As John cleaned up his act, it shone through in his music like the sun piercing through clouds. Released in 2001, `To Record' sees Frusciante reflect on what he has been through, which is echoed in the lyrics. But at the same time, to show he has now reached the other side, the tempo and general feel of the album is one of positivity and optimism. You get the sense he really is back on track, not just with his music; but his life as whole. I see this album very much as what should be his debut, as the first 2 albums considering the quality and the state he was in; I deem them as a false start. But I realise that on paper, `To Record' is his third album proper.
The majority of the tracks are up beat pop songs given a funky edge through the use of guitars, a drum machine, sequencers and synthesizer. Highlight for me is the first track on the album; `Going Inside' which is not only my favourite song on the album but one of my favourite songs he has done out of all his material. Most bands shove their good songs in the middle of albums. However I think the idea here was just to come in all guns blazing. By really grabbing the listener's attention and making sure it's not let go till the albums over. The acoustic guitar comes in as if he is just throwing himself in at the deep end. None of this, five minute, slow build-up intro. Not that there is anything wrong with that; But Frusciante I feel did this because he wanted to send a message out from the outset. He's back; He has sorted himself out and has a new improved upbeat optimism which just comes flooding out in the rhythm of the guitar. The lyrics on the other hand are a kind of summary about what happened to him and his new found perspective on the world. For example `You don't throw your life away, going inside' and `I moved this fight away'. It is such a joyous song which conveys messages in such a powerful way, that it is hard not to find yourself completely immersed in it.
The upbeat pop songs are mixed in with some funky instrumentals which act as great tunes in there own right such as `Murderers' and `Ramparts'. Lasting only, 1 minute and 12 seconds, Ramparts is shortest song on the album; but this track shows that length really doesn't matter; as this oozes quality in abundance. It is one of the most wonderful instrumentals I have heard. It has such a nice flow to it, with a variation of acoustic and electric guitar parts layered on top of each other creating a majestic melody. `Murderers' is another great instrumental, and yet another stand out track on the album. It has this really hypnotic guitar riff which runs through the whole song with other guitar sounds, synthesizer and drum machine coming and going to keep things interesting. I am so glad there is no singing in either of these tunes, as the stand up on their own two feet without singing which would have no doubt ruined them.
Overall this is great stuff and is without doubt the first album he has made which has fulfilled his potential. Everyone knew what he was capable of and he well and truly delivered with this effort. We all knew he was a talented guitarist but this is really the first time it became apparent that he could actually sing too. It was clear that this was the start of something special, not just in his solo material but also in his band too.
Sunday, 19 September 2010
Thursday, 16 September 2010
John Frusciante - Smiles From The Streets You Hold
`Smiles' is the second album from John Frusciante released back in 1997 and is his hardest album to get. In fact the only place I could find this album was on eBay for £18, making it the expensive album in my entire CD collection.
Was it worth it? In a word; NO! This is one of the worst albums in my CD collection. When listening to this album for the first time I did wonder what he was on. Well it turns out it was heroin and lots of it. In his head it probably sounded like the best thing ever. But the reality is that it is extremely badly produced and is just a complete mess. `Smiles' makes his debut album; `Niandra Lades and Usually just a T-shirt' sound like a classic. Not because I think `Niandra' is good, but because this one of the most awkward, unaccessable albums I have ever heard.
Starting off with 8 minuter `Enter a Uh', you can hear Frusciante coughing and footsteps, before coming in with `You see me now'. The vocals in this song and throughout the album are projected in such a way that it is as if Frusciante is in excruciating pain, trying to hang on in there. This was John at one of his darkest moments, even more so than when he recorded `Niandra'. The state he was in is reflected in the album, as it seems he is struggling to even play to any sort of rhythm or melody on the guitar. The lyrics give you the feeling he just blurted out the first thing that came into his head, whether it made sense or not. For example: `Why I paddle thru the clouds. In my oversized canoe,' from the song `I'm Always' or even worse from the song `Height down' the lyrics `Bili lie now despite to go walling'.
