Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson

I’m currently listening to “The Incident”, the new album by Porcupine Tree. Jolly good stuff, fantastic production. I’ve been following band leader Steven Wilson and his various projects for a good few years now. As anyone who knows about him can tell you, this can be a bit difficult as he puts out so much music. At his best, he really is a bit of a visionary genius.

The new album has gone into the UK Top 30 on the first week of release, a real sign that his and their relentless hard work for many years is finally paying off big-time. My first memory of Mr. Wilson is actually of his band Karma in about 1986 when he was possibly still at school, or maybe he’d just left. They were supporting my band Burnessence in a local hall in Buckinghamshire, I don’t remember them being particularly good but then neither were we!

Porcupine Tree could be described as contemporary progressive rock with excellent musicianship and a generally sophisticated feel. There is a feeling of “beautiful sadness” running through a lot of Wilson’s music, both in the heavier and quieter moments. I recently had yet another listen to the first album by Blackfield (a poppier collaboration with Israeli musician Aviv Geffen), which I rate very highly. The emotionally dark lyrics do get a bit heavy-going sometimes but it’s such a great album! As regards Porcupine Tree, I recommend “Signify”, “In Absentia”, “Deadwing” and the new one. Great videos too e.g. “Time Flies” which you can find on the internet.

Love Or Confusion

All these words
With no sound
I don’t hear
You don’t hear

Is this love or confusion
I can’t tell
The time of day

Take the strain
Pleasure and pain
I climb up
And then I don’t

Nobody knows
Nobody knows
No body, nose
Arms, legs and elbows

Is this love or confusion?
Is this love or confusion?
(repeat)

Originally appeared on the first Burnessence album, copyright 1983 Body Music. Unexpectedly sung to me by Clive Product in Berlin, 2009.

Last few days in Berlin

Back to England tomorrow, it’s been a blast. I needed a break and a bit of shaking up from my normal routines and I certainly got it!

On Monday I went with a couple of friends to The Story Of Berlin museum on Kurfurstendamm, a powerful experience. We had an interesting and bizarre guided tour of a nuclear bunker built in the seventies. However, what really made an impression was the section on the rise of Hitler and the Nazis. I knew quite a bit of it already but it was still a shock. “Germany is waking up!” claimed Goebbels (I think it was) as they quickly rose to power in the early thirties. Oh dear. Some of the pictures, exhibits, sound and film from the time really gave one a sense of the horror of it. I won’t forget this easily.

Generally, I’ve just had a great time here. The train system is excellent. Berlin doesn’t seem to be too expensive compared to some cities, which helps. Organic wholefoods are more common than in England, so I feel at home with that one. There’s been a lot of soul-searching conversations into the early hours with new and old friends, love it. Clive and I have been doing a bit of experimenting with some video recording too. Wunderbar!