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Steven Wilson - To The Bone


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http://stevenwilsonhq.com/sw/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/ToTheBone_digitalCover-Medium.jpg

 

I figured we should have a dedicated topic to this rather than rely on the 4.5 topic. My copy arrives later today, what are some of your thoughts on the new release?

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My copy arrives today! I'm really excited. I understand Steven's aim to produce a intelligent "progressive pop". As Craig Blundell stated on Facebook:

 

By request of SW it's possibly the simplest contribution drums and parts wise I've made to any album in the past year with all the crazy weird stuff I've been playing on, but that suited me just fine and more importantly, served the songs. I'm very proud I was asked to play on it and really happy with it listening back. It's not an album for 'chops' but crammed full of emotive and thought provoking songs.

 

Jeremy Stacey (King Crimson) actually plays drums on the most tracks on the album - also very grooving!

 

I've enjoyed the 5 songs that he's released from it thus far - certainly much simplified from the more proggy edge of the last 3 albums, but still very detailed, very cinematic, and quite accessible. In a way, it is sort of a return to those roots on display for "Stupid Dream" / "Lightbulb Sun" from Porcupine Tree - yet, served by the benefit of all his experience since that time. The album should be a treat!

 

Here's a track-by-track interview / analysis by Steven:

 

http://stevenwilsonhq.com/sw/bone-track-track-guide-part-1/

 

http://stevenwilsonhq.com/sw/to-the-bone-a-track-by-track-guide-part-2/

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It's not quite as 80's pop as advertised...

Aside from the title track, Permanating, and Song Of I, I didn't get the impression of it being pop-ish either.

It's a bit less progressive in the drum and percussion work. It seems to have been designed to be simpler with electro pop leanings. And of course there isn't the Marvelous Machiavellian Machismo of Guthrie Govan.

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It's not quite as 80's pop as advertised...

Aside from the title track, Permanating, and Song Of I, I didn't get the impression of it being pop-ish either.

It's a bit less progressive in the drum and percussion work. It seems to have been designed to be simpler with electro pop leanings. And of course there isn't the Marvelous Machiavellian Machismo of Guthrie Govan.

Guthrie's got a much more lucrative gig now: Hans Zimmer's guitarist.
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It's not quite as 80's pop as advertised...

Aside from the title track, Permanating, and Song Of I, I didn't get the impression of it being pop-ish either.

It's a bit less progressive in the drum and percussion work. It seems to have been designed to be simpler with electro pop leanings. And of course there isn't the Marvelous Machiavellian Machismo of Guthrie Govan.

Guthrie's got a much more lucrative gig now: Hans Zimmer's guitarist.

Hey I didn't know that. What music is he doing?

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Marco and Guthrie have been out of the band for more than 2 years. I love them too (I'm a big Aristocrats fan!), but have totally come to terms that they are not going to work with Steven in the near future, if ever. And I believe they would not have worked inside the non-muso concept that Steven was going for here.

 

As a drummer, I am a huge fan of Marco's - he really pushes the envelope and you can feel it in his playing. Fearless. Live, he was fantastic. I followed Craig Blundell's attempt to follow that - no small feat; when I met Craig after a show in NYC in 2015, he confided that he was a bit of a wreck. Honestly, nobody could take that seat and be Marco (Steven didn't want that!). Craig was recommended by Gavin Harrison. Obviously, he had some skills but it wasn't totally clicking. He suffered the wrath of fans that wanted Marco, and during his break-in period.... It took some time, but I saw Craig with SW again a couple times last year and came to the realization that he now owns that seat! It was fascinating to witness that evolution in his playing within the band. By the end of the H.C.E. / 4.5 tour cycle, he was owning it. That said, Steven used Craig for 3 or 4 songs on TTB, and also Jeremy Stacey (as noted above King Crimson) and really wanted no muso-chops fest on this album. It is song / groove oriented. As much as I love Marco, and not that he would come back now, but he would not have worked within this context.

 

Same goes for Guthrie. As much as he was incredible on "Drive Home" and "Ancestral" among others and as soulful as his playing is, he still is a shred-meister. Steven has commented many times about having to slow GG down, to add emotion to the solos, etc. Live, Dave Kilminster did more than an incredible job filling Guthrie's shoes - in fact, I would say that Dave was more faithful to the soul of the albums than GG was (I watched GG shred over his Drive Home solo during the Raven tour...) For the new album, Steven plays most of the solos - as does the Paul Stacey on Refuge. More on the reasoning for that in the articles I linked above.

