Porcupine Tree Arriving Somewhere Review

Album Review

Porcupine Tree released the live album, "Arriving Somewhere ", Park West, Chicago on October 11th, 2006. It includes a special bonus DVD as well, with goodies like "Gavin Harrison's Cymbal Song".

The DVD starts with an introduction of the band members, while the background shows some artistic videos to fit the mood.

Although the show starts off with energy from "Open Car", the real magic is seen once the band can show off the Album starter of In Absentia, "Blackest Eyes". An already stunning song is now played with such a stunning accuracy and energy, it's hard to not get off your seat.

As the DVD progresses, you get to see more and more of Porcupine Tree's Professionalism.

Gavin Harrison continues to play extremely well thought-out drum fills, and it seems like every note he plays was thought about for a good hour before he played it.

Arriving Somewhere DVD - Blackest Eyes

The set continues on, and Steven Wilson adds to some already perfect songs (Check out the Tag in the middle of Open Car).

Set List

Opens In New Window

Open Car
Blackest Eyes
Lazarus
Hatesong
Don't Hate Me
Mother and Child Divided
Buying New Soul
So-Called Friend
Arriving Somewhere but Not Here
Heartattack in a Layby
The Start of Something Beautiful
Halo
The Sound of Muzak
Even Less
Trains

The band even took out some B-sides from Deadwing and Lightbulb Sun, and played them live (Such as "Buying New Soul" and "Mother and Child Divided").

A really high note I should mention was "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here" (Hey! That's the name of the DVD!). Already being a very epic song, just hearing it live and practiced to perfection is a very satisfying thing.

One complaint that I do have about the DVD is the sheer amount of film effects. There were 9 strategically placed High-Definition Cameras filming the entire concert, but it seems that almost every shot of the concert has some Film Grain effect, or something else along those lines. It is as if the editor didn't think Porcupine Tree would be able to hold an audiences attention, so they had to spruce it up with tons of effects.

But that was my only complaint, I swear.

As the concert goes on, you start to see certain characteristics of the band.

The first of these is...well you may not like me for saying this, but no one in the band really stands out, as far as appearances go.

I mean, Steven Wilson, whom I consider an incredible lyricist, looks like one of the biggest nerds of all time. You swear for most of the concert that he is going to get off stage and go start playing dungeons and dragons.

Although that is a shallow angle to take, I think the more important lesson here is that Music can show you who a certain writer or lyricist is. If you were just to see some of these people on the street, you might judge them based on their appearance.

Steven Wilson: Dungeons And Dragons Champion

This type of judgmental attitude happens all the time. But when it comes to music....you get to hear the music first, and then you get to know the artist.

You won't make those judgments based on appearance, because you got to know them first (Aren't we shallow Human beings?).

Porcupine Tree enforces this ideal perfectly.

So as I reach the end, I give Porcupine Tree a...