Prog Review 16: Grace for Drowning - Steven Wilson

[NeedHeadMusic]

The music is really annoying. great review!

[kjdayton]

I'm a giant PT fan ... BUT PT was NEVER just SW to me. What I find missing from all of his solo work is the ingenuity of other musicians who write better parts for THEIR instruments.

[mightyquaid1979]

for me personally, it depends on whether u are sold on king crimson. my dad, a lifelong crimson fan yawned his way through grace for drowning as he had heard it all before, whereas i found it a breath of fresh air, having never really got king crimson. maybe i should take another look. dunno.. i went to see steven wilson on the grace for drowning tour in shephards bush, and thought live the songs translated really well, apart from raider 2 which went on faaaaaar too long. my score 4/5

[vinvanveen]

I love Porcupine Tree's stuff — most of it, anyway — but I completely agree with you here. "Grace for Drowning" has a great surround mix but the composition is just too derivative at times. "With Theo Travis as Mel Collins" made me laugh, as did the comparison to Marillion's embarrassing "Grendel".

As a suggestion for a review, while not typically considered "prog", how about some Zappa", like, say, "One size fits all"?

[johnfloy]

Dig the prog rock check list! epic ;)

[vrooomuk]

@salming21king I am eating some toast while typing this. Ooops, crumbs on the keyboard... Tell me, what is it like being Steven Wilson's anal bitch? Do you like it when he sticks his fingers up your arse? I bet you do? Thanks for the comment.

[JohnyVirgil]

Good review, great humor. I can't say I fully agree with you, particularly the bit about his work being contrived. I'm going to be honest and admit bias, I'm a Steven Wilson fan, though, I don't think he's flawless like some. You seem like you have a better ear for music than I do, but I try. The thing is, I don't think that repetition of sounds, such as the repeated King Crimson references, means that the artist is disingenuous, it just means they like a sound and want to achieve it themselves.

[TritoneMcgee]

I think Wilson's problem is that he's too prolific. Take everything he produces in two years (including Porcupine Tree) and cut out all of the best bits and you'd have an excellent album. Instead there is a lot of kind of drab stuff, nothing that really catches you.

And are there real mellotrons? Because if they were I might actually be interested.

[lebocharp]

Fantastic review with great humour. I was laughing with tears in my eyes by the time you reached Raider II and the "prog check-list". Keep it up!

[vrooomuk]

@lebocharp I am glad you enjoyed it and appreciated the video for what it is. Many commenters seem to have a humour bypass at the moment. But yes, I do try and make my audience laugh. You are allowed to enjoy this...

[cardboardmusic]

I'm glad to see that not everyone is completed 'hypnotised' into thinking everything Steve Wilison does is amazing. No Man is another group (he's involved in) that is over praised. Steven Wilson is surely an excellent musician, but that doesn't mean everything he touches is gold. Sorry if that offends anybody, but well that's life. Thanks for the honest review.

[murdok199]

i dont think this man knows whats hi is talking about

[vrooomuk]

@murdok199 You are probably right. Thanks for the positive comment!

[t3hpez]

"thin thread of contrivance" very eloquent, I can definitely see where you're coming from! I guess being 'genuine' isn't a necessity for my enjoyment. ? :)

[t3hpez]

ohhh and it's not mellotrons in Raider II, it's an actual choir! :)

[t3hpez]

it's called "Postcard" - i think you were reading it as iTunes labels it? their fault not yours. oh and I guess I should throw in my two cents - I love the album and mostly disagree with you but very much enjoyed the review - all the brutal hate SW fans seem to be throwing at you is quite bizarre!

[nunobelo]

Forever alone.

[vrooomuk]

@nunobelo Don't worry - I am sure that one day you'll meet the right person for you. Unless you have chronic bromodosis, that is...

[pimtelman]

Unbelievable, what a shit review from a guy that is obvious no fan. I guess we can find a similar song with every new song that is released, Duh. For me this cd is a real masterpiece that keeps getting better and better. You should concentrate on losing weight instead of trying to do reviews.

[vrooomuk]

@pimtelman If a fan reviewed an album they really liked then that would completely miss the point of providing an objective opinion. Obviously, your brain is as small as your cock as you haven't grasped the point of music reviews - to give pros and cons of a record. If you want to be a fucking sheep, then fuck off and follow the flock. And why would I want to lose weight? My aim is to get fatter and fatter and fatter in order to annoy and crush stupid little fuckwits like you.

[vrooomuk]

@MrOpenmind77 It would be a dull world if we all liked the same thing, no?

[WhatsNuVidz]

Your an overweight fucken "wanka" with horseshit expectations. You don't "get" some of his decisions in the work? How many records have have you written and compossed? Too bad you think you know real music. Stupid piano music throughout your "review" and your fucken bird.. just so you know he isn't a genius .. he's god. I thought I was sad to be american.. SWIG. Hope you and your bird live happily ever after

[vrooomuk]

@PepperoniPizzaz You did a good job, kid... ;-)

[Padlockigami]

I think that "I'm gonna prog you where the sun doesn't shine!" should be your new catch-phrase.

[cptCrane1]

Wow, this saddens me since I ordered the special edition, and feel that I just may not like this very much. I agree with Darren on Steven Wilson`s derivative approach to music; in the early 90`s, he was trying to come up with Sylvian less Japan model known as NOMAN, and that was not all that great either. Ohhhh god what have I done?

[vrooomuk]

@cptCrane1 We all make mistakes for we are human. Just wait six months (or closer to Christmas) put it on eBay and watch the PT fans bid themselves stupid in order to secure one those of SW limited items they failed to purchase first time around. Don't worry, there is a silver lining. (But you might actually end up enjoying the record too - so don't fret just yet!)

[NoBoogerHere]

Interesting feedback on the album - I am currently undecided about Wilson's latest, I bought the standard 2 disc version & do enjoy the different passages, but like you, as a whole, the album seems rather patchy & disjointed. I heard Wilson interviewed and he suggested listening in two sittings; suggesting that as a whole, it was likely too much of an overload (musically & thematically). I just don't know what to think at the moment, but it hasn't gripped me yet. I probably rate it 3/5 at the mo

[jake56ification]

why i really enjoy your reviews. but why i like this review , have to say i dont agree with u on your final verdict. but there u go. thanks again for great review.

[RyanYardComposer]

Steven Wilson is clearly very good at what he does but I find his music too pristine, no rough edges and I think that is what separates it from the likes of King Crimson. Raider II I found started well and I was curious as to how he would maintain the ideas over 23 minutes and I don't feel he really did. I love prog but the heavily processed 'clean' style is not for me. Secondly, I would have ditched the bad synth choirs for real voices.

Lovin' your videos by the way :)