As the band itself. Notice that Steven mentioned that the disc sold around 30k or 40k copies by then. But in the next years it sold around 20k each year! Very common with great works, ahead of their time!
MUCH more love and respect needs to be given to Richard Barbieri…He is one of the seminal synth pioneers, through his work with Japan (and everything related that followed) and 46 years later he's still innovating and a key member of one of the greatest bands in the World. 😔
As a big Japan fan, Richard's contribution cannot be overemphasised. His atmospheric soundscapes. are what makes PT so great. Couple that with kicking new songs and throwing the genius of Gavin into the mix (what musician wouldn't be inspired by playing with him?!), makes this a superb desert-Island album.
That album was recommended to me by the bassist and guitarist of Mudvayne.. I interviewed them and asked them what some great new music was and they instantly both said “the new porcupine tree!” And in absentia really changed the game for me. So sensual, so abysmal, so hovering. When I think of the album, I see a bright summer day in my adolescence, where all worries weren’t even on the horizon, because I was flooded by the positivity and overwhelming beauty of these songs.
That's really cool to hear. I always liked Mudvayne but never would have guessed that they are fans of Porcupine Tree. Or like on this doc when Gavin talks about being inspired by Meshuggah. I guess it doesn't really matter what genre, good music is good music and good musicians have a respect for each other that rises above any musical genre.
Positivity? Bright summer day? Trains is the only song that really invokes that. Some of the more atmospheric tracks like .3 maybe, but the album as a whole is quite dark.
Funny you should mention Pink Floyd, i feel like they are the greatest influence on porcupine tree like- time flies e.g. seems like a combination of whole animals album - even their sounds are really similar
What I love most about Steven and co is how honest they are, especially Gav, Col and Richard about Steven and his writing/process. It was really interesting to see how they view these songs as projects and hearing about how they made certain decisions while writing. Some of the most intelligent and mature musicians in all of progressive rock.
Saw them last week in Amsterdam, and fucking hell they're as good as ever. I really hope they continue, rather than getting closure. The new album is amazing as well. Lots of new and fresh ideas, but still very much PT. I love Stevens solo work so much as well, but with PT there's so much chemistry happening between the guys and it would be a shame if that didnt continue.
Agreed. Amsterdam was sick. I did not expect to ever see PT play live, so when they announced their tour, I had to buy it. Best live experience so far!
One of the things i love about bands like Porcupine tree and Tool is that every band member gets recognized for their own abilities. Steven for his musical knowledge, Gavin for his drumming, Barbieri for his amazing soundscapes and similarly in Tool. This kind of fandom is very hard to find in today's pop music. No one literally knows any other member of the band except the frontman. Btw love Gavin's laugh as well! Cheers! ❤️💯
In Absentia to me feels like getting into a car crash, and the it becomes a divergent timeline. In one I'm rescued, in another my crash was caused by a serial killer, in another I drunk drove into a train, and then had my flash back. In another I'm telling my friend, cousin or little sibling about this crazy wreck that happened
I actually once got into a terrible car crash. I was driving alone at night in a heavy snowfall, got caught in a skid and ran into a crash barrier. The car was heavily damaged and I was shocked but safe, thanks God. The interesting thing, I was listening to In Absentia when this happened. I remember sitting in the smashed car waiting for the tow truck, smoking and drinking water, trying to calm down, watching the snowstorm around me and listening to ".3". Every time I listen to In Absentia, it reminds me of that night, even though 7 years have passed.
My first PT album and it's a precious one. It's really interesting how Trains became so popular. It was and is one of my favorite songs by anyone ever. It just instantly feels right.
I didn’t appreciate that song until I was in Germany last summer visiting my wife’s family. We spend a lot of time on trains when we’re in Europe, we do not use them in most of the US, and I had downloaded In Absentia to listen to offline on Spotify for when we were traveling so I just had it on repeat and I really really paid attention to the songs like I never had before. Trains became one of my favorites.
Glad I got to see these guys in 2022, even if some of the shine has vanished after a decade-long hiatus. In Absentia, Deadwing, and Fear Of A Blank Planet are among my favorite albums of all time.
@@otacon12 I just did. 😂 C/C is not really clicking for me. Lots of technical prowess, but missing soul. Opinion seems to be divided 50/50 on it. I’m sadly in the negative camp…
Whoa! My wife and I make an appearance in this doc at the 7:52 mark!! I had no clue! That was taken from the Atlanta show at the Roxy in June 2005. How cool!
