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Steven Wilson - To The Bone

Union 5-3992

By Union 5-3992,
in Music Of The Spheres

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cygnify
cygnify

I think Refuge is one of Steven's most heartbreaking songs ever with tremendous emotional weight (saying something because he's written some doozies!) and done brilliantly. The transition at "It's n

pip65
pip65

I was fortunate enough to go to a signing session yesterday, at which SW played through 4 songs from the album (2 of them with Ninet). Although clearly work in progress as far as live performance goes

Hatchetaxe&saw
Hatchetaxe&saw

Love this. It's his closest to latter day PT, how anyone thinks this is pop(nothing wrong with that, btw) is beyond me. Permanating is just a catchy tune.   Anyway, he's done it again.

Nate2112

Nate2112

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His best album in his solo career. The closest we'll get to PT

Maybe the earliest PT when he was basically experimenting but it's nothing like the Signify/Stupid Dream/Lightbulb Sun stuff and it's even more different than In Absentia/Deadwing. Not even close, to my ears.

 

That's what I meant. Early PT is always MILES better than anything else, and that includes his later PT albums. It went downhill from In Absentia

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RUSHHEAD666

RUSHHEAD666

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Listened to it over the weekend and wasn't impressed. I'll give it another listen or 2 before making up my mind, but I'm not expecting much change.

Not heavy metal enough for you??

 

The few tracks I have heard released on Apple Music suck my ass.

 

Very disappointed.

 

I would rather see BLACKFIELD tour than another boring Wilson Tour.

 

Bring back Porcupine Tree for God's sake!

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Fordgalaxy

Fordgalaxy

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His best album in his solo career. The closest we'll get to PT

Maybe the earliest PT when he was basically experimenting but it's nothing like the Signify/Stupid Dream/Lightbulb Sun stuff and it's even more different than In Absentia/Deadwing. Not even close, to my ears.

 

That's what I meant. Early PT is always MILES better than anything else, and that includes his later PT albums. It went downhill from In Absentia

That's one opinion.

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stoopid

stoopid

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His best album in his solo career. The closest we'll get to PT

Maybe the earliest PT when he was basically experimenting but it's nothing like the Signify/Stupid Dream/Lightbulb Sun stuff and it's even more different than In Absentia/Deadwing. Not even close, to my ears.

 

That's what I meant. Early PT is always MILES better than anything else, and that includes his later PT albums. It went downhill from In Absentia

That's one opinion.

 

Not mine either. :rage:

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Oracle

Oracle

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His best album in his solo career. The closest we'll get to PT

Maybe the earliest PT when he was basically experimenting but it's nothing like the Signify/Stupid Dream/Lightbulb Sun stuff and it's even more different than In Absentia/Deadwing. Not even close, to my ears.

 

That's what I meant. Early PT is always MILES better than anything else, and that includes his later PT albums. It went downhill from In Absentia

 

I don't know about that. In Absentia and Deadwing, combined, are better than Fear of a Blank Planet and The Incident. I still hold the years of 1993-2002 as being the peak years for Porcupine Tree.

 

After listening to this new album about six or seven times since release...I can't really put it in any category. There's definitely some catchy stuff, but there's also a lot of what sounds like recycled ideas from Insurgentes and Grace for Drowning. My reaction to this is actually similar to Grace for Drowning. That album took me a good seven or eight months to fully appreciate as a work of art. As far as To The Bone ranks, it'll take a while for me to appreciate it.

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Union 5-3992

Union 5-3992

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Track 6 --- I dig it. It's different for SW, for sure, but it makes sense in the context of the whole record.

I really don't see how it makes much sense in the context of he album. It's actually a bit jarring right after a song like Refuge. It feels a bit awkwardly placed.

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toymaker

toymaker

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I'm not crazy about Permanating, I think, because I'm not really fond of Wilson's falsetto . . . and it also sounds like it belongs on some Disney movie soundtrack. But the rest of the album . . . man!
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stoopid

stoopid

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I'm not crazy about Permanating, I think, because I'm not really fond of Wilson's falsetto . . .

 

That's my biggest gripe with the song (and perhaps the entire album). But if you step back and listen to the song, without attaching the artist to it, for a pop song it's pretty good.

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HemispheresserehpsimeH

HemispheresserehpsimeH

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I adore Permanating. I can see why some may not like it, though. But as far as Wilson goes, sometimes I'd rather listen to a Permanating over a Raider II. Sometimes it's the other way around. But I like that I have that option in his solo work. There are long, drawn out pieces. But then there are the more poppy selections to balance it all out. Porcupine Tree was similar. Sometimes I'd rather listen to Piano Lessons over something like The Sky Moves Sideways or Anesthetize. Edited by HemispheresserehpsimeH
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RUSHHEAD666

RUSHHEAD666

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I dig it. Probably my favorite of his solo work. It kisses Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun eras a bit in terms of style and form.

