So when should us CD owners pause for a while?

Howard,
Get a copy on vinyl.
This album takes on a total new life on the black stuff.
It becomes so together not disjointed ,all tracks melt together and blend in a better way without the cd loudness thing going on.Its not a digital album.
Thats the best way i can put it.
As you know i am not big on words when it comes to talking about music in tech ways.
This album just works so bloody well on vinyl.
More so i think than a few of the others.
Stu

Howard,

Here is my recipe for CD owners to experience the LP effect

Well as Steven quotes in the tonefloat magazine, he sequences music with vinyl in mind. He new where the breaks would be when writing The Incident and how he works normally. The natural breaks, whilst changing sides really worked for me on the first run through.

So if you have the CD...

pause (change sides ) after tracks:-
Side 1: (v) drawing the line and...
Side 2: (ix) time flies.

Another tip is to play in the dark, in a nice comfy chair whilst resting your feet on an exercise ball which provides a natural bouncy Rhythm . The piano, voice & drums in the first minute of (v) drawing the line is magical.

So my conclusion is that the 55min on CD is info overload, that requires the natural breaks of LP's.

And as some Fab people once sung...

It's getting better all the time
Better Better Better
It's getting better all the time
Better Better Better
Getting so much better all the time

Having read so many good things about Porcupine Tree from Dennis A, Lontano, Julian H, Munch and many others, I have decided to dip my toe in the water. As a starter, recommended by Phil at Cymbiosis, I have ordered 'Stars Die'. Is that a reasonable choice.

Roger,

I have to go out now, but will give you some pointers later today. Depending on your musical tastes, your comfort zone would be a starting point. From there, PT can then take you on a journey that other bands have not offered me in my experience.

ATB Denis

'Stars Die' is a very good starting point for early Porcupine Tree (up to and including Signify if memory serves me correctly).

Some excellent stuff on there including two of my favourite PT songs - "Stars Die" and "Waiting". No make that "two of my favourite songs" fullstop.

I am probably in a minority of PT fans here in preferring their earlier releases to the later ones. My favourite among the later releases is still In Absentia.

Here is an (updated) copy of a list I posted earlier...

Early PT - the solo years

On the Sunday of Life - very early musings from Mr Wilson, with him playing all the instruments - remixed versions now include real drums however. Patchy but showed signs of what was to come. Think Barratt period Floyd.

Up the Downstair - More of the same

Yellow Hedgerow Dreamscape - This is extremely rare and completes the set, probably for completeists only but there is much to admire on this.


PT The band

The Sky Moves Sideways - again largely Steven Wilson solo but some telling contributions from the others who were to form the touring band. This is really the album that can be compared to Waters/Gilmour Floyd it is PT's proggyest album.

Signify - The first proper PT album with the four members all making major contributions. This album including 'Waiting' which is one of the finest songs ever written!

Coma Divine - Live album from the Signify tour. Simply one of the best live albums recorded by anyone, ever.

Stupid Dream - More song based than before, when PT started getting a more 'commercial' sound.

Lightbulb Sun - a bit like Stupid Dream, but more so

Heavy PT

In Absentia - the first signs of the new, heavy PT, bigger sound but with some harmonies to die for.

Deadwing - Not as consistent but has the epic 'Arriving Somewhere' as it's centrepiece

Fear of a Blank Planet - more heaviness but more focused than Deadwing.

The Incident - New one, I think it has been mentioned by one or two people here...

Miscellaneous

Stars Die - A 'Best of' from the early years up to Signify

Metanoia - Improvisations from the signify sessions. Probably my least often played PT album

Recordings - floor sweepings and leftovers from various sessions. This is not a coherent album in the way most of the others are but it contains some of PTs finest songs and is among my favourite albums.

Voyage 34 - a fine mood piece, originally released as a 34 minute single - expanded to about an hour and very good it is too.

Moonloop - a long extended improvisation (far better than Metanoia (IMHO)

Warsawa - a live recording for a radio show in Poland. Slightly dry sound but very good.

We Lost The Skyline - A recent live recording from a record shop in the states. Some very good versions of OT songs rarely heard live.

