Porcupine Tree

Robosapien · 15 Mar 2013 at 22:47

Jonny Chee said:
Lol. What sort of music do you like out of interest?

Something a bit more commercial or pop, and not so utterly alienating.

I have FOABP and In Absentia, they're good (drummer is amazing), but ultimately doesn't really inspire me (I guess I just don't 'get' it).

I like:

Muzak
Blackest Eyes
Trains (amazing chorus)
Collapse the light into earth (I might get them to play this one at my funeral)

Fear (the outro which is cut from video in particular)
Anaesthetize (one of the few that goes on forever that is actually 'wow, how did we end up at this bit?')
I guess the rest of this album has it's place too, particuarly the last two tracks, but Ashes is a bit meh.

Other than those and that they seem like technically profficient musicians I don't really like them at all, I don't get the massive cult worship thing. Maybe I have ADD.

Shamikebab · 15 Mar 2013 at 22:53

So you like pop music?

In what way is it alienating exactly?

Robosapien · 15 Mar 2013 at 23:16

Shamikebab said:
So you like pop music?

Well, not pop as such.

Shamikebab said:
In what way is it alienating exactly?

I don't know, it's got the same kind of vibe as Radiohead's OK Computer to me.

I guess I just don't like it as much as you do! These are my thoughts and now I'm running away from this thread before I inevitably get lynched for saying anything bad about Steve Wilson.

Shamikebab · 15 Mar 2013 at 23:19

Well OK Computer is pretty brilliant!

I don't think I'd ever call an artist alienating, it doesn't really make sense.

This was stunning live, great video too:

Dave · 15 Mar 2013 at 23:27

Great band, fantastic live. Blackfield are also very good if you like Steven Wilson's stuff - more "pop-ish" but still excellent songwriting.

v0n · 15 Mar 2013 at 23:31

I like it, I like all prog stuff, but one has to admit - it's very... hmm... regressed example of progressive rock. There is a lot of filler. Sometimes brilliant tunes get ruined by the most awkward arrangements, or just plain choruses, or dragging same progression twice, three times too long or at way too slow pace for no good reason. One day it will be brilliant song mine for future bands to do creative cover of.
Very often, for me, a lot of their stuff has that "amateurish" production and mastering quality. Kind of like listening to some sort of foreign tribute band. The leader, for all his writing talents, is just not very good musician. About the only lead guitarist in progressive and neo progressive genre not to have any "tone". Just none. Everything always sounds like generic virtual tone bank from Line 6 Pod armoury. And not particularly talented soloist either. You put him next to someone old school, like Steve Rothery and it's just wow, complete abyss. Very average vocalist, which is not that much of an issue, because post 70ies British prog rock is full of average vocalists. But his vocals are just always samey and with no extra range. A lot of times it's feels like listening to someone singing with their headphones on, a tad wrong volume and expression for the rest of the arrangement.

I've read the above and it read like I'm tearing them to pieces, but that's wrong. I really do like listening to Porcupine Tree. It's just not living up to full potential I feel. Another Marillion comparison - Porcupine Tree is like late 2000's Marillion with Hogarth, and it could be like Marillion with Fish, or at least late 90ies Marillion with Hogarth.

Magik5 · 16 Mar 2013 at 12:18

Another PT fan here - Nil Recurring to compliment FOABP is absolutely fantastic music.

Had the pleasure to see them at the Royal Albert Hall in 2010, loved every second of it