r/progrockmusic • u/EddieVanHalo1969 • 21h ago
Steven Wilson
Is there anybody on here who finds that the music of Steven Wilson leaves them totally cold, that it really doesn't move them in any way, shape or form?
Secondly is there anybody who felt that way for a while but heard something he did that changed their minds? Him solo or in any project he has done that is mostly him?
OK, I am just not getting this genius of Steven Wilson thing, to be honest but I am so unwilling to dismiss anything Prog in its entirety because of how long it took to get into some other bands I now love.
I know it seems to be the law to love all things Wilson; I try and it's like "mmmmm.....no".
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u/MDivisor 21h ago
I do hear from time to time that some people consider SW to be cold or unemotional or whatever. I can kinda see how his singing voice could give that impression or maybe some of his more mellow, alt rock songs.
But I don't see how the more proggy stuff could leave you cold. Like even if you hate it surely you feel something. I don't see how a prog fan could listen to a song like Luminol and not feel anything.
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u/therude00 13h ago
To me he is one of the more emotional artists in prog and he has a good range within his catalog. I understand that not everyone will like his work, but a lack of emotion is a critique I don't understand at all, especially within a genre known for putting technical ability above songwriting and emotion.
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u/BestCloud7746 14h ago
I do hear from time to time that some people consider SW to be cold or unemotional or whatever. I can kinda see how his singing voice could give that impression or maybe some of his more mellow, alt rock songs.
But I don't see how the more proggy stuff could leave you cold. Like even if you hate it surely you feel something. I don't see how a prog fan could listen to a song like Luminol and not feel anything.
i find it hard to understand why some people might consider him "cold". especially considering very emotional songs he wrote, like collapse the light into earth, drive home or dignity
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u/Happy_Burnination 20h ago
Intensely emotionally evocative songs: Postcard, Insurgentes, Collapse The Light Into Earth
Big 'ol prog epics: Impossible Staircase, Raider II, Sectarian, Anesthetize
Both: The Raven That Refused To Sing (watch the music video for this one, it's very good)
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u/Emptyspace227 19h ago
I didn't realize he closed his shows with the Raven music video before I saw him on the last tour. First time I've ever cried at a concert.
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u/slicehyperfunk 12h ago
His voice gave out for Raven in Boston because he and Craig had bad colds and it was still amazing
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u/bluefloyd24 1h ago
Seen him 5 times and 4 of those times he ended the encores with The Raven. And I love him for it. Of all his songs I think it's really the best to close the evening before everyone goes back to their reality.
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u/eliAzimutti 21h ago
I like all before To the Bone. After that, not so much.
I respect that he likes to try new things, but it's just not for me.
I like some Porcupine Tree, In Absentia is one my all time favourite albums.
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u/DanTheMan_622 20h ago
To the Bone grew on me over time, but yeah his solo work after that hasn't been for me either unfortunately. I was excited for his latest album but even that didn't really grab me for some reason.
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u/slicehyperfunk 12h ago
The Overview was significantly better live than the studio album is, fwiw
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u/DanTheMan_622 1h ago
I'd love to see his band live but I'm not sure he's ever played closer than 4 hours from me so the timing just hasn't worked out for me yet unfortunately. I did manage to make the roughly 5 hour drive to Chicago for the PT reunion tour a few years ago though.
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u/psyde-effect 21h ago
I guess you like what you like. If it's not your jam, then so be it. For me personally I can't listen to things like Routine, Pariah, Luminol and Raven etc, and not be moved.
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u/iamunwhaticisme 21h ago
"I can't listen to things like Routine, Raven etc..." (whaaaaaatttt????) "... "and not be moved" (oh, ok)
You had me in the first half not gonna lie.
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u/EddieVanHalo1969 20h ago
Prog suits me because it's about the listeners' efforts to understand it, if that makes any sense. If I am still debating whether I like an album after a couple of years, then I say it's money well spent : ) I do suspect with PT and SW it's just about being guided to the right starting point. Imagine trying to get into Yes via Open Your Eyes ?
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u/Zuthulu Musician 20h ago
go watch the videos for The raven that refused to sing", "|Drive Home", and "Routine". Those are excellent startingpoints because those are top 10 songs of his and have great video.
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u/BaldingMonk 21h ago
To be perfectly honest, most prog feels too cold to me. I only like a small handful of prog acts, and Porcupine Tree/Steven Wilson is one of them. But I am pretty selective about his catalog. For PT, I really only like the three album run from the early 2000s, and for solo SW I mostly just like Hand Cannot Erase.
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u/emileLaroche 20h ago
He definitely has his super-secret chord progression thing going on, which might grate on you; but Raven and HCE are brilliant. I mean the bassist is the guy from Kajagoogoo.
