Porcupine Tree: Arriving Somewhere
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Movie Reviews of Porcupine Tree: Arriving Somewhere
Movie Review: PT Live and Heavy
Summary: 5 Stars
I received an advance copy of this from PT distributer Burning Shed (#417 for those of you keeping count). This DVD is Porcupine Tree live at Chicago's Park West October 11-12, 2005.
The material list is:
Disc One
Revenant (opening theme music)
Open Car
Blackest Eyes
Lazarus
Hatesong
Dont Hate Me
Mother and Child Divided
Buying New Soul
So Called Friend
Arriving Somewhere but Not Here
Heartattack in a Layby
The Start of Something Beautiful
Halo
The Sound of Muzak
Even Less
Trains
Disc 2
Lazarus Video, Futile and Radioactive Toy from German TV Show Rockpalast, Drummer Gavin Harrison's Cymbal Song, the Movies that accompanied Halo, Start of Something... and Mother and Child Divided and Photo Gallery.
OK reviewing this, the short review is; get it, this is the best band out there right now and this DVD is a great representation of how good they are.
The longer version is, Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson alter their musical direction every couple of years (sort of the theme of the rarely played Buying New Soul) and this is where they were in 2005 and 2006. This is their first DVD and it perfectly captures what that 2005 Deadwing tour was. I happened to see the first show of this tour in Tampa and the DVD shows that they just became tighter and heavier as the tour went on.
The Deadwing Tour was heavier than the old psychadelic, progressive and song based material (yes its too bad there werent official DVDs for the previous phases of PT), but it is still great stuff. (as Steven sings on Arriving somewhere-- all my designs simplified, all of my plans compromised, all of my dreams sacrificed). While the music now may be slightly simplified, anyone would be hard pressed to say much has been sacrificed.
Some may question the inclusion of non-cd tracks such as Mother and Child Divided or So-Called Friend, but fans of the band either know these or get to know them quick and they fit the overall feel of the tour very well. Anytime you have as much great material as PT the song selection can be questioned, but this performance is so powerful I reccomend just sitting back and enjoying what there is rather than lamenting what there isnt.
The 5.1 audio on this release is better than any Ive heard (I also highly reccomend the DVD-A versions of Stupid Dream, In Absentia and Deadwing, if you want hear how good 5.1 DTS can sound, and make yourself slightly deaf without realizing you are doing it;-).
The video is nicely shot, lots of shifts of focus without being jarring, and the camera seems to be where you'd like it to be most of the time (a real flaw in tons of Live DVD's). Also, there are no cheesy effects or technological experiments which means this should stand the test of time (there is some shifting of black and white to color, but it is pretty unobtrusive, although Im used to a lot of vids from the 70s some of which have really bad effects).
Now let me add, this DVD isnt perfect, but the complaints are fairly minor. The thoughts I had after only a couple of watches... 1. On Open Car the vocals seem buried (may have been purposeful, but its a distraction. 2. The video never captures(and maybe couldnt)the size and integration of the films that accompanied the songs. 3. The packaging is nice, but its cardboard and vulnerable to fingerprints, dents, etc.
Also, don't think you are getting 2 discs of live music, Disc 1 is a full concert, Disc 2 is odds and ends. I wasnt sure why they didnt just include the entire Rockpalast show (if they could show 2 songs, why not the whole show?) My guess is because it was largely the same material, but fans wouldnt have minded.
Fans can argue for the different albums of PT being their best, but this really seems to a document of a great band at the top of their game. If all music was this thoughtful, composed and sincere, I would like a lot more music.
End thought, if you like PT at all, get this! If you are curious, get this! If you have friends that might like this; show them! People into this band know there really isnt a way to describe how close to perfect they are (only God knows why they arent HUGE, and I suspect he has questions)and this DVD is a great document of that circa 2005-06.
Movie Review: Excellent, but seeing them live is better!
Summary: 5 Stars
It's a pleasure to watch & listen to this concert & bonus stuff, each time I play it. Considering it's PT's 1st official DVD release, I'm sure they'll continue to put out some really good stuff on DVD in the near future. This is only the start of something really good, although I wish they hadn't become so widely known, compared to back in the '90s. There is a lot of material missing from "Arriving Somewhere..." setlist, and I don't understand why it was omitted (Shesmovedon, Deadwing, Radioactive Toy). The question that comes up in my mind is: "Why release a DVD from the "Deadwing" tour and not put the title track on?"