@@jrbird7571 I remember being soo blown away. I also saw them a few months later in Houston - I couldn't resist! And so the PT / SW addiction continues lol
I love how at about 1:38:38 Gav snickers at himself after saying "It turned out alright." referring to joining the band. He knows he just made the HUGEST understatement! Ha!
PT almost has to be defined by eras. The Wilson only psyche era, the band psyche era, the pop era, and then the prog metal era. I discovered them in the band psyche era and because of that Signify will always be my favorite. But In Absentia really, really did change everything. I think Blackest Eyes is the best off it. Funny story, I was in New Orleans on business on my last night there. I did the whole Bourbon Street thing and the jazz club thing and then on my walk back to the hotel, I stopped in a bar at about 3 am. They had an internet jukebox and I looked up PT and found Blackest Eyes. I was in my 50s at the time and there were a few younger people in there. Anyway Blackest eyes started and I get these looks from the kids and one of them walks up and says something to the effect of "I didn't expect a song like that from an old guy", and fist bumped me.
I had never heard of Porcupine Tree until in 2019 or 2020 when I was watching a RU-vid video about home audio. The RU-vidr was testing a set of speakers and In Absentia was one of the records he used. I downloaded it and was blown away, so I downloaded more and was blown away. I thought Porcupine Tree was some new band, I bought all the records I could find. None of the radio stations in my area played any of their music. If it wasn’t for getting back into home audio and watching videos I never would have heard of the band.
Whenever I think about a list of "desert island" disks, In Absentia is always the first that comes to mind. I haven't gotten tired of it in all these years, and it carried me through serious depression in the early 21st century. Thanks, guys, especially Steven.
You can tell that Colin and Steven were not on the same page even back then... An incredible album by a truly spectacular band. Steven is right about "Drown With Me" - great song that should have been on the record.
@@TheRealLazyBear I wouldn’t say a specific spot would readily reveal this but I sensed an underlying sentiment there when Colin was describing the role of some of the bass parts to the songs, how there wasn’t much he could do with them to improve it so it became more on intent and purpose during the performance. To me it was a nice way to say “it’s his song and that’s the way he wants to bass part…”. Maybe some of the material wasn’t open for interpretation. Who knows…on the parts I know he came up with are always well integrated and tasteful.
@@biorythmicshifter He was always a fantastic live performer, I think that's what I'd miss the most, if I saw PT play live today. I wish them the best, for sure, even just Gavin, Steven, and Richard back together is a treat. But that trio that connects back to "Signify" is just a deeper level, I don't wave that aside, even on the record. It's a different band without Colin.
@@bernlin2000 being a HUGE fan of the earlier part of their music (especially Signify) I can’t help but agree with you as much as I love to see them back in action…
I remember the first time I heard Porcupine Tree. It was my first day as a sound guy with a successful band. Tour rehearsal. The drummer took me to his truck and played Blackest Eyes. "That's what my drums are going to sound like." Be careful what you ask for kids! In the time since I've seen Gavin live 3 times. Every time he finishes a solo he looks like he needs immediate medical attention. That's how much he puts in. And it sounds like it, every time. Extraordinary mastery.
I discovered PT with in absentia. Walking into a record shop they were playing it and I went to the guy and asked what the hell that was. He showed me the CD that was displayed next to the register and I just bought it. Best thing I ever did buying this album, after that I discovered tons of other bands in the "prog area".
It's not a coincidence after becoming a huge PT fan that I really got into Opeth and Meshuggah. I was just hearing the source of some of PT's influences there and naturally got hooked. Now they're permanently my top 3.
I've been a PT fan for about 18 years, an Opeth fan for about 15 years, and I just can't cross the bridge to Meshuggah. Any good "entry points" to that band for a fan of the other two?
@@philipdanne5261 You know how Opeth has these outros on songs like Deliverance and Harlequin Forest? They're just such a unique vibe and almost trance-inducing; That's what it feels like to me when I listen to the Catch Thirtythree album. It's practically one continuous track and has some insane heavy riffs and well placed calm psychedelic sections. I've heard people describe their listening experiences of Meshuggah's music as feeling like being sucked into a black hole. I agree with that description. It might take you a few listens, but definitely listen to the album, not just a single track.
Last time I saw Porcupine Tree live was in Dublin in 2010. Time to go see them again. Wilson's voice is just haunting, love it. One of the best bands out there.
