Steven Wilson "Home Invasion - In Concert at the Royal Albert Hall" (BR+2CD, DVD+2CD) Oct 26/18

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by DesertChaos, Sep 1, 2018.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. ryaneagon

    ryaneagon Forum Resident

    Yes. There is more "dead time" in the Blu Ray version, also has a better DR, It is mixed the same though, at least from the A/B headphone listening I did last night. I compared using Tidal and my Blu Ray.
     
    oneway23 and AlanDistro like this.
  2. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
    Thanks. Track length can sometimes influence DR scores.
     
    albertop and AlanDistro like this.
  3. ryaneagon

    ryaneagon Forum Resident

    I will say the 5.1 mix, like every SW mix is the way to experience. Another reference quality mix and master.
     
    DaverJ, werner0407 and ceddy10165 like this.
  4. ryaneagon

    ryaneagon Forum Resident

    I'm surprised "Routine" was only included as a bonus "rehearsal" track and not performed during the set. It's my favorite track on the Blu Ray. I'm grateful they decided to include these rehearsal performances.
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2018
  5. AlanDistro

    AlanDistro Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sandy, OR
    Yeah I was really hoping they'd do it since Ninet was there for three other songs. I'm assuming it was left off of the main show because she takes lead on basically the entire song.
     
  6. ceddy10165

    ceddy10165 My life was saved by rock n roll

    Location:
    Avon, CT
    Totally agreed. In my mind, his music IS a surround sound experience first and foremost. He’s really the master of it.
     
    DaverJ and ryaneagon like this.
  7. ryaneagon

    ryaneagon Forum Resident

    I'm kinda in the same boat, although I first got into Porcupine Tree in 2002, picking up "In Absentia" CD solely because I thought the cover was ****ing mind bending! how could the music possibly suck, right? and it did! I totally feel in love with the music, production, song writing, but mostly (at the time) Gavin's drumming. I did follow "Deadwing" and enjoyed most of it but lost interest during the "Fear of a Blank Planet" era. It wasn't until I found out that Marco and Guthrie were playing on"The Raven that Refused to Sing" I got back into Steven's work. Those dudes...****! some of the best musicians you'll find, and totally changed Steven's sound. If you haven't had a chance to check out the "The Aristocats" give them a listen, not everyones cup of tea though.

    I've been hooked ever since, even going back and picking up all the PT CD's, 5.1 dvd's, and Blu-Ray's. I'd say the only releases I can't seem to get into are "Grace For Drowning" and "Insurgents".
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2018
    AlanDistro likes this.
  8. ryaneagon

    ryaneagon Forum Resident

    I'm 2 times through the concert Blu Ray, I take back what I said about Craig's drumming, while I still prefer Gavin, Marco, and Stacey playing on the tracks they played on in the studio, I do enjoy most of Craigs interpretations. Really though, everyone played there asses off. This is getting me extremely excited to see them in a couple weeks. Cheers!
     
    bobloblaw and ceddy10165 like this.
  9. ryaneagon

    ryaneagon Forum Resident

    Apologies, the DR was referring to was the 5.1 mix which I extracted from the Blu-Ray, it has a DR of 13.
     
  10. gkella

    gkella Glen Kellaway From The Basement

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    I ordered the set from amazon.ca with a release date of November 2nd.
    Just got tracking info that shows delivery in January 2019!!!
    I cancelled and reordered from amazon.com.
    ETA is November 21st.
     
  11. ryaneagon

    ryaneagon Forum Resident

    That's nuts! You must not have any music shops locally? Sadly they are disappearing.
     
  12. jenglund72

    jenglund72 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Snohomish, WA
    Really love the blu-ray. Great sound, great visuals for the most part. Not sure why they feel they need to use hypercut editing for the heavy/fast parts; makes it very distracting. But otherwise, the editing is done well. (The new Opeth set is edited well too, thankfully!)
     
  13. gkella

    gkella Glen Kellaway From The Basement

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Music shop about half hour drive from me.
    I just called them.
    The Canadian release date is November 9th.
    I guess I have wait.
    I cancelled my amazon orders.
     
  14. Tor33rpm

    Tor33rpm Take Me There....

    Location:
    North America
    I felt the same way after the 1st 5 listens. Then it clicked. To The Bone was one of my top 3 albums last year. Give it another chance. You owe it to yourself.
     
