Post by "The Freq" on Jun 16, 2010 8:32:05 GMT -5
Yes, it's out now. The new live DVD by Porcupine Tree called Anesthetize.
I just watched it last night and it's extremely impressive both in musicianship but also production. Porcupine Tree are easily leading the way as this generations prog rock leaders. The sound quality on this effort is stunning and that's just the basic stereo mix. Reviews on the surround sound mix are even higher which I haven't experienced yet. The camera work on this live show features everyone in the band which is where I found their last DVD kinda missed. This time you really get to see the talents of 2nd guitarist John Wesley who really only does their live shows. He's a hired gun so to speak but he fits in so well live that's it's puzzling he's not a full time member. I have a number of his solo albums and he's a great singer, guitarist and songwriter in his own right. Gavin Harrison is once again a feature on this DVD and his playing is stellar. You will see why Gavin has been voted Modern Drummer Magazine's Progressive Rock drummer of the year 2 years in a row. Richard Barbieri is also featured more in this video and you can see how much his keyboards add to the depth of Porcupine Tree. Steven Wilson is again amazing on this DVD outing and easily shows why he's the leading force in Porcupine Tree. The vocal pairing of Steven Wilson and John Wesley is perfect. Not just any voices blend so perfectly in band situations. It's luck in most cases and even though you might have harmonies some times you come across a vocal harmony combination that is truly magical. This is one of those times. Call John Wesley the Brian May of Porcupine Tree. ;-) Bassist Colin Edwin locks it down tight with Gavin and gives another dead on performance. He is such a dynamic player and he seems to know exactly how to balance out a song between the Gavin's heavy drumming and melodies of the rest of the band. He's perfectly in the center of a hurricane so to speak and anchors the entire band.
The camera work has far more editing in it than PT's previous outing and it really gives you the atmosphere of being in the Tilburg venue where this was recorded. It's a beautiful theatre. The light show is also amazing and once again the band utilized 3 projection screens with even more fabulous videos playing during their performance. And get this... women are in the audience. Yes, it's true. Women are finally absorbing Prog Rock. You can tell they follow the music of the band as they know the words and why not, Steve Wilson's music is very universal. ;-)
What I love the most about this DVD is the fact that most of the material is not on the previous DVD. Porcupine Tree has a vast music library so to me, having a concert of different material was very enjoyable. Also, this concert is long so you really get your money's worth. ;-)
Bottom line, buy it. For the 20 bucks, you won't be disappointed. I'm going to watch it again tonight. ;
Freq