When I put my MP3 player on shuffle and a song from this album comes on it is instantly recognisable as it stands out like a sore thumb. This is because the sound quality is so bad; a band made up with 12 year olds could easily make a better sounding record than this, never mind being able to write songs which can actually be distinguished as songs. I do wonder sometimes, if he went back and recorded this album again now that he has cleaned up his act; what it would sound like? In my opinion it would be a real eye opener and probably be one of the best re-masters of all time. Primarily because it could not get much worse and secondly because we know the ridiculous amount of talent and potential he possesses.
I would only recommend this album if you really want to complete your JF collection because apart from that it really is the musical equivalent of diarrhoea. Even the cover looks like it has been done by a five year old. Drugs should not be an excuse. I am not going to listen to an album, and say `It's pretty bad, but I found out he was taking drugs when he wrote it. OK, when I listen to it from that perspective, its actually pretty good'. It is rubbish and it should never have seen the light of day. In saying that if it was designed to be a comedy record, it does achieve its goal of being hilarious but given the state he got himself into; I very much doubt it.
Was it worth it? In a word; NO! This is one of the worst albums in my CD collection. When listening to this album for the first time I did wonder what he was on. Well it turns out it was heroin and lots of it. In his head it probably sounded like the best thing ever. But the reality is that it is extremely badly produced and is just a complete mess. `Smiles' makes his debut album; `Niandra Lades and Usually just a T-shirt' sound like a classic. Not because I think `Niandra' is good, but because this one of the most awkward, unaccessable albums I have ever heard.
Starting off with 8 minuter `Enter a Uh', you can hear Frusciante coughing and footsteps, before coming in with `You see me now'. The vocals in this song and throughout the album are projected in such a way that it is as if Frusciante is in excruciating pain, trying to hang on in there. This was John at one of his darkest moments, even more so than when he recorded `Niandra'. The state he was in is reflected in the album, as it seems he is struggling to even play to any sort of rhythm or melody on the guitar. The lyrics give you the feeling he just blurted out the first thing that came into his head, whether it made sense or not. For example: `Why I paddle thru the clouds. In my oversized canoe,' from the song `I'm Always' or even worse from the song `Height down' the lyrics `Bili lie now despite to go walling'.
When I put my MP3 player on shuffle and a song from this album comes on it is instantly recognisable as it stands out like a sore thumb. This is because the sound quality is so bad; a band made up with 12 year olds could easily make a better sounding record than this, never mind being able to write songs which can actually be distinguished as songs. I do wonder sometimes, if he went back and recorded this album again now that he has cleaned up his act; what it would sound like? In my opinion it would be a real eye opener and probably be one of the best re-masters of all time. Primarily because it could not get much worse and secondly because we know the ridiculous amount of talent and potential he possesses.
I would only recommend this album if you really want to complete your JF collection because apart from that it really is the musical equivalent of diarrhoea. Even the cover looks like it has been done by a five year old. Drugs should not be an excuse. I am not going to listen to an album, and say `It's pretty bad, but I found out he was taking drugs when he wrote it. OK, when I listen to it from that perspective, its actually pretty good'. It is rubbish and it should never have seen the light of day. In saying that if it was designed to be a comedy record, it does achieve its goal of being hilarious but given the state he got himself into; I very much doubt it.
Monday, 13 September 2010
John Frusciante - Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-shirt
`Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-shirt' was Frusicante's debut album, released back in 1994. This was like in effect album with the first half being `Niandra Lades' and the second half being `Usually just a T-shirt'. Unlike many double albums, the 25 tracks are crammed onto one CD. In order to distinguish the albums on the CD, all the tracks belonging to `Niandra Lades' have real track names; while `Usually just a T-shirt', the tracks are named `Untitled #1' through to `Untitled #12.