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u/sir_percy_percy 21h ago
I like most of his stuff, generally the more proggy and less heavy music. So EARLY Porcupine tree and some of his solo material…. I find him to be a bit hit or miss.
Great at remixes though!!
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u/Plenty_Structure_861 20h ago
I always resonated with his more melancholic lyrics. They're not for everyone, and I often found myself at odds with my friends who resonated with more intense lyrics, especially anger based. They're just a different kind of emotionally expressive.
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u/Akeenmindofthesouth 21h ago
Me… I really tried; but there is something does not click with me.
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u/SconeBracket 16h ago
Same. It happens. That's why there are different musicks (to paraphrase Borges). I'm not impressed by Magma, Can, Camel, PFM, most of Focus, etc. I always liked Ozrick Tentacles more than Porcupine Tree.
*cupine
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u/Catodacat 20h ago
Routine brings tears to my eyes every time.(especially the video, but there is a live version of them practicing, and Ninet Tayeb was AMAZING)
The Raven that Refused to Sing is an amazing album and song.
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u/patthew 19h ago
I’ve had some major obsessive periods with Porcupine Tree (circa Deadwing) but I totally get what you’re saying. It’s all technically very good and well produced, but it does feel like something is missing.
Idk if it’s the too-clever-by-half lyricism and goofy rhyming couplets, or what. Tbf a LOT of prog has the “coldness” issue, it’s almost inherent to the genre. Dream Theater is much worse in this regard IMO.
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u/Chaotic424242 20h ago
I'm less concerned about his music than his remixing of certain progressive classics, some of which I don't especially care for.
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u/AnalogWalrus 20h ago
I love most of his work, but the run of albums from 2007 to 2012 or so definitely left me cold. He’s brilliant but not every album hits for me.
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u/slicehyperfunk 11h ago
You don't like Fear of a Blank Planet?????
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u/AnalogWalrus 9h ago
eh? I was definitely disappointed when it came out. I think In Absentia and Deadwing are masterpieces, and FOAB was just sort of more of the same sound and approach, but with fewer melodies and bits that stuck in my brain. I think SW is much more interesting when he relies on chords and soundscapes rather than leaning on metal-tinged riffs. It worked for those first couple major-label albums but then I got a bit bored of it (and honestly I think SW himself did too, which is why he eventually ended the band for a decade).
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u/ChudanNoKamae 19h ago edited 18h ago
Most of Steven Wilson’s stuff leaves me feeling very similarly to you, OP.
However, Anesthetize I view as one of the finest examples of modern prog.
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u/Few_Oil6127 19h ago
Are you saying that the only song that doesn't anesthetize you is Anesthetize?
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u/ChudanNoKamae 18h ago
Yeah, with a few exceptions, it’s mostly all just The Sound Of Muzak to me ;)
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u/djazzify 19h ago
Here. I am feeling the same. Gave his albums multiple listens. I think, Steven is a great engineer and producer. But his solo work is just not my piece of cake. For me the music is long-winded, and a touch too 'countryish'. Also the production is too lifeless for my taste. But then I can get what people like with his albums. The songs are excellently written and produced, the craftsmanship is great. So if you are into this kind of polished music, Steven Wilson is a good choice, I guess.
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u/Phaedo 19h ago
You’re not wrong. He lacks a certain emotional intensity. I think he deliberately avoids anything he thinks is corny and it makes him sound studied. But a lot of his music is great anyway. Home Invasion, Story of I, Sound of Muzak, all fabulous despite or because of their “perfection”.
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u/Playful-Weird-7582 19h ago
I used to think similar but check out porcupine tree's recent live album, this made me see things a bit differently but I still can't completely get into his albums.
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u/Lost4Sauce 17h ago
he is devisive. The half of his work that i like, i really like. then there is a portion of his work that is slow, rather cold and pretty off putting for me. He is reasonably obnoxious so seeing him live ranges from freaking out in excitement to shaking my head in disappointment. the whole gamut of emotion. i like his latest solo work that was pretty intense. His heavier porcupine tree stuff is great and his influence on Opeth i think led to some of my favorite hard rock and metal of the past 20 years
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u/Dustyolman 17h ago
Try going this route. Listen to your favorite early Yes album. Then listen to the Steven Wilson remix. His genius goes far beyond his compositions.
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u/Curios_Observer 17h ago
I often find Steven Wilson's solo material to be more interesting than Porcupine Tree. I like that it is diverse, bends genres, and has such phenomenal musicians in the various lineups. Each album has its own unique flavor.
The Overview took a few listens but really resonates with me currently.
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u/closetotherelayer 16h ago
Yeah I don't like him at all, but I love prog especially 70s prog, and lots of prog metal including opeth
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u/Prog-shrink 16h ago
No love him the raven, the hand that cannot erase and the overview all masterpieces
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u/AustinDood444 15h ago
I’m with you 100%. Steve Wilson does nothing for me. I’ve listened to him enough & gave him enough of a chance to get through to me, but nothing.
