Porcupine Tree: 26 09 09
Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree took over Rock Radio on September 26. Here are the tracks he played – and what he had to say about some of them.
Martin Haggarty's Prog Blog, featuring a review of The Incident, and his interview with Martin.
Led Zeppelin: Achilles’ Last Stand
An evergreen classic, arguably one of the most progressive tracks the band ever recorded. Presence is a very underrated album and I think it’s my favourite Led Zeppelin album.
Radiohead: Pyramid Song
Massive Attack: Teardrop
An absolutely beautiful song and Liz Fraser from Cocteau Twins has one of the most angelic voices in the whole history of popular music. It’s a sublime collaboration.
Faith No More: The Gentle Art of Making Enemies
It’s my favourite piece of music from what you’d call the grunge era. FNM had something more experimental and edgy about them that set them apart and I relate to the humour in Mike Patton’s lyrics.
Dead Can Dance: The Host of Seraphim
A very ethereal track. Lisa Gerrard is a contemporary of Liz Frazer’s and you’ll know her voice from movies like Gladiator and Lord of the Rings because it’s always her doing the ethereal female voice thing in the soundtrack. This track for me is sublime beyond all others.
Talk Talk: Life is What You Make It
The Colour of Spring is one of the few albums from the 80s I’m still listening to and a fan of. A lot of that music seems to have dated in a way 60s and 70s music hasn’t and this album is an exception.
The Mars Volta: Cotopaxi
They get called progressive but I think their sound is more diverse than that would suggest. They originally came from hardcore roots but they’re one of the most refreshingly original bands around right now. It’s self-indulgent but in a way I admire – I wish there was more of that sometimes.
Pete Townsend: Slit Skirts
My Bloody Valentine: Soon
There’s something about the guitar sounds Kevin Shields got that made you think there was something wrong with your record player. I’ve always admired musicians who make those wilful gestures and risk ridicule.
Sigur Rose: Album Three, Track Two
Portishead: Silence
They take on the mantle of ambitious art rock and this is a dark sinister, perverse record that finished mid-bar as if someone’s just cut the tape. I love those gestures.
ELO: One Summer Dream
One of those tracks you might call a sleeper – you’ll never see it on a greatest hits album but even Jeff Lynn considers it to be one of his best compilations. Maybe you should have released it as single, Jeff…
John Martyn: Spencer the Rover
Very sentimental but unpretentious and the quality in John’s guitar and voice is perfection for me.
Meshuggah: Gods of Rapture
When I heard them it changed the way I thought about music. I’d grown up with metal and NWOBHM and lost touch with it until Meshuggah captured me with the combination of brutality, complexity and sophistication. Amazing to check out live as well.
The Beach Boys: Surf’s Up
Can: Mother Sky
It’s really just one fantastic groove and it never gets boring.
David Bowie: Beauty and the Beast
Serge Gainsbourg: Melody
Jacob: Saint
The most sublime and beautiful of all these tracks and that’s saying something. It’s just guitar, bass and drums but there are these incredible clouds of sound.
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