The best tracks on the album for me are Mascara and Been Insane. I feel these tracks show glimpses of what John is really capable of. The raw emotion and energy put into the vocals make these songs stand out, head and shoulders above the rest. You can feel the pain and hurt in his voice and with just an acoustic guitar accompanying the vocals, you get the sense of loneliness he was feeling at the time. At this point in his life he was going through a tough time; hooked on drugs and deep in depression. If only the rest of the album were up to this sort of standard, it would have been a cracker.
Although there are plenty to choose from; the worst track on this album for me is `Your pussy is glued to a building on fire'. Personally, I feel that the comedy name is there to cover up how bad the song actually is. I think he did this to make people hone in on the lyrics so they forget to actually detect any sort of a tune. But even the lyrics are delivered in such an unappealing and grating way; I doubt many will be fooled by this charade.
I think that fact that there are 25 tracks on the one CD sums it up. The average length of track is 2 minutes 50 seconds, this shows that over half the tracks at least don't even clock the 3 minute mark! In my opinion songs less than three minutes don't even constitute songs as by the time its start it's finished again. I don't mind a short filler track here and there, but this is way over the top. This is no more apparent than in the shortest track on the album is `Untitled #10' which is 24 seconds long and really just seems pointless. It doesn't act as a bridge between the two songs around it. The longest track on the CD is `Untitled #8' which does actually sound like a cat being strangled which makes for extremely uncomfortable listening. In my opinion the song lengths show a lack of proper structure, imagination and general song writing ability. We know what he is capable of because of albums with the Chili's such as `Blood, Sugar, Sex, Majic'. But anyone who has not heard any previous stuff would have never guessed.
Overall this is a pretty bad album; with only a few bits and pieces, here and there to shout about. At points it's unbearable with the singing so out of tune you'll find yourself reaching for the skip button in a flash. An album only really for the hardcore fans who want to complete there collection and maybe those who have been through the same sort of thing and can relate. But otherwise I would recommend giving it a miss. No matter what he or anyone else thought about this album though, on refection I'm just so glad he didn't stop here....
The best tracks on the album for me are Mascara and Been Insane. I feel these tracks show glimpses of what John is really capable of. The raw emotion and energy put into the vocals make these songs stand out, head and shoulders above the rest. You can feel the pain and hurt in his voice and with just an acoustic guitar accompanying the vocals, you get the sense of loneliness he was feeling at the time. At this point in his life he was going through a tough time; hooked on drugs and deep in depression. If only the rest of the album were up to this sort of standard, it would have been a cracker.
Although there are plenty to choose from; the worst track on this album for me is `Your pussy is glued to a building on fire'. Personally, I feel that the comedy name is there to cover up how bad the song actually is. I think he did this to make people hone in on the lyrics so they forget to actually detect any sort of a tune. But even the lyrics are delivered in such an unappealing and grating way; I doubt many will be fooled by this charade.
I think that fact that there are 25 tracks on the one CD sums it up. The average length of track is 2 minutes 50 seconds, this shows that over half the tracks at least don't even clock the 3 minute mark! In my opinion songs less than three minutes don't even constitute songs as by the time its start it's finished again. I don't mind a short filler track here and there, but this is way over the top. This is no more apparent than in the shortest track on the album is `Untitled #10' which is 24 seconds long and really just seems pointless. It doesn't act as a bridge between the two songs around it. The longest track on the CD is `Untitled #8' which does actually sound like a cat being strangled which makes for extremely uncomfortable listening. In my opinion the song lengths show a lack of proper structure, imagination and general song writing ability. We know what he is capable of because of albums with the Chili's such as `Blood, Sugar, Sex, Majic'. But anyone who has not heard any previous stuff would have never guessed.