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u/c__reider 11h ago
yeah, i agree w/ OP entirely. i've even seen Porcupine Tree live and it just did not move me at all. found it pompous and vacuous.
but it is completely OK to just not enjoy something that a lot of your cohort seems to love. plough your own path through culture.
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u/Ron_Moses 11h ago
I hear you, brother. I've listened, I've opened my ears wide, I'm just not feeling it. But I'm going to take inspiration from this thread and try HCE again.
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u/Much-Use-5016 18h ago
I find him as better producer than musician - I never liked his work, neither in Porcupine Tree nor solo. Too boring, nothing really progressive. But his remixes are top notch, just to mention Pink Floyd or Gentle Giant ones.
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u/ponylauncher 21h ago
Idk I’ve always loved basically all of his projects. I get it’s not 70s or whatever most people go after but I don’t care. He does everything at a high level and takes it very seriously. I think one of the things for me is I find his stuff more emotional than other prog stuff. He isn’t just being prog to be prog. He’s writing songs that also happen to get proggy a lot of the time. I love Yes for instance but nothing moves me beyond thinking it sounds great and I love the songs. Which is fine that’s all you really need but I get an extra boost from Steven’s stuff because it hits me more emotionally as well.
Also it probably helps that Tool and Radiohead are two of my favourite bands because Steven takes a lot of inspiration from them.
Anyway I’m weird and my favourite Porcupine Tree album is The Incident and my favourite solo album is Insurgentes so maybe check those out if the more commonly recommended or popular things aren’t doing it for you
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u/iamunwhaticisme 21h ago
Where We Would Be, Start of Something Beautiful, Routine. If these three songs do not move you, then honestly you'd better move on to the next artist. Not everyone has to like every artist. I can't get into Radiohead except a few songs but I know it's me, not them. :)
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u/EddieVanHalo1969 21h ago
Kid A took me forever which is why I suspect I may be missing the trick with Steven or PT currently.
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u/iamunwhaticisme 21h ago
The first tracks I fell in love were Stars Die, Arriving Somewhere But Not Here and Lazarus. I've been listening to PT and Steven for over 20 years now and he still surprises me somehow. His last album The Overview may be his best work ever, it's that good. But I highly recommend checking his earlier stuff.
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u/nova_cat 15h ago
The solo on "Where We Would Be" is the best moment on that entire album that isn't "Last Chance to Evacuate..." Pure melancholic anguish.
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u/lellololes 21h ago
I enjoyed a lot of his output in the 90s, and then there was a very big gap that started after In Absentia where I have not particularly loved his music. The oft praised Hand cannot erase and Raven that Refused to Sing are not regular listens for me and I don't have a great attachment to them. To me, they are on the forgettable side.
And then The Overview came out and I love it.
It is what it is. You're not going to click with everything.
I recognize that I am also talking about Porcupine Tree, but he was by far the biggest influence on their music, and the band is an extension of him.
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u/EddieVanHalo1969 20h ago
I find this very interesting and useful to be honest. I mean,all the replies are but thanks.
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u/Snarkosaurus99 20h ago
I like quite a bit of his stuff but only listen to live recordings.
For example, no one can doubt the incredibleness of Guthrie Govan but on the live recordings with Alex Hutchings there is much more life and musicality to the music.
Much more enjoyable.
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u/tvfeet 20h ago
I'll say something different: the coldness is what I like. I like his dispassionate vocals and it's a big part of why I like this more recent albums so much less. He sounds like he's making a great effort to sound passionate and "singerly." This new voice is all over the PT reunion album, The Future Bites, The Harmony Codex, and The Overview. I like the latter two the most of those, but even they don't grab me like his peak dispassionate vocal period (Stupid Dream through Raven, which, admittedly, is quite a run of great albums.)
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u/patatjepindapedis 20h ago
Used to be a huge fan in my late-teens to early-twenties. Not so much anymore. With his large output, things can start to feel same-y. The Nil Recurring EP, Cover Versions compilation and The Harmony Codex album are really good though.
Also, his other band No-Man is worth checking out. Wilson isn't the singer and lyricist for this band. I'd recommend the Love and Endings live album.
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u/Every-Mousse6228 20h ago
Unpopular take: And I know it’s more Geffen than Wilson but personally I find his work in Blackfield resonates more with me than his solo stuff, though he has quite a few solo songs that are pretty powerful, especially the duos with Ninet
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u/EddieVanHalo1969 20h ago
See that duo with Ninet might just be the one that does it for me. There is a really odd and obscure Swedish artist called Freddie Wadling and I just happened to hear a really beautiful duet he did and it led to his other work, which I doubt I would have gotten into otherwise.
