Prog rock
Sep 3, 2019 at 5:54 AM Post #2,311 of 4,315
Marillion are a hit and miss band for me.
I know... :) a lot of people can't get into or don't like Marillion. I don't know... they stroke a sensible chord in me at a younger age and maybe that's why I'm so close to this band. But I'm strictly referring to the Fish - era. I like what Steve Hogarth does too but I prefer the old albums. All Fish albums and Hogarth's first three albums until "Brave". I consider "Clutching At Straws" their peak.

By the way, nice to see a Steven Wilson fan here. The interview linked in your signature is a very widely regarded one and I remember being impressed by it when it came out.
Yeaaah, I love Steven Wilson... when I don't hate him. For putting me in a low mood :p
 
Sep 3, 2019 at 11:26 AM Post #2,313 of 4,315
Sep 3, 2019 at 5:28 PM Post #2,314 of 4,315
I love the Awake album - it is beautifully recorded and everything sounds amazing... I think this was also the peak of their songwriting abilities...
100% agree with this :thumbsup:
 
Sep 3, 2019 at 8:31 PM Post #2,315 of 4,315
Another HUGE Steven Wilson fan here. Was just playing this a bit ago...

47F1712F-8EEE-42D8-A4D3-DD5DBF681A35.jpeg
 
Sep 3, 2019 at 10:44 PM Post #2,316 of 4,315
I had never seen that wilson interview until tonight. Very good responses. I didn't think it would be quite that intriguing. Thanks for reminding me about the link in the signature.

Also, I too agree with DT "Awake". The opening track '6 oclock' represented a very specific shift for me in my music journey. Not only was it my introduction to the band, but there was something so sweet and at the same time, blistering, about it. Perhaps it was Labrie's soaring (yet arguably better controlled) vibrato, or the very clear reel-to-reel tape it was recorded on, vintage sounding compressors, super crisp cymbals...maybe? Most of all it was that snare. That insanely powerful arena reverb snare. Actually, a part of me still thinks the acoustic snare was mixed with a trigger (sampled snare sound) but I've been assured that's not the case. Anyway, props to all of you who brought it up. Excellent record indeed.

BTW, I'm going to see DT for the 6th time October 1 just 10 minutes from my house! 2nd time without Portnoy, and I'm really not missing him TBH.
 
Sep 9, 2019 at 7:40 AM Post #2,318 of 4,315
I had never seen that wilson interview until tonight. Very good responses. I didn't think it would be quite that intriguing. Thanks for reminding me about the link in the signature.

Also, I too agree with DT "Awake". The opening track '6 oclock' represented a very specific shift for me in my music journey. Not only was it my introduction to the band, but there was something so sweet and at the same time, blistering, about it. Perhaps it was Labrie's soaring (yet arguably better controlled) vibrato, or the very clear reel-to-reel tape it was recorded on, vintage sounding compressors, super crisp cymbals...maybe? Most of all it was that snare. That insanely powerful arena reverb snare. Actually, a part of me still thinks the acoustic snare was mixed with a trigger (sampled snare sound) but I've been assured that's not the case. Anyway, props to all of you who brought it up. Excellent record indeed.

BTW, I'm going to see DT for the 6th time October 1 just 10 minutes from my house! 2nd time without Portnoy, and I'm really not missing him TBH.

It's funny you mention Portnoy - he was one of the main reasons I was drawn to the band in the first place, way back in 1994. And he was subsequently one of the biggest reasons for me losing interest in the band around 2008, shortly after they toured Australia for the first time.

With that 2008 tour, I was pretty excited and decided I would pay the extra dollars to do the meet and greet with the band. And yet I found Portnoy's antics tedious and childish, which, oddly enough, I'd never really been bothered by before when I'd seen him act that way countless times in videos and such. But on this occasion, being face to face with the band I'd adored and admired for years, I just thought he was...a bit of a w@nker, frankly. The other guys were great (except for Myung who, as expected, didn't talk or respond when I attempted to have a word with him). After the show in Melbourne, I flew to Sydney to see them play there and then I went to Brisbane to watch them again. And then I think the buzz of my DT fandom wore off. I didn't dislike them but I think I had simply overdosed on them and found myself looking at their music much more objectively. It was no longer a case of supporting them blindly; I could see the faults and was ready to admit them (like excessive and unnecessary shred sections throughout many tracks, banal lyrics or the behaviours of a man-child whose drumming was starting to become predictable and stale).

"Black Clouds..." was a big disappointment (mainly because of the utterly awful lyrics and needlessly long instrumental bits) and I found myself really falling out of love with the band. I rarely listened to their older music too and it was like I'd just turned on them! The following year, I read that Portnoy was leaving (which, funnily enough, I found out about after reading a Devin Townsend tweet) and I was suddenly interested in the band again. I can't explain why! I think his obnoxious personality had rubbed me the wrong way so badly that I had lower tolerance for the band as a side-effect. So then, with him departing, I was excited again. And the first person I thought of as a replacement for Portnoy was Mike Mangini. I was stoked when he got the job and I've been a DT fanboy again. His enthusiasm for DT, music in general, sports, family, food...whatever it may be, is infectious. And his attempts to perfect his craft by continually learning and pushing himself is really inspirational to me personally.

Thankfully, I've had the pleasure of seeing the band out here with Mangini behind the kit - in 2014 - and it was a real delight to watch him in action. I'm curious to see what his solo album will be like when it's finally ready.
 
Sep 9, 2019 at 7:43 AM Post #2,319 of 4,315
Another HUGE Steven Wilson fan here. Was just playing this a bit ago...


Yeah, this is a serious looking setup! Great work! I'm looking forward to unpacking all my multi-channel/home theatre gear again one day and giving it its own room. It's not great not having the space right now but it's only temporary I guess. I'll surely appreciate it more when it's ready to be used properly again some day.
 
Sep 9, 2019 at 8:44 AM Post #2,320 of 4,315
Another HUGE Steven Wilson fan here. Was just playing this a bit ago...


Impressive setup indeed, but what I like most in that picture is Cinderella dancing on Steven Wilson music :p
 
Sep 9, 2019 at 9:01 AM Post #2,321 of 4,315
Impressive setup indeed, but what I like most in that picture is Cinderella dancing on Steven Wilson music :p

Ha! It’s Princess Peach, actually :wink:

And hanks!!
 
Sep 13, 2019 at 4:43 PM Post #2,323 of 4,315


I'm surprised no one else has posted this. Bryan's an amazing player, and this is by far his best release. It just came out today...
 
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Sep 13, 2019 at 4:47 PM Post #2,324 of 4,315


I'm surprised no one else has posted this. Bryan's an amazing player, and this is by far his best release. It just came out today...

 

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