Porcupine Tree v. Glarung is a Lightbulb

[bout to crash]

You know what you need to do, right? Record your own version of the song where you say "Thanks, Alex" at the end and send it to him.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Listened to The Incident today, the first time in a while. I actually enjoyed it a lot more than I have in the past, a lot of it's really good. My main issue is with the songs between Time Flies and I Drive The Hearse, which I find really boring.

Still, taken altogether, it's a pretty good album, certainly better than I've given it credit for in the past.

[ColdFireYYZ]

My main issue is with the songs between Time Flies and I Drive The Hearse, which I find really boring.

The Seance and Octane Twisted are great, IMO.

Overall, I'd say that even though The Incident is one of PT's weakest, it's still a pretty solid album. I didn't like it initially, but after seeing them play most of it live, it clicked for me.

[Zantera]

I don't hate The Incident, but it was a massive disappointment for me, and one of their weakest albums. I would probably say it's my least favorite PT-album after OTSOL. There's some good stuff on it, but for the most part it felt like the band was going through the motions. I would say it killed some of my interest in PT, but now a few years later, a new PT album would make me really happy.

At this point I feel like a new PT would be more fresh than a new SW album, and it has been 5 years now, so it would only be logical for another PT album to be drastically different from the last couple of albums.

[ColdFireYYZ]

Even though I'm more excited about SW's solo stuff than the idea of a new PT album, it would be interesting to see what direction the band would go in following The Incident. I'm sure the metal element would be gone, and I can't see them returning to the earlier psychedelic sound. I can picture something more electronic and synthy, maybe even a bit ambient. That would be really cool as Barbieri's strengths are creating interesting sounds and adding textures to the music rather than being a technical player. Also, if they went in this direction I'd like to see Barbieri writing more with SW. I loved the album that he did with Steve Hogarth, and Black Dahlia, which he co-wrote, is one of the best songs on The Incident.

[Zantera]

For me the excitement is not really bound to quality, a new SW might be better than a new PT, but with a new SW album you already have a good knowledge of what he will do for the album, but a new PT at this time could be just about anything sound-wise. Even though his solo band might have "better" musicians, I do miss the characteristics of Barbieri, Edwin and Harrison. A new PT without the metal would be awesome. 

[ColdFireYYZ]

I definitely see where you're coming from, and I also miss the uniqueness that each member brought to the table. However, I think the thing I miss most about about PT is the live shows. I only saw them once, at Radio City (which was an awesome show!), and it would really suck if we never got to see them live again.

[King Postwhore]

Can I have my cake and eat it too?!  I'd like 2014 SW and 2015 PT please.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I would be okay with that.

[Zantera]

It would be interesting to know what SW himself thinks of PT right now, and the possibilities of them doing something again. Whenever he answers those questions in interviews, it just comes off as a very standard answer you would give to please both camps. You have the people loving his solo-stuff and wanting more of that, but he also leaves that "but maybe" that gives some hope for the people more interested in new PT.

From different interviews it seems quite clear that he wasn't happy with how The Incident came out, and for whatever reason, he has touched upon it in a few different interviews I've seen, and mainly spoken about how every other PT album seemed to be really good, and the others.. not so much. (Which kinda surprised me, because that means he wasn't as fond of Deadwing or LBS).

I really do hope that The Incident isn't some taint that has affected SW in a way that he wouldn't want to do another PT-album. Hopefully if he wasn't happy with the album, it could work as motivator instead. Is that really how he wants PT to end, the main musical project of his career, to end on an album that he wasn't happy with. I think in the end he will probably do whatever he wants, but it would be cool if that involved PT. I think he continues to show on his solo albums that the more melodic songs are in most cases the highlights (deform to form a star, the raven that refused to sing, postcard, like dust i have cleared from my eye), and the more melodic or "poppy" side of him really shined through more in PT. He does progressive rock well too, but I think it's the more melody-based and catchy songs that he really does the best.

[King Postwhore]

Well if that's the case he only has himself to blame.  I remember reading Richard Barbieri complaining how SW wrote too much and they had minimal input to the songs.

[jammindude]

... and mainly spoken about how every other PT album seemed to be really good, and the others.. not so much. (Which kinda surprised me, because that means he wasn't as fond of Deadwing or LBS).

Could you clarify this sentence....I'm not sure I understand with the way it's worded.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

He means like IA=good DW=not FoaBP=good TI=not

[jammindude]

....ahhh....  Ok.   Get it now.

[orcus116]

The Incident is a great album, what are you on about Zantera? Do we need to duel?

[Mladen]

My main issue is with the songs between Time Flies and I Drive The Hearse, which I find really boring.

Wow, those are actually my favorites on the album. Time flies is one of the tracks that drag the album down for me, actually. Also, the stuff on the second disc never clicked for me neither.

[Zantera]

The Incident is a great album, what are you on about Zantera? Do we need to duel?

For me it felt like the first album where they backtracked musically. I think you can see a really nice evolution from album to album, and The Incident feels a bit like "lets make an album that sums up our career, and has a little bit from each era", and apart from the song-cycle idea, musically it feels like a mishmash of what they had done before. I also don't feel like the songwriting was as good as before. Like I said, The Incident is not bad, but it's not packed with "omg amazing"-songs.