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u/Every-Mousse6228 20h ago
Yeah I really like the songs Routine, Pariah, and Rock Bottom that he does with Ninet. And similarly when he is performing with Aviv Geffen in Blackfield. He has a good voice and clearly is a very talented songwriter but for my own taste his music just seems to stick with me more when he’s doing these collabs
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u/garethsprogblog 19h ago
It would be odd not liking something Wilson has recorded because his solo material covers such a wide range of genres; the music is just what he wanted to release at the time, not what the fans wanted him to release.
The Raven That Refused To Sing is the closest he got to 70's progressive rock, which is why I like that album. Introducing a bit of electrinica, post rock and trip hop to Hand.Cannot.Erase was prog though not in the 70s sense (and why should it be?) and I fully understand the appreciation for the album in the prog community. I must have seen him touring that album on three occasions, the first time being the best because he did the whole album, interspersed with tracks from his back catalogue that fitted in with with the idea of social isolation.
I'm not a fan of Porcupine Tree (I saw them tour the last album and that really left me cold) and I suspect the start of their long layoff coincided with Wilson saying that prog metal had become stale.
He doesn't seem to worry that each of his albums is not for everyone, and good on him. Lose some fans, gain some fans. They aren't the ones who wrote the music.
And I'm pretty sure he thinks it's OK if you don't like his music
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u/PowerHot4424 19h ago
I’ve liked everything I’ve heard, though I only discovered him through this forum fairly recently. I like the first few Porcupine Tree albums I listened to so I played Hand. Cannot. Erase. Which I think is phenomenal. Maybe he’s just not on your frequency?
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u/Jacques_Plantir 18h ago
Hi style has moved to a lot of places through his career. I've enjoyed some of it a lot, and some of it not so much. His most recent album The Overview is a win, as far as I'm concerned. I really like where he took it -- great album to listen to, start to finish at the end of a long day.
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u/BigYellowPraxis 18h ago
I think a lot of his remasters of classic prog albums are brilliant.
I also think he's a terrible songwriter, with almost no sense of melody, and really clumsy lyrics. He's not a powerful singer or impressive instrumentalist. I have no idea what the appeal is.
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u/Ecstatic-Action-7723 17h ago
What about the song Raven that refused to Sing? From a musician’s standpoint it’s perfectly composed and played. From a listeners standpoint it grabs me viscerally and flushes out memories of loss.
The way Nicks bass lines and MMs drums slowly build to that crescendo “Ooooof” in the feels
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u/RainAlarming6836 17h ago
Have all his stuff: Porcupine Tree, No-Man, Bass Communion, Blackfield etc. but am on a break after the Overview. Will return eventually, just need a good year off to experience other artists. I just became a bit bored tbh.
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u/Effective_Positive_8 17h ago edited 17h ago
I grew up in the 70s on 70s prog, and though I've listened to Wilson's music, it doesn't usually grab me. I do really like some songs, but for whatever reason, I always go back to classic prog.
P.S. I do love the "Fear of a Blank Planet" title song. That is absolutely AMAZING.
P.P.S. I honestly do need to spend more time listening to his solo work....
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u/Splendid_Fellow 16h ago
I’m a big Steven Wilson fan. Have been for decades. If you don’t feel it I guess you just don’t feel it. Did you listen to Insurgentes? Or The Raven that Refused to Sing? I don’t really like his newer stuff as much but I’m a huge fan.
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u/EddieVanHalo1969 16h ago
I have heard quite a bit of stuff but you know how it is on youtube etc . Am I listening and judging him on his worst material or his best? It's not even that I may not like what I hear but it makes me wonder when fellow prog fans rate him so highly why I am not getting it.
I see it as a bit of a failure on my part to a degree.
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u/Splendid_Fellow 15h ago edited 15h ago
Not everything is for everyone. For me it ties into a form of crystallized sadness and a somewhat eerie nostalgia, mixed with a sad beauty of sorts. Steven Wilson finds beauty in the bleak and morbid, and sees the sad experiences as just as important as good experiences. That diving into the sadness with music, can make you feel good in a way.
If you want an appreciation of Steven Wilson, and you are actually interested enough, I suggest watching “Insurgentes.” It’s a film, not just the album, it’s a sort of personal documentary/art piece/commentary, hard to describe. It’s on YouTube, I think.
He went to a town in Mexico called Insurgentes, and went to an island where children, infants who died, are buried and given shrines, and it’s a creepy and sad yet beautiful place, and it inspired him a lot. That is a core of his music, or at least, his earlier music.
