Porcupine Tree - Anesthetize

[Lightbulb Sun]

No ofcourse not. You totally have the right to dislike it, I just thought you lacked a good reason, and then calling in absentia good made me wonder if you even knew what those lyrics are about because i'm not completely sure.

The whole album has one meaning, but a few of the other songs are based on a real person, whose name I forget. I guess that it isn't, by textbook definition, a concept album for that reason, but Sound of Muzak, that doesn't fit into the concept, is still one of my favorite lyrical pieces along with Four Chords that Made a Million just because of the topic they cover.

BTW, in Four Chords that Made a Million, I can't tell if the million is talking about money, or the repetitiveness in music....

 

[CorpseDeception]

^ Possibly both?

I'm kind of new to PT, but I fell in love with Deadwing and went from there: foabp, In Absentia, Voyage 34, Stupid Dream.
I do have one question, though. Some of you have mentioned "Voyage 34- Complete voyage" (or something like that), what makes it the complete voyage? I have a version with Phases I-IV, is that the complete voyage?

 

[Frosties]

Yes - the original version only had Phases I and II.

 

[wankerness]

I remember reading that in absentia was based on a serial killer before it was released, and it was definitely easy to interpret several of the songs as that. Lips of Ashes and Gravity Eyelids being chief among them. Whether that's accurate, who knows. The reason I like In Absentia's lyrics better aren't cause they're a better concept or whatever, it's that they're better written/sounding instead of clumsy blatant crap about mtv and xboxes. Whether they actually mean anything is kind of besides the point imo. I like a lot of Opeth's lyrics despite them mostly just being random evul sounding phrases, they just sound cool. Haha.

 

[Koi]

The whole album has one meaning, but a few of the other songs are based on a real person, whose name I forget. I guess that it isn't, by textbook definition, a concept album for that reason, but Sound of Muzak, that doesn't fit into the concept, is still one of my favorite lyrical pieces along with Four Chords that Made a Million just because of the topic they cover.

BTW, in Four Chords that Made a Million, I can't tell if the million is talking about money, or the repetitiveness in music....

I always took it as a reference of all the songs out there built on a few (four) chords making millions, and the probably intentional irony is that the four chords that made a million is built on only a few chords It could also be the repetitiveness, not sure.

edit: not sure what this song is about though, what he means by that phrase since most of his songs are geniously built around only a few chords. Steven is the master of minimalism, he truly knows when less is more.

 

[Koi]

I remember reading that in absentia was based on a serial killer before it was released, and it was definitely easy to interpret several of the songs as that. Lips of Ashes and Gravity Eyelids being chief among them. Whether that's accurate, who knows. The reason I like In Absentia's lyrics better aren't cause they're a better concept or whatever, it's that they're better written/sounding instead of clumsy blatant crap about mtv and xboxes. Whether they actually mean anything is kind of besides the point imo. I like a lot of Opeth's lyrics despite them mostly just being random evul sounding phrases, they just sound cool. Haha.

okay

 

[FullMetalCornflake]

Basically, I really like every album of theirs from SD up til Deadwing (including).

+1,000

My favorites are Stupid Dream and Stars Die. But really, you cannot go wrong with any of their earlier shite. Voyage 34 is full of win.

 

[Lightbulb Sun]

My favorites are Stupid Dream and Stars Die. But really, you cannot go wrong with any of their earlier shite. Voyage 34 is full of win.

I think Voyage 34 is the closest you can get to Pink Floyd without listening to it. So yes, that is full of win.

 

[Lightbulb Sun]

I always took it as a reference of all the songs out there built on a few (four) chords making millions, and the probably intentional irony is that the four chords that made a million is built on only a few chords It could also be the repetitiveness, not sure.

edit: not sure what this song is about though, what he means by that phrase since most of his songs are geniously built around only a few chords. Steven is the master of minimalism, he truly knows when less is more.

I know that the song is about the music business these days.....

From what I hear/read, it's seemingly about simple songs making millions of dollars and how some record companies create these musical "Gods" and then after they've made their money and lost their popularity, they drop them. Just my interpretations.