Great documentary about a great album, a great band and a great artist and composer Steve Wilson. Porcupine Tree's music set a new standard for me in music about 18 years ago, when I was first listen to them. There are so many gems on this album, it's unbelievable. But there are other albums like "Deadwing","Fear of a blank planet", "The Incident", or "Stupid Dreams" to name a few, Steve Wilson is a true musical genius that the whole word should know about. You have to check out his solo albums too ! Can't wait to hear his next creation !...
25:33 If you only have time for one moment, just listen to Gavin describe Steven in simple terms 😛 this is a fantastic documentary about one of the greatest rock bands of all time
In the early 90s my band shared a practice space with AIC. I had stored my vintage VOX wah-wah pedal in the back of my LAB Series amp. I’m certain that the wah-wah used on their first album was certainly mine. My Electro-Harminox flanger/matrix came up missing as well. I was pissed at the time but he utilized those effects better than I.
Favorite song on In Absentia is The Sound of Muzak, got savage lyrics that hit different today. And I think he throws a jab at RATM too which comes outta nowhere. Watching great musicians work 👍
I have this dvd myself. I am actually surprised this video has not been pulled down given how strict Steven Wilson and his management are on matters like this
Lightbulb sun, in absentia just great music with great studio/mix engineers involved. I love the integration of sound design elements/textures and use of 5.1 surround
What a weird time in my life. Right at the time this album came out there was a spell when the crystal meth really exploded especially in terms of potency. This was the first time I saw the “glass” or “ice” being peddled instead of the normal chalky looking stuff. I tried it while listening to this album and the high of the drug coupled with the high I was getting from the music culminated into this incredibly powerful experience at the time I will never forget. Mind you, when I quit drugs I couldn’t listen to this album for years because it was a trigger for me. That’s what I remember about this period, an unbelievable high…I think I got a buzz just watching this.
Deadwing was the first album I heard, but In Absentia was the second and instantly a masterpiece to me. Still one of my favourite albums of all time and probably my favourite PT album though they have many incredible albums.
I loved this documentary. Porcupine Tree is one of the best Prog bands of all time! I'm so happy that Steven's band "No-Man" took a back seat, so Porcupine Tree could grow and develop in a vigorous way.
I remember seeing Porcupine Tree in San Francisco at the Filmore in 2003 when they toured with Opeth. I knew very little about them but I was already a big fan of Opeth. I remember being a bit disappointed that Porcupine Tree was the headlining band and figured it must have been a record company decision for promotion purposes because most of the room was occupied by Opeth fans. I remember Michael from Opeth came out into the audience during Porcupine Tree's session. I almost wanted to go up to him and tell him something was backwards but I was to shy to approach him. After that I did really like In Absentia album but it had to grow on me.
In Absentia was my first PT experience about 10 years ago. It quickly became one of my favorite records of all time....and it still is. I just saw them live for the first time in Philadelphia in 2022. Excellent show! A few things imbrued the night as whole. The show was about sold out. The venue (The MET) waited too long to open the doors for entry. The line was, literally, wrapped around 3/4 of a major city sized block. We were in the area early but since the restaurant (I like to eat before the show) couldn't manage to make a pizza in a timely manner that night, we were just getting in line closer to 'doors open' time. Needless to say, we were deep in the line and ultimately missed the first song, Blackest Eyes. I heard it from the lobby, though. Anyway, I was disappointed that they didn't play Gravity Eyelids. IMO, I don't think that song gets it due praise. It's the longest song on the record, the best song on the record, in my opinion, and still, even in this documentary about the album....they hardly spent any time talking about it. UGH. Otherwise, great documentary. Love Steven Wilson/PT..always!
There are some albums and bands that have such an impact on you that you wish you could relive the moment you heard them for the first time just so you can be overwhelmed by that amazing feeling again. This is that band and album for me.
In Absentia es uno de esos discos que no te puedes morir sin haberlo escuchado alguna vez. Una obra maestra, no pasa un mes sin escuchar alguno de sus temas sublimes. 🔥🔥🔥
Indeed. When I saw them in 2008 with my girlfriend and my dad we had an extra ticket. So we brought one of my dad's long time friends. Unfortunately he was a bit of an alcoholic so during the show his loud enthusiasm was definitely rubbing me the wrong way as a young 19 year old trying to have this religious sonic experience (and truly.. I didn't know it would be my last time seeing them!). BUT. Looking back through the lense of memory his antics make me smile. He was genuinely ecstatic. He kept grabbing me and screaming "what is this!! What are we experiencing!?!? Is this Pink Floyd?!?!!!! Is this Led Zeppelin!!!!???". PT was bringing him back 30 years to his glory days when he got to experience some of the greatest rock and roll tours ever. Those shows were clearly a huge part of his identity and he was very thankful that I had turned him onto that experience. I'm happy he came. Even if it's taken me some time to see it that way... It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Your so right that the art work, especially as it was presented on the video screen with lights and live performances was equally important to the whole experience. I cherish my CD, dvd, and bluray collection for the music and art as well. Cheers!