 

Wow!

 

I love Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun!

 

I won't type about the album until I hear it all the way through.

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Tony R

Tony R

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I like it. A very confident and mature album with plenty of risks. Ninet's performance on Pariah is hauntingly beautiful.

 

Prefer HCE and Raven overall but then again that HCE is one of my all time favourites by anyone.

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Your_Lion

Your_Lion

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Just got it...about to give it a spin now

 

Any judgement yet? I still need to give it a little more time me thinks.

It's still sinking in, but I like it. There's lots to enjoy.

I can't really compare it to his other solo work, because the only other one I've heard is Hand. Cannot. Erase.

Highlights for me, so far, are the title track, Refuge, People who eat Darkness and Detonation

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PolarizeMe

PolarizeMe

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Still waiting for my copy...been streaming it on Spotify this whole time. It ain't my favorite release, but I don't think it's that polarizing sans Permanating which I thought was actually a really fun tune.
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cygnify

cygnify

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I think Refuge is one of Steven's most heartbreaking songs ever with tremendous emotional weight (saying something because he's written some doozies!) and done brilliantly. The transition at "It's not a crime!" is tear inducing. Permananting is obviously in the absolute opposite direction (and I like it as well). I've heard Steven refer to his work as cinematic - and if you think of these songs in terms of vignettes or scenes within a movie, having anything remotely downbeat after Refuge would just take things further down the hole. Permanating allows for a respite with an uplifting mood and continuation of exploration of different emotional motifs. I would argue that it is perfectly placed on the album just after Refuge and in the middle. "Song of Unborn" is also one of my all-time favs from SW; emotional weight and realistically optimistic. A perfect closer for the album. Another goosebump moment is in the opening title track; the half-time section at the end. Perfect. Ninet's soaring vocal in Pariah (goosebump moment), the mood of "Blank Tapes", hooks in Nowhere Now and Same Asylum (reminds me of Prodigal), the punkish flow of People that Eat Darkness and the sole muso moment of the album on Detonation. The album has so many gems on it. I honestly can't name a song I don't really like/love.

 

I still absolutely hear some connection to Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun - I would have to go back and find, but some of the melodies and/or chord changes I would swear are very similar. Also, from a rhythmic perspective, this album has that sort of head-bobbing groove (title track, Nowhere now, even People Who Eat Darkness in a punky way.) Craig Blundell mentioned that Steven wanted a non-muso / serve the song / groove-based approach on the drums (Craig and Jeremy handle perfectly!! Marco would not have suited this approach.) I would apply that same rhythmic approach to Stupid Dream and Lightbulb Sun - Chris Maitland was a great groove based drummer. Songs like Slave Called Shiver, Stranger by the Minute, This is no Rehearsal, Tinto Brass, Four Chords, The Rest Will Flow, heck, even Hatesong. Prodigal from In Absentia too. These are accessible, groove-based , sing along chorus sorta-songs. "To The Bone" certainly has a similar template as those great PT albums.

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Steevo

Steevo

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Ninet's performance on Pariah is hauntingly beautiful.

 

Just wish he hadn't used the Facebook clunker, otherwise SW perfection. How can you not love Ninet, excellent choice! Worthwhile checking out some of her solo work as well.

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Oracle

Oracle

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I don't at all mind the Facebook line. Not sure how this is a fuss to some.

 

We've been listening to Steven make a fuss about Facebook, iPods, etc. for the last 10 years. A 50 year old dude complaining about Facebook is the most eye rolling lyric I've ever heard. It ruins an otherwise spectacular song, but I can easily overlook it because of the inclusion of Ninet.

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Union 5-3992

Union 5-3992

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I don't at all mind the Facebook line. Not sure how this is a fuss to some.

I didn't see people complain as much about the Xbox line in Fear of a Blank Planet. I think people are upset because it immediately dates the song. Facebook isn't guaranteed to exist forever

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Presto-digitation

Presto-digitation

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I don't at all mind the Facebook line. Not sure how this is a fuss to some.

 

We've been listening to Steven make a fuss about Facebook, iPods, etc. for the last 10 years. A 50 year old dude complaining about Facebook is the most eye rolling lyric I've ever heard. It ruins an otherwise spectacular song, but I can easily overlook it because of the inclusion of Ninet.

 

Otherwise ruins? Wow. :D

 

What's to say the song is about him though? Just because he wrote it doesn't mean it's meant to be him complaining. Not every topic and line uttered is about the author.

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Mr. Not

Mr. Not

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I don't at all mind the Facebook line. Not sure how this is a fuss to some.

I didn't see people complain as much about the Xbox line in Fear of a Blank Planet. I think people are upset because it immediately dates the song. Facebook isn't guaranteed to exist forever

 

Never cared about the xbox lyric, but the ipod one had me cringing at first.

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