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Product Description
Review
The very notion of a 55-minute title track should be enough to make most people giggle a little bit. There are implications of ‘concept album’ and insinuations of ‘prog-rock’ involved in that notion. Neither of these things are not cool, but they encompass exactly what The Incident is, and exactly what Porcupine Tree do.
After consistently releasing stunning works which are as thought-provoking as they are sonically mesmerising, the Hemel Hempstead quartet have slowly been recognised as masters within their field of modern progressive rock, and rightly so.
If you’re familiar with any of their older works, you’ll understand that chief songwriter, frontman and all-round major protagonist of the band Steven Wilson might have seemed far from jolly in the past. You’ll be pleased to know that nothing has changed in that respect.
The focus of his attention has shifted somewhat, from the disillusioned youth and throwaway electronic culture that surrounds him all the way to talking about how modern mass media doesn’t actually relate to anything tangible any more. Ah, the woes of disenfranchisement as recited by a miserable sod.
Over 11 minutes of the 55 is taken up by the epic arrangement of Time Flies. It intersperses jangled acoustic guitars with angular complexities that might fly over some heads – repeat listens are deserved. The song is organised so intricately that all the nuances and difficulties that might have gone into recording such an extraordinary song are totally lost in its beauty.
At the other end of the spectrum, however, sit songs like the title track (of the title track) and Occam’s Razor, which will shower the listener with jagged shards of heavy metal; jagged shards that will bypass your vital organs and instead embed themselves within the deeper, darker echelons of your mind. Some of this album is simply unforgettable.
Wilson and Porcupine Tree really do lead by example: with The Incident acting as a fantastic example of how to take inspiration from all the sub-standard facets of day-to-day goings on to create a stunning collection of songs, they’ve proved that not everything in modern life is rubbish. --Raziq Rauf
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Product Description
2CD VERSION-EAN 016861785727
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By DJ Campbell
Format:Audio CD
Downloaded a cheap version of this to hear it first but after a few plays in car and shallow sound on my hifi I had to get the actual CD. I have recently got into this band by reading about the drummer Gavin Harrison in Modern Drummer magazine.
This is a class innovative album with plenty of contrasts. Lovely melodies held together with Harrisons subtle odd meter rhythms which hook my ear. Then swift changes into skull bashing hardness which is still melodic put very powerful. Bought a ticket to see them in Glasgow in december even though I have to get a flight and book hotel. This really flexes the muso muscles in my head with resulting satisfaction.!!
This is a class innovative album with plenty of contrasts. Lovely melodies held together with Harrisons subtle odd meter rhythms which hook my ear. Then swift changes into skull bashing hardness which is still melodic put very powerful. Bought a ticket to see them in Glasgow in december even though I have to get a flight and book hotel. This really flexes the muso muscles in my head with resulting satisfaction.!!
28 of 31 people found the following review helpful
By Kevin O'Keefe
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
As a long-time fan of Porcupine Tree (and other Steven Wilson side projects) I was becoming increasingly frustrated with the Tree's more recent 'progression' (most notably the heavier sound that became more prevalent from Lightbulb Sun onward). Porcupine Tree fans tend to fall into two broad camps: those that prefer the older, more Floydian and trippy vibe of their early-to-mid period or those who welcomed and have enjoyed their move into heavier rock territory. I fall squarely into the former category and - I am delighted to report - it looks like my patience has paid off (at least in part, which I will come to shortly).
Don't get me wrong; PT never fully 'lost the musical plot' with their last few albums: there are fantastic and transcendent cuts of elegiac power to be found on their more recent offerings ('Arriving Somewhere But Not Here' & 'My Ashes' for example) but sometimes these gems were marooned in a sea of more harsh material and I found they suffered as a result. Hence I have long been waiting (well 'hoping' actually) for an album that would go back to their old 'formula' of perhaps more simplistic yet ultimately more rewarding longer musical excursions. Which finally brings me to my specific thoughts on this album (phew!):
Let me firstly start with the negative by saying that the song-cycle 'The Incident' (which constitutes all of CD1) didn't work for me as a concept.... Read more ›
Don't get me wrong; PT never fully 'lost the musical plot' with their last few albums: there are fantastic and transcendent cuts of elegiac power to be found on their more recent offerings ('Arriving Somewhere But Not Here' & 'My Ashes' for example) but sometimes these gems were marooned in a sea of more harsh material and I found they suffered as a result. Hence I have long been waiting (well 'hoping' actually) for an album that would go back to their old 'formula' of perhaps more simplistic yet ultimately more rewarding longer musical excursions. Which finally brings me to my specific thoughts on this album (phew!):
Let me firstly start with the negative by saying that the song-cycle 'The Incident' (which constitutes all of CD1) didn't work for me as a concept.... Read more ›
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
In 2002 In Absentia was the first PT album I heard and I was blown away. Ever since I got everything I could lay my hands on and discovered a band with a range as wide as a star system. Steven Wilson is an absolute genius but it's not all gold the man touches (I'm not that fond of No Man for example...). With PT however he strikes the mother lode every single time.
The anticipation after In Absentia, Deadwing and Fear of a Blank Planet was high though. Could they really deliver another album as good as its predecessor? The answer is yes, but...there is a but. The Incident is `different' from the latter three. PT digs back in their older work and mixes the more psychedelic soundscapes from The Sky Moves Sideways and Up the Downstair with the harder rocksound of Absentia, Deadwing and Planet. With that they create a new sound and it almost seems like you hear a new band. I must admit I wasn't that enthusiastic when I first heard The Incident and I can very well imagine when this is the first PT you hear it can raise an eyebrow or two. But after a few sessions the music, the beautiful lyrics, the dark atmosphere Steven Wilson excels in...it all kicks in...without mercy.
