Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
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Free Music Notes for Deadwing
Free Music Review: cool stuff
Hit: 5 Stars
if you don't know by now, PORCUPINE TREE is a fabulous progressive rock band that's takes some of the hipper elements of progressive rock giants of years past and adds modern-sounding instrumentation and production value, and does things to appeal to the listener on a more personal level. this is a band that- though they retain their core sound from album to album- continue to push forward, for better or for worse. _deadwing_ is an album that continues to perform reconaissance on territories seen from its predecessor _in absentia_, moving further towards more riff-oriented rock, while complicating its sound with thickened soundscapes, rich vocal harmonies, and heavy guitar distortion. _deadwing_ to me is clear evidence as to why so many metalheads are into PORCUPINE TREE. this is hands-down the heaviest PT album to date. and perhaps their most challenging too. it actually took me a while to get into this one. gone are the crystal polish and radio-ready blockbusters on _in absentia_. instead we have a darker, denser, murkier-sounding record that i think- in the end- is slightly more rewarding. also, we find PT adding a significant amount of tension to their music, in the form of more riff-oriented songs that sound simultaneously frenetic and hypnotic. this is a formula that i've really come to enjoy... just when it sounds like they might have overdone it with the amount of tension buried in these grooves, PORCUPINE TREE will suddenly explode into some lush, atmospheric passage that is the musical equivalent of firing off a hefty-sized wad- that nicely frees-up all that tension and leaves you kind of bobbing your head at the sheer magnitude of this band's sound and vision. songs run the gamut in length, ranging anywhere from 3+ minutes- as on the beautiful, country-tinged "lazarus"- to the album's 13-minute center-piece, "arriving somewhere but not here." and so _deadwing_ feels at times like a collection of album-oriented songs, though each song is distinct and capable of standing on its own. my only beef with this collection is the decision to forego including the tracks "so-called friend" and "half-life" on the american version, which i would have easily preferred over the rehashing of "shesmovedon" from the _lightbulb sun_ album. these tracks are very good- album-quality even- and are definitely worth scrounging up somewhere. also, i don't really see the point in the long block of silence following "glass arm shattering." other than that, _deadwing_ is a great album and a critical purchase in my opinion.Free Music Review: ........
Hit: 5 Stars
Now then, about the album. Porcupine Tree has been one of the leaders in the field of music for a while. To be more specific, they are leaders in the field of music that progresses, music that changes from album to album, song to song, and even in the middle of songs. They have managed to make a more complex album than 'In Absentia' while still retaining a freshness that they have carried for the past several albums. 'Deadwing' is probably the most tight album while also being the most musically wandering album. All the songs have their own unique feel while also holding a conciseness that makes this album so great.
There are the heavier songs (Deadwing, Shallow and Halo) that are incredibly catchy but without losing the atmosphere of Porcupine Tree in the process. There are the softer songs (Lazarus, Mellotron Scratch and Glass Arm Shattering) that are easy to listen to while still being very lush in Porcupine Tree's unique musical flavor. Finally, there are the songs that fall in the middle (Arriving Somewhere but Not Here, Open Car and The Start of Something Beautiful) that have all of Porcupine Tree's aspects in them. Open Car starts out somewhat heavy, but builds up to show that it has a flow to it as it weaves in and out of the different walls of music.
As far as the album's structure goes, it's as great as anyone could expect from Porcupine Tree. While I would have made the album to flow from heavy to soft (or visa versa), Porcupine Tree has managed to make it's songs so varied, that they change from heavy to light in the middle of songs and then flow on to the next song in the same fashion so that it never feels that there is an abrupt or missplaced track on the album. Also, one of the key parts of Porucpine Tree's albums is the closing track. 'Glass Arm Shattering' has to be the best offering for a closing track that they have ever proposed. While the song 'Half Light' was intended to be the closing track, it doesn't quite match the brilliance of the chosen closer (even though it is another exceptional closer also).
This album is the best display of music that Porucpine Tree has created. Whether you are a fan that is already into the group, or you are just starting to look into the group, this album is just as good of a place to start as 'In Absentia.' It does have a little bit of a different vibe than all the other albums, but that's what everyone has come to expect from this group, they change their sound, and each time they do, it's absolutely amazing.
Free Music Review: Further proves PT as among the best in their genre
Hit: 5 Stars
I admit, I'm not a veteran Porcupine Tree fan; I have only ever heard "In Absentia," and a few tracks from earlier albums. However, I think that gives me an advantage, perhaps, over some of the other reviewers, insofar as it allows me to judge this album on its own merits, rather than comparing it to everything else done by PT. As its own entity, this CD is good enough to deserve a 4.5, and since I'm loathe to give any review fewer than 5/5 stars, because expressing a non-majority opinion in a review apparently renders that review unhelpful, I've gone ahead and given "Deadwing" the full 5.
"Deadwing" - Rather difficult to classify this song. It has a variety of different sounds, all of which I like, except the whispered vocals. There is some really nice motivic development and good exploration of different emotional areas - 9.5/10.
"Shallow" - Much less impressive initially than the last track, with a Creed-ish opening riff, but the acoustic moments are nice, and the return of the heavier idea is moderately elaborated. Enjoyable, but nothing phenomenal - 8.0/10.
"Lazarus" - I kind of forgot to listen to this song, and it did nothing to force me to do so. I remember it sounding kind of Coldplay-esque - 7.5/10.
