Fear of a Blank Planet - The Music

[BananaSlug]

Bleak. I think SW has achieved a new level of bleakness here. On past discs I have been able to just enjoy the music and not worry too much about whatever downer SW's been on, here it's pretty difficult. And the topic is drugs!? Of the long list of things to be down about drugs/apathy/artificial reality aren't exactly the top of the list, at least not where I live. Plus, Bad Religion covered the topic as well as anyone ever will in '21st century Digital Boy'

Cuz I'm a 21st century digital boy
I don't know how to read but I've got a lot of toys
My daddy's a lazy middle class intellectual
My mommy's on valium, so ineffectual
Ain't life a mystery?

The music is top notch, as always. And that is usally all I care about on a PT disc. Hopefully with the right drugs I'll be able to ignore the bleak topic and simply groove to the music The DTS mix sounds great and the mix is what we've come to expect. Though I think that Richard's participation has been moved a bit into the background and hence the trippy synth parts floating around you are absent for the most part here. Ever since the last show in SF I have really come to see Richard Barbieri as the key ingrediant that keeps PT from being just a nu-metal riff based band. None the less, I expect that the disc will grow on me and become a resident in my disc changer. SW doesn't make the same disc twice, and that's a good thing. I just hope he has some happiness in him somewhere and it finds its way out on some future project - in 5.1!

 

[timbre4]

Briefly, there are a few bright spots in earlier tracks, but not where you'd think. Drown With Me is uncommonly uplifting IMHO. Baby Dream In Cellophane starts off in a spacy minor dirge and then goes major and blossoms into one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.

Blank is unrelentingly dark at first blush but I am starting to pick out the compelling parts that shine. It's almost as if Radiohead recorded Dark Side Of The Moon in some warped way....

 

[daved64]

Briefly, there are a few bright spots in earlier tracks, but not where you'd think. Drown With Me is uncommonly uplifting IMHO. Baby Dream In Cellophane starts off in a spacy minor dirge and then goes major and blossoms into one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.

Blank is unrelentingly dark at first blush but I am starting to pick out the compelling parts that shine. It's almost as if Radiohead recorded Dark Side Of The Moon in some warped way....

Yes, I hear lots of Radiohead and Steve even sounds like Thom York in spots. I ordered the LTD ED from amazon.ca so I hope to have it next week.

 

[BananaSlug]

I have listened to it about 4 or 5 times. All day yesterday, after I'd written my review, I found myself humming bits and pieces. Hopefully I'll get a chance to listen again today. Funny thing is that most reveiws I've read on Dark Matter people say it takes a few listens untill you like it. I liked it right away, then after a few listens started to think otherwise. Now it must have lodged itself in my brain.

 

[neil wilkes]

Briefly, there are a few bright spots in earlier tracks, but not where you'd think. Drown With Me is uncommonly uplifting IMHO. Baby Dream In Cellophane starts off in a spacy minor dirge and then goes major and blossoms into one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.

Blank is unrelentingly dark at first blush but I am starting to pick out the compelling parts that shine. It's almost as if Radiohead recorded Dark Side Of The Moon in some warped way....

Tim, I'm confused.
"Drown With Me" & "Baby Dream In Cellophane" ain't on FOABP!

 

[zabble]

I don't have FOABP yet, but I did see most of it played live at the Keswick Theater in Glenside, PA last October and have been listening to a recording of that show since the beginning of the year. Upon first listening, it perhaps does sound a bit bleak. My experience is that it gets better and better on repeated listenings. My favorite is the seventeen minute plus "Anesthetize"---an instant PT classic.

Now I'm anxious to find out how different the studio versions of the songs will sound (along with the 5.1 mix of course). :sun

It should be any day now. :brew

 

[neil wilkes]

The opener is one of the most powerful songs I have heard in a long, long time. The video for it is equally bleak & disturbing - which will be included on the DVD-A in it's uncensored form, as the odds are very high it will be edited for TV.
The whole album is seriously intense, and really grows on you. When this one hits the spotlight sections, please do not vote until you have heard it 5 to 10 times as you'll find that the first time you play it the aftermath is a case of "now what do I play!". It gets better with every listen without a doubt - not that it is bad first time out, because it isn't.