Sound quality is excellent, although they could've shown more of SW and the band. Personally, I think they honed in on the audience too much, and one of the cameramen went as far as zooming in pretty close on some salt-pepper bear-ish guy in the front row. PT are a fantastic band, but we need to see more of Steven Wilson & the band members...and not some shy & out-of-place audience member. Finally, the guy appeared rather uncomfortable, knowing he was in the spotlight on camera. Picture quality wasn't too great at times, and there were lots of grainy shots here & there. Also, I found it distracting when the picture would go from grainy to clear (in color) to black & white and back to grainy color & clear again (in color). I know this was done on purpose, but come on, it was quite distracting. What i did like were the closeups (not only of SW's face, but the band & instruments as well). Being a huge fan of the mellotron & keyboard arrangements in music (generally), I enjoyed seeing those zoomed in shots.
I've been a loyal fan of PT since '99, when I first heard the Stupid Dream CD playing in a local music store. Since then, I've bought nearly everything PT have released. Having seen PT three times in Montreal (in person).....twice for In Absentia and once for Deadwing, I've come to realize it's far better to experience PT live and then watch this DVD, than to watch the DVD without first experiencing a live PT show in person. Given the songs the setlist is lacking, I'm a tad disappointed. But, like I said, the sound quality is superior and I appreciate owning the item. We pre-ordered ours from Burningshed too, but ours isn't one of the limited edition with postcards & number (a minor error), although we were among the 2000 who pre-ordered. Nevertheless, am still happy to own the item and will watch it from time to time without wearing it out. ;-) All the bonus features are super and have by far, met my expectations. I already own the "Futile" CD which is extremely hard to get hold of. Photo gallery is great too.
Disc One (Filmed at the Park West, Chicago, USA, 11-12th October 2005
01- Revenant (Opening music & Screen sequence) (3:04)
02- Open Car (4:46)
03- Blackest Eyes (4:41)
04- Lazarus (4:06)
05- Hatesong (9:14)
06- Don't Hate Me (8:38)
07- Mother and Child Divided (5:11)
08- Buying New Soul (7:17)
09- So Called Friend (4:55)
10- Arriving Somewhere but Not Here (12:57)
11- Heartattack in a Layby (4:07)
12- Start of Something Beautiful (7:19)
13- Halo (6:42)
14- Sound of Muzak (5:14)
15- Even Less (6:54)
16- Trains (7:18)
17- End Credits (w/alternate mix of "Mother and Child Divided" (2:05)
Disc Two:
01- Rockpalast TV: Futile (6.29)
02- Rockpalast TV: Radioactive Toy (6.45)
03- Lazarus - promo clip directed by Lasse Hoile
04- Start of Something Beautiful (live film directed by Przemyslaw Vshebor and Lasse Hoile )
05- Halo (live film directed by Lasse Hoile)
06- Mother and Child Divided (live film directed by Lasse Hoile)
07- Gavin Harrison - Cymbal Song film (in stereo and 5.1 audio)
08- Photo Gallery (featuring ambient music by RB+SW)
Additional Info:
- Front of outer packaging features artwork as seen on amazon
- Back of outer packaging features setlist & Bonus Features list
- Inner package (4-fold digipack) features pics of band in various shots
- Discs are housed in inner, middle panels of 4-fold digipack
- NTSC, DTS, Region-Free, Exempt from Classification
Movie Review: PT is the best band ever !!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am one of the lucky ones that got a "numbered" edition (1883) from the band. I will get another one from amazon. It is that good. Guess I dont need to tell you what others have said already, but I just want to add a few things like the bonus features in the second disk, they are excelent, like the gavin Harrinson's cymbal. Man, if you were not convinced that he is the best drummer on earth nowdays then that short display of talent and creativity will do it. I have quite a number of musical and concerts dvds but this one tops them all !!!, an I mean the whole spectrum of bands from the past and present time. The British Kingdon has always given to the world the best bands. It seems that these five guys are the essence of skills, talent, creativity, scenery image and more. It is beyond my comprehension why this band is not that famous; my only guess is that they are real musicians who just want to perform music at its highest level of quality; I think of them like a fine classical orchestra who are solely interested at getting the best of the music they are performing. This is not the case with the majority of the musical groups today; they just dont reach the level of professionalism shown by these great musicians. The sound of the dvd is the best you will ever get, ever!! If you think that Eagles DTS dvd was excelent, wait to hear this one. Play in DTS and you would not believe your ears; It was mastered by the same guy who won an award with In Absentia DTS dvd back in 2004. I dont have any complaints of the way the image is shown a la Porcupine tree style !!!
