Steven Wilson - "Insurgentes"

[Cai Campbell]

I don't blame you at all. If my book was in the shape that some of those pictures show, I'd too be upset and want some kind of reimbursement whether it be in the form of money, or in the form of another book. I'd likely settle for money because although the book is really nice, I bought the set for the audio. The book is just icing.

For me, the book is hardly icing. It is the focus of this release. I bought the deluxe version because it is... deluxe. If I were only interested in the music I would hold out for the standard release. I guess some folks sprung for the deluxe version only because they couldn't wait for the standard release. I sprung for the deluxe version because I WANTED the deluxe release. The book IS the deluxe release. And my book is damaged.

 

[Cai Campbell]

I wonder how they will deal with damaged copies when it is a limited edition that is sold out? Perhaps they'll have to do another run of books and more copies will show up for sale?

I've been worried about this too. It would appear they kept some copies in reserve. I just now received this reply from Burning Shed:

Do not panic, we are currently packaging up a replacement copy for you to go out in tonight's post (with extra bubble wrap/larger outer box)


Sorry for not responding sooner - just drowning in "have you sent/where is my copy/thanks for my copy it is wonderful/thanks for my copy it is damaged" type emails!


Thankfully, the damaged ones are the smallest in number....

I feel bad for questioning Burning Shed. They've always provided me with stellar service in the past and they are dealing with the damage issue in a professional, responsive manner.

 

[rusinurbe]

Looks like there are items for the schocker log as well

Ebay item:

320321390206


For charity via Crazy Diamond

260324013734
260323398867

 

[tlake6659]

I just wanted to start off by saying that I have over 5,000 cds and have heard 1,000s of albums in my lifetime, and I would place Insurgentes as one of the top 10 albums that I have ever heard.

Steven Wilson has created an absolute masterpiece. The music is so enveloping, so well performed, so everything. It takes you through a complete journey filled with joy, hope, fear & bliss. Words cannot describe how great this album truly is.

For those of you who are waiting until Feb. to get it, you are in for a real treat. For those who already have it, consider yourselves lucky, and for those on the fence, buy it.

P.S.

The surround mix is perfect.

100 stars out of 10

 

[DyingSun]

I feel bad for questioning Burning Shed. They've always provided me with stellar service in the past and they are dealing with the damage issue in a professional, responsive manner.

Those are great news and I do really hope they'll deal with it this way with everybody. I'm still waiting for a reply to my first e-mail...

 

[Cai Campbell]

Those are great news and I do really hope they'll deal with it this way with everybody. I'm still waiting for a reply to my first e-mail...

What e-mail address did you send to? I used [email protected].

 

[DyingSun]

Well, I had actually used [email protected], but I just forwarded it to the one you mentioned, just in case. Thanks!

 

[El Guapo]

Well, I had actually used [email protected], but I just forwarded it to the one you mentioned, just in case. Thanks!

It was the same for me: I used the "orders" address and haven't received a reply so far. I also forwarded it to the "info" address now...

 

[DyingSun]

I just can't stop listening to this magnificent album... I'm doing it two or three times a day, I simply can't get enough of it. And having had the opportunity to see Porcupine Tree live for the first time in Portugal last September, this has been quite a wonderful way to end 2008!

 

[stormchaser]

Mine arrived today in great shape. I'll post some thoughts after a few listens.

 

[Cai Campbell]

Okay, I'll shut the fuck up about the damaged cover (sorry about that) and talk about what matters most: the music!

I made some time to sit down and listen to the DVD-A from start to finish. It was an effortless, sonically rewarding endeavor.

There are albums that you can listen to casually, which offer no real depth. By contrast, there are albums that reward the attentive listener, which can be a chore to listen to. Then there are albums that manage to exude both of these traits, and Insurgentes is one of them.

Insurgentes captures a wonderful balance between introspective examination, playful, meandering melody and disciplined-yet-subdued rhythm; a counter-punctual foray into structured psychedelia. Insurgentes is grounded solidly in Porcupine Tree territory, but its tether is long enough to allow rooting around in the corners yet short enough to keep it from falling too far into the deep end.

The song structures are at once simple and complex. The music is all about duality and balance. The bottom line is that it is just plain enjoyable, and I know it is only going to get better after repeated listening. All the obvious influences stand out, but if I had to boil it down I’d say Insurgentes sounds like a heady mix of Porcupine Tree, King Crimson and Loop.

The surround mix carries the dualistic nature of Insurgentes even further. Except on occasion, the surround mix never overtly exerts itself onto the music. Indeed, for the most part I was never aware that I was listening to a surround mix unless I consciously forced myself to concentrate on it. The surround mix simply presents the perfect environment for presentation of the music. Said another way, Insurgentes offers the perfect synergy between music and surround-sound.

The film bit is a very nice inclusion and serves to help tie all the various elements together instead of feeling tacked on and disjoined, like so many “bonus” elements feel like in other presentations. Steven Wilson speaks intelligently and concisely about the state of music downloads and his preference for the less convenient yet more engaging world of LPs and physical media. I couldn’t have said it better myself. The integrated destruction of not one, not two, but three iPods blends with the message, and again, does not feel tacked on or gratuitous.

Of course, the icing on the cake is the beautiful hard-bound book, chock-full of wonderful imagery that absolutely complements the music, mix and video; a splendid package for presentation of the music as the art that it is.

All-in-all, a perfectly executed artistic package from virtually every conceivable angle.

 

[user 1679]

It looks like a second pressing is becoming more likely - this was posted by Swteven on his myspace page:

Insurgentes special edition repress?

