Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
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Free Music Notes for Fear of a Blank Planet
Free Music Review: PT boys deliver the goods
Hit: 4 Stars
Bleak stuff, to be sure, but the subject of techno-sensory overload has long been a Steve Wilson theme. A fan since 'Signify', I've often wished their aggressive moments weren't so few and far between; the metal infusion suits me fine. My only criticism is that the last two cuts seem "tacked on" and the big choruses, by that point, a tad predictable. I withhold one star solely because I set the bar impossibly high for these guys.Free Music Review: Porcupine Tree - 'Fear of A Blank Planet' (Atlantic)
Hit: 3 Stars
Review no. 150. Shouldn't the title be 'Fear Of A Blank Paycheck'? The music on this latest offering by Porcupine Tree is fairly good but I thought it could've been a lot better. I finally got to catch the band on their recent U.S. trek and I seriously doubt I'll go see them play live again. Not unless I see a set list in advance and they were playing at least several older cuts. How come they refuse to play anything off 'On The Sunday Of Life', 'Up The Downstairs' or say 'Voyage 34'? Only two tracks here I was somewhat impressed with were the almost eighteen-minute "Anesthetize" and "Way Out Of Here". Seem to have gone from space rock to artsy-fartsy progressive. I mean, I'm glad to see that Steve Wilson and crew are finally having some success over on this side of the Atlantic but honestly, this is the worst case of a sell out I've seen in awhile. Some say they're like a poor man's Yes or perhaps Pink Floyd. See what you think. You might actually get more out of this disc than I did. Free Music Review: 2/3 of a great album -- you need Nil Recurring
Hit: 4 Stars
The songs left off this cd, which are on the Nil Recurring cd, are essential to enjoying this album to its fullest. For some mysterious reason, the band chose not to include four great songs from the FoaBP sessions, but they are available on the Nil Recurring ep. If you have this cd, buy Nil Recurring and combine them into one disc. Personally, I thought that Fear of a Blank Planet was not as heavy--or as good--as In Absentia or Deadwing. But the addition of the four leftover tracks on Nil Recurring elevates it from 4 to 5 stars. Find it, buy it, and enjoy this album even more than you do now.Free Music Review: No fear here!
Hit: 5 Stars
Another Porcupine Tree success. Though slightly less interesting musically than "Deadwing" or "In Absentia", this is PT"s most lyrically coherent, and accessible, album. The plight of today's disengaged youth is poignantly laid bare. Their Ritalin-riddled upbringing at the hands of their "me-generation" parents, though fortunately not ubiquitous, is perhaps as big a risk to the planet as extreme climate change. The dour subject matter is appropriately matched by the music: at times boring and shallow then grounded by menace and doom.
As usual, since PT's first surround mix with "In Absentia", the 5.1 audio takes the listener to new heights. Thank you, Steven Wilson, et al, for perservering with this wonderful format when major studios are abandoning it. A great listen.
Free Music Review: Porcupine Tree has singlehandedly renewed my faith in "new music".
Hit: 5 Stars
What else can I say?
I selected this CD as my introduction to Porcupine Tree, as it had been recommended by a few "prog-rock" friends of mine. After reading numerous rave reviews for this CD, I dove into it with a cautious, if not cynical attitude.
I found myself *weeping* mid-way through.
I had to stop playback multiple times just to recover.
Finally, I just gave in and let myself become immersed in the music.
Wow.
WOW!!
I am stunned, and I am inspired anew. It's been a long, long time since I felt that.
My words fall short of doing this music justice, but if I had to choose a single word, it would be:
Brilliant.