Exposé Online

Reviewing the Porcupine Tree Discography —
with Steven Wilson (1999)

Steven Wilson is one very talented and prolific guy. In addition to being lead guitarist, vocalist, producer and primary composer for Porcupine Tree, Wilson has a number of other projects. He plays in a quirky pop band called No Man, a wild instrumental psychedelic project named IEM (The Incredible Expanding Mindf*ck), the ambient Bass Communion, and also various other production gigs and guest appearances. Clearly Wilson is a very busy fellow. Despite all of the other creative outlets, Wilson’s primary focus is Porcupine Tree. With the “band” now having been making music for nearly a decade, and with five studio albums plus numerous other releases to their credit, it seems that a look back at their recorded output is a good idea. Reviewing the Porcupine Tree discography is a true delight as the albums represent some of the best music that has been made during the 90s. The journey through the five studio CDs is also rather exhilarating, as one can watch Wilson (and later on the entire band) progress and grow in leaps and bounds.

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(Posted by David Ashcraft 2000-05-01)

Adam Lane - Hollywood Wedding

Adam Lane is an improvising artist local to San Francisco who happens to use the upright four string as his medium to create with. On his 1999 Cadence release, Hollywood Wedding, the...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 2000-05-01)

Adrian Belew - Coming Attractions

Adrian Belew has been very busy in the imposed break from King Crimson. With multiple projects in various stages, it makes sense to market a sampler to highlight each of his works. Obviously,...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 2000-05-01)

Ágens - Égi-földi - Of Heaven and Earth

Here is a project in a genre (solo vocal; or music largely voice-oriented) that is usually fraught with problems, whether they be such that the results are too serious (Meredith Monk); harsh on the...

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(Posted by Mike Ezzo 2000-05-01)

Agitation Free - At the Cliffs of River Rhine

This CD will be pure bliss for Agitation Free fans, a show from WDR radio in Germany that presents the band at a serious peak. Recorded after their

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(Posted by Mike McLatchey 2000-05-01)

Agitation Free - River of Return

Reunion efforts carry excess baggage from a bygone era. This means that the best elements of a previous “golden age” line-up usually do not grow old gracefully as a rule. However, the...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 2000-05-01)

Agitation Free - The Other Sides of Agitation Free

This has so little to do with the early Agitation Free sound, that I put it in its separate review. Why Garden of Delights would market such slick jazz rock under the Agitation Free name is pretty...

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(Posted by Mike McLatchey 2000-05-01)

Area - La Mela di Odessa

First off: to the best of my knowledge, this is a bootleg recording, of dubious legal origin, and the sound quality is marginal at best. If that scares you away, no need to read on further. Area...  » Read more
(Posted by Steve Robey 2000-05-01)

Arktis - Arktis, Arktis Tapes & On the Rocks

Arktis have a style like a mix of Cream, Black Sabbath, Steamhammer, and German bands like late Frumpy or Atlantis. Unlike some of the sub-par bands on Garden of Delights, Arktis make up for a...

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(Posted by Mike McLatchey 2000-05-01)

Bill Frisell - Gone, Just Like a Train

Guitar, bass, and drum albums can highlight standard blues based endeavors, fusion-driven workouts, or some aural creature which defies easy categorization. Bill Frisell’s trio album on...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 2000-05-01)

Blast - A Sophisticated Face

Often when record shopping, people tend to think the description “chamber-prog” is a synonym for “sounds like Univers Zero,” which I think is a grave error. Don’t get...

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(Posted by Mike Ohman 2000-05-01)

Blast - A Sophisticated Face

Blast may be the most exciting and talented chamber-jazz band since Henry Cow and Frank Zappa’s mid-70s work. A Sophisticated Face, their fourth release, finds them even bolder than...

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(Posted by Steve Robey 2000-05-01)

Bob Drake - Medallion Animal Carpet

The mysterious contributor to 5uu’s and Thinking Plague has secreted another solo album and I’m overjoyed for the new aural ooze! After all, that’s what Drake’s blend of...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 2000-05-01)

Bondage Fruit - IV

After a mildly disappointing third album, Bondage Fruit is back in top form. Over the top, in fact. Much of this is insanely complex music that one might swear is all improvised, at least until the...

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(Posted by Peter Thelen 2000-05-01)

Book of Hours - Art to the Blind

This Swedish band starts off their first album with a nice slice of instrumental rock: two guitars, bass, and drums slipping easily between phrases of three and four beats. It is well arranged,...

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(Posted by Jon Davis 2000-05-01)

Brainville - The Children's Crusade

This combination of musicians has been playing together off and on for several years now. From Daevid Allen’s and Hugh Hopper’s two duet albums with Kramer to Pip Pyle’s work with...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 2000-05-01)

Brukkene Bruse - Steinstolen (The Stone Chair)

Over the past few years, the Northside label has been issuing collections of Scandinavian folk music, some of it strictly traditional and some of it brought up to date through use of modern...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2000-05-01)

Can - Box

Can's legacy in the progressive rock/experimental field is nothing short of legendary. What has been lacking is any real tangible support for the myth in the form of easy access for present day...

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(Posted by Jeff Melton 2000-05-01)

Cheryl Gunn - The Sun at Midnight

Liner notes which throw phrases around like “an immensely personal journey towards self-discovery” and “this powerful message of personal redemption” are all warning signs:...

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(Posted by Paul Hightower 2000-05-01)

Chrome - Chrome Flashback / Chrome Live / The Best Of

When I first heard Chrome back in the early 80s, my initial reaction was “Ouch!” All I heard was a wall of distortion and mangled vocals – their brand of art-punk was too much punk and too...  » Read more
(Posted by Jon Davis 2000-05-01)