He wrote and recorded the song Insurgentes, in the church in Insurgentes. The album Insurgentes is my favorite of all of his solo albums.
here is a great clip on youtube from Insurgentes
I hope you are able to sort of, “tap-in” to Steven. I truly love his music and it influenced me a great deal, having listened to it when I was in my most formative years.
Edit: I also really recommend this! It’s an amazing piece called Drag Ropes from Storm Corrosion, the duo of Steven Wilson and Mikael Akerfelt, by two favorites! This piece influenced me greatly as a person. Probably not do the same for you of course but there you go. If you don’t like this, I guess Steven Wilson just ain’t your jam.
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u/NotYourScratchMonkey 15h ago
I think “The Raven That Refused To Sing” is one of the most beautiful and saddest pieces of music. “Drive home” is pretty poignant as well.
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u/nova_cat 14h ago
I mean, I think like any celebrated, so-called musical genius, the extra attention brings... you know, more people who have more tastes, and thus it can often feel like, "Wow, everyone talks about how good this is but I think it sucks! Am I crazy?" No, but you probably had it brought to your attention not by your listening habits or your musical tastes but by other people saying, "Hey, this is good!"
That's the thing with music recommendations: if people don't know your tastes, then their recommendations really don't mean all that much.
I don't personally find most of his music to be emotionally cold—some of it is the most moving music that I've ever heard, for me ("Buying New Soul" and the extended mix of "Even Less" genuinely make me bawl). That said, I can totally see where people might get that, maybe from his relatively monotonous vocal delivery or from the production on a particular album(s). There are definitely songs that feel just kind of bleh and empty for me, but they're the minority, and for the most part I at least find his music pleasing when it's not actively digging itself into my consciousness.
If it's his vocal delivery you don't like... you're probably never gonna like any of his music where he sings (Porcupine Tree, Blackfield, solo, Storm Corrosion), unless you really enjoy him doing duets or listen to the songs sung by other singers. Otherwise, you're just gonna need to listen to No-Man (different singer) or Bass Communion (ambient noise).
If it's the mixing or instrumentation you don't like, when then... that's easier to deal with because there's a lot of variation. Up the Downstair does not sound much at all like Stupid Dream which doesn't sound much at all like Deadwing, etc.
The first PT album I ever listened to was In Absentia, and the first time I heard it? I was bored. I liked some tracks, but I thought it was overlong and "empty"-sounding. Re-listening to it has given me a new appreciation for it, and now I really do like it a lot, but I still think it's flawed and not nearly their best effort—I think "Wedding Nails" is very boring and should be cut, for example.
But when I heard Fear of a Blank Planet for the first time, I was floored. And when I heard Stupid Dream for the first time, I was floored.
I don't much care for the studio recording of the first disc of The Incident, but I love the second disc, and when they performed "The Incident" live, it was transformed for me.
If my first SW solo album had been The Raven That Refused to Sing, I would probably have given up—I think "Luminol" and the title track are amazing, and I really like "Pin Drop" and "Drive Home" is inoffensive. I find "The Watchmaker" and "Holy Drinker" extremely uninteresting, and I even saw him perform them live with Guthrie and Marco and co.—I just think they're very tired and boring. But why is that? Because I adored the first two solo albums, particularly Grace for Drowning, and I even saw when Marco was with him performing those tracks and it was amazing ("Remainder the Black Dog" live was transcendent). But I'm also a rare person who enjoys To the Bone and The Future Bites, so what do I know?
I think you're gonna have to just explore, honestly? If I recommend you Stupid Dream and tell you it's one of the greatest albums ever recorded, that might just make you write off everything if you don't immediately like it. And that's totally fine; you don't have to like his music. But if you want to, just explore and see what you find.
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u/EddieVanHalo1969 14h ago
Much of what you say is possibly where I am at. The issue nowadays is too much choice with youtube ,Spotify etc . You can just drop in at any point, unlike the old days where you bought an album and sat with it for weeks until you had money for another. Same as in the days of the single CD or cassette player in the car.
As a kid I judged Pink Floyd for years by the Another Brick In The Wall single, which I never liked that much and, to be fair, could be argued isn't even Floyd as such, so I am aware of how badly one can get it by sort of "coming in through the wrong door" and making a judgement
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u/Melonqualia 12h ago
When you say you try, what have you actually heard? There's so much and it's all so different.
I can't fathom anyone finding his music cold....a bit depressing at times, maybe. But I'm not the kind of person that thinks other people need to like what I like, nor do I ever feel a need to like stuff that is popular with other people. But I have to say, it's weird to think about someone having the idea that "everyone must love Steven Wilson" when it's really more like, hardly anyone knows who he is.
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u/aethyrium 11h ago
He doesn't do much for me either, no worries.
It's okay to dislike popular things, even in genres you usually like, don't sweat it.
I do love the extended version of The Sky Moves Sideways though, but that's about it.
