Now regarding the growing division between the two Porcupine Tree fan bases that started with the release of “In Absentia”…

PT’s “Deadwing” and preceding “In Absentia” may be heavier than earlier releases, but what is wrong with that? It is also and often very soft. The contrast of the two makes it interesting. A heavy or scary sound is just one more tool for the composer to express a feeling or an ambiance, similarly to what we hear in a movie score. PT always makes extensive use of sound effects to attain this goal as well as demonstrated in Deadwing. Steven Wilson himself suggests that you should listen to a PT album like you watch a movie.

It is interesting to note that the same kind of division happened among Genesis fans, years ago. There was the Gabriel era fan base and the after Gabriel fan base: 2 different bands. What difference does it make now? No band is eternal and sooner or later, bands and fans alike have to move on. What SW has done in the past and is doing now is building his legacy. We, listeners, are just the witnesses. We have no right to demand that he satisfies our wants. PT’s sound is unique and appealing because its creators like what they do and they do what they like, not what others like. It is also unique because Steven Wilson is in charge; thank God for that. If Mr. “Everybody” was in charge, PT would sound like everybody and become just another band. MTV presents those daily; these bands reach some level of success, and then most disappear after just a few years, without leaving a trace. PT has already left a trace and they are not done…

History has shown time and time again that important and influential bands are the ones that hold their ground. They are led from the inside by strong willed individuals. Think of Jimmy Page, Frank Zappa, Peter Gabriel, Jimi Hendrix, Sting, to name a few. Yes, most of them are dead or, let’s say, mature. We will see in a few years what the younger generation has to offer, but it is safe to affirm that Steven Wilson will be on that list.

A band that is led from the outside by a strong willed producer or record company typically does not last very long. Music industry nowadays strives to take advantage of such a band’s potential commercial success for quick profit; this is achieved by re-using a proven production recipe… Well, fortunately art is not about formulas, it is about creation… Thanks go to Steven Wilson for reminding us that via all PT albums.

Listen to “Deadwing”, “In Absentia” or any previous PT albums with an open mind… You will discover rich harmonies and textures, interesting rhythmic structures more commonly found in jazz such as 7/4 (In Absentia – “The Sound of Musak”), 9/8 (Deadwing – “Start of something beautiful”) This music will surprise you and make you visit places…

I probably listened to Deadwing a dozen times before I felt I could write a review that did it justice, since it takes many listens to really get into an album like this. Mainstream reviewers are always working to deadlines; they have to judge something on one or two listens, which is why they tend to favour lightweight frothy stuff with no substance.

Not that this is really an excuse, just an explaination as to why mainstream reviews of prog albums are a waste of space.

The Times review seems like a classic example of why I’ve not read a music review for many, many years. Who wrote it, Chris Leigh?