August 17 - Fear Of A Blank Planet

I really can't believe that it is August and I haven't played any Porcupine Tree yet. I know I have played Steven Wilson and Gavin Harrison, who sing/play guitar and play drums for Porcupine Tree, but that I haven't played any of their songs yet is almost unforgiveable. To start rectifying that, I will go back to the first Porcupine Tree album I purchased. I know I was working at Alma College at the time, because I remember unwrapping the cd in my office before putting it in the office computer and playing it as background music while I worked (although I have a feeling that the background became my primary focus at times). The album was Fear Of A Blank Planet, and I think one of the main reasons I got it was that I had discovered Steven Wilson the producer - and then this album has Alex Lifeson of Rush and Robert Fripp of King Crimson as guest artists (I think I will find my absolute favorite track of the album, Anesthetize, for inclusion later this year - it is the track featuring Alex Lifeson).

I was not prepared for what I heard when I played the album for the first time. The acoustic guitar riff that opens it blew me away - and then the drums entered and turned my rhythmic sense of the riff upside down. I have always liked songs that start out that way - and for me, I still get tripped up by where the beat really lies from time to time.

What I find somewhat unfortunate is that Porcupine Tree is on hiatus at the moment. Colin Edwin (bass) has been busy with a variety of side projects and Richard Barbieri (keyboards - originally from new wave band Japan) has been collaborating with Steve Hogarth of Marillion fame. Gavin Harrison has done his big band project and joined with both King Crimson and The Pineapple Thief. And then there is Steven Wilson, whose solo career really has taken off. Unfortunately, it sounds like his interest in Porcupine Tree is a little low at the time, but I am still hoping from a new album of this great constellation of musicians (I didn't forget John Wesley, who helped out on vocals and guitar, especially live, and who has a solo career filled with interesting music more in the singer/songwriter tradition), but until that day comes, I will revert back and listen to Fear Of A Blank Planet.