcupine Tree but nothing really grabs me yet it's so obvious the level of musicianship is high I want to like them.

Dark Horseman wrote:

S.D. is there any PT that is influenced by the the later years of Floyd? It's what drew me into Riverside and then you realize there is way more going on then ripping off PF. I keep trying to listen to Porcupine Tree but nothing really grabs me yet it's so obvious the level of musicianship is high I want to like them.

There's Pink Floyd influence scattered throughout their discography, but I don't really think anything sounds "alot" like Floyd, it's just one of the ingredients. The most overt Pink Floyd influenced album is "The Sky Moves Sideways" but that's closer to the earlier Floyd sound (Meddle). Wilson thinks he went too far into Floyd territory with that record.

I always recommend the "In Absentia" album as a good introduction, because I think it hits on many aspects of their sound.

Porcupine Tree is one of those bands (like Rush) whose sound evolves and changes over time, so if you listen to just one album you are only getting a small taste of what they are about.

Ok, i'll give that one a try.

..... and to add............. the very first PT album On The Sunday Of Life has a The Piper at the Gates of Dawn type sound.. very psychedelic!

I agree with SD, In Absentia is a good intro. I highly recommend Stupid Dream as well, it has less of a metal influence, but still has some heavy songs.

I pretty much like every album that they have done, but Stupid Dream and In Absentia are my favorites.

Also try their Ep: Voyage 34: The Complete Trip. It's pretty trippy and completely instrumental.

chewie wrote:

Also try their Ep: Voyage 34: The Complete Trip. It's pretty trippy and completely instrumental.

Metanoia is all instrumental as well. I don't think I'd recommend those albums to "newbies" but they are both worth checking out later down the road.

S.D. wrote:

chewie wrote:

Also try their Ep: Voyage 34: The Complete Trip. It's pretty trippy and completely instrumental.

Metanoia is all instrumental as well. I don't think I'd recommend those albums to "newbies" but they are both worth checking out later down the road.

Yea......... definitely later on! I think I bought V34 as my second or third album, but I already liked trippy music so it clicked with me....

S.D., the structure of The Sky Moves Sideways reminded me immediately of Floyd's Wish You Were Here. I'm not as familiar with Meddle so maybe the actual music is closer to that album, but the structure itself says Wish You Were Here!

In Absentia and Deadwing were the first two PT albums I bought. I usually recommend those first, particularly to friends who enjoy heavier music.

The 3-disc version of "Octane Twisted" is only available from Burning Shed via pre-order, the standard amazon release will be a 2-CD set and will not include the DVD. So if you want the visual as well...

https://www.burningshed.com/store/porcupinetree/product/169/4174/



CD 1:

The Incident - Chicago:

1. Occam's Razor
2. The Blind House
3. Great Expectations
4. Kneel And Disconnect
5. Drawing The Line
6. The Incident
7. Your Unpleasant Family
8. The Yellow Windows Of The Evening Train
9. Time Flies
10. Degree Zero Of Liberty
11. Octane Twisted
12. The Seance
13. Circle Of Manias
14. I Drive The Hearse

CD2:

1. Hatesong (9.57)
2. Russia On Ice / The Pills I'm Taking (15.02)
3. Stars Die (5.57)
4. Bonnie The Cat (6.11)
5. Even Less (14.28)
6. Dislocated Day (7.05)
7. Arriving Somewhere But Not Here (12:59)

The DVD is the same tracklist as disc 1.

I saw them on their tour for The Incident in Atlanta and that was one of the best shows I've ever seen. But I like the second half set list for Chicago better. I would have loved to hear Stars Die, Even Less, and Dislocated Day.

Tur-Thalion wrote:

I saw them on their tour for The Incident in Atlanta and that was one of the best shows I've ever seen. But I like the second half set list for Chicago better. I would have loved to hear Stars Die, Even Less, and Dislocated Day.

The second disc is actually highlights from their Royal Albert Hall show.

I'm considering adding Porcupine Tree back to my "hard copy" list of bands. Listening to my digital copy of Deadwing now.

I love Signify & Lightbulb Sun. Those are my two favorites, even though I am familiar with others. I used to own those, Recordings and the Stars Die box.

They really are an amazing band. They have the 2-CD version of The Incident at FYE for $19.99...I have the store credit but am hesitant to pull the trigger. What's the consensus on it?