upon my first listen, i'm not too impressed with it. it doesn't have good flow or structure in the way that it doesn't go ANYWHERE. i know for a fact that wilson is capable of a lot more than this. it comes off as unfinished or at least poorly thought out. 'insurgentes' wasn't a solid, top quality album, but it's clear that he was going somewhere with it and it has some killer moments. 'the incident' was mostly crap, and most fans i know have agreed that the bonus disc is infinitely better than anything on the main album.

'grace for drowning' is no real change in this progression. at best it's a homogenous, mediocre attempt at low key prog rock. i'm about ready to give up on SW unless he gets back into the straight up experimental stuff like bass communion and IEM, both of which i really enjoy. it seems like he can do genres, but has trouble combining them.

this is by FAR the best track on the album:
[youtube]AeRpuGSupuE[/youtube]
but it's a throwback to the deadwing/in absentia days and it STILL doesn't quite get to where it seems like it wants to go.

The Chemical Brothers - Hanna's Theme

[EphelDuath666]

upon my first listen, i'm not too impressed with it. it doesn't have good flow or structure in the way that it doesn't go ANYWHERE. i know for a fact that wilson is capable of a lot more than this. it comes off as unfinished or at least poorly thought out. 'insurgentes' wasn't a solid, top quality album, but it's clear that he was going somewhere with it and it has some killer moments. 'the incident' was mostly crap, and most fans i know have agreed that the bonus disc is infinitely better than anything on the main album.

'grace for drowning' is no real change in this progression. at best it's a homogenous, mediocre attempt at low key prog rock. i'm about ready to give up on SW unless he gets back into the straight up experimental stuff like bass communion and IEM, both of which i really enjoy. it seems like he can do genres, but has trouble combining them.

this is by FAR the best track on the album:
[youtube]AeRpuGSupuE[/youtube]
but it's a throwback to the deadwing/in absentia days and it STILL doesn't quite get to where it seems like it wants to go.

hmm, yeah I have to admit that SW hasn't really done anything that I fully enjoyed in quite a while. I started to lose interest when FOABP was released. But lots of people love 'The Incident' unlike me. I really didn't like that one at all. So it might just be me. I used to be a HUGE SW fan and bought everything SW. But at some point he started to release stuff that just didn't do it for me. But then again I don't want to tell anyone how to make his music so that's perfectly fine, I guess. And sooner or later he may make an Album again that blows me away. I'd love that!

Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No 2 In C Minor, Op.18 Adagio Sostenuto

[Octillus]

upon my first listen, i'm not too impressed with it. it doesn't have good flow or structure in the way that it doesn't go ANYWHERE. i know for a fact that wilson is capable of a lot more than this. it comes off as unfinished or at least poorly thought out. 'insurgentes' wasn't a solid, top quality album, but it's clear that he was going somewhere with it and it has some killer moments. 'the incident' was mostly crap, and most fans i know have agreed that the bonus disc is infinitely better than anything on the main album.

'grace for drowning' is no real change in this progression. at best it's a homogenous, mediocre attempt at low key prog rock. i'm about ready to give up on SW unless he gets back into the straight up experimental stuff like bass communion and IEM, both of which i really enjoy. it seems like he can do genres, but has trouble combining them.

this is by FAR the best track on the album:
[youtube]AeRpuGSupuE[/youtube]
but it's a throwback to the deadwing/in absentia days and it STILL doesn't quite get to where it seems like it wants to go.

hmm, yeah I have to admit that SW hasn't really done anything that I fully enjoyed in quite a while. I started to lose interest when FOABP was released. But lots of people love 'The Incident' unlike me. I really didn't like that one at all. So it might just be me. I used to be a HUGE SW fan and bought everything SW. But at some point he started to release stuff that just didn't do it for me. But then again I don't want to tell anyone how to make his music so that's perfectly fine, I guess. And sooner or later he may make an Album again that blows me away. I'd love that!

I really liked Fear of a Blank Planet, but really after that most of his stuff doesn't appeal to me. I can't say it's bad, but I sure wish he'd get off of his hard-on for children taking prescription drugs.

[JuZ]

Interesting, thanks all.

I'm a late bloomer when it comes to SW and I find what I've heard so far to be pretty hit and miss.

hmm, yeah I have to admit that SW hasn't really done anything that I fully enjoyed in quite a while. I started to lose interest when FOABP was released. But lots of people love 'The Incident' unlike me. I really didn't like that one at all. So it might just be me. I used to be a HUGE SW fan and bought everything SW. But at some point he started to release stuff that just didn't do it for me. But then again I don't want to tell anyone how to make his music so that's perfectly fine, I guess. And sooner or later he may make an Album again that blows me away. I'd love that!

All of the above.

NP:
[youtube]hgGyX7WPxuQ[/youtube]

Been listening to Röyksopp, Boards of Canada, Lemon Jelly, Four Tet, Jon Hopkins and Mike St-Jean's 'ProJect' relentlessly lately. Made myself a nice playlist to study music to. :3

NP: Röyksopp - The Alcoholic
[youtube]GTzNCK83tTg[/youtube]

upon my first listen, i'm not too impressed with it. it doesn't have good flow or structure in the way that it doesn't go ANYWHERE. i know for a fact that wilson is capable of a lot more than this. it comes off as unfinished or at least poorly thought out. 'insurgentes' wasn't a solid, top quality album, but it's clear that he was going somewhere with it and it has some killer moments. 'the incident' was mostly crap, and most fans i know have agreed that the bonus disc is infinitely better than anything on the main album.