Overall this is a pretty bad album; with only a few bits and pieces, here and there to shout about. At points it's unbearable with the singing so out of tune you'll find yourself reaching for the skip button in a flash. An album only really for the hardcore fans who want to complete there collection and maybe those who have been through the same sort of thing and can relate. But otherwise I would recommend giving it a miss. No matter what he or anyone else thought about this album though, on refection I'm just so glad he didn't stop here....
Saturday, 11 September 2010
Oceansize - Frames
Many say an artist's third album will either make or break them and basically decide their longevity. Well step up to the plate......Oceansize with their 3rd album `Frames'. With a line up change due to personal circumstances which saw Steven Hodson coming in as the new bassist; I expected `Frames' to unlock a new door in terms of the direction of their sound and it certainly did.
My first impression of Frames was that it was heavier than its predecessors. However after further inspection it became apparent that it is both their heaviest and their mellowest. They have basically taken their sound spectrum and stretched both extremes even further. This is no more apparent than in the track entitled, "Sleeping Dogs and Dead Lions", which is probably one of the heaviest tracks they have ever done and certainly heading into metal in places, the intro in particular reminds me of The Deftones. Then right next door to this track you have album closer `The Frame' which is your slow moving epic in the same vein as "Ornament/Last Wrongs" from `Everything into Position'. They are completely different songs but both achieve the same thing which is a great and fitting climax to their respective albums. The beauty of `The Frame' lies in the simple build up; starting off with a slow a gentle guitar riff and gradually all the other instruments come in one by one. Then Mike Vennart's voice enters with "I can hold you all together". It's such a relaxing while epic song, never in a rush, letting their sound expand till eventually it bursts with a crashing climax.
The best song on the album for me is `Unfamiliar'. It took me a while to realise that `Unfamiliar' was a song in its own right because of the seamless link from the first track `Commemorative 9/11 T-Shirt', I thought it was part of that song until I looked down at my MP3 player when it clicked. Its starts off easy, then it's as if the song swaggers into bar, knowing every other song is looking at it, thinking I wish I was that good. My favourite bit in particular is the very last quiet/loud part where Mike Vennart sings "And all who sail in her" then really explodes into "Saw the seashore, unfamiliar". A great song and one I would definitely recommend if you want to get pumped up for the day.
On the other hand, the worst song on the album is "bonus" track `Voorhees'. I put the inverted commas round "bonus", because I feel this song ruins the album. The main thing I have got against this song is that it feels so disjointed, as if it is two different songs glued together. It is not a bad song apart from that, but at the same time compared to the rest of the songs on the album I feel it is somewhat sub standard in comparison. Not only this but "The Frame" is for me is the natural album closer and that is how it should finish! A twenty second gap does not make me think "ahhhh that's the end of the album.........oh wait there's a bonus track". Instead, it makes me think that after `The Frame" has finished, "that's it, what a finish to an album.....then there's more". It's like when your up for a promotion you deserve to get and you've done everything right then all of a sudden just when the finishing line is in sight you somehow manage to talk yourself out of it. This is exactly what effect `Voorhees' has on the album.
One of the reasons I feel the bonus track may have been included is to give the fan `Value for money' by filling the CD which comes in at staggering 77 minutes and 41 seconds. The irony of it is if this was indeed the approach is that if the bonus track was taken out, the CD would still have been 67 minutes long which is still twice as long as your average album. Anyway, on a more positive note, the lengths of the songs are one thing I love about Oceansize, while many bands have songs 3 minutes long. In your average Oceansize song, the song is probably still not reached the chorus in that time. There is never a rush, as the let their ideas flourish and expand naturally as opposed to forced and condensed into 3 minutes. Nothing shows this more than the fact the shortest song on the album `Unfamiliar' is 6 minutes and 29 seconds. To make this into a single they had to edit over 2 minutes out of the song!