OK, I'm actually considering this, because of the ABSURD prices people are paying for the deluxe editions on eBay. My intention was never to create such a chasm between supply / demand such that people could take such advantage of the situation like this. You might justifiably say, well why did you make such a small number if you didn't want this to happen? Hindsight is a fine thing - the simple answer to that is that they were so expensive to make that I had to err somewhere between caution and what I thought I could sell if things went fantastically well. Despite the fact there was hardly any mark up (although people *still* complained about the price, which frankly at the time I found astonishing given what was being offered) it was an expensive piece so I thought that I'd be doing well to sell 4,000 from one single point of mail order in these recessionary times. Guess I was wrong, and it seems that now people are prepared to pay more than 10 times my original price to get a copy. That's extreme, so I have to now seriously consider going back on my word of maintaining the announced limitation, to try to take the market away from the eBayers. So what do you think? I welcome your thoughts on this. It makes very little difference to me personally, but it pisses me off that fans who clearly want to own this beautiful edition didn't get a copy because people who obviously never wanted it in the first place (or somehow managed to get multiple copies) snapped them up, and are now selling them at crazy prices. And I guess I'm the only one that can fix that with a second edition.

By the way my friend Charles from Crazy Diamond is going to auction off about 20 copies over the next few weeks, and the money will go to charity. This is with my approval, in an attempt to mitigate some of the bidding going on (the theory being that the more copies on sale the more the bidding will be spread out). So if you do feel you have to have a copy and will pay anything for it, please bid for one of these copies. Thanks.

SW

PS - I hope you like the album!

PSS - Just to clarify, there will be an easily available and unlimited 2 disc release of the album in stereo/5.1 sound coming in Feb, so it's not like I only intended 4,000 people to ever be able to own Insurgentes. It's specifically the special edition book we are talking about here (and the bonus CD which is exclusive to that release). Just wanted to be absolutely clear about that - no-one has to buy the deluxe edition to get the album itself.

 

[JonUrban]

It's frustrating in this new internet world. People who really want things because they actually want them get burned by "investors". Be it concert tickets, limited edition releases, baseball cards, cell phone frequencies, whatever - if there is a potential to make a fast profit, there is always some deep pocketed folks to jump in and grab anything.

However, it does make me smile when I see these internet scalpers on eBay trying to sell concert tickets a day or two before a concert, and they're located 1000+ miles away from the concert hall.

Anyway, good for Steve. If he makes more, then he hurts the "investors" and helps the fans.

 

[IDJIT DRAGON]

It's frustrating in this new internet world. People who really want things because they actually want them get burned by "investors". Be it concert tickets, limited edition releases, baseball cards, cell phone frequencies, whatever - if there is a potential to make a fast profit, there is always some deep pocketed folks to jump in and grab anything.

However, it does make me smile when I see these internet scalpers on eBay trying to sell concert tickets a day or two before a concert, and they're located 1000+ miles away from the concert hall.

Anyway, good for Steve. If he makes more, then he hurts the "investors" and helps the fans.

For a different point of view people like me only bought the book to ensure that I got the album - now that there's a standard edition coming out (which wasn't certain at the time) they may want to sell the special edition and get the DVD-A, sans book. If Ebay's mechanics conspire to drive up the price it's not really their fault.

Alternatively, some PT completists may have bought the book for it's very limited nature with a view to keeping it - bragging rights if you will. Another run diminshes their investment and could be seen as a breach of faith from the artist?

Personally I don't really care as I bought the SE for the music, not as an investment, and I'd jump all over a re-release of Recordings if/when it becomes available

Cheers

Martin

 

[DyingSun]

Well, I finally got a reply from Burning Shed yesterday... it seems the "info" address works like magic!

We're really sorry your copy got damaged, and once we know what the situation is regarding damaged copies, we'll get back to you regarding a replacement.

Thanks for the photo of the damaged booklet. We'll need it for our claim to the Royal Mail.

 

[neil wilkes]

Burning Shed are a great bunch of people.
They will sort out all problems, I assure you.

 

[uffeolby]

Back to the musical content.

Howabout the last (fifth) song on the bonus CD. Why is it not mentioned in the "track list"? And what about the fourth song being much shorter than the track list says and the one minute silence between song 4 and 5?

Anyone?

//Uffe

 

[BananaSlug]

Glad to hear that Burning Shed is going to make everything right. I don't consider myself all that old, but customer service sure has slipped in the last 10 - 15 years. Used to be I wouldn't have considered that it wouldn't be fixed, now it seems like we just assume that we're going to get screwed. If only Burning Shed could handle all the labels' multichannel releases.

 

[Ge Someone]

Howabout the last (fifth) song on the bonus CD. Why is it not mentioned in the "track list"? And what about the fourth song being much shorter than the track list says and the one minute silence between song 4 and 5?

Have you never seen that before?
The last song is obviously a(n untitled) bonus track (on the bonus disc), with 1 minute silence in front of it, so it comes as a "surprise". Such things can easily cause confusion with the tracklist times.

 

[El Guapo]

Well, I finally got a reply from Burning Shed yesterday... it seems the "info" address works like magic!

I got the same fast reply from the info address you got, and today I got a reply from the orders address:

Hi Oliver

We are sorry to hear that - a replacement is being sent today

Regards

:banana::banana::banana:

I sent a reply back with cc to the info address so that they won't send me the replacement twice... I don't know if they were aware of each other... @:

Best regards,
Oliver

P.S.: I hope this one will reach me undamaged!