Edited by cygnify
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It's not quite as 80's pop as advertised...

Aside from the title track, Permanating, and Song Of I, I didn't get the impression of it being pop-ish either.

It's a bit less progressive in the drum and percussion work. It seems to have been designed to be simpler with electro pop leanings. And of course there isn't the Marvelous Machiavellian Machismo of Guthrie Govan.

Guthrie's got a much more lucrative gig now: Hans Zimmer's guitarist.

 

Surely Marco's gig with Satriani is also more lucrative. It caused Marco to make the decision to leave SW's band. (A choice he later complained about?)

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It's not quite as 80's pop as advertised...

Aside from the title track, Permanating, and Song Of I, I didn't get the impression of it being pop-ish either.

It's a bit less progressive in the drum and percussion work. It seems to have been designed to be simpler with electro pop leanings. And of course there isn't the Marvelous Machiavellian Machismo of Guthrie Govan.

Guthrie's got a much more lucrative gig now: Hans Zimmer's guitarist.

 

Surely Marco's gig with Satriani is also more lucrative. It caused Marco to make the decision to leave SW's band. (A choice he later complained about?)

It might be more lucrative for Satriani but not for whichever drummer he hires...

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It's not quite as 80's pop as advertised...

Aside from the title track, Permanating, and Song Of I, I didn't get the impression of it being pop-ish either.

It's a bit less progressive in the drum and percussion work. It seems to have been designed to be simpler with electro pop leanings. And of course there isn't the Marvelous Machiavellian Machismo of Guthrie Govan.

Guthrie's got a much more lucrative gig now: Hans Zimmer's guitarist.

 

Surely Marco's gig with Satriani is also more lucrative. It caused Marco to make the decision to leave SW's band. (A choice he later complained about?)

It might be more lucrative for Satriani but not for whichever drummer he hires...

 

I'm sure Satch pays his band better than SW. He was playing bigger venues, higher ticket prices, and more shows. Only problem for Marco was he could sleepwalk through 90% of the show (all but his solo) with the incredibly boring backing tracks that Satch mandates.

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It's not quite as 80's pop as advertised...

Aside from the title track, Permanating, and Song Of I, I didn't get the impression of it being pop-ish either.

It's a bit less progressive in the drum and percussion work. It seems to have been designed to be simpler with electro pop leanings. And of course there isn't the Marvelous Machiavellian Machismo of Guthrie Govan.

Guthrie's got a much more lucrative gig now: Hans Zimmer's guitarist.

 

Surely Marco's gig with Satriani is also more lucrative. It caused Marco to make the decision to leave SW's band. (A choice he later complained about?)

It might be more lucrative for Satriani but not for whichever drummer he hires...

 

I'm sure Satch pays his band better than SW. He was playing bigger venues, higher ticket prices, and more shows. Only problem for Marco was he could sleepwalk through 90% of the show (all but his solo) with the incredibly boring backing tracks that Satch mandates.

That's because Satch's rhythm guitar/bass guitar writing sensibilities are maddeningly simplistic and always have been even on Surfing with the Alien.

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Guthrie's got a much more lucrative gig now: Hans Zimmer's guitarist.

Hey I didn't know that. What music is he doing?

From what I know, Hans Zimmer has been touring the world for the past two years playing his compositions (film scores and otherwise) and he's added guitars specifically for these shows. Guthrie's one of three guitarists who have played with Hans (as of now he's still playing live with the band), the other two being Mike Einziger and (of all people) Johnny Marr.

 

Guthrie performing the Interstellar theme:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yPhbwZ9NUk

Edited by PolarizeMe
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Guthrie's got a much more lucrative gig now: Hans Zimmer's guitarist.

Hey I didn't know that. What music is he doing?

From what I know, Hans Zimmer has been touring the world for the past two years playing his compositions (film scores and otherwise) and he's added guitars specifically for these shows. Guthrie's one of three guitarists touring with Hans, the other two are Mike Einziger and (of all people) Johnny Marr.

 

Guthrie performing the Interstellar theme:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yPhbwZ9NUk

Weird line-up...

 

What do you think of the Aristocrats progression from the debut album to the latest album? Do you think there's too much "surf" sounding material on the last one?

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Guthrie's got a much more lucrative gig now: Hans Zimmer's guitarist.