Overall listening to `Frames' feels like within each song you're going on a journey through different countries and cultures; all within the world of Oceansize. From post rock to epic rock ballads, from metal to Indie rock, it's like a genre hopping extravaganza mastering each impeccably. What excites me about this band even more is a feel there are vast territories with in the world of Oceansize which are still lay undiscovered, even to the band themselves. This is not one of those albums that you will listen to for a month move on to the next band. This album is a slow burner and one which will be on my CD player for many months probably years to come.
My first impression of Frames was that it was heavier than its predecessors. However after further inspection it became apparent that it is both their heaviest and their mellowest. They have basically taken their sound spectrum and stretched both extremes even further. This is no more apparent than in the track entitled, "Sleeping Dogs and Dead Lions", which is probably one of the heaviest tracks they have ever done and certainly heading into metal in places, the intro in particular reminds me of The Deftones. Then right next door to this track you have album closer `The Frame' which is your slow moving epic in the same vein as "Ornament/Last Wrongs" from `Everything into Position'. They are completely different songs but both achieve the same thing which is a great and fitting climax to their respective albums. The beauty of `The Frame' lies in the simple build up; starting off with a slow a gentle guitar riff and gradually all the other instruments come in one by one. Then Mike Vennart's voice enters with "I can hold you all together". It's such a relaxing while epic song, never in a rush, letting their sound expand till eventually it bursts with a crashing climax.
The best song on the album for me is `Unfamiliar'. It took me a while to realise that `Unfamiliar' was a song in its own right because of the seamless link from the first track `Commemorative 9/11 T-Shirt', I thought it was part of that song until I looked down at my MP3 player when it clicked. Its starts off easy, then it's as if the song swaggers into bar, knowing every other song is looking at it, thinking I wish I was that good. My favourite bit in particular is the very last quiet/loud part where Mike Vennart sings "And all who sail in her" then really explodes into "Saw the seashore, unfamiliar". A great song and one I would definitely recommend if you want to get pumped up for the day.
On the other hand, the worst song on the album is "bonus" track `Voorhees'. I put the inverted commas round "bonus", because I feel this song ruins the album. The main thing I have got against this song is that it feels so disjointed, as if it is two different songs glued together. It is not a bad song apart from that, but at the same time compared to the rest of the songs on the album I feel it is somewhat sub standard in comparison. Not only this but "The Frame" is for me is the natural album closer and that is how it should finish! A twenty second gap does not make me think "ahhhh that's the end of the album.........oh wait there's a bonus track". Instead, it makes me think that after `The Frame" has finished, "that's it, what a finish to an album.....then there's more". It's like when your up for a promotion you deserve to get and you've done everything right then all of a sudden just when the finishing line is in sight you somehow manage to talk yourself out of it. This is exactly what effect `Voorhees' has on the album.
One of the reasons I feel the bonus track may have been included is to give the fan `Value for money' by filling the CD which comes in at staggering 77 minutes and 41 seconds. The irony of it is if this was indeed the approach is that if the bonus track was taken out, the CD would still have been 67 minutes long which is still twice as long as your average album. Anyway, on a more positive note, the lengths of the songs are one thing I love about Oceansize, while many bands have songs 3 minutes long. In your average Oceansize song, the song is probably still not reached the chorus in that time. There is never a rush, as the let their ideas flourish and expand naturally as opposed to forced and condensed into 3 minutes. Nothing shows this more than the fact the shortest song on the album `Unfamiliar' is 6 minutes and 29 seconds. To make this into a single they had to edit over 2 minutes out of the song!
Overall listening to `Frames' feels like within each song you're going on a journey through different countries and cultures; all within the world of Oceansize. From post rock to epic rock ballads, from metal to Indie rock, it's like a genre hopping extravaganza mastering each impeccably. What excites me about this band even more is a feel there are vast territories with in the world of Oceansize which are still lay undiscovered, even to the band themselves. This is not one of those albums that you will listen to for a month move on to the next band. This album is a slow burner and one which will be on my CD player for many months probably years to come.