'grace for drowning' is no real change in this progression. at best it's a homogenous, mediocre attempt at low key prog rock. i'm about ready to give up on SW unless he gets back into the straight up experimental stuff like bass communion and IEM, both of which i really enjoy. it seems like he can do genres, but has trouble combining them.

this is by FAR the best track on the album:
[youtube]AeRpuGSupuE[/youtube]
but it's a throwback to the deadwing/in absentia days and it STILL doesn't quite get to where it seems like it wants to go.

hmm, yeah I have to admit that SW hasn't really done anything that I fully enjoyed in quite a while. I started to lose interest when FOABP was released. But lots of people love 'The Incident' unlike me. I really didn't like that one at all. So it might just be me. I used to be a HUGE SW fan and bought everything SW. But at some point he started to release stuff that just didn't do it for me. But then again I don't want to tell anyone how to make his music so that's perfectly fine, I guess. And sooner or later he may make an Album again that blows me away. I'd love that!

I really liked Fear of a Blank Planet, but really after that most of his stuff doesn't appeal to me. I can't say it's bad, but I sure wish he'd get off of his hard-on for children taking prescription drugs.

I gave it a listen today, and I almost loved it. I very much enjoy how it's not all darkness and doom like Insurgentes and The Incident. I love his happy songs. Raider II was a bit too Shining for me maybe, lul.

I really liked Fear of a Blank Planet, but really after that most of his stuff doesn't appeal to me. I can't say it's bad, but I sure wish he'd get off of his hard-on for children taking prescription drugs.

this. all of it. i've wondered what his deal is with that... is he just really into the negative consequences of doping up the kids (ok, you've made your point)? is it just appealing fodder with which to sell albums (i certainly hope THAT isn't the case...)? or is he just stunted and that's actually how he relates (isn't he well into his 40s now?)?

it's getting easier to be annoyed with the rehashed subject matter because the radical music can't carry it (or disguise it) anymore.

[Octillus]

I really liked Fear of a Blank Planet, but really after that most of his stuff doesn't appeal to me. I can't say it's bad, but I sure wish he'd get off of his hard-on for children taking prescription drugs.

this. all of it. i've wondered what his deal is with that... is he just really into the negative consequences of doping up the kids (ok, you've made your point)? is it just appealing fodder with which to sell albums (i certainly hope THAT isn't the case...)? or is he just stunted and that's actually how he relates (isn't he well into his 40s now?)?

it's getting easier to be annoyed with the rehashed subject matter because the radical music can't carry it (or disguise it) anymore.

Thanks Novack, I live with a dude whose favorite musicians are Wilson and Daniel Gildenlöw, and even he's been getting to the point where we just joke around the kitchen singing about pills in the typical Wilson whimper (which I happen to like when it works)

[JuZ]

Just listened to Opeth's Heritage from beginning to end. Really underwhelmed, sadly. There just wasn't anything.... I dunno, "of substance" is probably putting it too harshly. It was just all a bit bland. And not because it's growl free at all. I guess maybe I'm also getting a bit tired of hearing the same themes - you know, I can't see her face and now I fall into shadow etc.

NP: Trucks and Tedeschi. I fucking love these guys right now. Man, I must getting old and happy or something.

Oh, and check out Trucks' solo from about 3:30 in the second song. I love the way this guy plays. Like a ray of sunshine covered in honey.

[youtube]3Eb_UXDxUbs&feature=related[/youtube]

[youtube]7czlanjaObs&feature=related[/youtube]

I have bunch of Porcupine Tree's stuff but have never really given it much of a listen-- nothing I've heard has reached out and grabbed my attention.

To JuZ, I'd recommend giving Heritage a few more listens, it's definitely a grower. I kind of agree that the middle of the album, namely Haxprocess and Nepenthe, feels a little bland and it's definitely going to take longer to get into for me. But the songs surrounding those, namely Famine and Slither, really have a lot going on in them I think. Famine is such a different experimental song I love it. The album is a slow burner, and I like that.

I think that as soon as you bring an agenda to your appreciation of music, you're fucked.

We all have things we might hope to hear from musicians, but as soon as you turn those hopes into expectations or demands you put yourself at risk of going from being an enthusiastic fan to being miserable, humourless music-nazi douche who deserves to be perpetually disappointed. Seriously, these tr00 wankers need to chill out.

Nothing wrong with not liking an album (for example, to my ears that Lou Reed thing sounds like absolute shit, and I found the Morbid Angel album close to unlistenable). But who the fuck do fans think they are in demanding that musicians play a certain type of music forever and a day? Hats off to guys like Mastodon and Dev (and Metallica I guess, despite Lars' propensity for talking bulldust), who have the balls (or the money, ha!) to make the music they feel compelled to make, instead of what they think their fans might want.

/rant

Agreed 110%. The only thing down that road is gobs of disappointment.
[youtube]6k7xay4u088[/youtube]

Pretty damn good cover, not quite as good as Soundgarden's though.

[youtube]TkPbJIlEXow&ob=av2e[/youtube]

Its been so long since I heard this. Still great to listen to. Having never heard the Elect The Dead Symphony material, I'm feeling pretty anxious to hear it now .