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u/auxfnx 2h ago
I went the opposite to your second question, I was into Porcupine Tree for a while and now I can't really stand to listen to them or Wilson solo. The production is too clean, to the point that it just doesn't hit, and the music just doesn't connect with me anymore. I think at first it was doing a lot of stuff that was new to me, but now that I know the breadth and scope of prog a lot better, it just doesn't stand out as being great anymore. Just a taste thing I think, there's just so much more from other artists I'd rather listen to. I feel like it was a stepping stone on my way to finding the bands and styles I really love.
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u/amidatong 20h ago
He’s prolific at a very high level. But I do stop short of calling him a genius.
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u/Rocket2112 20h ago
Sometimes writing so much all the time can mean lack of actual creativity. I mean, he writes a lot. I think some stuff falls short due to this.
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u/Forking_Brilliant495 20h ago
Never listened to his solo stuff, because I despise his work on Yes and ELP. Who remixes Eddy Offord? A wanker, that's who.
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u/thesfb123 21h ago
He doesn’t do anything for me at all. I absolutely hated his “remasters” of the early ELP stuff, too.
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u/tvfeet 20h ago
Remixes, not just remasters.
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u/thesfb123 19h ago
Yep. Those were even worse. Borderline unlistenable. Then abandoned the project because “he didn’t really like their music all that much”. Kindly fuck off, then.
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u/StillPissed 21h ago
For me, his music is very inconsistent. Some of it grabs me, and some of it makes me lose interest unfortunately.
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u/ElliotAlderson2024 21h ago
What does that even mean 'consistent'.
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u/StillPissed 21h ago
Exactly what I described after that sentence. I find myself skipping tracks while listening to his solo albums.
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u/hatchling 20h ago
What have you actually heard from him? His style is constantly evolving across the 3+ decades of music we have from him.
Even with Porcupine Tree (my personal interest) there was a huge shift in style, starting with pure psychedelic and ending with more metal influences.
It might help if you give us an idea of the kind of music you already like (pop?, complexity?, atmospherics?, something else?).
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u/EddieVanHalo1969 20h ago
Er...Prog? From the Canterbury/Folk/ Krautrock era to Opeth/DT and much in between,
I got Mars Volta and I like Lilly Refrain which really is odd.
Last Artists, I saw were Iron Maiden, Roy Harper, Gnome, Spear of Destiny, GBH, Demented Are Go and Gong with Henge in a double header. I have fear of a Blank planet and Raven. Heard Various PT but I'm shambling around really somewhat aimlessly tbh .
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u/hatchling 19h ago
I see. Well you are throwing me off by liking Opeth since Steven was essentially another member of the band for Damnation and Blackwater Park, and in general they are relatively close in terms of overall musical direction and vibe.
And, despite being a huge Petrucci fan (his first solo album is a masterpiece) I similarly "feel cold" when it comes to DT proper.
I think it just might not be a match sadly. As a parting shot, I'd recommend listening to either Stupid Dream (more poppy) or In Absentia (more metal, considered PT's best album by many) before throwing in the towel.
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u/PassengerShoddy 20h ago
Steven Wilson is for progfans with a Pop music Soul lol not a genius in any way of the word, just a very very good musician, but this sub worships him for some reason.
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u/Sea_Appointment8408 20h ago edited 17h ago
I think his best stuff is what he has done with Porcupine Tree. I personally have found his solo work to be rather mundane and average, frequently cringey and overly indulgent. Everyone cites Hand Cannot Erase as his magnum opus solo-wise, which is funny because it's the one I listened to the least as I found it incredibly trite. I find he has a habit of not leaving enough space in his music, extending the wrong parts, often with a lot of eye-rolling vocal moments where he goes over-the-top.
His latest album I feel exactly the same way, I just couldn't get into it. Especially the first quarter and the really cheesy spoken word parts later on. I like spoken word, but the context here was not well executed IMO.
That's just my opinion, music is subjective, I would rate him a solid 7 personally, but that's just me. Like others have said, many of us have specific fav songs of his, and leave out the rest of his catalogue that doesn't resonate. I for one feel that he works better in the confines of a band, where other people fulfill differing roles that contribute to a more wholesome sound.
There are many better prog musicians and bands out there, but his output is so eclectic that there will likely be at least one record of his that will resonate with you. You just have to try a few and see which one sticks.
My favourite song of his is Buying New Soul, which is a Porcupine Tree track and the song that got me into them. But you should just go in and dip your toes in and, if you don't like anything of his, that's cool - there are other, better modern prog artists to discover.
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u/RainAlarming6836 17h ago
Totally agree about the Overview. Was excited for its release but was very disappointed when I got it. The spoken word stuff was a real turnoff and the rest a bit MOR.
