RockRoast

Porcupine Tree’s sixth studio album has long been out of print. But 2000’s Lightbulb Sun is slated for a grand rerelease on April 21st with an accompanying DVD that includes a 5.1 surround sound mix and other “bonus features.”

Lighbulb Sun, as far as I’m concerned, was Porcupine Tree’s official graduation from being a weird band to being a good band. The album is often described as being informally divided into two sections. The first half of the disc is the poppier, more commercial section and the second half is more progressive. There are great tracks in both sections, however. The title track is a haunting ballad sung from the perspective of a sickly, bed-ridden little kid missing out on his own childhood. “Shesmovedon” sports one of singer Steven Wilson’s greatest vocal moments during the lush harmonies on the choruses. And the thirteen-minute “Russia On Ice” is perhaps one of the greatest achievements of the band’s illustrious career.

Considering the limited time offer from Porcupine Tree’s official store that promises an extra CD with a few more rarities, the rerelease of Lightbulb Sun is definitely worth a preorder.

Ever since I heard Marco Sfogli was working on a solo project, I’ve been excited to hear it. Although his work was kind of hit-and-miss on James LaBrie’s Elements of Persuasion, Sfogli had his moments of brilliance. I was looking forward to see what he had to offer as a solo artist.

There’s Hope is an instrumental album, featuring a series of interesting arrangements in which Sfogli’s guitar takes the lead. And the album actually displays a surprising amount of variety. The title track has a bit of a heavy metal in it, while “Spreading the Disease” explores groove rock, “Never Forgive Me” is reminiscent of a soft rock love ballad, and “Texas BBQ,” obviously, carries considerable country influence.

The guitar seems to act as a substitute for a singer, and the melodies crafted by Sfogli’s strings capture an unfortunate range from good to bad. “Memories” has what is perhaps the most melodic, emotional guitar work. But in the case of “Seven,” the melody is aimless and deprives itself of its own context by drowning out the piano arrangement behind it. Another frequent problem is the guitar tone, which is regrettable on several occasions. On “Sunset Lights” and “Andromeda,” Sfogli’s distortion kicks in at all the wrong times, marring the peaceful, beautiful atmospheres of the songs. Odd keyboard patches on “Sunset Lights” and “Genius” also distract the listener from the heart and soul of the music. But as far as complaints go, that’s about all I’ve got.

It’s particularly refreshing that There’s Hope gives Sfogli a chance to express his softer side, in contrast to the bulk of his work on Elements of Persuasion. And he does a fine job, too. Though the album has some problems, as a whole it’s made me respect him a bit more as a musician, and I look forward to his work in the future. Especially since he’s rumored to have been working on another album with James LaBrie.

Perhaps the most convincing praise I can give the record is by mentioning the video I posted a few weeks ago. It’s an impressive performance, but the song it’s taken from didn’t wind up being one of the best on the record. So I can promise you there’s stuff even better than this on There’s Hope.

Best Performance: Marco Sfogli, obviously. He’s the guitarist, in case you hadn’t heard.

Buy it if: You don’t mind instrumental music, you’re a fan of Elements of Persuasion, or you’re going on a 49-minute drive sometime soon.

Rating: 6/10

Available at LionMusic.com

Also check out the running list of best 2008 albums for updates.

I have recently rediscovered the glory and wonder of this fantastic song.

It’s from The Alan Parsons Project’s 1982 release entitled Eye in the Sky.  Although Eye in the Sky is best known for the songs “Sirius,” “Eye in the Sky,” and maybe “Old and Wise,” I find that “Silence and I” has by far the most replay value. It’s a song that I come back to every couple of months and suddenly realize how great it is.  The beginning of it is soft and emotional, but it breaks into this crazy instrumental jam partway through.  I remember thinking how ridiculous it sounded when I first heard the song. 

But it can’t be denied that, oddly paced or not, “Silence and I” has some brilliant musical moments, especially from the strings.  I’m especially a fan of Eric Woolfson’s melancholy vocals on this track, too.  The song also uses considerable brass instrumentation, something I’m not normally a fan of in rock music.  But Alan Parsons knew how to use it right, and he demonstrates his skill throughout “Silence and I.”   

In short, it’s a fantastic song that you should listen to right now, whether you’re familiar with it or not. The full track can be streamed from Last.fm here.

Enjoy.