Where does Steven Wilson rank?

Anyone that creates a b-side this awesome is a prog god:

 

If he had embraced the Allman Brothers it might have been a favourite as well. Alas....

 

Genius

 

I had never heard of him so excuse my ignorance but Ive been listening to some of his stuff on Qobuz which doesnt have all of his catalogue available. Im now listening to Up the Downstair. At the moment I cant see how anyone could compare him to Floyd or Zappa but Im prepared to keep listening and maybe i will come back in a year or two with an opinion.

 

That's none of your business!!
Oh RANK - sorry


Peace and love✌

Dave

 

He's able to pack good-size theaters, not to mention turn out an album every couple of years. I'd say he's near the forefront of "artists that matter" right now in terms of guitar rock music, though he's not really a household name.

But I'd say most people keeping up with rock music know who he is. For me he ranks rather highly.

 

And don't forget all of the side projects...

Blackfield
Storm Corrosion
Yes remasters
King Crimson remasters
Tears for Fears remasters
XTC Remasters
Jethro Tull remasters

And I know I missed some....

I think he's right up there with the Prog greats...

 

I heard a Gentle Giant mix he did this last Friday as well.

However, I don't really count his remix projects, though he undeniably does them well.

 

Up the Downstair is really good, but just a tinny tiny glimpse into his greatness. It's like his Time and a Word (and I doubt most would listen to Time and a Word and call Yes prog giants based merely on that record). We are here for you when you need recommendations.

 

I know that he came out of some band but not sure which band. I have seen from this board that he releases solo albums but don't have any. I also notice his name regarding some large remastering or remixing products but I haven't any interest in them. He may be well worth high regard but he hasn't made a dent in my musical world but we can't know and like everyone. Obviously I can't dislike him since I know so very little of him.

 

Don't forget:

No-Man: proggy melancholy pop (and why I laugh at people freaking about the pop touches in To the Bone)
I.E.M.: His answer to Neu!
Bass Communion... Um... If anyone can figure out how to explain this one, let me know.

 

I own most of the PT and solo stuff in surround sound and they are mixed wonderfully (as one would expect) and are great listens.

In stereo, I rarely listen to any of his stuff and I find myself reaching for RUSH or any number of other artists first.

So while I really appreciate, respect and enjoy what he is doing for the hi-res community, personally his music doesn't rank that high for me. I feel like it should, so maybe that's on me not investing more time 'listening' to his work.

 

I dig the man's approach both musically and in his remixing role. The product is of great standard.

 

Dark and, at times, industrial ambient. Very sparse.

 

I rank him 7th.

 

Only knew him from his remixes and recently discovered his solo work. Typing this while I listen to HCE. Love it. Yeah, maybe we need to give him a bit more time to see if he deserves to be amongst the greatest but he in my book he is definitely in the top 5 at the moment.

Found this nice article as well.

Steven Wilson: the prog rocker topping the charts without anyone noticing

 

I believe that SW has been gaining recognition in recent years as to belong to the "elite". However, even after 20 years or more doing music he is not completely known to some audiences.
Since a few years ago he has gained respect and I think he is currently much more appreciated than in his years with Porcupine Tree. Their music has changed a lot since "Insurgentes" and if we compare even "Hand Can not Erase" with "To The Bone" there is an evolution there a little oriented to win more fans and expand their audience beyond the usual prog-rockers
Surely he will occupy his space with the elite at some time

 

I really can't say enough about Steven Wilson.... I discovered him through Porcupine Tree and 5.1 music. Porcupine Tree music took me a while to get into. Like all his music, even his most accessible music, he takes time to get into... It takes me up to 6 or 7 listens to his music before I start to get it. But once I do, I find I like it more and more. He is severely underrated. In my opinion, he will go down as one of the greats but he won't get this recognition until much later in his career. Hi is a multi-instrument musician, songwriter, creator sound engineer. Not many other artists can boast a resume like that.

 

Totally agree ! This resume my personal vision.

 

SW has been such a huge influence on my appreciation of music.

I've acquired and enjoyed so much of his work - PT, No-Man, IEM, Bass Communion, Blackfield, Storm Corrosion - those catalogues alone will take me forever to track down everything:

Voyage PT [The Complete SW Discography] - This Trip IS Really Necessary!

And then he's introduced me to the likes of Anathema, Opeth, Orphaned Land, as a producer.

He's given me fresh perspective on the likes of King Crimson, Tull, Gentle Giant, Yes, (and hopefully Tangerine Dream) through his remixes.

And then there's his own taste in music, that has led me to explore the likes of NIN, ELO, Arvo Part, Slayer.

But not just that - once I started buying his solo stuff on the Kscope label, that led me to try the other acts on the label's roster, and I ended up buying everything (over a number of years!). I now automatically buy each new Kscope release, without listening beforehand - that really opens up your attitude to new and unfamiliar music.

I'm glad he's getting wider recognition now, but I hope he continues to work purely on his own terms and standards.

 

Not yet.... the last solo album was a joke. He was involved with too many (boring) side projects.

 

Wilson may be a genius but in reality his heavy output in music has dips in quality and he just dabbles in other genres other than prog. Also as a modern prog artist influenced heavily by the past he is never going to get the accolades that artists/bands from the early 70s get. That he is outstanding in the field of contemporary music is probably the highest accolade he is going to get.

 

A lot of people liked it including myself. It's just a little more commercial. I would put it in his top 5 best albums to date from those I have heard.

 

Hard working and talented but nothing he's done is of a classic variety like Yes' or Genesis' albums in their prog hay day or Marillian with albums like Script.. or Brave. But Hand. Cannot. Erase. comes damn close.

 

Well, my favorite SW records are Insurgentes, The Raven... and Hand Cannot Erase.

Porcupine Tree is also a mixed bag... I like Stupid Dream, Lightbulb Sun, In Absentia and Fear of Blanket.