Hey I didn't know that. What music is he doing?

From what I know, Hans Zimmer has been touring the world for the past two years playing his compositions (film scores and otherwise) and he's added guitars specifically for these shows. Guthrie's one of three guitarists touring with Hans, the other two are Mike Einziger and (of all people) Johnny Marr.

 

Guthrie performing the Interstellar theme:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yPhbwZ9NUk

Weird line-up...

 

What do you think of the Aristocrats progression from the debut album to the latest album? Do you think there's too much "surf" sounding material on the last one?

Can't say. I don't profess to have ever listened to the Aristocrats unfortunately.
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Guthrie's got a much more lucrative gig now: Hans Zimmer's guitarist.

Hey I didn't know that. What music is he doing?

From what I know, Hans Zimmer has been touring the world for the past two years playing his compositions (film scores and otherwise) and he's added guitars specifically for these shows. Guthrie's one of three guitarists touring with Hans, the other two are Mike Einziger and (of all people) Johnny Marr.

 

Guthrie performing the Interstellar theme:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yPhbwZ9NUk

Weird line-up...

 

What do you think of the Aristocrats progression from the debut album to the latest album? Do you think there's too much "surf" sounding material on the last one?

Can't say. I don't profess to have ever listened to the Aristocrats unfortunately.

Oh well you should get those albums ASAP.

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It's not quite as 80's pop as advertised...

Aside from the title track, Permanating, and Song Of I, I didn't get the impression of it being pop-ish either.

It's a bit less progressive in the drum and percussion work. It seems to have been designed to be simpler with electro pop leanings. And of course there isn't the Marvelous Machiavellian Machismo of Guthrie Govan.

Guthrie's got a much more lucrative gig now: Hans Zimmer's guitarist.

 

Surely Marco's gig with Satriani is also more lucrative. It caused Marco to make the decision to leave SW's band. (A choice he later complained about?)

It might be more lucrative for Satriani but not for whichever drummer he hires...

 

I'm sure Satch pays his band better than SW. He was playing bigger venues, higher ticket prices, and more shows. Only problem for Marco was he could sleepwalk through 90% of the show (all but his solo) with the incredibly boring backing tracks that Satch mandates.

That's because Satch's rhythm guitar/bass guitar writing sensibilities are maddeningly simplistic and always have been even on Surfing with the Alien.

 

especially maddening because he has 2/3 of The Aristocrats as his rhythm section. I watched Marco and Bryan pound out those simplistic 4/4 patterns song after song which Satch did his thing (not my favorite shredder by far) was a form of torture. Having just seen the Aristocrats in a club with ~200 people; Satch was playing to ~3000. Replace Satch with Guthrie and change the setlist to the infinitely more interesting Aristocrats material (hell, keep Mike Keneally and cover some Zappa!); I'd take that any day!

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It's not quite as 80's pop as advertised...

Aside from the title track, Permanating, and Song Of I, I didn't get the impression of it being pop-ish either.

It's a bit less progressive in the drum and percussion work. It seems to have been designed to be simpler with electro pop leanings. And of course there isn't the Marvelous Machiavellian Machismo of Guthrie Govan.

Guthrie's got a much more lucrative gig now: Hans Zimmer's guitarist.

 

Surely Marco's gig with Satriani is also more lucrative. It caused Marco to make the decision to leave SW's band. (A choice he later complained about?)

It might be more lucrative for Satriani but not for whichever drummer he hires...

 

I'm sure Satch pays his band better than SW. He was playing bigger venues, higher ticket prices, and more shows. Only problem for Marco was he could sleepwalk through 90% of the show (all but his solo) with the incredibly boring backing tracks that Satch mandates.

That's because Satch's rhythm guitar/bass guitar writing sensibilities are maddeningly simplistic and always have been even on Surfing with the Alien.

 

especially maddening because he has 2/3 of The Aristocrats as his rhythm section. I watched Marco and Bryan pound out those simplistic 4/4 patterns song after song which Satch did his thing (not my favorite shredder by far) was a form of torture. Having just seen the Aristocrats in a club with ~200 people; Satch was playing to ~3000. Replace Satch with Guthrie and change the setlist to the infinitely more interesting Aristocrats material (hell, keep Mike Keneally and cover some Zappa!); I'd take that any day!

The Aristocrats are bit too difficult for Satch fans to listen to.

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