Thursday, 2 September 2010
Porcupine Tree - Stupid Dream
Released in 1999, `Stupid Dream' was Porcupine Tree's 5th studio album. Having already established themselves as prog gods within small circles of the prog community through albums such as `Sky moves Sideways' and `Voyage 34'. `Stupid Dream' may have been perceived as a back-step in terms of progression as this was easily their most accessible album to date, at that time. Delivering a mix of upbeat pop with long dark prog songs; this change of direction far from compromised the quality of output. Instead from going to the complex to the relatively more simple style of songs, they make the simple even better without forgetting their progressive roots.
This album is one of those landmark albums in my life; One which I will never forget. It was a Saturday night in April '99 when my Dad spent the afternoon shopping for CD's in `Lost in Music' in the West End of Glasgow. It was one of those moments where he heard something in the shop and had to find out who it was by......it was Porcupine Tree's latest album - `Stupid Dream'. He got chatting to the guy in the shop and found that they were playing in the Cottier Theatre that night which is also in the West End of Glasgow, which really excited him. However he also had a committee night out that night which he was desperate to get out of, but at the same time had no-one to go to the gig with. So he asked me. At first I was reluctant, but eventually he twisted my arm. That gig to this day, is in my top 5 gigs of all time. In turn `Stupid Dream' is still one of my favourite albums. This album not only got me into Porcupine Tree, but also acted as the gateway for getting into more progressive rock music.
Looking back I can see why this album made such a big impact on me. Before I came across Porcupine Tree I was really into my Indie/rock music such as Ocean Colour Scene, Radiohead and The Bluetones. On `Stupid Dream', some of the songs do have an indie sound such as `Pure Narcotic' and `Piano Lessons. While there is also the longer efforts which venture more into prog rock territory. Therefore I feel this album acts as a ferry boat, shipping people from mainland indie/rock over to Prog Rock Island.
The album itself kicks off with `Even Less' which is one of the darker, more progressive songs on the album. Right from the opening vocals, "A body is washed up on a Norfolk beach, he was a friend but I could not reach." It was apparent that this is just the start of what I consider to be the best lyrics to any album I have ever listened to. Then there's a killer riff that adds such intensity and passion to the song. As the song is quite mellow until this riff kicks in just after the chorus. It is as if a volcano's erupted every time it comes on.
After this song, the rest of the album is predominantly set on the more mellow side. Some of the songs have such a warm and uplifting feeling to them that every time I listen to these songs I give off a sigh, as it is so relaxing. In particular, `Pure Narcotic', where piano, acoustic guitar and light drumming are used to create a majestic melody. Again Wilson is on fine lyrical form with: `You keep me hating; you keep me listening to the bends'. Now I may be bias because "The Bends" is my favourite Radiohead album, but all the same a genius lyric. I do find this song a bit weird because the lyrics are quite depressing but the joyous melody acts as a kind of counter-balance creating equilibrium. All the same a wonderful song and one which many artists during the 90s were attempting to make but never really achieved the same standard as this attempt.
One of the biggest shocks of the album came when I first listened to `Piano lessons' and to my surprise it was a piano driven song! Seriously though, this is excellent. The core of the song focuses around a fantastic piano riff which creates a magically chirpy atmosphere. Once again Wilson's lyrical display is on fine form with:
I remember piano lessons
The hours in freezing rooms
Cruel ears and tiny hands
Destroying timeless tunes
I like the last line especially as its one of those statements which someone makes and the only real response you can give 99% of the time is "It's so true!" I think what lyric shows along with many others, is that Wilson uses his lyrics to get across his thoughts and ideas on the world. To me he comes across as being not only a gifted songwriter and musician but also an extremely intelligent human being who thinks before he speaks.