CD 1 holds fourteen wonderfully woven songs about everyday `incidents', from a car crash to neighbours from hell, from first love to lost friendship. This fifty-five minute piece belongs, to my opinion', to their best work. CD2 has only four songs but again from the highest quality. The whole takes you on a seventy-five minute trip with not a single weak moment.... Read more ›
The anticipation after In Absentia, Deadwing and Fear of a Blank Planet was high though. Could they really deliver another album as good as its predecessor? The answer is yes, but...there is a but. The Incident is `different' from the latter three. PT digs back in their older work and mixes the more psychedelic soundscapes from The Sky Moves Sideways and Up the Downstair with the harder rocksound of Absentia, Deadwing and Planet. With that they create a new sound and it almost seems like you hear a new band. I must admit I wasn't that enthusiastic when I first heard The Incident and I can very well imagine when this is the first PT you hear it can raise an eyebrow or two. But after a few sessions the music, the beautiful lyrics, the dark atmosphere Steven Wilson excels in...it all kicks in...without mercy.
CD 1 holds fourteen wonderfully woven songs about everyday `incidents', from a car crash to neighbours from hell, from first love to lost friendship. This fifty-five minute piece belongs, to my opinion', to their best work. CD2 has only four songs but again from the highest quality. The whole takes you on a seventy-five minute trip with not a single weak moment.... Read more ›
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By D. GREENWOOD
Format:Audio CD
The Incident cycle is brilliant, working both as one song and 14 independant tracks (for most of them at least). The second disc of tracks is also fantastic, with Bonnie the Cat being a highlight of the album.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By Rik P
Format:Audio CD
When the album was released, my first listen made me wonder whether there were a few errors in the concept, but rather than rush to review like some did here during September, I decided to give 'The Incident' several listens before reaching a judgement. Is it my favourite PT album? No, but it is brilliant when you've given it time and picked out all of the nuances.
A 55 minute concept track is ambitious and does it really hang together seamlessly? Not sure, but as a collection of pieces, the Wilson genius is all there. We have tracks that take you back to the likes of Lightbulb Sun and Stupid Dream and a continuation of the flirtation with metal riffs. 'Time Flies' is an homage to Pink Floyd and 'I Drive the Hearse' is a beautiful and subtle ending to 'The Incident'. CD2 consists of 4 tracks that were produced as part of the writing process and for me, 'Flicker' and 'Remember Me Lover' are the stand out pieces there.
OK, I'll be honest, I'm a PT fanatic and have been since they released Signify. If you are a fan of serious rock music then Porcupine Tree and their founder, Steven Wilson are vitally important to the ongoing life and success of the genre. They need our ongoing support and interest and they are phenomenal live. Take the PT journey, it's a fulfilling one for fans of serious rock music.
A 55 minute concept track is ambitious and does it really hang together seamlessly? Not sure, but as a collection of pieces, the Wilson genius is all there. We have tracks that take you back to the likes of Lightbulb Sun and Stupid Dream and a continuation of the flirtation with metal riffs. 'Time Flies' is an homage to Pink Floyd and 'I Drive the Hearse' is a beautiful and subtle ending to 'The Incident'. CD2 consists of 4 tracks that were produced as part of the writing process and for me, 'Flicker' and 'Remember Me Lover' are the stand out pieces there.
OK, I'll be honest, I'm a PT fanatic and have been since they released Signify. If you are a fan of serious rock music then Porcupine Tree and their founder, Steven Wilson are vitally important to the ongoing life and success of the genre. They need our ongoing support and interest and they are phenomenal live. Take the PT journey, it's a fulfilling one for fans of serious rock music.
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4.2 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not my cup of tea
I purchased this along with stars die and voyage 34 ( see my other review) after a night on the wine. Read more
Published 14 days ago by A customer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Should be massive!
In these days of computer and marketing driven bland radio pap, great to hear crafted and truly passionate music. Read more
Published 21 days ago by Bruce Tyler
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best album I`ve ever heard
This album is one of the moust interesting album from 2009. If you put together Echo & the Bunnymen, Muse and Mike Oldfield, you got The Incident of Pocupine Tree.
Published 9 months ago by Hector
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great return to form
A brilliant album. I am torn between this album and In Absentia being my favourite Porcupine Tree record. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Graham, IOW
5.0 out of 5 stars
A grower, not their best yet still incredible!
Okay I've been listening to this regularly for about a year now and it took a good 4 or 5 listens to really sink in and even longer for it to rate as highly as I regard it... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Charlie
3.0 out of 5 stars
It's ok
I don't dislike this album, i thought it was more like "Stupid Dream", that i already owned and appreciated very much. I found "The Incident" a bit more "metallish" tasting.
Published 17 months ago by Caratteraccio
4.0 out of 5 stars
Rock that shows progression
Porcupine Tree have been releasing consistently good albums over several decades. The Incident is the latest in the line, and from the hard-edged opener of Occam's Razor through to... Read more
Published on 10 Jun 2011 by Captain Sinister
2.0 out of 5 stars
Just can't get into it.
It's a strange thing when you listen to an album a number of times and, while it all seems to sound good 'on paper', there is a quality to the music which just doesn't hit home. Read more
Published on 6 Jun 2011 by Alexander J. Dunn
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a Lot of Reviews !
This is fantastic. A series of incidents in the life of the brilliant Steve Wilson set to a wonderfully diverse range of music styles, all performed immaculately. Read more
Published on 27 Mar 2011 by Stalker
3.0 out of 5 stars
A very fine piece of English melancholia
This is another brilliantly crafted concept album from the top English progressive rock band around these days. Read more
Published on 19 Feb 2011 by Neil Kernohan
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