 

[timbre4]

Neil,

The key word in the other post was EARLIER tracks (previous album reference points); just wanted to include earlier conclusions. It constantly improves with each play. My first two listens were not in the correct track order so I've had to re-program my brain a bit.

I think the Anesthetize track puts the band on a whole new level and it's all compelling music on this album. My Ashes was the first fav but now I enjoy most equally.

 

[VACamper]

When this one hits the spotlight sections, please do not vote until you have heard it 5 to 10 times ...

I don't generally listen to ANY disc that many times over a short period. I burn out on any music, no matter how good, if I'm overexposed to it like that. Besides, I don't want the thousands of other discs I own feeling neglected!

I'm waiting for the DVD-A version of this one anyway, so I'll just have to cool my heels and read the reviews here to tie me over.

 

[neil wilkes]

Neil,

The key word in the other post was EARLIER tracks (previous album reference points); just wanted to include earlier conclusions. It constantly improves with each play. My first two listens were not in the correct track order so I've had to re-program my brain a bit.

Ah.
Oops.
Gotcha now - it was late is my only excuse.....and it's a poor one.
Sorry about that.

 

[BananaSlug]

I don't generally listen to ANY disc that many times over a short period. I burn out on any music, no matter how good, if I'm overexposed to it like that. Besides, I don't want the thousands of other discs I own feeling neglected!

Despite not being quite sure what I think of the disc, it's still the first thing I want to listen to when I sit down for music. There is something very compelling about it and lots of new bits to digest with each listen.

 

[Ge Someone]

Bleak. I think SW has achieved a new level of bleakness here. [..] And the topic is drugs!?

It's actually based on, or better, inspired by a book called "Lunar Park". The theme doesn't connect to me either, but that always has been the case with most lyrics anyway .
I agree with a sentence from an some reviewer: "They took ingredients from Lightbulb Sun, In Absentia and Deadwing, and came up with their most cohesive album up-to-date." And I start to like the music. It took a few listens for me, just like Deadwing.

 

[timbre4]

I agree with some of that. Was offput a bit on the very 1st listen but have really gotten into it more with every play. There is a Stupid Dream vibe in 2-3 places like My Ashes for sure. The exhilarating first few minutes of Anesthesia with the fast picking and tom tom drumming and urgent vocal are something new altogether and sets up the great sections that follow.

Deadwing was the culmination of all that had come before and FOABP capitalizes on top of those achievements. Gavin Harrison makes huge contributions, pushing this band to new heights.

Note to those with sour grapes about DVD-A delay or bleakness. Go out and IMMEDIATELY get Blackfield II!! We played that in the car first time yesterday and it is utterly great. You will hear the upbeat side of Steve Wilson (even when he sings" I want to die in this moment") that you may find lacking in PT albums per se.

He is really well-rounded; just has definite ideas about what is PT material and what is not. Because this album was recorded in between PT commitments, think about the fact that Steve gets ideas every day and then figures out where will work best. For this reason, it's like getting an extra PT album because he also sings quite a lot here. Get it and get happy!

 

[BananaSlug]

I REALLY liked Deadwing on the first listen, this one has taken some time. Gavin's drumming is very prominent throughout this disc, though the others have their bits too. No one is going to call the mix tame, but it isn't quite as adventurous as In Absentia and Deadwing. Some of that wild panning really brought attention to Richard's playing on Deadwing and I guess I kind of miss that, though it wouldn't have fit as well here. After a few more listens I think it's a great listen until the last few minutes of Way Out of Here which seems to go on too long. Sleep Together starts as a great bit of a refreshing groove after that but then quickly looses my interest. Maybe a few more listens will bring my opinion around.

I'll have to check out the Blackfield disc, was kind of waiting to see if it was going to be a DVD-A... Haven't really spent much time listening to Loss or Together We're Stranger, but I'll certainly buy anything SW puts out on DVD-A.

