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Richard Barbieri : synthesizers,
Hammond organ, and mellotron
Colin Edwin - bass
Chris Maitland : drums and percussion
Steven Wilson : vocals, guitars, piano, and samples
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Exactly one hour. That's how long it
takes to go on a journey with Porcupine Tree on their latest studio
offering. Whilst most critics loathe the approach of Steve Wilson
and company, it's with the likes of Stupid Dream that the doors
towards recognition get wide open. In full preparation for this
disc, Steve had told me that the end result would be more guitar
oriented, more American with dashes of Soundgarden and even the
ambient period of Talk Talk.
I'm afraid that there are loads of fellow journalists out there that
are on the constant lookout for the latest hype, regardless of the
kind of music, as long as they can be the first to "discover" that
particular artist. For a long time Porcupine Tree seemed to be
exactly that "hype," heralded as the new Pink Floyd in lots of
reviews. Now that the foursome Wilson/Maitland/Edwin/Barbieri are
finally getting some recognition, after years and years of hard
work, it looks as if a lot of these journalists are already on the
lookout for something entirely different. The constant slagging off
of new Porcupine Tree material has proved this. My dear colleagues,
isn't it about time you give Stupid Dream another spin? Get the dirt
out of your ears and, hey presto!, discover Radiohead and Beatles
influences amongst the Pink Floyd elements. First everyone is
moaning that "progressive rock" no longer is progressive, and once a
real "progressive" artist stands up, the so called "experts" are
waiting for The Sky Moves Sideways part two!
The combination of acoustic instruments and very loud rock music
works very well during "This Is No Rehearsal," whilst in "Pure
Narcotic" the final guitar sounds almost like genuine Steve Howe,
whilst the singing is on the same wavelength as the better
Supertramp repertoire. The well-known bombastic build up is once
again apparent during "A Smart Kid" where the music comes out of
your speakers almost like high and low tide. In "Don't Hate Me" the
band knows how to integrate some superb saxophone playing in the
same way the great Floyd used to do during their Dark Side Of The
Moon period. Beware! I haven't spoken about plagiarism here because
the original way of combining ambient soundscapes with straight rock
is a "registered trademark" signed Wilson and company.
Maybe Porcupine Tree are not as hip as The Orb and have been pushed
aside by the media in favour of Radiohead, but they are the true
future of rock music and those of you who don't get yourself a copy
of Stupid Dream are simply "damned stupid!"
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