    Bossfan, Alan57 and TheSeldomSeenKid like this.
  15. Valen2260

    Valen2260 Forum Resident

    Had a few problems snagging my copy over the counter on release day, but the record store guys came through, after rummaging through umpteen boxes and finding the one available copy for me.

    The short review - my wife sat down and keenly watched the whole show and then asked me "When can we watch it all over again?"

    The longer review - from my latest blog post:

    What’s to like?

    Yesterday is a place where all your friends will always be.”

    Steven Wilson’s recent tour captured for posterity, with outstanding editing and sound mixing. This one really does raise the bar for filmed concerts as home entertainment.

    The low down

    What you will see, Are the threads of what I want you to believe,

    And all that you hold dear, Is under threat from someone all too near

    Steven Wilson’s To The Bone tour has been a highlight of our year, and judging by the feedback on social media, this seemed to be the tour that a lot of prog and rock fans were keenest to see, and discuss long after their own particular gig.

    It was certainly an impressive show, and you can read my account of the Glasgow gig here.

    So, you can imagine the delight expressed by fans when Wilson confirmed that he was filming his dates at London’s Royal Albert Hall for a future home release. It’s been a while since he released anything visual, and with this tour being his biggest and most ambitious yet, the timing feels right.

    When you load the dvd/bluray disc and the venue’s lights go down, and the thought-provoking montage of images fill the screen behind the band’s gear, I think you’ll find that Home Invasion very quickly recaptures the excitement of your particular experience, regardless of where you saw it.

    From the outset, Wilson has said that he wanted this release to differ from the traditional concert dvd, and the challenge would be to completely immerse the viewer in the live experience, while sitting in their home. Personally, I doubt that you can ever truly recreate the live experience for home cinema, but Home Invasion is certainly one of the best efforts I’ve enjoyed.

    The editing and camerawork is very cinematic, keeping static shots to a minimum and constantly throwing up images to keep you focussed, whether it be split screens, montage shots, or overlapping images. It looks like they crammed cameras into every possible nook and cranny, behind the band, front of stage, behind the rigs at the side of the stage, overhead shots from the balcony etc.

    And one technique which really impressed me, which I’ve rarely seen in concert dvds, is the camera homing in on the face of the singer, from a distance, and very, very slowly zooming in till the camera is practically face to face with the singer.

    Wilson isn’t the most photogenic of artists, often hiding behind his floppy hair, but on this dvd the camera gets right up close, and as he stares unflinchingly into the lens you get a brief glimpse of his focus and conviction in his music. It’s a very effective editing technique, used in several spots across the show, subtlely reminding the viewer who’s calling the shots, but without the artist or the camera ever having to show off.

    My favourite shot is that of Wilson walking the stage with his bass guitar during the title track. I’m so used to seeing him playing his guitar slung low, that it feels strange to see this geeky guy in skinny jeans and bare feet determinedly wielding a big bass guitar during the choppy opening riffs.

    The rest of the band get plenty of exposure too, and while Wilson may be the conductor, it’s very much a team effort. He’s commented that this is a line-up that he’s particularly happy with onstage, and it shows, as the cameras catch all the little “moments” between each of the players. They’re very much focussed on the music, but you can tell that they’re also enjoying playing off one another, and when each player takes on a solo you can see why Wilson handpicked these guys.

    The audio comes in surround sound and stereo mixes overseen by Wilson. As you’d expect, the volume is carefully mastered at a lower level so that you can turn it up without fear of distortion. I chose the surround mix for a wonderfully immersive experience – no gimmicky effects, but simply a very natural ambience.

    The guitars of Wilson and Ashley Hutchings are clearly separated between the front right and left speakers, so you can appreciate when either is playing rhythm or solo. Nick Beggs’ bass goes deep, especially on the subwoofer, and there’s a good clarity to the Adam Holzman’s keyboards and Craig Blundell’s drums.

    Performance wise, everyone delivers. The band are settled into the music mid-tour, and there’s no evidence of jitters or fluffs as the cameras roll. Hutchings earns his stripes with a terrific guitar solo on Regret #9, while you can see Blundell giving it absolutely everything on his kit during The Creator Has A Mastertape. Beggs, as usual, is Beggs, prowling the stage with his various bass guitars, but not upstaging the others. Holzmanis perhaps the unsung hero, stuck at the back with the keyboards, but his sound is so crucial to much of the music, that you appreciate seeing him focussed on his keys and anchoring the background soundtrack.

