Steven Wilson - Grace for Drowning (2011)

"old old Porcupine Tree from all the psychedelic rock parts"
 
I've been getting that vibe too, I think Gavin's presence in PT is the thing SW is preserving or catering towards..

I am finally about to order "Grace For Drowning", but what is the best way to go: The limited edition or the blue ray edition??

If by ''limited edition'' you mean the deluxe book thingy, if you have the money, go for it. A lot of content and it's a gorgeous packaging.

Grivu


If by ''limited edition'' you mean the deluxe book thingy, if you have the money, go for it. A lot of content and it's a gorgeous packaging.

Well, I just thought of the "normal" limited edition. I do not find the deluxe book necessary for me to own

Well, in that case, if you have a proper 5.1 sound system and stuff, the blu-ray is nice. If you don't, don't waste your money and buy just the normal cd version.

Grivu


Well, in that case, if you have a proper 5.1 sound system and stuff, the blu-ray is nice. If you don't, don't waste your money and buy just the normal cd version.

I do have a proper 5.1 sound system, so I guess I go for the blu-ray!
Thanks, Grivu! Merry (belated) Christmas

Album of the Year for me. 

I got the Limited Edition book.  Honestly I wish I had the money to get the book version with Insurgentes.  The photographs from the new one weren't very flattering to me and didn't catch my eye like other stuff Lasse has done.  But I agree.  If you have the 5.1 get the bluray and if not then the cd's. 

I am spinning the bluray for the first time, as I write! It sounds amazing. SW has made an amazing album. It could the release of 2011 for me.
 
Not that I regret, that I got the bluray, but I can not ad the music to my Ipod now, because I haven´t got my computer attached to the bluray player. I say this since I wish I could bring the music with me when I travel
 

^^^ And that's the main reason I didn't get the Blu-Ray.  If it had come in a bundle with the CDs, I would have jumped on it in a heartbeat, but I figured it was going to be good and can only listen to CDs at work, so I opted for those.

Hmm, if there's no easy way to make digital files out of the Blu-Ray, it would make sense if the Blu-Ray release came with a card to download the mp3 files like the vinyl release did.
I haven't heard it on Blu-Ray, but the album does sound phenomenal on vinyl.

It sounds amazing on blu-ray. I might think, I buy it on cd, when it is on sale, so I can put it on my Ipod

Absolutely the best album of 2011... And one of the best I've heard in the recent years. It's truly a masterpiece of Wilson... I'm in love with that album. Just check out No Part of Me... Wow!
I've been listening to it non-stop through all winter. It really helped me with my depression.
Yep...

br_wildead


Just check out No Part of Me... Wow!

My favorite track from the album. The part "For you love is just security, there's no part of me in you" sends shivers down my spine. I love Belle de Jour as well and Index might be my favorite. 
 

br_wildead

I've been listening to it non-stop through all winter. It really helped me with my depression.
Yep...

Grace for Drowning is the perfect record to listen anytime you're not happy. But in a good way.
My favorite track is Deform to For a Star.
Also I really really love the word uncoil. I wish people would say that more often.

Uncoil. Uncoil, uncoil...  ;)
 
Oh, and it's more like King Crimson than anything Fripp and Co have done over the last ten years or so... Especially as compared to A Scarsity of Miracles which was a dissappointment for me, personally :(
 
A perfect album...

One of my favorite albums of the last several years. Believe it or not, the track I enjoy least (won't say dislike) is Raider II, which treads too close to KC territory, but is still an incredible work.

AdRock18


One of my favorite albums of the last several years. Believe it or not, the track I enjoy least (won't say dislike) is Raider II, which treads too close to KC territory, but is still an incredible work.

I get that feeling from Sectarian, sounds too similar to Larks' tongues pt 2. Anyone else get this?

One of my favorite albums of the last several years. Believe it or not, the track I enjoy least (won't say dislike) is Raider II, which treads too close to KC territory, but is still an incredible work.

 
Yeah... It's pure Crimson... I'd say it's Lizard meets Lark's Tongues meets Starless... An essence of 70's KC.
I'd say that I've been waiting for something like that from Robert et al. since Power to Believe, but all that was done were some amazing soundscape albums and some decent derivatives (Adrian Belew Power Trio, Stick Men etc), but it lacked the Crimson feel, the Crimson gene or something like that. I'm really glad that Steven managed to extract this gene and use it extensively in his work. And, given the fact that he was aided by some great guys from the KC family (Levin, Mastelotto, Gunn; also Reuter and Travis who are more distant relatives), well... What can I say... It was marvellous...
 
As for me, Raider II is maybe a little too long (although breathtaking), and Like Dust I Have Cleared From My Eyes is a bit cheesy (well, I distinctly hear some Beatles parallels, but the general mood of the album is significantly darker that this track and it is not what I'd like to hear as a closing song). Nevertheless, the second CD is great, but the first CD (Deform to form a star) is nothing short of incredible and perfect from the very beginning to the very end.
 
Sorry for babbling, I'm just very tired...

br_wildead

As for me, Raider II is maybe a little too long (although breathtaking)

True, but I'd argue that in this very particular case, the lenght of the track actually compliments the song. It's a song that makes you very very uneasy and I think one of the reasons is exactly because is so monolithic. It's like a huge, solid block of darkness in the middle of the album. If it was anything less than what it is, I think the dark, twisted, dramatic aspect of that song wouldn't work so well.
As oppose, to, let's say, The Count of Tuscany, that shouldn't be an epic at all. That song feels way too long because it has no reason to be that long.
or that's just ol' me being a steven wilson fanboy

If it was anything less than what it is, I think the dark, twisted, dramatic aspect of that song wouldn't work so well.

 
Well, I don't really dig the track order. I think if Raider II was the opening track OR the closing track OR wasn't followed by Like Dust I Have Cleared, this aspect would be working much better. But with the track order as we get it... Dammit, I'm puzzling myself.

Anyone know how limited the vinyl edt. of the album is? I read somewhere that Steven said the deluxe was limited to 5000 copies worldwide, but said nothing about the vinyl.

Yes, it's definetely the album of the year for me as well. And maybe the best Wilson album ever.