A James
Santa's Little Spambot
Neptune
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« Reply #45 on: January 19, 2012, 01:28:34 PM » |
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I always used to think Rush did their albums in threes, with a live album inbetween each stage.
In that case, I can see why you became a lawyer rather than a mathematician then James  Oh, it was in fours. Oops  |
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Mouse
Neptune
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Musical Rodent
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« Reply #46 on: January 19, 2012, 11:39:43 PM » |
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I was introduced to Porcupine Tree by way of the Warszawa live album. It's made up mostly of tracks from Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun and it gripped me and let me know I had stumbled upon something special when I first heard it. Thinking back, I remember being taken by how the songs were songs, but they grew and evolved with the instrumentation. What the band played was concise and very well arranged, even with the longer pieces. They still had those experimental 'far out' moments, but it sounded like everyone was moving along in the same direction musically. I think those qualities are displayed especially well on Stupid Dream.
The opening track, Even Less, is my favoured example of how a relatively simple song structure is exapanded and evolved by the band. Richard Barbieri's atmospherics really give an environment for the music to inhabit, giving it a rather cinematic view. There is a very bright, live room sound to the drums throughout the album (something I think SW has developed as a production characteristic throughout his career) and Colin Edwin's bass lines always do their job to keep the rhythm and the pace flowing. But it's not just moody atmospheric wanderings on this album. Piano Lessons is, dare I say it, a fun song. Full of quirkiness and an up-tempo beat, it really jumps out and dances around. It and other songs from the album allude to the so-called indie style, akin to Radiohead and Wilco especially, I find. I suppose that comes from nearly all of the tracks sounding like they were written on an acoustic guitar, or certainly written to be performed on one. It's certainly a quality in such music that Porcupine Tree tend to make that I find very favourable.
I'm losing the ability to type proper sentences that make sense, so I'll close by saying that I think this is my favourite Porcupine Tree album. Every quality that the band is known for is displayed here equally and everything seems to be in its' right place. It doesn't outstay it's welcome and it never tries to be anything other than itself. Lovely stuff.
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A James
Santa's Little Spambot
Neptune
Posts: 34712
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« Reply #47 on: January 19, 2012, 11:45:37 PM » |
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You can see the video for Piano Lessons here |
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Uncle Bulgaria
Neptune
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« Reply #48 on: January 23, 2012, 09:35:28 AM » |
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Liked it - so have bought it. Also bought the cd/dvd of Lightbulb Sun as it was also on Amazon reasonably cheap.
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Mouse
Neptune
Posts: 15887
Musical Rodent
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« Reply #49 on: January 23, 2012, 11:07:23 AM » |
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If you liked Stupid Dream, I think you'll like Lightbulb Sun. They're certainly two of my favourites.
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Bert
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« Reply #50 on: January 23, 2012, 11:29:41 AM » |
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Lightbulb Sun is SW's "pop" album.
It's got Shesdmovedon on it, which is a song that was once very close to my blackened heart.
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A James
Santa's Little Spambot
Neptune
Posts: 34712
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« Reply #51 on: January 23, 2012, 11:39:19 AM » |
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I've always thought of Stupid Dream (or certainly parts of it) as being his 'pop' album - I can't help thinking that Four Chords That Made A Million was partly a commentary on what did not happen...
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RobH
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« Reply #52 on: January 23, 2012, 12:08:43 PM » |
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I listened to most of this last night, and I rather enjoyed it. This could have been because of what I listening to just before it. I'll listen again later this week and then cast my vote.
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Bert
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« Reply #53 on: January 23, 2012, 12:10:54 PM » |
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I've always thought of Stupid Dream (or certainly parts of it) as being his 'pop' album - I can't help thinking that Four Chords That Made A Million was partly a commentary on what did not happen...
It's about Oasis. |
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A James
Santa's Little Spambot
Neptune
Posts: 34712
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« Reply #54 on: January 23, 2012, 12:14:01 PM » |
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I've always thought of Stupid Dream (or certainly parts of it) as being his 'pop' album - I can't help thinking that Four Chords That Made A Million was partly a commentary on what did not happen...
It's about Oasis. I know that. But I cannot help thinking it is also about more than that. I suspect Mr Wilson thought some of the toonz on Stupid Dream would lead to a greater commercial impact than actually happened, and that is a subtext against which 4 Chords was written. |
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Bert
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« Reply #55 on: January 23, 2012, 02:36:10 PM » |
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I've always thought of Stupid Dream (or certainly parts of it) as being his 'pop' album - I can't help thinking that Four Chords That Made A Million was partly a commentary on what did not happen...
It's about Oasis. I know that. Sorry  |
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Mouse
Neptune
Posts: 15887
Musical Rodent
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« Reply #56 on: January 25, 2012, 01:53:55 PM » |
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Well, I didn't. Thank you, Bert.  |
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Bert
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« Reply #57 on: January 25, 2012, 02:19:40 PM » |
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Well, I didn't. Thank you, Bert. You're welcome Mouse |
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A James
Santa's Little Spambot
Neptune
Posts: 34712
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« Reply #58 on: January 25, 2012, 02:28:51 PM » |
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Spammers.
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Briefly Icky Giantess
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« Reply #59 on: January 25, 2012, 02:32:15 PM » |
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Better take the plank out of your own eye first, SpamBot.
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I used to have a bigger sig but Robert kept moaning about it so I have been reduced to this now.  |
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Poll