@@ibornalone john was backing vocal of some pT's songs here such as "Blackest Eyes, The Sound of Muzak & Prodigal, also additional guitarist for Blackest Eyes
Underrated musicians,no way?OK,Underrated,but from who?...from people they do not understand and feel that level...99 percent of audience..But we dont give a s... about,and PT also, stay sure,Saddly,Iam not first era fan,because I find foran case PT,only in 2009....whatever we dont need last minute fan who after cup oh some shitty hit songs became "thrusty"stadium concert buyer and audience.Enjoy PT,forgot underrated or not.
Besides the Beatles and the usual suspects of classic and progressive rock of the 70's, Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson are my favorite product from the United Kingdom since.
43:35 - 47:05 I respectfully disagree with Steven about lyrics and poetry, Poetry has a musicality of its own. We need to remember that Music and Poetry were born together within an oral tradition ever since Homer, _Iliad_ and _Odyssey_ were poems composed to be sung, the same thing with Hesiod or Sappho (who composed poems to be sung along with a lyre playing). Poetry as simply "written text on the page meant to be read" is a more modern/recent phenomenon. Every poem is written to be declaimed/recited/sung, even if we are talking about modern Poetry (German Romanticism to Modernism in 20th Century), the mere reading represents only half of the experience. Lautréamont wrote _Les Chants de Maldoror_ (1869), and the word _Chants_ (Cantos) is remeniscent of the great epic poems of Homer, Virgil, Ovid, Dante, Milton, Chaucer, Camões, and it's a word that is usually translated in English as "Songs" (the usual translation of the title in English is _The Songs Of Maldoror_ ). It's even said that Lautréamont (Isidore Ducasse) wrote his prose poem and recited it while playing his piano, upsetting his neighbors who were trying to sleep (a situation that I think every band rehearsing identifies with). Great rock lyricists like Dylan, Morrison or Ian Curtis were directly influenced by poetry (Blake, Rimbaud etc). Thom Yorke wrote the lyrics for _Ok Computer_ (1997) while he was reading _Songs Of Innocence & Songs Of Experience_ by Blake. In the book _Everything In Its Right Place: Analyzing Radiohead_ , by Bob Osborn, the author points out the influence of Dante in Yorke's lyrics between _Ok Computer_ and _Heil To The Thief_ , as can be seen in "Pyramid Song" in its blend of Egyptian and Dantesque imagery. Steven himself, in _Insurgentes_ (2008), took the title "No Twilight Within The Courts Of The Sun" from Coleridge's _The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner_ . His _The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories)_ (2013) is obviously remeniscent of Edgar Allan Poe, which he admitted back when he was promoting the album. So lyrics and music as poetry is simply a revival of what was usual in Western Literature before 16th Century (it's not a surprise that Dylan won the Nobel of Literature in 2016). Poets and musicians are the same thing: bards. But I still understand Steven's artistic approach, he is a producer and has a producer eye to music. Lyrics can't stole the show, it's a piece of a whole and Steven is always concerned with this whole (the album). And I agree with him about cliche and bad metaphors in Rock lyrics.
Excellent comment. It’s interesting that there’s been this interplay between language and music in different ways depending upon the linguistic background of the composer, the classic distinction between those north of the Alps, and those from south of the Alps.
Great comment. I had not heard that about Lautréamont at the piano. Les Chants de Maldoror is totally wild, and in terms of tone very appropriate to mention beside a dark record like In Absentia. 😂
@@analogpark8059 The part about Ducasse writing only at night in his piano is told by Rémy de Gourmont, Genonceaux or Michaux if I'm not mistaken. We don't know if that is true, but that doesn't matter: the mere image of Ducasse blending the written word with melody is enough to sell my point. I wrote an essay comparing Lautréamont to Cioran where I used a quote from "The Creator Has A Mastertape" ( _"I stared into the void tonight/The best dream I ever had"_ ) as an epigraph. Italian literary critic Roberto Calasso, in his _Literature And The Gods_ (2001), has an entire chapter about Lautréamont titled "Musings Of A Serial Killer". Certain passages in _Chants_ , like that scene with the girl in Third Canto, have everything to do with _In Absentia_ , even though Maldoror (more an entity than a character/person) has a gnostic purpose to his violence and evil doings, and not strictly pathological like most serial killers in real life.
