Off: PORCUPINE TREE Live

[chris bates]

Keith Henderson <henderson.120 at OSU.EDU> writes:

> I dunno, I'm having a hard time trying to determine my own response to this
> album.  I've only had it a short time (four listens so far) and am wondering
> how I'm going to review it for the next issue of AI.  Everyone here (on
> boc-l) seems to hate it, and everyone on PT-Trans seems to love it (or keep
> quiet). :)  I have a mixed response.

Let me dispute the truth of your statement about BOC-L. I, for
one, rather like *Stupid Dream*. It may not be the best PT album
but it is damn good all through and very, very good in places.

I meant to post a comment about their live show. I saw them in
Sheffield the other week with my wife. She's not really into prog
per se, preferring trippy hippy stuff and indie, whilst I'm
more into prog and metal. We _both_ really enjoyed live PT. The
pub was heaving with a really mixed audience (the ageing proggers
were outnumbered by indie-type students) and everyone seemed
to enjoy it. Old and new material worked together live and the
band are really hot.

> I don't believe that it is necessarily 'pop' or 'commercial' or a 'sell-out'
> whatever. Only Piano Lessons seems like a 'radio' song to me, because it's
> so empty and thoughtless.  :)  (And I guess it *has* been played on the
> radio over here.  Bad news I say.  Why would any band want to be 'known' for

This must be my mistake. *Piano Lessons* is one of my favourite
tracks on the album. As for radio play being a bad thing under
any circumstances, I rather think _not_! Ask any pro or semi-pro
musician if they'd prefer radio play or being ignored and they'll
surely prefer the exposure. Imagine HW on the radio even for something
risible like *Sputnik Stan*, surely a good thing?

> So, yes, I think it was a bad move in a way, but only because it got away
> from PT's strength - ie., crunchy riffs a la 'Signify' and energetic

But there isn't an audience for that music. Or if there is such
an audience the music never gets any exposure so that audience
never gets to hear of it. Musicians need to make a living too!

> drumming from Chris Maitland (who is woefully underused on SD).

This is the first PT album where the band have created their
own parts rather than reproducing what SW wrote. At least according
to SW in *Classic Rock* magazine.


--
Chris Bates
Lecturer
School of Computing and Management Sciences
Sheffield Hallam University
c.d.bates at shu.ac.uk