Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Porcupine Tree
Label: Snapper Records
Release: 2000
Runtime: 56:17
Rating: 4.5/5
Under the guidance of musical and production genius Steven Wilson, Porcupine Tree grew around the turn of the century from a modest solo project into a prog-rock superpower, earning enormous respect from music connoisseurs and incorrigible adventurers alike. At the same time, and this may have been the most interesting part of the whole story, they managed to launch themselves into the tiny club of modern progressive rock acts with real commercial potential, and in an era when the music industry was openly hostile to challenging experimental music with an independent artistic ethos and intelligent messages.
On the other hand, it’s no surprise that certain Porcupine Tree creations from this phase of their career also reached the ears of less demanding listeners, since hardly anyone had such a knack for writing complex, heavily experimental pieces and mass-accessible songs with pop-rock elements at the same time as the tireless Mr. Wilson, who is, simply put, a one-of-a-kind musician-producer genius. On »Lightbulb Sun«, their sixth studio album, Porcupine Tree pushed even further the stylistic direction they’d started developing on its predecessor »Stupid Dream« (1999). That means that on certain tracks, backed by excellent production, they landed an even more accessible, almost pop-rock sound, without by any chance neglecting the more complex prog-rock elements that made them famous in the nineties as one of the most exciting bands on the modern experimental music scene.
Like »Stupid Dream«, »Lightbulb Sun« can be seen as part of Porcupine Tree’s transitional period, sitting between the early electronic/space-rock escapades and the later version of the band that actively experimented with progressive metal. »Lightbulb Sun« is split into two stylistic halves, separated by the tracks »The Rest Will Flow« and »Hatesong«. The first half is friendlier and more ambient, with more compact songs, while the second is noticeably darker and more experimental. On »Lightbulb Sun« Steven’s crew proved that by this point they’d matured into true masters of melodic melancholy, with sophisticated arrangements and minimalist guitar improvisations.
On »Lightbulb Sun« Steven got tired for a while of writing serious, socially critical lyrics about wars and religion and dug into personal themes instead: a whole string of romantic disappointments and failed relationships (»How Is Your Life Today?«, »Shesmovedon«, »Hatesong«, »Russia On Ice«, »Feel So Low«), while other tracks are ruled by nostalgia for lost childhood innocence (the title track and the first part of »Last Chance To Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled«). Compared with »Stupid Dream«, Wilson wanted to deepen some of the experimental aspects of Porcupine Tree’s artistic expression, and he pulled it off with the help of a return to a noticeably more ‘organic’ sound.
As expected, Steven nailed his distinctive, deeply emotional vocal duties, while at the same time sharpening his guitar skills and occasionally shining on piano and mellotron. Richard Barbieri (ex-Japan) outdid himself once again with towering curtains of keyboards. Dave Gregory of XTC took care of the orchestral sections. The rhythm section of bassist Colin Edwin and drummer Chris Maitland was surely one of the most exciting in modern prog rock, so there’s no shortage of unexpected time-signature swerves and wild rhythmic improvisations on »Ligtbulb Sun«.
»Lightbulb Sun« is an extraordinarily intense ambient experience from start to finish, at times almost hypnotic, and now and then it hits you with massive melancholy and emotional depth. The title track beautifully carries the listener off to a nostalgic world of almost forgotten, idyllic childhood, when, thanks to a lush childhood imagination, before certain institutions got their hands on you and slowly started washing your brain, you still believed the sun could be tamed and put in a lightbulb.
Gentle acoustic guitar chords and minimalist keyboard arrangements shape a lovely opening melody led by Steven’s ethereal vocals, then a tempo shift kicks in and drops you into a punchy section where an angry guitar riff briefly takes the initiative. These nostalgic-pastoral and punchy sections, with the electric guitar tuned extremely low, trade off harmoniously, while the band beautifully builds a nostalgic chorus.