    There’s also the treat of having singer Ninet Tayeb on hand to perform the duets on Pariah and Blank Tapes, and I liked the way they mixed the opening of People Who Eat Darkness with Ninet taking the opening verse instead of Wilson. Some reviews have criticised Wilson’s voice, but on this set he really knocks it out of the park when he holds the last note on Ancestral. I’ve never heard him sustain a note like that before. Clearly the singing lessons have paid off.

    Bonus features are light, but you do get three extra songs recorded during rehearsals, and it’s uncanny how well these songs fit the surrounding empty hall, especially Heart Attack In A Layby which is even more melancholic in this version.

    It’s a fair bet that if you’re reading this, you’re already aware of Wilson’s music, and if you’re wondering whether Home Invasion is worth picking up, then I’d say yes. It’s a great memento and the audio and visuals are top notch quality. The set has an interesting mix of current solo material and older Porcupine Tree songs, re-imagined by the current band, so there’s plenty of new stuff on offer.

    But it’s also one for those fans who couldn’t get to one of the shows. Wilson has also said on several occasions that he wants to get his music out to as wide an audience as possible, but even he can’t tour everywhere, so he’s designed this release to reach out to those fans who couldn’t see him live.

    And it’s a great way to introduce new people to his work, as this set encapsulates exactly what his music is all about, especially at this point in time. Given his restless nature, who knows where his musical research will take him next?

    It’s not what you’ll possess, It’s how you will express, The essence of you
     
    Bossfan, duneman, Musiko and 10 others like this.
  16. DesertChaos

    DesertChaos Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Nice write-up - small correction though - it's Alex Hutchings....Ashley Hutchings is a different guy (still a great musician though!)
     
    JediJoker likes this.
  17. Valen2260

    Valen2260 Forum Resident

    :laugh: I realised this when I got home, opened up Prog magazine and read a review of a new album by....Ashley Hutchings!

    Thanks for taking the time to read it.
     
  18. gkella

    gkella Glen Kellaway From The Basement

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    I can’t win...
    The stores closest to me only got the DVD version....No blu ray.....
    This sucks..
     
  19. Reddington

    Reddington Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    New member here. :)

    On the subject of the AR, I saw your post and read the review on blu-ray.com before my copy of the BD+2 CD arrived from Burningshed in the UK. I was personally very pleased to read confirmation in both that the concert is presented in 2.35:1. However, upon receipt I noticed the set indicates "16x9" on the back. I also ordered the stand-alone BD from Amazon here in the US, and it arrived today. It indicates "16x9 (1.78:1)" on the back. The presentations are in the "CinemaScope" ratio - so, I assume printing errors?

    In any event, I was fortunate to be at this show (and also the night before ). The new BD is a fantastic reminder of a truly superb concert and evening.
     
  20. gkella

    gkella Glen Kellaway From The Basement

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Follow up..
    I called one more store and they had the blu ray set.
    I live in a small town.Today, it is pouring rain, cold and windy.
    The store that had the set is about half hour drive north if me on a good day.
    I was so excited they had it, I jumped in my car.
    Half way there, it starts snowing..and I mean snowing.
    I passed a car in a ditch,..pretty scary.
    The round trip took me two hours.
    I have so far watched up to Ancestral
    It was worth the drive.
    What a friggin great set.
    Glen
     
    danielbravo, albertop, chaz and 2 others like this.
  21. albertop

    albertop Forum Resident

    Living in the southern hemisphere, my situation is diametrically opposed to yours.
    I live in a large city. Today, it's sunny, weather is great overall.
    I'll be walking soon to St Kilda, where SW will play tonight at the Palais Theatre.
    I guess tomorrow I'll also play the blu-ray!
     
  22. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
    Printing error for sure. "16x9" is not relevant for the Blu-Ray format, only DVD. :) The concert itself is 2.35, but maybe the interviews are 1.78, I didn't notice.
     
    Reddington and JediJoker like this.
  23. gkella

    gkella Glen Kellaway From The Basement

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    You are a cruel man, my friend....
    Let us know how the show was....
     
    albertop likes this.
  24. albertop

    albertop Forum Resident

    The show was great!!! Especially the second part. I won’t disclose details... It was incredibly loud though, too much for my ears.
     
  25. gkella

    gkella Glen Kellaway From The Basement

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Yeah, .i saw him a couple of years ago on the HCE tour and it was ear splitting at times.
    His music so is dynamic..it is all part of it.
     
    albertop likes this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine