Steven Wilson is a Genius !!
A phenomenal songwriter, master producer, and absolute genius who is setting new boundaries to progressive music
I first got into Wilson through Porcupine Tree’s In Absentia and then explored his solo work. Little did I know, I was in a for a treat. The more I listened to his stuff, the deeper I was getting in this. One of the main reasons that keep me wanting for more is everything he produces has such a great sound. I know most of you guys have never heard of him and that’s completely fine. His stuff doesn’t get a lot of airtime, thanks to mainstream media! (playing JB kinda shit all the time). And to be honest, I don’t think he gives any shit whether he is mainstream or not, he just keeps making music while following his own artistic direction. I do agree he’s a bit underrated but he enjoys a great support from a rather small, progressive music community.
I really love the fact that he is always on move trying something new and interesting. He is someone with a very eclectic taste, a taste which keeps him exploring new sounds. I can’t say that I’ll admire every piece of art he creates, but I have so much respect for him as a musician who is not confined by the limitations of any genre. Some may bash him for the above same reasons, the reality is that whatever his next record is, it will be very unique again, and that will be enough to keep me coming back to him for more.
To be honest, I don’t like much of his earlier works and haven’t given much of a listen to No-Man as well as Opeth. But all the records that he has worked upon post 2000 seems to be a masterpiece to me. I can bet that he’s the most talented producer of this generation. His talent of perceiving sound is what made him the best producer and sound-mixer of this generation. The fact that he makes even the other bands sound incredible is simply genius.
Yet, he doesn’t enjoy the commercial success that he deserves and the reason can be best understood in the lyrics of the song, ‘The Sound of Muzak’ by the man himself…
One of the wonders of the world is going down
It’s going down I know
It’s one of the blunders of the world that no-one cares
No-one cares enough
Now the sound of music
Comes in silver pills
Engineered to suit you
Building cheaper thrills
Porcupine Tree is definitely his greatest project as a band. The early albums were highly influenced by Pink Floyd (thanks to his parents for introducing him to Pink Floyd, ‘Dark Side Of the Moon’ !). However, the shift to their own unique style was evident from their fifth album, Stupid Dream. The subsequent albums were simply flawless having elements from various genres apart from progressive rock.
Steven Wilson’s solo work is where his emotions and thoughts have flown most freely into his music. He himself accepted on various occasions that he was quite bounded in his expressions while working in a band. Working solo gave him the freedom of incorporating literally every sound the music has ever seen. It’s in one of his solo Luminol, one can hear a wide range of instruments including flute, saxophone etc. Especially the album ‘The Raven that Refused to Sing’ stood out to me in the ways I can’t describe with mere words.
The way he talks about the music he has made in the past gives you the feeling about how much effort has gone into it and how seriously he takes it. The fact that he has sacrificed even his family for the sake of music definitely adds up a unique charisma to his music. In his own words,
Every time you make a decision, you make a choice in life, you’re effectively closing off other options. Life is short and you can’t do everything — you have to make decisions.
I’m very prolific, I make a lot of records, a lot of music. The reason is I have a lot of time to make music because I don’t have a family, I don’t have kids.
Some people look at me with incredible pity. No, don’t pity me. I feel good, I’m happy. I think I’ve made the right choice for me. Not everyone is meant to have kids. I think I’ve made the right choice, and I’m very happy with my life and career.
Steven Wilson’s genius is the ways in which he chooses to collaborate with other musicians across various genres. He has partnered with Israeli rock singer Aviv Geffen to form Blackfield. He teamed up with Richard Barbieri(an amazing synthesizer player, keyboardist, and composer) in case of Porcupine Tree. His solo work often features vocals by Ninet Tayeb and amazing guitar solos by Guthrie Govan. The Ninet Tayeb parts in Routine are particularly powerful. Same is the case with Govan’s solo in Drive Home.
Moreover, his live performances are simply top-notch. I can’t think of a better performed live song than the one below.
His brilliance is not just limited to songwriting and music production. His music videos also touche on so many levels. For a couple of his solo work, he chose the animated videos and needless to say, they were overloaded with emotions and poignant scenes. ‘The Raven that Refused to Sing’, ‘Routine’ and ‘Drive Home’ are perfect examples that instill a sense of joy despite the dark glory that the songs carry. Likewise, ‘Perfect Life’ boasts of one of the best cinematography ever in a music video.
As the founder of Porcupine Tree and Blackfield(arguably), as well as in his solo career and a collaborator in No-Man, and even Opeth, he has composed melodies that feature diverse and sublime sounds, powerful vocals, melancholic sounds and gloomy yet enchanting lyrics.
If nothing else, at the end of reading this post I want you to listen at least one song by him. Please do listen !!
If you liked this, please click on the clap button to make this story discoverable to others.