Also try

If you like what Steven Wilson does then also try

Insurgentes - SW's 'first solo' album, really rather good.

Blackfield - SW and Avi Geffen, two very good albums containing short songs, very melodic.

NoMan - SW and Tim Bowness, again more melodic, ambient, dreamy stuff

Roger,

As I forgot to mention earlier, seagull has previously provided an excellent summary of PT's history.

The good news is that you can try some of the early albums in their entirety from the PT mediaplayer, as below:-

On the Sunday of Life
Up the Downstair
The Sky Moves Sideways
Signify
Coma Divine
Stupid Dream
Voyage 34
Stars Die

An interesting labour of love by a PT fan can be downloaded here.

If you would like any advice about purchases, my email is in my profile and I would happily call you to discuss offline.

ATB Denis

quote:

Originally posted by seagull:
I am probably in a minority of PT fans here in preferring their earlier releases to the later ones.

You're not alone.

Coma Divine is not only one of the best live albums ever, but in there with top albums, full stop. Still send tingles up and down my spine.

The later ones I start to lose emotional attachment to, though they're still fine albums as Mr W's a terrific songwriter as well as musician. My problem with the latest (and it is growing on me) is that I feel almost no emotion from it,and the songwriting just isn't as good as it was.

Damn good guide by the way.

Interesting interview on the guitar sounds of The Incident.

Video-Workshop mit Steven Wilson

And some Guitar Tabs...

Die Noten zum Workshop-Video findet ihr im nachfolgenden PDF

My thanks to seagull and Denis for the information. Most appreciated. I now look forward to receiving my copy of Stars Die, which will be my introduction to PT.

quote:

Up the Downstair - More of the same

Wrong, wrong, wrong!!!

The above list was mostly culled from a reply I made on another PT thread a few years ago.

I was listening to Up The Downstair in the car this morning. It is actually a VERY strong album indeed and contains much of Mr Wilson's finest guitar work.

"On the Sunday of Life" has a few tracks that I tend to skip whereas this one has several where I have hit the rewind button to play again.

Last night was the NYC show. What can I say that we don't already know? The show was amazing, set 1 was the 1st CD from The Incident, followed by a 10 minute break, then an hour of past songs. I am still in a haze but some that come to mind are 'The Start of Something Beautiful' and "The Sound of Muzak".

They have a very large video screen that shows all kinds of amazing images, both still and moving, that absolutely blew my mind. The video portion was so great that I would love to see a DVD of the album with that content.

and yes, I ordered a vinyl copy this morning. If you like (or are even curious about) PTree, you must see them live. And they also announced they will tour the US again in the spring time.

Vaughn, these are the reported details from last night.

Setlist

the Incident
--
Start of Something Beautiful
Russia On Ice
Anesthetize pt2 (The Pills I'm Taking)
Remember Me Lover
Strip the Soul/.3
Mother and Child
--
Sound of Muzak
Trains

Your sentiments match other fans who say that TI is awesome 'live'. Can't wait till the London gig

quote:

Originally posted by DenisA:
Can't wait till the London gig

Not long now Denis. Are we all going to have a good nosh up beforehand? Quite a few of us going

quote:

Originally posted by munch:

Wish you were going Stu.

Here's a list of pubs and restaurants in Hammersmith. Any recommendations?

http://www.fluidfoundation.com..._view.aspx?ItemID=25

http://trustedplaces.com/place...ersmith/bar-pub/pubs

Adrian,
At least it will give Oliver the chance to meet some of the guys on here.,And them him.
So its not all bad.
Stu

I must admit that PT has passed me by until now. Piqued by the level of enthusiasm on the forum, I received The Incident today (on vinyl) - I'm a PT virgin, so I didn't have any knowledge or preconceptions.

Fuck me, I'm gobsmacked

Intelligent, superb playing, production, stimulating writing, blah blah

Finally, the forum comes good.Thanks guys!

Where/when are they live in UK?

quote:

Originally posted by Nero:
Where/when are they live in UK?

Glad you like them.

http://www.porcupinetree.com/tour.cfm

You might need to ebay a ticket now but well worth it. Superb live.

And if you like them, you have the joy of a big back catalogue to start exploring