[?]

My main issue is with the songs between Time Flies and I Drive The Hearse, which I find really boring.

Wow, those are actually my favorites on the album. Time flies is one of the tracks that drag the album down for me, actually. Also, the stuff on the second disc never clicked for me neither.

Agreed - I think the best stuff on the album besides The Blind House and the title-track comes after Time Flies. The second disc is forgettable with the exception of Bonnie the Cat, and overall I think The Incident is a massive drop in quality after FOABP.

I've said this before, but I think/hope that if PT made another album it'd be more electronic. I think Richard was kind of underused on some songs on the last few albums, and Steven probably gets to make enough organic-sounding music on his solo records anyway.

[Zantera]

A more electronic album would be really awesome for sure. When I say that, I think about songs like Sleep Together and The Incident (the song). They have a dark and electronic vibe, yet they still feel very much like PT-songs, and exploring more ideas like that would be fantastic.

[Mladen]

I've said this before, but I think/hope that if PT made another album it'd be more electronic. I think Richard was kind of underused on some songs on the last few albums, and Steven probably gets to make enough organic-sounding music on his solo records anyway.

Sounds good to me. 

[?]

A more electronic album would be really awesome for sure. When I say that, I think about songs like Sleep Together and The Incident (the song). They have a dark and electronic vibe, yet they still feel very much like PT-songs, and exploring more ideas like that would be fantastic.

Those two songs are exactly what I was thinking about - I'd love to see PT explore that style further.

[Buddyhunter1]

That, or a return to the Signify-eque psychedelic era would be awesome.

[JayOctavarium]

I personally enjoy the metal era PT

[Buddyhunter1]

I personally enjoy the metal era PT

Agreed, but I think it's played its course. It's clear that the band has no interest in it anymore, and The Incident showed that the sound was getting a bit stale. If PT ever releases a new album (which I really hope they do) it'll probably sound way different than the most recent four albums.

[TioJorge]

I personally enjoy the metal era PT

Agreed, but I think it's played its course. It's clear that the band has no interest in it anymore, and The Incident showed that the sound was getting a bit stale. If PT ever releases a new album (which I really hope they do) it'll probably sound way different than the most recent four albums.

This entirely, and I really hope this as well. I think they should've called it quits with the angsty-metal thing with Fear, which I still love (and still vehemently abhor Incident). But now even I'm getting an urge for some new PT, I'm just scared that if the next album isn't inspired, I'll be done with them. Which is a shame because I still consider them one of my favorite bands that I adore way too much. But with (somewhat) recent interviews on the whole different direction, older-sound, it's got me hoping for something out of left field. I tend to like Wilson when he's at his most insane.

[Zantera]

Fear is my favorite PT album, and I think it's the perfect result of PT doing metal right. On The Incident, at least the metal parts sounded a bit more stale. It started to feel a bit like the band themselves weren't really "into" the metal-part, and I also feel like it has played its course, like Buddyhunter said.

[orcus116]

The lyrics absolutely kill Fear for me, although there are some neat musical ideas. They did it better with Nil Recurring plus it's shorter.

[Outcrier]

A more electronic album would be really awesome for sure. When I say that, I think about songs like Sleep Together and The Incident (the song). They have a dark and electronic vibe, yet they still feel very much like PT-songs, and exploring more ideas like that would be fantastic.

Going straight into Kid A-Perdition City mode? 

[Zantera]

A more electronic album would be really awesome for sure. When I say that, I think about songs like Sleep Together and The Incident (the song). They have a dark and electronic vibe, yet they still feel very much like PT-songs, and exploring more ideas like that would be fantastic.

Going straight into Kid A-Perdition City mode? 

That would be glorious. 

[TioJorge]

I'd like to reiterate my immense love for all things of PT's early days, which as most here know is pretty much just SW (and Duffy's words)...but it's still some of the most mesmerizing and tantalizing music I've heard.

Currently listening to Nine Cats...I can never get enough of this song, or The Nostalgia Factory in general. Mainly because of the composition of the songs and how they flow...really dreamy stuff. 

[The King in Crimson]

I don't know why, but I find Up The Downstair to be easily the most listenable Porcupine Tree album. It's not too long of an album and so it's easy just to put it on and chill. There's nothing else quite like it in Porcupine Tree's discography and while it may not be my favorite album by them, I find myself listening to it a helluva lot more than the rest of their material.

[TioJorge]

Definitely up there as a favorite for me.  Small Fish was always my favorite, though Synesthesia recently became an obsession with that churning, hypnotizing keyboard backing...I guess it's a keyboard...

[The King in Crimson]

Up The Downstair is probably number four in my rankings, but considering how much I listen to it, it should be higher. 

Every song on he album is a keeper. Nothing bad on it at all.

[?]

Small Fish - Burning Sky - Fadeaway may well be the most epic three-song run in the PT discography

[Zantera]

Up the Downstair is pretty badass. I don't think there's a single song I dislike on it, and I really love the flow of the album. In many recent interviews, SW talks about how he wants the album to be like a "journey", and while many of his newer albums fit into that, I would say Up the Downstair shows hints of that as well.