 

[timbre4]

The postman just brought the PT - FOABP Special Edition a day early! SoundandVisionPlanet.com is the winner, CD Universe probably won't come through. I have a third on order; if it shows up and a QQ member needs one at face value I will try to facilitate that.

Righ off the bat, in the thank you's on the last page of the booklet, is QQ's own Neil Wilkes! Oh hey, Neil's in the on-screen credits (Extras) too!

Now to the DTS 5.1 mix; yes it is solid and sounds huge. Not much panning going on but the soundstage supports all elements well. Elliot did Deadwing and took more chances I guess. I don't know the stereo mix well enough yet to spot any departures. This was the Stupid Dream 5.1 mix approach; keep the essence of the original intention, play with it just a little bit...

The songs; now heard 7 times in stereo and once in 5.1 just now:

1. Fear Of A Blank Planet - really good but obliged to write an opener?

2. My Ashes - lush update to Even Less in spirit to the boys on the moor

3. Anesthetize - you only thought you heard what PT can do; new levels

4. Sentimental - good track; studio version more fleshed out and appealing

5. Way Out Of Here - styles pastiche; good ones but if pressed for time....

6. Sleep Together - starts in novel way, grinds well, evokes Kashmir, fades

A month from now when it's all burned in better I may look at it differently. The lyrics are clever in just a few places; more they serve to advance the storyline in a perfunctory way until it's time to jam out again.

Other projects: Bass Communion - Loss DVD-A had a pretty low return on entertainment and hence replay value. Bass Communion II was very good and I expected more of that...

No-Man - Together We're Stranger DVD-A; not purchased yet. Not breaking my neck because I had a CD of No Man- Love Cries Love Blows and it didn't exactly blow my skirt up at the time, some 4-5 yrs ago.

The most rewarding play on the side-projects seems to be Blackfield right now. It should be noted that FOABP was written in London AND Tel Aviv! hint hint

 

[Ge Someone]

Oh hey, Neil's in the on-screen credits (Extras) too!

Didn't you notice the credits on the Stupid Dream DVD-A? (Opus Productions too)
And the credits for Neil and Clair are well deserved, the authoring is very well done. With the screen on I noticed the slides even change in sync with the music, during the tracks, and I know it is a lot of work to do that.

The songs;

Spot on short descriptions

No-Man - Together We're Stranger DVD-A; not purchased yet. Not breaking my neck because I had a CD of No Man- Love Cries Love Blows and it didn't exactly blow my skirt up at the time, some 4-5 yrs ago.

(You wear .. @: )

Just want to note that No-man's style changed quite a bit from album to album, especially the last two are different from the older stuff.

 

[user 1679]

The most rewarding play on the side-projects seems to be Blackfield right now. It should be noted that FOABP was written in London AND Tel Aviv! hint hint

Yes, in fact when you look at the credits on Blackfield II one of the tracks (I am away from home and don't have the disc with me to recall which one exactly) is essentially P Tree with Aviv Geffen.

 

[Ge Someone]

... essentially P Tree with Aviv Geffen.

Check out the credits of the song "Sound of muzak" (from In Absentia)

 

[user 1679]

Check out the credits of the song "Sound of muzak" (from In Absentia)

No need to roll-eyes...I am very well aware that 'cross-pollination' betwen Steven's projects has happened before and I never indicatd that this was the first instance, just the latest. Sheesh.

 

[BananaSlug]

The new material (as well as the older) went down very well in San Francisco last night. Wes handled the solo in Anesthetize - t'was brilliant. Overall it was a tamer show than the Deadwing and Arriving Somewhere shows - fewer heavy songs on the set list. The visuals were quite good, now have I heard something like there may be a DVD recorded on this tour with the visuals? Or am I dreaming? Overall the people of SF feared not the Blank Planet, the air was ripe with a sweet aroma as SW claimed he had never done drugs. I guess he was holding his breath all night long