Steven’s minimalist guitar variations are a real treat for the ears, deepening the overall melancholic mood considerably. In the background, in the middle of the closing stretch, you can hear the playful sounds of children at play, which also feeds the overall atmosphere of this superb album opener. Steven was never one of the great guitar virtuosos, but with constant refinement of his technique he’s learned to play just the right variations in an intelligent way, filling the space between the individual arrangements in an ideal and sophisticated fashion.
The minimalist gem »How Is Your Life Today?« shakes you with its enigmatic piano build-up and Steven’s melancholic, slightly psychedelic-tinged vocal performance, beautifully accompanied by choral vocal harmonies. The energetic catalyst »Four Chords That Made a Million«, the album’s first single, was unlike anything Porcupine Tree« had done up to then in their career, a punchy, melodic hybrid of pop, psychedelia and alternative rock with a catchy chorus and an uncompromising guitar riff up front. It was one of the key pieces of their career that brought them closer to the masses.
The dark love confession »Shesmovedon«, another masterpiece of enviable melancholic-nostalgic dimensions, was also the second single from »Lihtbulb Sun«. Its structure is built on a furious guitar riff, while Steven’s vocal this time is full of touching fervor and indescribable pain, peaking in an ethereal-epic chorus that sends goosebumps racing across your body in an instant. In the closing section Steven surprises with an excellent guitar solo, making splendid use of the wah-wah effect. The acoustic nuances in between nicely calm the angry nature of this seemingly simple yet complex confession about a failed relationship. It was also one of Porcupine Tree’s first examples of coherently merging progressive metal and progressive rock elements.
The honorary title of the strangest track on »Lightbulb Sun« definitely goes to »Last Chance To Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled«. A pastoral-psychedelic melody takes over through banjo and other stringed gadgets, while Steven’s vocal deepens the nostalgic, seductive atmosphere. The romantic love lyrics stand in sharp contrast to the pessimistic, resigned messages of most of the other »Lightbulb Sun« material. The instrumental section has minimalist-psychedelic variations on guitar and keyboards, while a recording of a bizarre farewell speech unexpectedly crashes into the sonic collage.
This unique creation in fact contains the pre-death speech of the ‘Reverend’ Marshall Applewhite, founder and leader of the bizarre American religious cult Heaven’s Gate, whose followers believed they came from another dimension, to which they would return at the right moment. In their belief, they were on Earth, which was doomed to destruction, only as guests. So they believed that when comet Hale-Bopp appeared, supposedly with a spaceship at the end of its tail, they could return to their dimension, especially because Earth was supposedly about to be recycled shortly (somebody read ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ a bit too eagerly).
All they had to do was turn into beings of pure energy and merge with the spaceship in the middle of that comet’s tail, which would carry them through space back to their home dimension. And they could do that, as usually happens with similar bizarre and criminal religious sects, through mass suicide, so all the Heaven’s Gate members, led by their leader, drank poison and finally succumbed to collective madness.
The recording of Applewhite’s speech, made just before the sect members committed collective suicide, includes an explanation of the reason for their insane act. Steven was always fascinated by stories of bizarre, criminal and manipulative religious cults that he never managed to get to the bottom of, so it’s no surprise he toyed with the religious madman’s farewell message, which stands in sharp contrast to the romantic ambience and lyrical message of this unforgettable Porcupine Tree classic.
It’s followed by a track that almost didn’t make it onto the album, though it later proved to be one of the most beautifully arranged and best-loved pieces in the entire Porcupine Tree history. »The Rest Will Flow«, featuring an orchestral section, is a brilliantly arranged ballad with Steven at the peak of his emotional singing. With the help of exceptionally tasteful orchestral-acoustic harmonies, Porcupine Tree shape an ethereal-hypnotic chorus that hooks the listener instantly with its ambient magic. With the brutally gloomy »Hatesong« comes an incredible ambient contrast and a leap into the second, more experimentally inclined half of the album. Mighty bass lines, exciting electronic samples and guitar minimalism dominate here, while Steven turns into a true vocal chameleon.