Overall this is an incredible album; firmly cementing its place in my top ten albums of all time. Having owned the album for eight years now, there is still not a single track which I am fed up with yet. The song writing is on a different planet, the melodies are refreshingly enriching and Porcupine Tree in my opinion touched greatness with this effort. I have to say, prog still comes second to indie/rock music in terms of preference. But any time I do want to go on a holiday to Prog Island, I always take the `Stupid Dream' ferry boat and I recommend you do the same! Who knows I may end up living there some day....
This album is one of those landmark albums in my life; One which I will never forget. It was a Saturday night in April '99 when my Dad spent the afternoon shopping for CD's in `Lost in Music' in the West End of Glasgow. It was one of those moments where he heard something in the shop and had to find out who it was by......it was Porcupine Tree's latest album - `Stupid Dream'. He got chatting to the guy in the shop and found that they were playing in the Cottier Theatre that night which is also in the West End of Glasgow, which really excited him. However he also had a committee night out that night which he was desperate to get out of, but at the same time had no-one to go to the gig with. So he asked me. At first I was reluctant, but eventually he twisted my arm. That gig to this day, is in my top 5 gigs of all time. In turn `Stupid Dream' is still one of my favourite albums. This album not only got me into Porcupine Tree, but also acted as the gateway for getting into more progressive rock music.
Looking back I can see why this album made such a big impact on me. Before I came across Porcupine Tree I was really into my Indie/rock music such as Ocean Colour Scene, Radiohead and The Bluetones. On `Stupid Dream', some of the songs do have an indie sound such as `Pure Narcotic' and `Piano Lessons. While there is also the longer efforts which venture more into prog rock territory. Therefore I feel this album acts as a ferry boat, shipping people from mainland indie/rock over to Prog Rock Island.
The album itself kicks off with `Even Less' which is one of the darker, more progressive songs on the album. Right from the opening vocals, "A body is washed up on a Norfolk beach, he was a friend but I could not reach." It was apparent that this is just the start of what I consider to be the best lyrics to any album I have ever listened to. Then there's a killer riff that adds such intensity and passion to the song. As the song is quite mellow until this riff kicks in just after the chorus. It is as if a volcano's erupted every time it comes on.
After this song, the rest of the album is predominantly set on the more mellow side. Some of the songs have such a warm and uplifting feeling to them that every time I listen to these songs I give off a sigh, as it is so relaxing. In particular, `Pure Narcotic', where piano, acoustic guitar and light drumming are used to create a majestic melody. Again Wilson is on fine lyrical form with: `You keep me hating; you keep me listening to the bends'. Now I may be bias because "The Bends" is my favourite Radiohead album, but all the same a genius lyric. I do find this song a bit weird because the lyrics are quite depressing but the joyous melody acts as a kind of counter-balance creating equilibrium. All the same a wonderful song and one which many artists during the 90s were attempting to make but never really achieved the same standard as this attempt.
One of the biggest shocks of the album came when I first listened to `Piano lessons' and to my surprise it was a piano driven song! Seriously though, this is excellent. The core of the song focuses around a fantastic piano riff which creates a magically chirpy atmosphere. Once again Wilson's lyrical display is on fine form with:
I remember piano lessons
The hours in freezing rooms
Cruel ears and tiny hands
Destroying timeless tunes
I like the last line especially as its one of those statements which someone makes and the only real response you can give 99% of the time is "It's so true!" I think what lyric shows along with many others, is that Wilson uses his lyrics to get across his thoughts and ideas on the world. To me he comes across as being not only a gifted songwriter and musician but also an extremely intelligent human being who thinks before he speaks.
Overall this is an incredible album; firmly cementing its place in my top ten albums of all time. Having owned the album for eight years now, there is still not a single track which I am fed up with yet. The song writing is on a different planet, the melodies are refreshingly enriching and Porcupine Tree in my opinion touched greatness with this effort. I have to say, prog still comes second to indie/rock music in terms of preference. But any time I do want to go on a holiday to Prog Island, I always take the `Stupid Dream' ferry boat and I recommend you do the same! Who knows I may end up living there some day....
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