Steven Wilson

  • We will be seeing him in November. All we have by him is the Porcupine Tree live DVD/Blu Ray. I would appreciate it if some of you could give me some recommendations for some music, either by the band or solo. From what I have heard he will be playing some Porcupine Tree songs he has never played with his own band. Thanks in advance. NB I do realise there were threads on the old forum, but that was then!

  • We will be seeing him in November. All we have by him is the Porcupine Tree live DVD/Blu Ray. I would appreciate it if some of you could give me some recommendations for some music, either by the band or solo. From what I have heard he will be playing some Porcupine Tree songs he has never played with his own band. Thanks in advance. NB I do realise there were threads on the old forum, but that was then!

    Which PT live DVD do you have? PT has one from their last three tours, i.e., for "Deadwing", "Fear Of A Blank Planet", and "The Incident".


    On SW solo tours, he does tend to play mostly (and sometimes exclusively) his solo material. If he is playing PT songs live now, 1) that is most welcome, and 2) I bet he's leaning on the very early albums because PT back then was mostly just him. (If someone has seen him recently, let me/us know if this is accurate for his live performance selections.)


    I love Porcupine Tree (and desperately want them to reunite), and I love his production work with King Crimson, Yes, XTC, etc. However, if I am brutally honest, I don't love his solo career. I like it, but it's just not my cup of tea. His solo career is very jazz-rock fusion prog; I personally prefer prog that has rock as its foundation - thus, my preference for PT.


    He has released a "best of" of sorts for his solo career so far called "Transience" - that might be a good place to start:


    https://burningshed.com/store/…even_wilson_transience_cd


    If you click around the Burning Shed site, you'll find everything SW and PT you could ever hope for. Happy hunting and listening! :)

    Stepping out the back way, hoping nobody sees...

  • The PT DVD we have is Anesthetize Live in Tilburg 2008. Thanks for your help OFTV.

    Yes, that the "Fear Of A Blank Planet" tour - a very good one! 8)


    You're welcome - I have to say that the band he takes with him on his solo tours is absolutely top-notch! You'll have a great time!

    Stepping out the back way, hoping nobody sees...

  • ... All we have by him is the Porcupine Tree live DVD/Blu Ray. I would appreciate it if some of you could give me some recommendations for some music, either by the band or solo...

    I'm a greater fan of his work with Porcupine Tree but I like his solo stuff as well.

    I thought his second-last solo release Hand Cannot Erase was his best.

    I imagine he'll play a fair share of his new album, To The Bone, which has been a source of division for some fans. It has some uncharacteristic vocal stylings which I've seen some harder core prog fans dismiss as a blatant stab at commercialism.

    Personally, I really like the new album. In fact, I prefer To The Bone to the two albums that preceded Hand Cannot Erase.

    I imagine there are others who might have quite differing opinions.

  • Thanks Witchwood. So apart from Transience which I've noted, would To The Bone be a good starting point for someone like me? Remember I am a fan of later period Genesis & I am definitely not hard core prog.

  • Thanks Witchwood. So apart from Transience which I've noted, would To The Bone be a good starting point for someone like me? Remember I am a fan of later period Genesis & I am definitely not hard core prog.

    I would say yes, based on your stated preference, and the fact it's his latest album and the one he's most likely to be showcasing in concert.

  • I have all regular studio albums from Porcupine Tree, Blackfeld and Steven Wilson. But that is only a small range, of what he has released, because - as someone on the old forum put it - he is the master of music and the master of the special edition.


    I got to know PT in the year 2000, when there was a big hype around the band on the old German Marillion forum. I saw PT live in Dresden early in 2001 at the Star Club with only around 30 people in the audience. In May of the same year, I saw the band again as a support act for Marillion in Cologne. Steven Wilson returned to Dresden during the Raven - Tour. This time he played a bigger venue, which was sold out. He will return here in July and do an open air gig.


    The early albums of Porcupine Tree are pretty much Pink Floyd influenced, with some ambient influences as well (Voyage 34). For me the band really kicked off with Signify and the live album Coma Divine from that tour. Signify, Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun are my favourites. On these albums PT had grown together as a band and here they developed their wonderful and unique style, for which I learned to love them. The albums that followed are in a heavier vein, but still are great. A special mention goes to Deadwing, which includes the incredible "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here" and other gems. The CD-set "Octane Twisted" includes a dvd of a live rendition of the complete "Incident" - suite.


    Steven Wilson`s solo work is varying quite a bit. Some of his solo albums are very much in the vein of PT, especially The Raven, That Refused To Sing and Hand. Cannot. Erase (both absolutely awesome albums). Grace For Drowning and Insurgentes also include some jazzy, experimental elements, which might not be liked by everyone. The most remarkable track in that respect is Raider II. There is a fantastic live dvd from the Grace For Drowning tour, called Get What You Deserve. This is really highly recommendable.


    To The Bone is newest album, it belongs to my top five of all SW/PT stuff.

    First we learned to walk on water.

    Then we tried something harder.

    - Red Seven -

  • I love Porcupine Tree but am afraid I have never been able to get into his solo stuff.

    Porcupine Tree had a definite Prog element in their music which I love, awsome band!! 8)... Steve Wilson's music is OK and very pleasant, but much prefer Blackfield's stuff... Great music!!

  • Outside of Porcupine Tree, I thought Steven Wilson's best work was with No-Man.

    While I like most of his solo stuff and the first couple of Blackfield releases, Flowermouth, Returning Jesus and Together We're Stranger would probably be my three favourite Wilson-related albums if you don't include his work with Porcupine Tree.

  • We saw Mr Wilson last night. The show was awesome. We were in the second row & got plenty of eye contact when he came over to our side. Great band as well.


    This is the setlist:


    Nowhere Now

    Pariah

    Home Invasion

    Regret #9

    The Creator Has A Mastertape

    The Same Asylum As Before

    Refuge

    Ancestral

    Arrriving Somewhere But Not Here

    Permanating

    Somg Of I

    Lazarus

    Detonation

    Heartattack In A Layby

    Vermillioncore

    Sleep Together

    Song Of Unborn


    The highligts for me were Home Invasion & The Same Asylum As Before. I am still getting to know the To The Bone material & was surprised he didn't do the title track. Permanating was great. He said outright that he wanted to write a pop song, and that was it. I look at my iTunes star ratings & find I have already given some of these songs four stars out of five.

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    Looking forward to watching the new Steven Wilson DVD 'Home Invasion: Live At Royal Albert Hall' 8)