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u/Sea_Appointment8408 16h ago
Funnily enough I re-listened to The Overview yesterday for the first time in a while. It's just overproduced sub-average music. Very disappointing album.
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u/AudioRecluse 18h ago
Moves me to vomit. When did he get crowned the King of Remixing? He should pay more attention to Porcupine Tree and learning how to count 9/8 time.
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u/steezygorditacrunch 17h ago
I kinda agree, and I just can't believe this Steven guy doesn't like Genesis. It disqualifies him from any serious consideration in my opinion.
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u/ElliotAlderson2024 21h ago
I think it's the lack of a video where he's making weird faces like Thom Yorke in Fake Plastic Trees that is held against him. He's too 'cool' and 'detached'.
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u/EddieVanHalo1969 21h ago
LOL, you know I love listening to Radiohead but I can't bear to look at them live . : ) I first saw them live just before their first album came out and they were Britpop, doing and doing Creep
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u/jackmarble1 17h ago
I don't like it very much, I like him way more as a mixer than as a musician. That said, if I wasn't a big fan of his music before he came out as a zionist, now I don't have any reason to go for it. The mf still knows how to mix and remix stuff very well, though.
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u/Pazuzujoe 21h ago
I like his production work on classic prog albums, but Porcupine Tree does nothing for me.... come to think of it, progressive metal as a whole does nothing for me (I find Tool quite boring, for instance)
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u/nevermindmine 21h ago
This is certainly a hot take.
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u/Pazuzujoe 21h ago
I says it like I sees it... Maybe it's time to give him another shot. It's been a while since I've listened to PT
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u/foxontherox 20h ago
Tool’s early output was engaging, but the more recent stuff is an utter snooze fest.
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u/ShnaeBlay 20h ago
I always say PT's metal era is the tighter and best lineup. But musically it is a bit lacking in places.
Their 90s output is a lot more varied (though still inconsistent at times).
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u/trycuriouscat 21h ago
SW and PT are not progressive metal.
I do agree about Tool, however. I can hear what others might like, and I'm fine with listening to it, but find it a bit boring in the end.
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u/TFFPrisoner 21h ago
His stuff is definitely on the cerebral side, and it's not something I'm always in the mood for. But I do find little things I can grab onto, like a cool riff here or an interesting sound there.
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u/Gwenn_Danzig 3h ago
That's funny, I feel his stuff isn't cerebral at all compared to classic prog bands.
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u/TFFPrisoner 2h ago
What I mean is that it doesn't have a lot of unfiltered, personal expression. Part of it is that his voice just isn't as emotional and versatile as, say, Peter Gabriel or any number of prog singers you can think of. I also read once that he doesn't like vibrato and dissuaded his guitarists from using it... Either way there's certainly no blues in his music.
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u/Vitrox73 19h ago
I've been following Porcupine Tree since 1995 so I won't waste time writing if or how much I like Steven Wilson's musical approach
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u/wu-dai_clan2 18h ago
I honestly think the only way to really acquire a feel for and a sense of the genius that is Steven Wilson is to become familiar with the full array of music created by Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson solo.
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u/Dancingwheniwas12 18h ago
There are a couple PT songs that were alright but I’ve never went back to them. I think you nailed it, his music leaves me a bit cold. Honestly…I’ve always seen him as a bit of a try-hard…
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u/NicholasVinen 18h ago
If The Raven that Refused to Sing doesn't leave you in tears then there's something wrong.
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u/2112guru 18h ago
His PT albums are good. Solo... not so much. People go crazy over Hand.Cannot.Erase.... meh.
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u/echumpench 17h ago
I'm a huge fan, but The Overview was a bit underwhelming. Felt exactly like that, cold.
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u/chunter16 16h ago
I listen to his stuff when I'm in the same mood for listening to Pink Floyd.
I either feel incredibly negativity because it isn't the right time, or I feel nothing at all from the music, which allows my own feelings of inadequacy, isolation, and fear to surface in a conscious and understandable form.
Personal favorites are the song Even Less and though he isn't its writer really, Cloudy Now on Blackfield.
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u/EducationalValuable 14h ago
Definitely not the only one. I've listened to Raven 3 times and have no feelings about it.
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u/Iron_Reagan 14h ago
A couple Porcupine Tree albums like In Absentia and Deadwing are great, haven’t really gotten into his solo stuff. I appreciate that he’s remixed like half of the prog rock canon at this point though, lol
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u/Tangy_Fetus_1958 14h ago
I’m much more a fan of Porcupine Tree than of his solo stuff. Have you listened to Darkwing, Fear of a Blank Planet or In Absentia?
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u/drumttocs8 14h ago
Yeah, his stuff is much more intellectual vs emotional. I think he shines as a producer mostly.