I remember reading that in absentia was based on a serial killer before it was released, and it was definitely easy to interpret several of the songs as that. Lips of Ashes and Gravity Eyelids being chief among them. Whether that's accurate, who knows. The reason I like In Absentia's lyrics better aren't cause they're a better concept or whatever, it's that they're better written/sounding instead of clumsy blatant crap about mtv and xboxes. Whether they actually mean anything is kind of besides the point imo. I like a lot of Opeth's lyrics despite them mostly just being random evul sounding phrases, they just sound cool. Haha.

In Absentia means "in the absence", possibly the title was used as in those who were killed by the killer (refer to link given), are no absent.


Although, technically, he was only an "influence" on the album, you can say the album was based on:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_West

 

[FullMetalCornflake]

I think Voyage 34 is the closest you can get to Pink Floyd without listening to it. So yes, that is full of win.

I think Voyage 34 is the closest you can get to an LSD trip without actually dropping acid. So yes, that is full of win.

(turn off lights and turn up music in headphones)

 

[xDetonatorx]

Off of Deadwing, Open Car is my fav.
Off of TSMS, listen to Dislocated Day. Absolute perfection.

 

[BlueSky]

BTW, in Four Chords that Made a Million, I can't tell if the million is talking about money, or the repetitiveness in music....

I think both. The fact that four chords have been arranged in millions of different ways to make all kinds of songs, and obviously the money aspect, "And then a moron with a cheque book. He Will take you out to lunch who knows? He will tell you you're a saviour
And then he'll drop you like a stone." talking about the suits who are all about you when you're making them money, and they're as soon to forget you when you're not the it thing.

As for the lyrical merit debate sometimes Stevens lyrics are obscure or even cryptic, and sometimes they're quite clear, but there is always clear content to them, and that far outweighs the deliverance.

 

[Sad Madrigal]

I think Voyage 34 is the closest you can get to an LSD trip without actually dropping acid. So yes, that is full of win.

(turn off lights and turn up music in headphones)

It actually works

 

[Lightbulb Sun]

I feel obliged to let those who don't know that Mikael's favorite song is A Smart Kid, a song I still can't figure completely out.....

 

[in_my_time_of_disease]

^Perhaps it's because he knows Stupid dream is the ultimate winner?

 

[Nehal]

my favs are Lazarus(from deadwing) and Blackest Eyes(from IN Absentia)

 

[The Antihero]

I feel obliged to let those who don't know that Mikael's favorite song is A Smart Kid, a song I still can't figure completely out.....

Literally, it's about the last man on earth (the "smart kid") who is the only person left after a nuclear war. Or so I gather. Metaphorically, it's about one's isolation from the rest of the world. Some pretty existential stuff but not really an usual subject for PT.

I've gone back and forth over Lightbulb Sun and Stupid Dream and I've decided that they are both equally kickass. I could never choose one or the other....actually they're almost companion pieces.

 

[Lightbulb Sun]

Literally, it's about the last man on earth (the "smart kid") who is the only person left after a nuclear war. Or so I gather. Metaphorically, it's about one's isolation from the rest of the world. Some pretty existential stuff but not really an usual subject for PT.

I've gone back and forth over Lightbulb Sun and Stupid Dream and I've decided that they are both equally kickass. I could never choose one or the other....actually they're almost companion pieces.

I agree. Usually Steven's songs are symbols for other things, yet this one is yet to be deciphered as a metaphor or what not.

But that's an interesting view on LS and SD. I've never really heard a connection between the two and me, personally, I think they have quite different sounds...

 

[Jester-Race]

I agree. Usually Steven's songs are symbols for other things, yet this one is yet to be deciphered as a metaphor or what not.

But that's an interesting view on LS and SD. I've never really heard a connection between the two and me, personally, I think they have quite different sounds...

that's because LSD is the connection between the two. its a damn voyage listening to both of those cds on it, trust me.

oh well shit, my pun was horrible, but i'm not lying.

I TRIED

 

[The Antihero]

^

I guess that's kind of it. Both albums kind of have a foot in the pop thing while still being abstract. While there's not really a unified theme in terms of melodies I still get the same vibes and atmospheres from both albums.

And yes, they are really good to listen to when you're smoking some drugs.