"It was all based around a festival we did in Pennsylvania, and the festival was paying for the whole tour..." Nearfest 2001. Interesting how Rob and Chad were somewhat helpful in them getting to that point. Was able to see Steve walk around the lobby area in between the festival stages.
Life is mostly suffering. In the past music played such a huge role for some as a way to channel that pain. Listeners found common ground with those artists and the songs when it hit home. Music was the best nostalgic time capsule for our emotional journeys. Sound of Muzak was very profound and I believe the tension, depression, and division today is tied to the lack of deeper meaning in mainstream music and culture. Steve may be correct that there are no more riffs or combinations to be played on the guitar, Regardless I truly believe that more of the younger generation needs to embrace creating music as an outlet for their pain, insecurity, uncertainty and hope for a brighter future. To unplug from their smartphone and stop watching others live lives and finally start living one of their own.
I was first introduced to Porcupine Tree back in 2011 and I’ve been hooked ever since. Really interesting documentary about In Absentia. I love the dark, twisted concept of this album and learning about the different stories and meanings behind the tracks, as well as delving more into Steven’s mind. Lips of Ashes is my favourite. Deadwing was the first track I ever heard by PT, however, which is another beautiful album, along with FOABP and (unpopular opinion?) The Incident.
To me "Shallow" was the first song I ever heard on the radio, from the album "Deadwing" . That, to me, is my favourit album with "In Absentia" as close second. And now thay are out touring again. Just finnished up their Eurpean tour.
Every time I rewatch this video, I still love it. PT In Absentia is an album that I didn't get until the 5th listen. I did like Blackest Eyes and Trains right away, but the rest took time. Now I'm a PT super fan.
Blackest Eyes was my first exposure to PT, but it took a while for In Absentia to grow on me. Now I'm a massive fan, but if I had to pick a fave, I'd go with Fear of a Blank Planet, personally. I think that was the band at their best.
Fear was my first album, but damn, between that, In Absentia and Deadwing, my favorite just depends on what day of the week it is basically. They really reached a high during those few years.
@@danp4175 For me, I just liked it the first time I heard it. I listened to the whole album and it kind of went over my head, but Blackest Eyes was pretty good, I thought. But I kept thinking about it, which led me to go back to it, and with each play I liked it better, and then I liked the whole album, and then I was a super fan of everything PT did.
I didn't get on the PT bandwagon until Deadwing and I was late on that album too. I first saw them in 2008 on the FoaBP tour. They were still small and played clubs. By the time The Incident came out it was all different. They were playing for large clubs and theaters. Then.... poof. Gone. I was happy to get a 4th (and likely final) chance to see them this last fall. They can be as successful as they want. I don't think they want.
@@niftylights3 Awesome! Was that the first time you got to see them? PT gained so many fans since 2012. I am glad for all the people who finally got to see them live on this tour. They asked us to keep our cell phones tucked away at the show I was at too. BTW, I was at the Chicago show where they filmed the Incident video. That was cool! I have a pro-shot video reminder of a fun night with PT.
@@jppagetoo First time was in 2009(Bologna Italy)...pure case....ive been searching for some interesting gig in city....PorcupineTree?what a strange name...when?tonight,wowww...after that some short search on youtube and in 15 minutes I became a PT fan,2 hours after,the concert.I was blown away completly.....till now
I think we'll see and hear more. They all seem to be riding a high from their best and most successful tour ever. Steve has a new solo album on the way, but I suspect PT will be back soon.
How PT is not as well known as other "popular" bands is a mystery to me but many things these days are.. They renewed my faith in music, and they came at the perfect time for me. I hope to see them in concert again and here another album.
Barbari's soundscapes and Gavin's drumming kept it grounded in OT land for me, but for certain some of the production definitely sounded like the last two Steven albums.
way back in 1996-7 I think I was on some chat group of which I never do, chatting about my playing and recording guitar, chatting with a guy from Italy that asked "have you ever heard of Porcupine Tree"? Well I have reciprocated that many times over to other folks.
![Porcupine Tree - In Absentia [Documentary]](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