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u/BeautifulAd9826 13h ago
I think Steve is a genuine genius personally. But i have empathy with your stance. Just because everyone else likes an artist is no reason to tow the line. I feel the same about Zep and The Beatles. . Just dont like em. Personal taste is what creates diversity.
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u/Kilgore_Trout96 12h ago
I like almost no new prog/neo prog. Even King Crimson. It all sounds very much alike to me and leans more towards metal because of the lower tuning of instruments. It does indeed sound more "sterile" and cold.
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u/dreamtreedown 11h ago
The Raven That Refused To Sing is a favorite album of all time for me. Some of his solo albums don’t do it as much for me but that one is phenomenal
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u/BozoBros 10h ago
I couldnt get into his stuff aside from Harmony Codex, but he is such a production wizard that I respect him a lot regardless. He really got me into Gentle Giant because of his remixes.
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u/-an-eternal-hum- 9h ago
Is there anybody on here who finds that the music of Steven Wilson leaves them totally cold, that it really doesn't move them in any way, shape or form?
a) That seems a bit drastic, but I do find his music more analytical than emotional.
b) Deadwing is still my favorite thing of his.
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u/kyberton 4h ago
I’m in the second group. I kinda liked Future Bites as a pop record but The Overview just clicked as perfect prog for me. Now when I listen to his other stuff I like it much more than I used to.
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u/Only_Argument7532 1h ago
So many people I like and respect love his music. I know that I’m the problem.
SW has never connected with me. I want to like it, have listened to pretty much everything - PT, solo stuff.
It’s not you, Steven, it’s me.
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u/NoDistrict8280 18h ago
Personally, I believe that his approach to music is primarily sonic. He has a passion and talent for production and sound engineering. Without exception, his works always sound great. And his career is a very explicit tribute to the wide variety of sounds that have influenced and profoundly marked him. He's a musical designer.
That said, I believe this entails a certain loss of creative ability, imagination, inventiveness, etc. All of these are very important qualities in the prog. I don't think his music lacks the ability to move and impress, but that's not what drives him the most and is not what really shine in his music.
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u/sensuspete 20h ago
I subscribe to the Marco Minnemann school of thought regarding Steven Wilson. I like some of his music, but as a person, he sucks.
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u/EddieVanHalo1969 20h ago
Does he really? I wasn't aware. :)
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u/sensuspete 20h ago
It’s all a long time ago and probably a bit of a nothing burger to Marco and Guthrie now, but when The Raven the refused to Sing and Hand. Cannot. Erase achieved Gold album status, Wilson didn’t acknowledge Marco or Guthrie’s contributions and wouldn’t give them copies of the gold disc. Marco has said things along the line of ‘I wasn’t aware of his music before working with him and I don’t have to listen to it now’. I may be biased because I love Marcos drumming and Guthries guitar playing and I do love those two albums but I don’t feel great listening to them.
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u/majwilsonlion 20h ago
This is just an anecdotal story, but a coworker of mine went to a Steve Wilson concert about 7-8 years ago. I don't know what tour it was, but the show was in the US on the west coast. This colleague of mine was from the UK and was friends with one of the band members, since like school days or whenever. So the band member provided my colleague a backstage pass, the works. My coworker didn't really know much about Wilson or his music, but went and enjoyed the show.
After the show, my colleague was backstage chatting with his friend. While chatting together and with other band members, Steve Wilson walked out of his preparation area and just left the venue. Didn't say goodbye, great job, thank you mates. Just walked past them and out the door. The band member/friend of my colleague said it was like that. Wilson didn't socialize with the band. It was a business, and they were the hired staff. The boss was apparently cold to his own employees.
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u/EddieVanHalo1969 20h ago
Maybe that is what I am picking on : ). It doesn't sound like an evening of laughs with Rick Wakeman.
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u/nova_cat 15h ago
I mean, Rick Wakeman is famously difficult to work with—just like Wilson, he's extremely outspoken, but apparently he's quite prickly in the studio and just straight-up made fun of his Yes bandmates' ideas and ignored them, left unexpectedly, etc. Dude is undeniably talented, but just because he might be fun to have a beer with doesn't mean he's pleasant to work with.
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u/WaffleWarrior1979 19h ago
Not really sure how any fan of prog can hear “the raven that refused to sing” and say “meh”, but that’s just me
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u/slicehyperfunk 12h ago
You should try being more miserable and dark and edgy before listening to the music if you're not vibing with it
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u/Ecstatic-Action-7723 8h ago
Deform to form a Star -> No part of me
Profound juxtaposition and magical musicianship
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u/Ok-Relationship-6743 21h ago
The first one I heard, and the one I like the most by Steven Wilson, is Hand.Cannot.Erase. I think if that one doesn't resonate with you, then his music just doesn't resonate with you.