"Halo" - Great video game, okay song. Just not really into the minimalist approach taken in the intro and subsequently, or the washed-out sound used a lot of the rest of the time. Does have some annoyingly catchy and pleasant moments, especially towards the end - 7.5/10.
"Arriving Somewhere But Not Here" - Demonstrates brilliant control over all the elements of a song. Does exactly what it should do, exactly when it should do it, every time. Thoroughly enjoyable - 10.0/10.
"Mellotron Scratch" - So calm and relaxing and simplistically beautiful. Nothing complex or wowing about this, just great music - 9.5/10.
"Open Car" - Intriguing opening figure, contrasted with another vanilla pop rock riff, and a more acoustic section, repeated and expanded. The balance is a bit suspect - 8.0/10.
"The Start of Something Beautiful" - The start of this song sneaks right in as the last track ends, and it is rather beautiful. I'm always a fan of time signatures other than 3/4 or 4/4, so the song scores some points on that count. Beyond that, it's a solid song - 9.5/10.
"Glass Arm Shattering" - Reminds me a bit of Pink Floyd at moments. Another good, well-made rock song - 8.5/10.
"Shesmovedon" - Flat out cool. Great addition to the album - 9.0/10.
Free Music Review: what a stunner!!
Hit: 5 Stars
Just brief history of this prog fan, I differed from my peers as a kid growing up in the 60's I liked the non-commercial contempory artists, spending hours under the bed cloths listening to the likes of Captain Beef Heart on radio Luxenberg, being blown away by Page,Clapton, Genesis, Yes, to name a few artist's that my hard earn't paper run money helped fund!! Well I found the same excitment all over again with Deadwing, listening to samples on the prog rock archeives to begin with, simply curious about an unusual name. I was just as stunned as when I was a child in the 60's again! The track "arriving somewhere but not here", sounds as classic and iconic as the best from all those previously mentioned artists, it brought back memories of the pleasure of discovering "wish you were hear" "Lamb lies down on Broadway" Led Zep 4 etc. The music could best be described as similar to Pink Floyd, perhaps less commercial, and with no known boring tracks. I found the clean licks of Steve Wilsons guitar very similar to David Gilmour, and the quiet understated vocals with simple harmonys intoxicating. There could be similarities to Steve Hillage, though the songs are very current and will have a more modern atmosphere, also I felt that the music was very carefully crafted with slightly ambiguous lurics that I love, giving an overall impression of being incredibly well produced and engineered. Gavin Harrisons drumming is a revelation in its self, complicated, meticulous and above all interesting. The bass guitar of Colin Edwin providing additional melody lines, rather than just filling out the sound with depth and rhythm complementing the other musicians beautifully. The atmospheric keyboard work of Richard Barbieri I think lends a huge hand in giving the music such a strong colour and vitality, with captivating intensity and charisma. This was the first Porcupine tree CD I bought and it is now one of my favourites of all time, I am learning more and more new things so it seems every time I hear it. I have heard critism that is less favourable than some of the earlier CDs, but I would have to say this Band is heading in a great direction and manage to change and do something different, as in true progressive music. Yes Porcupine Tree are hard to catagorise, they are obviously on a journey which I will follow with great interest, and am trying to drum up interest down here in this part of the world, but if you want to succeed in New Zealand or that little place next door you will have to tour!!! (Please) GO BUY THIS CD!!!!!Free Music Review: About as good as everyone seems to think.
Hit: 5 Stars
Porcupine Tree started off as Steven Wilson's "great lost progressive rock band" joke and turned into something entirely more, as Wilson has evolved the band and the music. One thing I've always said about really great bands, I don't like everything they do. This is because for me, great bands take chances, and taking chances means sometimes something isn't going to work for a fan. And in fact, I had all but lost interest in Porcupine Tree before "Deadwing" came out. But for some reason, I decided to give the album a chance.
Certainly, that was one of the better ideas I've had recently. "Deadwing" is fantastic-- not quite the masterpiece I thought "Signify" was, but it's awfully good. The album is a concept of sorts-- Wilson and a partner wrote a screenplay to a movie, loosely a ghost story about self-discovery, and wrote the album about the movie. This lends a sense of unity to the album that I think has been missing on the past couple Porcupine Tree releases. It takes the heaviness of "In Absentia", fuses it with the pop sensibilities of "Stupid Dream" and the brilliant arrangements and style of "Signify". What perhaps is most telling is that several of the songs are really quite long (three stretch around 10 minutes+), but none of them FEEL long-- they're organic and natural and they flow well.
One thing to note about the album though is that it is strong as an album statement and lacks a lot of highlights on a moment-by-moment basis-- certainly guest guitarist Adrian Belew's fierce soloing on the title track and "Halo" is notable, and "Mellotron Scratch" is pretty clever, well arranged, and features the best synth blast I've heard on record, but really the album itself makes the statement. The exception to this is "Lazarus". Perhaps Wilson's finest moment as a songwriter, it's delicate ballad with a circular piano line, a superb soft vocal, and a sublime slide guitar line. Really, it stands amongst the best songs I've heard in quite a long time. And the truth really is that "Lazarus" alone is worth the price of the album, the fact the rest of it is awfully good is a bonus. Essential listening for fans and otherwise, check this one out.