Sure, there always are few minor things like why they did not include the deadwing song itself and many others from In absentia but then you conclude should have been a two concert disks instead of one. It is expected that in a few months they will come with another dvd. They should. And one more time, like some of the reviewers said, buy it and spread the word, that "THERE IS A DVD OF THE BEST BAND OF THE PLANET" As soon as it is release, please buy at least two and give it as a gift to your best friend or whatever. This is the best musical journey that you wil ever experience. Prepare for it. One word of advise: buy it before you will get none. Run, jump, go for it people, you will never regret a single hard earned dollar spent on this marvel. Cheers.
Movie Review: Should be arriving in your DVD player...
Summary: 5 Stars
My acquaintance w/Porcupine Tree has only been for the past few years, & the majority of their CDs that I own are their latest releases. In other words, I don't feel I have a very "historical perspective" of the band's catalogue.
Having made that disclaimer, I eagerly awaited getting to see a concert version of PT, & I was/am not disappointed. In fact, I find the whole thing jaw-droppingly good. Porcupine Tree is not a terrific visual act, such as KISS or Madonna; they just let their musical prowess say what needs to be said.
And what prowess! I was pretty sure that Gavin Harrison's drumming would be stellar & it is. The biggest revelation to me was how Richard Barbieri's keyboards soared over all the other instruments, creating a very unnerving & even at times frightening vibe. Of course, that, to me, is the crux of Steven Wilson's worldview, that humanity has veered off track, leaving us a very uncertain future. To have that uneasiness expressed musically was to me the glue that held the show together.
I'm not ignoring Steven; it just seems that as the creative force of the band, there is not much I can add that would not be drooling (I do enough of that uncontrolled at my age as it is). It has actually taken me most of those several years I mentioned above to fully realize how he really is a worthy successor (all by himself) to say, Pink Floyd or King Crimson.
If I do have a complaint, it's about the effects used to make the image look like old newsreel footage, & perhaps too much jumping from color to black & white, but the music is strong enough to make these quibbles easily ignorable. The second disc is a bit of a let-down length-wise, but still adds a couple extra live tracks, a bunch of photos, & a Gavin Harrison song called "Cymbal Song"; the title tells you what you're getting, but it is fascinating nonetheless.
All this has led to me making this final recommendation: get it! You can always resell it right here.
Movie Review: Arriving At The Top
Summary: 5 Stars
Finally, Porcupine Tree fans who are unable to travel to the limited number of cities where the band performs have the opportunity to see them in all their musical majesty. With the issue of Arriving Somewhere, it is clear that Steve Wilson and Company are arriving at the top of the world of progressive rock.
I have most Porcupine Tree CDs and enjoy every one of them. Now, after viewing Arriving Somewhere numerous times, their music is so impressed in my mind that I can hear a song through just thinking about it.
Other reviewers have sang the high hosannahs and a couple even provided a needed setlist, so I won't rehash their efforts. I will just tell the reader what I think the highlights are. My favorite is a stunning Arriving Somewhere But Not Here, but I am also very favorable impressed with Blackest Eyes, Hatesong, Heart Attack In A Layby, Halo (of course), The Sound of Muzak, and Even Less. The tightness of play is tremendous. About the only annoying aspect of the video is watching Wilson do his Addams Family "Cousin It" imitation by constantly allowing his long, limp hair to cover his face like a mop.
Viewing the second disc is kind of anti-climatic after the musical excitement generated by the first one. The features are short, and the viewer has to keep fiddling with the remote to decide what to watch/listen to next. My favorite bonus features are the live films for three PT songs, and the video clips from the German Rockpalast TV broadcast. The picture gallery I found boring. Though its always nice to get something extra for your money, Arriving Somewhere would have been worth the same money sans the bonus disc.
If you are already a Porcupine Tree fan or just curious about the band, this DVD will give you a taste of the band that should lock you in as a fan forever. You'll never be sorry to own this!