The climax of this punchy track is a complex instrumental section with brutal guitar passages and merciless drum fills, with a mellotron flowing in the background, which is sure to please all fans of classic King Crimson even today. Despite the numerous instrumental variations, the extensive use of varied sound effects on guitar and keyboards, and the overall uncompromising ambient nature of this excellent composition, the band members still find enough room inside it to craft an ethereal chorus.
»Where We Would Be«, yet another superb achievement, where you can hear birdsong and the ring of a bicycle bell, is a lovely return of psychedelic-nostalgic curtains and gorgeous vocal harmonies under Steven’s ethereal command, while pastoral-tinged acoustic guitar chords sustain the hypnotic melody. Steven’s angry guitar improvisation stands in sharp contrast to the hypnotic arrangements, which win the listener over instantly with their emotional depth.
The thirteen-minute fatalistic epic »Russia On Ice« is the most ambitious piece on »Lightbulb Sun« and one of Porcupine Tree’s best achievements, period. A gentle intro with minimalist piano improvisations slowly builds a melancholic and at times gloomy mood, which is suddenly rattled by dissonant sounds and the intrusion of an angry guitar riff. Amid the general reign of melancholy and fatalism, Mr. Wilson tells yet another notorious relationship misadventure, of which there were plenty in his Porcupine Tree poetry. Choral harmonies in the chorus embellish his vocal performance, while mellotron waves deepen the sad atmosphere of this brilliant composition. Steven pours all the emotional pain into his vocals and individual guitar improvisations, while a lavish orchestral backdrop accompanies him.
In the second part, an almost alternative-metal section with low-tuned electric guitar passages briefly appears, quickly making room for more furious guitar improvising and wild drum transitions. Barbieri meanwhile doesn’t hold back in the background, laying down variable electronic patterns. It’s hard to decide which ambient moment on this epic feast, which ends with the clanging of a church bell, captures the essence of Porcupine Tree or Steven Wilson in the most representative way. The album closes with the resigned ballad »Feel So Low«, on which a hapless Steven, amid a reign of melancholic arrangements, with piano, acoustic guitar and massive orchestral curtains, finally tears his wounded heart apart. This unforgettable farewell track was re-recorded in 2004 as part of Wilson’s side project Blackfield, which he founded together with Israeli musician Aviv Geffen.
On »Lightbulb Sun« Porcupine Tree reached a new level of artistic evolution and cleared their own path to the top of modern progressive rock. Many music connoisseurs only started to truly respect them with this album and went digging through their earlier achievements. Thanks to the astonishingly harmonious blend of sonic accessibility and experimentation with deep ambient messages, people also started enthusiastically comparing them to Pink Floyd around this time, which was a nice compliment, but Steven’s crew were always a special story of their own, so comparing them to other acts was practically impossible. At the same time, »Lightbulb Sun«, one of their best achievements, managed to win over even those who otherwise didn’t listen to progressive rock or progressive metal but fell for the accessibility of most of the songs on the album. »Lightbulb Sun« was also the last Porcupine Tree album with drummer Chris Maitland, as from then on he was replaced by Gavin Harrison (later a member of King Crimson).
Lineup
Steven Wilson – vocals, guitar, piano, mellotron, hammered dulcimer, samples, banjo, harp, production
Richard Barbieri – synthesizer, Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, mellotron
Colin Edwin – bass guitar, drum machine, guimbri
Chris Maitland – drums, backing vocals
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Stuart Gordon – violin, viola
Nick Parry – cello
Eli Hibit – additional rhythm guitar
The Minerva String Quartet
Katy Latham – violin
Lisa Betteridge – violin
Sarah Heines – viola
Emmeline Brewer – cello
Production
Steven Wilson
Tracklist
1. Lightbulb Sun (5:30)
2. How Is Your Life Today ? (2:46)
3. Four Chords That Made A Million (3:36)
4. Shesmovedon (5:14)
5. Last Chance To Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled (4:48)
6. The Rest Will Flow (3:15)
7. Hatesong (8:26)
8. Where We Would Be (4:12)
9. Russia On Ice (13:04)
10. Feel So Low (5:18)
